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      12-18-2010, 12:47 PM   #48
John Jamieson
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Drives: E92 320i in White
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Scotland, UK

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Update on Popping Headlamp Washers

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Jamieson View Post

I have just located this site and wish to congratulate the author on a very clearly explained article with excellent images. We have just had an unusually (for our normally wet maritime climate) cold spell here in Scotland with overnight temperatures down to minus 12 degrees centigrade in the cities and minus 22 in the highlands. This has caused many E92s to pop their headlamp wash units and my local dealer has advised me that they are now on world-wide back order.

A number of dealers have tried to raise the replacements as warranty issues but so far BMW UK have insisted that the responsibility rests with the owners to ensure that their bumpers (fenders in the US?) are frost free. The only way to prevent the problem seems to be to use a really strong wash solution in the winter. It appears that the washing fluid freezes up in the nozzzles in the cold temperatures and all it takes is the hydraulic pressure from the pump to force the nozzle and its cover to fly off whenever the windscreen washwipe is activated with headlamps on. Mine is lying somewhere on the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

For me the best news is that the headlamp wash unit can be deactivated by removing a fuse. I now intend to do this every winter. Thank you and best wishes to the author! My advice to anyone considering this upgrade though would be not to bother. These gizmos are much more trouble than they are worth.

Cheers,
John.
This is an update to my earlier post from January, 2010, regarding the popping headlamp washer units in cold weather.

Following an initial refusal by BMW UK to meet the replacement cost under warranty, I placed an order for the components with my local dealership. A week later a manager from the dealership contacted me to advise me that BMW had finally agreed to fund the replacement. So good news all round.

The problem seems to be that even the undiluted windscreen wash fluid generally available in the UK is unable to cope with temperatures below about -5 degrees centigrade. However, some auto supplies stores (including Halfords in the UK) now stock a double strength fluid which I have found to be effective.

The first sign of trouble is the plastic covers protruding from the bumper by a few milimeters. This indicates that the fluid has frozen inside the nozzle. As a precaution, I would recommend letting the car warm up and using gentle heating (A hot water bottle with a fabric cover held over the plastic cover is ideal) to melt the ice inside the nozzles.

Then park the car and top up the reservoir with double strength windscreen fluid and operate the windscreen/headlamp wash. If the nozzle units pop, remove them. If they do not function they are probably still frozen. Continue to apply heat until they either work or pop and then continue to operate the wash function a number of times. The objective is to clear any dilute fluid from the pipes and nozzles. Finally, replace the popped nozzle units if necessary (use long-nosed pliers to pull out the telescopic plastic tube, taking care to replace the rubber tube) and then top up the reservoir with double strength fluid.

I have been advised by my dealership that BMW will expect dealers to charge owners for replacements in future if the fluid strength is found to be insufficiently high. My advice to all owners is to top up with double strength fluid as soon as temperatures below zero are forecast.
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