Bmw Z3 wipers hitting bonnet.

[Vince70]

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem with their BMW and could give me some advice I've recently noticed that the wipers are hitting the back edge of the bonnet when operated and have taken a bit of paint of the back of the bonnet and the wiper arms.

 

It doesn't look like the wiper arms are bent and I don't want to bodge it up by moving the bonnet further forward and the wiper motor and wipers work perfectly and just wondered if there was some bushes that can be changed in the mechanism and if someone has ever had the same problem.

[Felly Magic]

Bonnet aligned properly?

[EssDeeWon]

My brother has a 5 series, he had some problem with his wipers earlier this year. Apparently the mechanism on these are prone to fail causing the wipers to kind of 'do their own thing' and eventually the wiper arm came right off.  Needed a part from BMW for about £30 but not sure how easy it was to fit, I didn't get too involved.

[Bren]

Wear in the mechanism will allow the wipers to go further than normal.

[Jack D]

I have noticed exactly the same problem returning on my car today.  Do the Z3 wipers "park" when turned off?  Ie. tuck themselves into the scuttle when not in use?  The 8 series ones do and occasionally they need a shove down to remind them what effective parking is, then repeat as many times as necessary so they return to a position where they don't catch.  

[Vince70]

I did strip out the wiper motor today and while I was at it I cleaned out the drains as it had 20 years of dirt in the wiper tray but couldn't find any play in the motor assembly itself but there was about 2mm play in the rubbers which the wiper motor sits onto but I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be like that as if its supposed to be solid surely it wouldn't sit on a rubber mount.

 

Well I put it all back together and it was still hitting the bonnet so I adjusted the bonnet and It's fine now the only thing is the bonnet hadn't moved previously so I guess it must of been the wiper motor rubbers.

[Felly Magic]

TBH it does point more towards a bonnet alignment issue to me if that is what fixed it, hinges and bonnets can warp over time

[matty879]

can you not just take the arms off the splines and move them clockwise a tooth.could be fiited incorrectly

[Des]

In the summer I helped out a Polish driver of a modern UK reg BMW who was stranded in the pissing night rain at a Hun services by the wipers crossing swords, right old example of Jerry engineering that was, had one of these all across the scuttle,

all falling apart in spite of a previous welded repair, big bastard tight nuts and big bastard tight bastard splines had to come apart to allow one wiper to keep the guys screen clear without getting tangled so he could catch his ferry.

[Vince70]

I wasn't happy with adjusting the bonnet so I put it back to its original position and have now ordered a new mechanism from a later accident damaged car from good old eBay for £ 25 and while at it I decided to buy a new plastic scuttle panel for the princely sum of £1.99 with delivery.

I did put the wipers back on a spline nearer the bonnet line and there was no banging noises on the bonnet but it meant the wipers would then hit the plastic scuttle panel but hopefully I will get it back on the road this week

 

The good thing is at least the scuttle drains have now been cleaned out so I've achieved something.