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Thread: Wipers dead

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Mckinney Texas
    Posts
    49
    My Cars
    2003 540i

    Wipers dead

    Went to go to work and it was raining. Started car and no wipers. Bummer, take the truck to work. Sunny day so let’s check it out. Fuse good. Next step, read the forum. Ok, relay it is. Pulled relay and jumped it and it clicks. Read the forum again. Ed Jack (saved me so much trouble over the years) is a good lead. Put 12V on pin 6 and ground on pin 4 (note these are the PIN numbers on the relay socket, not the relay itself). There is an always on 12V on Pin 2 of the socket so I used that. Grounded pin 4 jumped pin 2 and 6. No motor function. Am I about to experience the fun of replacing a wiper motor or is there another trick to try here.
    Scott

    1987 535is (wish I had kept that car)
    1986 635CSI
    1997 540i
    2000 540i
    2003 540i (Dinan suspension, cold air intake, throttle body)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    San Jose, CA
    Posts
    11,537
    My Cars
    1997 BMW 540i 6 speed
    Use the pins on the motor cable itself. https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ctions/s3DTPqL

    Make sure you fuse your jumper cable with the correct size, and clean the glass beforehand to resist scratching the glass.
    Last edited by edjack; 09-27-2020 at 05:18 PM.


    Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Omaha, NE
    Posts
    4,196
    My Cars
    1998 528i 5-spd 102K
    How many miles in your 540i?

    One trick is to find a friend with similar car and relay (making sure his car wiper works).
    Mark the relays with Sharpie, so you know which is which.
    Swap and test, this is the definitive test to rule in or rule out wiper motor.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Mckinney Texas
    Posts
    49
    My Cars
    2003 540i
    Quote Originally Posted by edjack View Post
    Use the pins on the motor cable itself. https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ctions/s3DTPqL

    Make sure you fuse your jumper cable with the correct size, and clean the glass beforehand to resist scratching the glass.

    Are you saying that the pins on the motor cable itself do not connect to Pins 6 and 4 at the relay socket?

    - - - Updated - - -

    188,000 on it. No access to another one, unfortunately.
    Last edited by scottbayarea; 09-27-2020 at 05:25 PM.
    Scott

    1987 535is (wish I had kept that car)
    1986 635CSI
    1997 540i
    2000 540i
    2003 540i (Dinan suspension, cold air intake, throttle body)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    I had that issue too, everything was good, so went through the big pain in the butt that it is to swap out the motor, only I had a parts car, and I had swapped out the whole wiper assembly and the motor since the car had 213,000 miles on it and the old assembly had so much play in it, and was noisy. It was the motor this last time, and this car only has, or had 80,000 miles on it and the assembly was loud and noisy form being loose. Real nice and like new now.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Mckinney Texas
    Posts
    49
    My Cars
    2003 540i
    I read on another thread your tale of wiper woe. I don’t have a donor car and it is ~$400 for the motor and ~$80 for the relay. That is why I’m trying to solicit some info before I bite that off. Where i sit now is I might order both and replace the relay first and see what happens. Worst case is I end up with a new motor and relay I suppose.
    Scott

    1987 535is (wish I had kept that car)
    1986 635CSI
    1997 540i
    2000 540i
    2003 540i (Dinan suspension, cold air intake, throttle body)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Omaha, NE
    Posts
    4,196
    My Cars
    1998 528i 5-spd 102K
    Do you have access to junk yard?
    Or try ebay to buy used parts.

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