E30 Zone

Hope somebody can help me out here, as ive done all the searches i can think of but none seems to have the same issue i have with the rear wash wipe facility on my 89 touring.
The issue is as i say when the rear wash wipe button is depressed on the switch in the dashboard, (right hand side button) nothing happens, no pump operating no wiper sequence nothing! , But when the left hand button is pressed the wiper works correctly working its specified single wipe as per timer in relay.
The pump is a new bmw part and when i put a tester into the plug of the pump loom i have live onto one terminal and when i put the tester in the other terminal the washer relay clicks up in the inner rear 1/4 panel and starts the rear wiper sequence running twice?
any ideas of what i could check and how to go about it?
cheers for any help!

anybody?

thanks for the reply willnz much appreciated ill have a look for the wiring does it pass through the hinge of the tailgate?

The wiring will go through the tailgate hinge. Just read your post several times to make sure I've not got it confused but it sounds normal (unless ours are broke aswell), both mine and my other halfs tourer's are the same.
The right hand button does nothing unless the left hand button has been depressed, I had always thought that to be normal.

Have to say your wheels are the shizzle

Charlie

I've only used my tailgate wash/wipe once, and I'm sure that it operated without the 'wipe only' button being pressed.

Fecking thing ditched its water all over the load cover, obviously

P.S Will - aren't you dicing with death calling them station wagons?

Mine,left hand side of the switch pressed gives the timed wipe.
Right hand side hold for a second and it gives 2 swipes and washer works.

That's mine too (ish)

yep just been out to check mine again, as above really,
left hand gives timed wipe as it should, but right hand side does sweet f.a, even with the left button depressed! which im pretty sure from memory didnt have to be depressed to work the wash wipe facility,
but thanks for the input and helpfull advise charlie appreciated mate! thanks for the coments on the summer wheels they're tucked up in the warm cant wait to get them back on now!

beemerbird thats what i was worried about at first when i originally relised my wash wasnt working i thought oh no the headlinings gonna be soaked and start sagging now! lol mind you ill probably get it working and then it will flood out everywere

eko yep thats what mine used to do need to get it back working it bugs the hell out of me when things dont work

Pull out the wash/wipe switch and unplug it. Switch the ignition on and use a piece of wire to short together the brown/black wire to pin 8 and the brown wire to pin 2.
Does the washer work?

Cheers for the reply Brian really appreciate your help!
Right I've just been outside and tried the above and by bridging pins 8&2 the it all jumps into life so does this mean the switch is at fault?
Cheers again Brian

No, it does NOT mean the switch is at fault!
The rear washer is designed to squirt water onto the screen when the blade is going in one direction only. This is controlled by a semi circular steel disc and wiping brass contact inside the motor gearbox housing, very similar to the one that causes intermittent wipe and parking problems with the front wiper, and that is what is gone wrong.
Unfortunately, the fault at the rear isn't normally caused by hardening grease, like the front wiper, but by washer fluid leaking into the gearbox housing via a failed (and non replaceable O ring), and causing the steel disc to rust.
The easiest solution to the problem is to cut the black/purple wire to pin 8 of the switch a couple of inches from the switch, then to splice the 2" bit from the switch to the brown wire from pin 2, so that pin 6 is earthed as well as pin 2.
The only ill effect of this will be that the washer works on both strokes of the wiper, and you will use twice as much washer fluid.

Brian your a true gent! thanks so much for all the help it is truely appreciated
just one very small bit im a tad confussed about is here

Brianmoooore wrote:cut the black/purple wire to pin 8 of the switch a couple of inches from the switch, then to splice the 2" bit from the switch to the brown wire from pin 2, so that pin 6 is earthed as well as pin 2.
The only ill effect of this will be that the washer works on both strokes of the wiper, and you will use twice as much washer fluid.

were you say at the start, cut black/purple wire to pin 8, is this ment to be pin 6? as you say wire of pin 6 is then earthed as well as pin 2. sorry if im completely wrong mate and reading it inncorrectly

Sorry; typo! "Pin 8 is then earthed as well as pin 2". If you earth pin 6 the washer will be continuously on.