those pesky headlight wash/wipe bits....

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Brucey
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those pesky headlight wash/wipe bits....

Post by Brucey »

Many 6er owners in the UK dream of having a working headlight wash-wipe system on their cars; we really need it over here in the winter especially with lots of salt and slush on the roads. Sadly not only was this option not fitted to many UK cars, it is exactly the conditions that make the system desirable that cause it to fail, and maybe only one in ten cars that are used regularly have the system fitted and working properly.

When it is working properly it is a boon to safe night-time driving, so it is worth fixing if you have done everything else on the car or have accessed these parts anyway.

I would strongly urge that the live feeds to this system (GY/W from the lights and V/BK from the washer motor feed) are left disconnected until repairs are made if it doesn't work- you will see why later if you read on.

There are three main parts to the system;

1. The washer system; this uses a separate pump to the regular screenwash.

2. The actuators/wiper assemblies themselves.

3. The control module.

The system can be retro-fitted as the wiring loom for the system is mostly separate from the rest of the car; there are only three connections (a live feed, one from the lights and another connection from the main washer pump) to the rest of the harness required. The extra pump lives under the washer bottle IIRC, and is otherwise similar to the main pump. The wiper assemblies will bolt on to the original headlight frames, and the headlight grilles can be modified to take the squirter nozzles and trimmed for the wiper arms. However, the headlight bezels are different; three extra lugs help to locate the mini-wiper arms in the park position.

The washer system can siphon fluid out; I'm not sure but I think this may indicate a faulty non-return valve in the system. Other than this the squirters are no more prone to trouble than those for the windscreen.

The control module is problematic: it is located behind the RHS indicator (turn signal) and cannot be accessed without removal of this and the headlight grille. Once accessed, the module is almost invariably in a poor condition- its usually damp cold and fairly horrible here and the connections at least will suffer. In the worst cases the flitch (?) panel itself will be badly corroded, and any water that enters the inner wing 'trumpet' section higher up may drain out all over the module if drain holes are blocked.

Once the module is removed, another problem is often apparent; the metal bracket is riveted to the plastic housing and every unit I have seen has been cracked near the rivets. This lets the water in near the top, and guess what- the water stays inside as the unit is otherwise waterproof. It can be disassembled though; the rubber potting can be scraped away and the whole bottom face of the unit pulls out with the gubbins attached. Inside there is a fairly simple analogue control board with discrete components. Apart from the relay, the rest of it could be built or repaired from stock radio shack parts without difficulty.

The most tiresome troubles with this system are reserved for the actuators and linkages themselves; these lurk unseen and uncared for behind the headlight grilles and can deteriorate horribly. Each side there is an actuator unit, a link rod, and a second pivot. Both the actuator unit and the second pivot each support a mini-wiper arm. A quick wiggle will reveal which of these parts might be seized up; if any are, the best thing is to remove the whole wiper assembly from the headlight frame. Fixing the wiper assembly might take a while, so it might be best to refit the headlight etc and use the car without for a while.

The pictures below show the anatomy of the actuators; these are high-quality Bosch units, and each is internally as complex as the main windscreen (windshield) wiper motor unit. Their price reflects this....

The most likely problem is that one or more of the pivots will be seized up. Usually the second pivot can be freed up , disassembled, and regreased. If the link arm is seized, replacement may be best, as there are polymer spherical bushings that ride on steel here. Once the steel is corroded the bushing will wear quickly regardless.

However if the main actuator pivot is seized you have a real problem; be careful here, it will only move a small amount even if it is free, but attempts to free it off by twisting can damage the internal mechanism (ask me how I know this...). To assess the overall condition of the actuator, first test the unit electrically. Using a cheap multimeter, connect to the brown actuator lead and probe the other connections. At least one other connection should connect through and read about 32 Ohms. If so you are in business. Next, attach a plastic bag or piece of heat shrink to the shaft outer, add oil, and leave the actuator overnight or longer so that the oil can penetrate and the main pivot can be lubricated.

Next test is to power the unit up. Connect brown to ground, and +12 to one of the others. If it doesn't go, try another until you find one that works. Once started, power to the v/BK lead should make the unit run continuously, where the others cause the unit to run only briefly if at all. If the motor stalls and won't restart on any connection, it probably means the shaft is still seized. Sometimes reversing the connections helps to free it off, sometimes not.

In theory it is possible to disassemble the gearbox, and once this is done the shaft can be freed off using brute force. However the problem is that the front of the unit is potted with epoxy and the wires run through this. It is very difficult to remove the potting without damaging the wires (see pictures).

Now if your unit didn't read 32 ohms on any connection, or run the motor at all, then it may mean the motor is bad, the brushes are bad, the internal switches are bad, or the thermal switch ('Otter' type S21) is bad. In any case the cure is the same- if you want to save the actuator you will have to get inside it. This can be done by carefully removing the back of the housing (say with a junior hacksaw) about 1" from the domed end. Once inside the following operations are possible; motor testing (apply volts directly to motor), thermal switch test/replacement (test for continuity when cold), motor brush renewal (see pictures), motor removal (two screws), cam switch action.

Once the motor is out the cam switches are accessible; a 1" black disc rotates and works the switches. Its not a good idea to disturb the black disc unless you have to- refitting to the 'R' unit without damaging the switches is very difficult. If the motor is turned by hand the switches should be heard to 'click'. The 'L' unit has one cam switch, and either the V/BK or the BK/Y should be connected via the cam switch and the thermal switch to the + motor connection at all times. The same is true for the 'R' unit but in addition a second switch also connects the blue wire to + for part of the cycle (this is used to power the squirter pump).

My units in the pictures had failed both electrically and had seized. Double-whammy... the electrical failure turned out to be a failed thermal switch; these switches are designed to work for thousands of cycles but had fatigued in my car; once actuated, the motor is powered and tries to work until it either cycles successfully or the journey is over, even if the pivots are all seized up and the motors are stalled. In the meantime the thermal switch is cycling continuously and will eventually fail. This is why a faulty system should be disabled until the fault is rectified, otherwise your actuators could fail in the same way.

When reassmbling the system, it would make sense to provide additional waterproofing/water draining for the control module, or perhaps reposition it inside the engine bay. On the actuator shafts, using heat shrink in place of the original rubber seals would make good sense. I've not finished mine yet, but I may provide for a grease nipple arrangement that will lubricate both the actuator and the second pivot- watch this space....

cheers
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horsetan

Re: those pesky headlight wash/wipe bits....

Post by horsetan »

Brucey wrote:Many 6er owners in the UK dream of having a working headlight wash-wipe system on their cars; ....
*hysterical laughter*

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :!: :!: :!: :lol: :lol: :lol:

/*hysterical laughter*
Last edited by horsetan on Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by val_c »

Perfect ready to go tech article!
I don't have a headlights washers and probably will never come to install them, but I always wondered, how difficult will be to fit more modern headlights washer system from, for example, e34 to e24? And how it will be looking?
As I understand e34 use only nozzles on bumper and pump... nozzles are barely visible.
EMMMM_90

What a post...

Post by EMMMM_90 »

Brucey should receive an entire wardrobe of BIGCOUPE apparel... should include to him the tshirt, jacket, beannie, boxers, and racing "Bigcoupe" shoes.

Awsome Brucey. Since joining this forum you have always been on top with ariticles. Mines suck, but hope to get better with more articles. I hope I get a tshirt one day. Do you have to meet a quota of articles before receiving a shirt?

I don't think I would ever need a pair of those washers here in Cali. I do how ever would like them just to further add accessories to enhance the look of the shark. I think they are sexy on the way they look on the car. Almost to resemble a pair of eyelashes. Chica-sharks.

JUST MY TWO CENTS!
Rob 86 635

Post by Rob 86 635 »

Kudos Brucey on a great article. When I get my car out of winter storage I will be using it to have a look into my system. Since I can't dash outside to check - car stored elsewhere - can you tell me is there a second container for wash fluid for this system or does it draw from the same as the windscreen one? I am afraid my system may have been removed by a PO with the exception of the blades on the headlights.

Thanks,

Robert
sohlman

Post by sohlman »

The fluid comes from the main reservoir. It's just that another pump makes it work.

James
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Post by Brucey »

as promised, a lube bar modification;

the second (outboard) pivot bushing is brass, and easily cross-drilled. The actuator bushing is steel; I ground into it until there was just a small hole to let the lube in.

The grease is fed via holes that are designed to favour the second pivot front, second pivot rear, and actuator front in that order. This is because the second pivot has no seal, and you don't want the actuator to fill up completely with grease....

cheers
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maybe painting it all black wasn't such a good idea after all...
maybe painting it all black wasn't such a good idea after all...
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fabricated with my own fair hands...
fabricated with my own fair hands...
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Post by UKDaveJ »

Awesome work there Brucey! Top banana!! :D

Happy New Year
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Post by sharkfan »

Err, why hasn't this been moved or copied to the Tech Articles section :?
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Post by sharkfan »

Brucey,

Would it be fair to say that the most common reason for the initial failure of these wash/wipe units would be the precariously mounted relay? And the fact that the relays are now 15-20 years old.

Would it be feasible to wire up the wash/wipe spray units to buttons, maybe the E30 touring rear screen wash/wipe button which has a push-lock button for the wipe and a push-hold button for the squirty juice?

Just a thought?

Cheers,

Sharkfan
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Post by Brucey »

Oddly enough the relays seem fairly robust, despite the shortcomings; mine cleaned up and worked OK, and as I pointed out, everything bar the relays itself is very easy to replace.

I would say that mechanical seizure of the second pivot is the #1 cause of failure of these systems.

In this case it wouldn't matter what buttons you had- it still wouldn't work...

I have more info on repairs, plus a modification for those without such a system, which I plan to post before too long.

cheers
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northern_paul

Post by northern_paul »

As I've got all my lights out and I'm waiting for the weather to get better before tackling the bigger jobs - diff, trans (oh no I've gone all american) and engine swap - I decided to give this a go.

I must agree that this is a cracking article and gave me confidence to attempt it, my pivot joints were ok and I liberally oiled them but the grease nipple mod is a fantastic idea - well done!!!!

Lastly, I found that the springs that pull the wiper blades on to the lens had seized - I just opened them up (very much like you would with windscreen wipers when washing the car) oiled them and gave them a good working and they now work as per factory.

I will reconnect and see if they function this weekend, if not with the above I should be able to sort it out - Thanks Brucey.
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Post by ZesCoupe »

Brucey,

Bit of a long time age since the original post but have you any information about the thermal switch. I emailed Otter but have received no reply as yet. I asked them if there was a supplier who would deal with me or if they could supply me with a little more tech info. Not even knowing the switching temperature makes finding a replacement difficult.

Brilliant article by the way, at least I managed to get into the motor and find the cause of the problem. While it's all apart I'm also looking for ways to improve it.

Thanks,
Martyn
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Post by Brucey »

answered by PM already but basically I reckon its gonna be a 80-100C switch and I think RS or Farnell will have something that should work OK.

Otter themselves will be interested if you want to buy ten thousand but their interest may wane quickly otherwise...

BTW maybe I forgot to link it already but there is another thread called 'revenge of the squirter' or something that gives plumbing and wiring details..

:shock:

cheers
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Post by ZesCoupe »

OK Brucey - thanks for the quick reply. I was actually hoping that Otter would take pity on me and send me a "sample" :lol:

I had looked on RS but don't know Farnell. Over here we have an online Conrad but I couldn't find much there.

I'll post an update when I eventually get it fixed.

Cheers
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Post by ZesCoupe »

Eventually got an email reply from Otter and thought it was worth sharing.

On 1st January I wrote:
Dear Sirs,

I am in the process of restoring a BMW E24 6 series built in 1986. It is fitted with a headlamp wash/wipe system but the wipers haven't worked correctly in years. I have, with great difficulty, dismantled one of the wiper motors which wasn't working anymore and found that the motor protection cut-out was no longer functioning. My guess is that it has burnt out because the wiper mechanism had seized up causing the cut-out to cycle continuously. This type S21 cut-out was supplied at the time by Otter to BMW but this is not something that BMW supplies as spares. BMW still supplies spares for this model and possibly the complete motor but this sort of accessory is extremely expensive and normally has a long delivery time, sometimes more than a year if at all. I searched on internet for technical information about the cut-out but it is much too old and so it is difficult to find a component with the correct function. On your website you have modern equivalents which possibly could be used but then again there are various colour coded versions of each type.

So much for the background, now come the questions.

Does Otter make a cut-out which would replace the original?
Obviously you are the manufacturer but is there a supplier who could help me?
Otherwise have you any technical data to help me find an alternative?

Obviously size is an important issue here as the cut-out fits in a plastic moulding round the magnet and anything bigger than the original would not fit easily. I have included a drawing of the S21 as removed with all markings and would be extremely grateful of any help you could give me.

Many thanks,
Regards,

Martyn Thompson
Dordrecht
Netherlands
They replied:
Dear Sir

This series safety cut out has been obsolete for several years.

Sorry we can not offer any further assistance in this instance.

Best Regards
Nice people at Otter ](*,)

Update is in the works,

Martyn
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Post by ZesCoupe »

I promised Brucie that I would do an update if I completed this exercise and had anything to add, so here goes.

As expected the whole system was horribly rusted and took some time to dismantle. I have no photo's unfortunately as I don't always have (or want) my DSLR in the workshop when I'm getting "down and dirty".

I got the motor disassembled as Brucie described it except for the removal of the plastic housing which I tackled by cutting lengthwise through the "shorter sides" leaving the flat part of the dome intact, you can then prise it apart. My reasoning was that it would keep it's form better and be structurally stronger when glued back together. If you look at Motor1.jpg, which is actually taken after I put it back together, you can see the saw line. The reason that it doesn't reach the top of the motor casting is that the casing got cracked (note arrows) when hacking out the potting material (what a pig of a job that was!). I won't repeat what Brucie has already described but have included a pic of the thermal switch disassembled Switch1.jpg. You can see that the bimetallic disc has completely broken away from it's mount point, possibly through continuous cycling although there was not much evidence of burning so it could be just mechanical failure. Whatever, it needed replacing.

This is when I placed my first post looking for a replacement. This type is not easy to find, I could find no small scale commercial supplier who carried anything like it. Larger units as used in vacuum cleaners etc can be found just about everywhere. As I already reported Otter were no help and then I found something on eBay which, although a little bit "hotter" than Brucie recommended, was just what the doctor ordered. The dealer was Memotronics Electronics Components (http://stores.ebay.com/Memotronics-Elec ... Components) and I got 5 for $1.49, with postage less than $10. See Switch2.jpg to compare the size and format. The old plastic casing cut open made a comfy seat for the new switch (see Motor2.jpg).

I just want to add some extra information about how the electrical cycle works. In this case the 3-wired or LH unit shown (Motor2.jpg), the green arrow is pointing to the black plastic disc which revolves within the red plastic assembly. Brucie refers to this as a parking switch and if you completely dismantle to clean the old grease out as I did you must ensure that this is in the correct position when reassembling otherwise the rack and pinion drive won't move the wiper arm through the correct trajectory. As Brucie stated there are two wires that feed the motor through the cam switch(es) and having tested it to check that all was well I found that the V/Bk wire feeds the motor through 95% of the cycle until the wiper returns to it's park position at which point the cam operates a switch which cuts off the power. When the Bk/Y wire gets a signal the cam switches the power just long enough to get the disc turning just enough to get it past the cam at which point the V/Bk feed takes over again. Another thing to take into consideration is that it could seem to work correctly but actually be 180 degrees out which would mean that the wiper parks in the wrong position. The operation of the L & R systems are also mirror images of each other, one begins c/w and the other anti c/w. I'll start a new post to show something of the reassembly.

I still have four of the thermal switches so if anyone on this side of the pond could use one give me a shout. I would send them stateside as well but I would imagine it would be cheaper to get them sent from Memotronics as the international postage was five times the cost of the switches.

Note. I have re-uploaded the 2 switch images as they seemed to have got lost somewhere. Sorry this may have taken rather a long time but I was unaware until notified through my website. Also I sent 2 of the switches to a guy in Portugal so I only have 2 left.
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Last edited by ZesCoupe on Mon Jul 11, 2016 6:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Post by ZesCoupe »

Hello again,

OK, reassembly is always more fun than disassembly but there is something in the middle which seems to consume the bulk of the total repair time. Cleaning and prepping is never fun and tends to try and get you to cut corners which would mean that it either just doesn't look good or that it's going to be just as much of a mess within a short space of time. Cleaning all the old paint and rust off parts has always been a pain in the veritable *** so last year I invested in a small blast cabinet and 25kg of Aluminium Oxide grit. The photo Blasted.jpg shows the results that you get and it only takes minutes to achieve. You do however need a pretty good compressor, a portable 25litre job doesn't cut it. I've got a middle of the road 70litre 2.5hp job and I have to wait every few minutes for the compressor to catch up, but for small parts it's fine.

Another trick I've got for nuts, bolts, washers etc. is to soak them in a small bath of hydrochloric acid for half an hour or so. All the rust gets eaten away leaving a nice metallic grey finish which you can treat with WD40 to ptotect it after washing thoroughly. You need to do this as the metal will otherwise begin to rust from damp in the air. You can find hydrochloric acid 30% at most building suppliers, brickies use it to remove cement deposits. However BE CAREFUL with this stuff - DON'T breath the fumes in. I use it in a small spray cabin I cobbled together which looks like an old fashioned telephone cell hanging on the wall, it has a built in extractor but I still always use a proper filtered mask. Otherwise do it outside. See photo Nuts&Bolts.jpg, these were all rusty just like the nuts you can see in Brucie's last picture (no offence intended of course).

Re-potting I did with the same 2 pack epoxy I used to reseal the housing, it's not that pretty (photo Motor3,jpg) but it does the job.

The headlight frames were also blasted then primed and painted satin black (Frame.jpg). The whole thing, here partly assembled looks almost like new and certainly 1000% better than when I dismantled it last year (Assembled.jpg).

Cheers,

Martyn
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Post by ZesCoupe »

The last two photo's. Belong with the previous post but you can only upload four.
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Post by Brucey »

Chapeau, Sir!

Top job, that!

cheers
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Post by ZesCoupe »

Well thanks for that Brucie, I just hope it helps others.

It is almost a year ago since I did that bit and the old girl has had the engine rebuild and necessary work in the engine compartment. I'm now running the Miller MAF and chip and it runs as sweet as a nut. I had a valuation done for the insurance late last year and she's conservatively valued at 12,500 Euros. I've got some Photo reports on my Facebook page but haven't got round to trying to put something on here.

I still have a couple of the thermal switches if anybody needs one. A member PM'd me a while ago from Portugal and asked me what one would cost. Well it isn't worth asking much when five cost me less than 10 Euros so I just got him to refund me the postage via Paypal.

Cheers
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Post by monoi »

I think I screwed up...

I tried to remove the "long nut" holding the wiper arm on the motor shaft, and it sheared the end of the shaft.

Can someone confirm that the motor is now scrap?
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Post by Brucey »

Tough luck that; you can weld repair the end of the shaft I think, if you have to. Adding a short length of studding, or simply building up to give something that you can dress to size, then cut a thread into, should be possible.

As an alternative, you migh be able to drill and tap the end of the shaft to accept a screw.

IIRC the nut doesn't have to be super tight, not if the joint is helped with loctite, and the rest of the system is in good shape.

cheers
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Post by monoi »

See, that is what is good about such forums: it makes you see the obvious!

I cant see why I should not get it welded back on instead of screwed after all.

So I will check out the motor.

By the way, it was a right pain to get the headlight assembly out.

Thanks Brucey
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Post by ron »

monoi wrote: By the way, it was a right pain to get the headlight assembly out.
Did you unbolt the outer lower grill brkts. below the lights? #10 below.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E24/C ... im/grille/

I find it easier to remove the light units by removing the wiper linkage first (if fitted). #9 below.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E24/C ... ng_system/
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