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      05-30-2011, 08:19 PM   #1
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Question Windshield wiper home position

Has anyone noticed the windshield blades park to low and you cannot raise them to clean the windshield. The arms hit the back of the hood. I noticed Saturday when I was washing it I could move the blades upward and raise them. Now they are locked down and I cannot move them. Anyone have a fix?
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      05-30-2011, 09:16 PM   #2
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The windshield wipers should not be moved manually unless you do the "Fold out position" procedure in the Owner's Manual pp.64:

Fold-out position of the wipers

Required when changing the wiper blades or
under frosty conditions, for example.
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Under frosty conditions, ensure that the
wiper blades are not frozen onto the windshield.
3. Press the wiper lever* up beyond the point of
resistance and hold it for approx. 3 seconds,
until the wiper remains in a nearly vertical
position.

After the wipers are folded back down, the wiper
system must be reactivated.


Fold the wipers back down
Before switching the ignition on, fold the
wipers back down to the windshield; otherwise,
the wipers may become damaged when they are
switched on.◀
1. Switch on the ignition.
2. Press the wiper levers down. The wipers
move to their resting position and are ready
for operation.

This procedure will let you clean the windshield. or replace the wiper blades without the blade arms touching the rear edge of the hood.
*This refers to the wiper stalk on the steering column, not the wiper arm.
(LEDZEP clarification edit)

Last edited by Lotus7; 06-16-2011 at 04:55 PM..
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      05-31-2011, 08:50 PM   #3
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Thank you very much that worked.
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      06-16-2011, 10:13 AM   #4
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I tried this, but like an idiot I was trying to push the actual wiper arm (as the 'lever') and of course nothing happened. So, before breaking anything I discussed it with the service desk on a recent service visit and asked if they could have someone give me a tutorial on this....

The young and inexperienced person at the desk misunderstood what I was asking for, and had the technician adjust the wiper arms. This was a stupid excercise, as they are still well below the hoodline, and are no longer in their true home position. I told the service manager that I will be requesting them to put them back where they belong.

So - just for clarity to any other numbskulls like me - "lever" refers to the wiper control stalk on the steering column. Not the actual wiper arm.
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      06-16-2011, 10:36 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LEDZEP View Post
I tried this, but like an idiot I was trying to push the actual wiper arm (as the 'lever') and of course nothing happened. So, before breaking anything I discussed it with the service desk on a recent service visit and asked if they could have someone give me a tutorial on this....

The young and inexperienced person at the desk misunderstood what I was asking for, and had the technician adjust the wiper arms. This was a stupid excercise, as they are still well below the hoodline, and are no longer in their true home position. I told the service manager that I will be requesting them to put them back where they belong.

So - just for clarity to any other numbskulls like me - "lever" refers to the wiper control stalk on the steering column. Not the actual wiper arm.
That is genius!
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      06-16-2011, 03:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LEDZEP View Post
... I was trying to push the actual wiper arm (as the 'lever') and of course nothing happened. ....
Original instructions now modified.
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      06-16-2011, 03:50 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotus7 View Post
Original instructions now modified.
- I think it should be called a wiper stalk. Less ambiguous
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      06-16-2011, 04:02 PM   #8
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Goddamn our cars are getting complicated. First the Car Wash now this. Does BMW realize sometimes our significant others drive these things and don't think about those kinds of details?
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      06-16-2011, 04:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
- I think it should be called a wiper stalk. Less ambiguous
Noted and corrected. Now all of US know what we're talking about, but rpiopio has a valid point. The typical SO, parking attendant or anyone borrowing the car won't have a clue.
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      06-17-2011, 08:26 AM   #10
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After a few tries, I am unable to get this to work. I don't know if what I am expecting to happen is not what is supposed to happen, if I am doing something incorrectly, or if BMW is just rolling on the floor laughing, but it does not work.

It says "with the ignition off". So, I've tried it with a sleeping system - nothing. Went into 'radio ready mode' (one push of the start button) and tried it - the wipers simply come on and continue to wipe my dry dirty windshield (thanks BMW, now I'm ruining my wiper blades and probably scratching the glass). Says to hold it past the resistance point, which I am doing. Says to hold it 3 seconds or more. I could hold it there for 3 hours and it would simply wipe until the battery dies.

What I am expecting to happen is for the wipers to STOP in a vertical position on the windshield. This does not happen.

Lotus7 - I presume you have successfully executed this manuver. What am I doing wrong?
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Last edited by LEDZEP; 06-17-2011 at 08:53 AM..
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      06-17-2011, 09:12 AM   #11
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I did try this just after the car was delivered and it worked then, but to be sure I just went into the garage and tried it again, and it still works the same.

However, I don't think the "wiper park feature" will work if the car has been sitting in the off mode for a long period of time, without "waking it up" first.

This is what worked for me today:

1. Go the the car with your "Remote Key" in your pocket.
2. Hit the "lock" button on the remote.
3. Hit the "doors open" button on the remote.
4. Get in the car but don't touch the Start/Stop button
5. Push the "wiper stalk" up as far as it will go and hold it for 3 or 4 seconds.

The wiper arms should move to a vertical position and stop.

To reset the wipers to the normal "park" position, hit the Start/Stop button without pressing the brake pedal, and then press the wiper stalk down as you would to stop the wiper operation.

Hope this works for you.

This is where the wipers stop when I do it:
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      06-17-2011, 09:52 AM   #12
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Thanks Lotus7! I knew you'd be able to provide better details than the manual, which is lacking in this process. I actually had to start the engine and shut it off before it would work, but it did at last.

You can see how much they are not out of position since the doofus at the dealership had them "adjusted" for me.
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      06-17-2011, 10:04 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LEDZEP View Post
Thanks Lotus7! I knew you'd be able to provide better details than the manual, which is lacking in this process. I actually had to start the engine and shut it off before it would work, but it did at last.

You can see how much they are not out of position since the doofus at the dealership had them "adjusted" for me.
+1 for use of the word doofus

First time I washed the car I had all sorts of trouble trying to get the wipers into this position but mastered it eventually. I read the manual as well but still couldn't get it to work. I'm sure there is an intermittent fault in the process as I can't see what I am doing differently now to get it to work. It was much easier in my old car
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      06-17-2011, 10:18 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LEDZEP View Post
Thanks Lotus7! I knew you'd be able to provide better details than the manual, which is lacking in this process. I actually had to start the engine and shut it off before it would work, but it did at last.

You can see how much they are not out of position since the doofus at the dealership had them "adjusted" for me.
Whew! Glad it finally worked, and glad I didn't have to suggest that you drop some Viagra in the fuel tank to get your wipers up.
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      06-17-2011, 10:29 AM   #15
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Yeah, this is my first experience with this "feature". I have a hunch that it was driven by asthetics and aerodynamics. They want the wipers at rest to be beneath the airflow line of the hood - which unfortunately means that they have to do this so you can fold them out.
The service manager indicated that the new 5 Series is this way too, so I suspect more BMW models will see this as they are redesigned.
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      06-18-2011, 12:12 AM   #16
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Lotus - Thanks once again for the detailed info. I did read the manual but I don't think I would've got it in the first attempt.
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      08-20-2011, 09:07 AM   #17
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Hey guys - same problem here.

I'm new here guys... In fact I was planning to join a forum (I bought my M3 last Saturday), but did it today just because of the wiper arm, lever, or whatever you call those.. jeje...
Well, I read the post and tried all directions and can't get this to work!
The wipers keep moving and scratching my glass!
The only way I was able to accomplish something is when I tried with the key inserted and removed the key quickly when the wipers were up. But I know this is not the way you should need to do this...


Any other thoughts?

Thanks!
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      08-20-2011, 09:27 AM   #18
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oh geez. same process exists in my audi as well and its annoying. the bmw is slightly better as it does not make you do it via idrive!
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      08-20-2011, 10:34 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ellusbrother View Post
I'm new here guys... In fact I was planning to join a forum (I bought my M3 last Saturday), but did it today just because of the wiper arm, lever, or whatever you call those.. jeje...
Well, I read the post and tried all directions and can't get this to work!
The wipers keep moving and scratching my glass!
The only way I was able to accomplish something is when I tried with the key inserted and removed the key quickly when the wipers were up. But I know this is not the way you should need to do this...


Any other thoughts?

Thanks!
You have a M3.
The instructions posted here are for the X3 and are probably not applicable to the M3. Suggest you read your owner's manual or possibly post on the M3 Forum.
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      08-20-2011, 02:30 PM   #20
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ellusbrother - I didn't think the E90 had this design feature.
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      08-22-2011, 06:40 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pokerface View Post
ellusbrother - I didn't think the E90 had this design feature.
Correct. E90, E91, E92, E93 do not operate this way - you simply fold out the wiper arms on their hinge, no tricks required.

Same for the E70 (X5) in case anyone is interested.
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      08-22-2011, 08:00 AM   #22
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Quote:
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Whew! Glad it finally worked, and glad I didn't have to suggest that you drop some Viagra in the fuel tank to get your wipers up.
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