General E30 related discussions -
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Fiona
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:41 am
Hi Guys
My headlight Wipers dont work on my BM, was wondering if I should remove these.
With it being origional, wasn't sure if removing them devalues car.
What would you guys do.
Cheers Guys!

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Cava
- E30 Zone Regular

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:44 am
Keep them, they look cool and will always give someone a project to fix them for the future!
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Bob_S
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 2:21 pm
they are a bitch to remove so might as well leave em on kidder
Bollocks to this 24v scrap!
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Dominitry
- E30 Zone Addict

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 4:28 pm
There a piece of piss to remove, i took mine off because they didnt work, might get em fixed eventually.
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Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 4:36 pm
Mine dont work, but they are staying on just cos I cant be arsed removing them!
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oguz327
- Captain Armco

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:06 pm
Does anyone know if these could be retro fitted?
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fuzzy
- He who sleeps with "Gingers"
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:01 pm
i removed mine also. does anyone actually have a car that has them working?
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E30Adam
- Married to the E30 Zone

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:20 pm
I removed mine as well. They look awful and ive the front a cluttered look, especially if they aren't working.
Very easy to remove.
2.8 Litre M20 powered - Essen Sie meinen Staub biatch
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gazza
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:34 pm
dead easy to retro fit but dont think you just need a set of motors there is a lot to go with it
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E30Adam
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:36 pm
gazza wrote:dead easy to retro fit but dont think you just need a set of motors there is a lot to go with it
That's right, you'd need relays, wiring looms, a different indicator stalk and a different washer bottle with an extra pump.
2.8 Litre M20 powered - Essen Sie meinen Staub biatch
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bmwe30mtech
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:38 pm
I would remove them too, as Adam says they seem to clutter the front end i think, and are not realy very useful, in britain anyway.
Paul
1988 M3 EvoII, Macau Blue/EvoII trim
1989 325i Sport M Tech II, Diamond Black/Black leather
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Dan318-is
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:39 pm
E30Adam wrote:gazza wrote:dead easy to retro fit but dont think you just need a set of motors there is a lot to go with it
That's right, you'd need relays, wiring looms, a different indicator stalk and a different washer bottle with an extra pump.
Is it really worth it?
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Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:44 pm
Whats the difference with the indicator stalk?
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E30Adam
- Married to the E30 Zone

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:44 pm
318-is wrote:E30Adam wrote:gazza wrote:dead easy to retro fit but dont think you just need a set of motors there is a lot to go with it
That's right, you'd need relays, wiring looms, a different indicator stalk and a different washer bottle with an extra pump.
Is it really worth it?
Nope because they'd pack up after a couple of months even if there was a remote chance they worked in the first place.
I went through 8 pairs of motors trying to get a working set or fix a broken set and gave up in the end. Hateful little cretins.
2.8 Litre M20 powered - Essen Sie meinen Staub biatch
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Fushion_Julz
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:47 pm
I've just stripped and renovated a pair on my 325...one, though, has stopped working already!
dead easy to remove, though...Retrofitting is a bit harder...motors/wipers aren't too bad, but the washers are likely to be a pain!
1987 Henna Rot M3 (was 195bhp CAT..now more and no cat)
2001 E46 330i SE Touring (manual)
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Dan318-is
- Married to the E30 Zone

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:48 pm
almost as bad as the sealed hydraulic adjuster units then!
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Ziggy
- E30 Zone Team Member

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:36 pm
Mine work just fine, so I'm keeping them!

E30 in need of wiring loom smoke since April '11...
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Fiona
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:17 pm
Dominitry wrote:There a piece of piss to remove, i took mine off because they didnt work, might get em fixed eventually.
How do I remove them and I will have a go!

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stevetigger
- E30 Zone Addict

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:20 pm
Steviec wrote:Whats the difference with the indicator stalk?
You can press it inwards towards the steering wheel coloum
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Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:23 pm
I thought that was just for the OBC? As it changes the function on the screen?
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stevetigger
- E30 Zone Addict

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:33 pm
Steviec wrote:I thought that was just for the OBC? As it changes the function on the screen?
The other one!

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Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:39 pm
The other stalk on mine (wiper stalk) doesnt push in? Maybe someone tried retro fitting the headlight wipers on mine and gave up half way through.
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stevetigger
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:45 pm
Steviec wrote:The other stalk on mine (wiper stalk) doesnt push in? Maybe someone tried retro fitting the headlight wipers on mine and gave up half way through.
Looks like it, when you press it in! It makes ALL the wipers come on and the water sprays for 5 seconds! Its called the intense cleaning system! Look in the handbook if you have one! It might just be that the stalk was changed!
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Steviec
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:49 pm
That explains the washer bottle, it has 1 part marked up with 'intense cleaning system' but that part has no motor on and the only hole in the bottle is where you fill it up! Meaning its just a water holder.
Back down the scrappies for me tomorrow I think....
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zaust
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Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:55 pm
if there on the car just leave em there they look good..
M30 Tech 1 Touring on gas.

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dannosail
- E30 Zone Newbie

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:05 pm
I think they're pretty cool, BMW intensive clean stuff works pretty well in summer with all the flies splatted on your windscreen.
I thought the reason they were so unreliable is that water used to work its way up the wiper arm and into the motor - is that right.
Mine don't work everytime I go for the intensive wash but the do work every few times - is that right?
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stevetigger
- E30 Zone Addict

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:06 pm
dannosail wrote:I think they're pretty cool, BMW intensive clean stuff works pretty well in summer with all the flies splatted on your windscreen.
I thought the reason they were so unreliable is that water used to work its way up the wiper arm and into the motor - is that right.
Mine don't work everytime I go for the intensive wash but the do work every few times - is that right?
Yep, sumit like every three times!
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Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

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Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:17 pm
I reckon headlamp wipers greatly improve the looks of the front of an E30, and are very effective at cleaning up the lights.
They seize up, but are easy to strip down, clean and grease. They should work reliably for many years after this. (Oldest ones I have, have wiorked perfectly for six years now).
I've only come across one motor that I couldn't repair, and that was because water had got inside and rusted through the motor body.
To remove, take off the wiper blades, the outer grilles, and three large cross head screws holding the whole headlamp units. tilt the headlamps forward and dissconnect all the plugs. Wiper motors are only held on by two small nuts and bolts then.
Biggest difficulty when putting things back is getting the wiper arms fitted in the right position.
If retrofitting headlamp wipers, don't forget you need the headlamp rings with the stops as well. (Expensive new from the dealer).
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keith52
- E30 Zone Camper

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Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:43 pm
Volvo 340s' have them fitted which are the same as e30s and are better protected from the elements than the Bmw motors
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Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

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Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:54 pm
Interesting about the Volvo 340s. I'll try to remember that on my next scrapyard forray.
E30 headlamp wipers/washers should operate every fifth (some say sixth) time the screen washers are used with the lights on.
The controller only iniciates the wipers. Once started,they each do a preset number of wipes controlled by a mechanism inside the motor.
Similarly, the headlamp washers are controlled entirely by the LH (IIRC) headlamp motor.
This means that retrofitted wiper/washers could be controlled by a simple push button.