Good news bad news... and an electrical gremlin

[e34 Waggin]

my 92 wagon has various dash warnings Door, coolant, washer fluid, brake lt circuit etc.
my horn doesn't work.
I have been chipping away at them as best I can.

I bought and installed a new washer pump and washer level sensor. Previous owner had disconnected and capped the washer pump harness and has used a piece of wire to "jump' the power washer motor (not the washer level sensor) which was just left unplugged.

After installed the new pump and level sensor (double check connections and install orientation)

I STILL have the low washer fluid warning on the guage (how do I clear this) AND magically my horn now works

AND When I try to use the windshield squirters the horn goes off but the pump doesn't activate.


could this be a fuse issue or do I have a bad ground somewhere in the 25 year old wiring harness?

[Layne]

Don't know the answer, but I do know where you can find it. http://www.wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm
Must be some link between the washer and the horn, although that doesn't sound right. The horn has a relay, so you need to find out if the interruption is in the load circuit or the relay control circuit.

Unfortunately putting a jumper in the washer pump socket could have melted wires somewhere.

[moroza]

It sounds as simple as the plugs for the washer pump and horn got mixed up. I did this once on an M3; crossed the outside temp sensor with the coolant level sensor (I think) and got some straaaaange readings mmmhm.

[e34 Waggin]

So the pump isn't working and the horn sound for the right lever is the telephone icon.

This car is interesting.


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[gearheadE30]

Yeah, you've either got some shorted wires in there somewhere, or some connectors have been swapped. Though these cars are complicated, the fact that they aren't 'smart' (only a limited CAN bus) does mean that issues like this usually have a simple cause. Wiring diagrams can be found here: http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e34/

Alternatively, start unplugging things and eventually you may be able to isolate the circuit. i.e., if you disconnect the pump, does the horn still go off? and vice versa?

The washer fluid level warning should go off as soon as the sensors read full. Because you have a wagon (welcome to the club! Mine was full of electrical issues too, all fixed now), there is another reservoir in the back, behind the fold down cover on the passenger side of the cargo area. If both sensors are 'full', you should have continuity across each sensor. Unplug and check both of them - chances are, one of them is still open. They both set the same warning on the dash.

Also, check your fuses, whichever is for the washer pumps at least. A jumpered pump motor would be a hard short in the circuit unless there is a lot of resistance somewhere. It would have either blown a fuse, or potentially cooked the contacts in the wiper stalk if the fuse didn't blow in time.

Coolant is the same kind of sensor. Driver's side of the radiator, a 2 prong plug directly below the expansion tank. Again, an open circuit sets the warning. Brake level sensor is the same, a 2 prong connector on top of the brake fluid reservoir.

Brake light circuit is usually the brake light switch itself. It has 4 pins - 2 of them are the higher current contacts for the lights themselves, and the other two are for the check control circuit, iirc. A new switch is ~$12 on Ebay, and is a common issue on E34s. If bulbs are out, there is a different error - usually '1 Brake Light' or something to that effect.

[Kingpin025]

I would check the wire loom that runs through the trunk hinge. I've had a few of the issues you're describing in both the M5 and the touring.

[gearheadE30]

While that's definitely a likely spot, the washer fluid level circuit (and of course the horn circuit) are isolated from anything that would be in the hatch.

[chuddism]

Remember the rear washer fluid level wires run through that rear hatch.
NEVER underestimate the pain that the touring hatch wiring can cause.

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[e34 Waggin]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.


I disconnected the power and everything seem to reset.

a week later the coolant sensor comes on every once in awhile
the wash fluid sensor light has NOT come back
I have an "OPEN DOOR" sensor light that comes on intermittently. I am having a local shop install two new door actuators (driver master and front passenger)
The shop is confident the open door was due to the passenger actuator being dead.

The brake light circuit comes back every once in while, I replaced the rear brake bulbs..... the brake lights work though the third brake light does have about 1/4 of the bulbs burnt out.


I'll have a better understanding of where I sit after picking the car up today.

related the hatch handle for the rear window started working... the latch for the touring truck does not work, you can pop the trunk by using the key.


horn work vis horn button on steering wheel and by pushing in (the telephone icon) on the right stick (windshield sprayer)

[moroza]

I have an "OPEN DOOR" sensor light that comes on intermittently. I am having a local shop install two new door actuators (driver master and front passenger)
The shop is confident the open door was due to the passenger actuator being dead.

You mean the lock actuators? Prepare to be disappointed...

horn work vis horn button on steering wheel and by pushing in (the telephone icon) on the right stick (windshield sprayer)

Oh it does it both ways? Not to scare you prematurely, but that is the sign of two circuits crossed because of melted wires. I had something similar a few months ago and it wasn't fun.

[e34 Waggin]

Well the shop doing the door locks found someone tried their own method of wiring on the doors.... the rear drivers door is also a problem.

The adventure continues.

The car cost me 1450... I'm already in for $455 on the two new acuators installed


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[Layne]

You mean the lock actuators? Prepare to be disappointed...

Yeah it's not the actuator. The striker on the door jamb has a magnetic reed switch in it that goes bad.

[Ley3198]

Yeah it's not the actuator. The striker on the door jamb has a magnetic reed switch in it that goes bad.

The plastic wears away and loses the tolerance needed to completely push the switch in. I super glued mine and now I can still open the driver door and roll windows up lol.

[e34 Waggin]

Both actuators were broke. Passenger would not lock no matter the position of the lock knob or if you used a key. Drivers side would pop up and down on It's own. Should get the car back Monday. I'll report on what lights remain.


Thanks everyone for the wisdom! Nice being part of a helpful community.

I also have an e46 M3.... most of those guys are pricks. Haha


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[shogun]

In case all other things are o.k. and you still get a warning, resolder the bad solderings inside the check control module, here is a write up in German with plenty of pics http://www.e34-welt.de/tips_tricks/R...0e34%20e32.pdf
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-...ommon-problems

[gearheadE30]

The burned out lights in the 3rd light are what is causing your brake light error then, as long as it says 1 light out and not 'brake circuit' or something to that effect. New bulbs can be found here. I'd just replace all 24 of them; it's a very easy soldering job. Sounds like you may have both problems though; if the 'brake circuit' warning persists, swapping in a new brake light switch is cheap insurance. The contacts are probably just worn out.

[e34 Waggin]

so I bought this wagon for 1450 bucks....

The shop I took it to charged me $630 dollars to: put new actuators in the two front doors, used actuators in the rear doors, and track down the wire in the hatch that was grounding out and frying the actuators in the first place. My 1450 dollar gem is now a 2100 dollar bargain.... actually more like 3k after the wheels and bluetooth stereo, oil change and new thrust arms rotors, pads, and seat covers.

Good new is the only warning light I get now is the coolant sensor and that normally goes away after a few minutes of operation.

- - - Updated - - -

I would check the wire loom that runs through the trunk hinge. I've had a few of the issues you're describing in both the M5 and the touring.

You were correct!

[ross1]

so I bought this wagon for 1450 bucks....

The shop I took it to charged me $630 dollars to: put new actuators in the two front doors, used actuators in the rear doors, and track down the wire in the hatch that was grounding out and frying the actuators in the first place. My 1450 dollar gem is now a 2100 dollar bargain.... actually more like 3k after the wheels and bluetooth stereo, oil change and new thrust arms rotors, pads, and seat covers.



- - - Updated - - -



You were correct!

There is nothing in the rear hatch wiring that would "fry" the front door actuators. Glad you're fixed but the explanation ain't right.

[e34 Waggin]

There is nothing in the rear hatch wiring that would "fry" the front door actuators. Glad you're fixed but the explanation ain't right.

Too add more context the shop said some had been in the doors before and tried wiring them together. Which with a 25 year old 7 owner car is. It out of the question.

The open ground was burning out the rear actuators.
Everything works now, even the rear door latch and window latch


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