Headlight washer

P

paulmac

Member
I need to replace the whole headlight washer unit on the near side.
Is it possible to do this without removing the bumper?
I can get good access to it from the inspection cover in the wheel arch, but can't seem to fathom how its actually fixed on.
Anyone done this job could shed a bit of light on it.
Thanks
 
Hi, unfortunately it's a bumper off job, the unit clips on to the back of the bumper unit by sliding in to place with side lugs in the pic. I've added the TIS link which gives a brief idea of the process and I'm sure others have posted about the repair if you search a bit, good luck :thumbsup:

http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/08/07/91

P1000166-1-1.jpg
 
Thanks for the info, makes it much more clear.
I still can't see why you couldn'd pull the tangs up and slide the unit out without removing the bumper though, I've had a quick look and can reach both tangs.
I'm going to try and flex them up with two small screw drivers and see if I can pull the unit out.
Thanks again.
 
The bumper takes 15mims to get off.
d9909257-d8a4-8b30.jpg

d9909257-d8ba-ad0e.jpg

d9909257-d8cd-bed1.jpg


This is the most tricky bit(10mins):
d9909257-d8ea-2a5b.jpg


Really simple to get back on to!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Just to let everyone know. It is possible to remove the headlight washer jet unit complete without removing the bumper.
It was bit of a flaff but easily do able and a lot easier than taking off the bumper.
Firstly I removed the wheel and then the lower plastic inspection cover in the wheel arch.
I was then able to reach both the little tangs that hold in the unit.
I then just wedged a small screwdriver under each tang and pulled the unit down and it came free.
Forgot to mention thatthat you first have to remove the painted plastic cover that covers the jets on the bumper.
You then just unclip the hose that leads to the fluid tank and attach your new washer and push it into place. :D
 
paulmac said:
Just to let everyone know. It is possible to remove the headlight washer jet unit complete without removing the bumper.
It was bit of a flaff but easily do able and a lot easier than taking off the bumper.
Firstly I removed the wheel and then the lower plastic inspection cover in the wheel arch.
I was then able to reach both the little tangs that hold in the unit.
I then just wedged a small screwdriver under each tang and pulled the unit down and it came free.
Forgot to mention thatthat you first have to remove the painted plastic cover that covers the jets on the bumper.
You then just unclip the hose that leads to the fluid tank and attach your new washer and push it into place. :D
Click to expand...

You got hands like ET? Anyway nice one and well worth remembering :thumbsup:

ET.jpg
 
Easier still by uncliping the wheel arch plugs running down the edge of the bumper skin and turning the wheel out the way. lie on you back and you can get your whole arm in there and see too.
 
I think you'll fail if you have Xenon headlamps and the washer isnt working. Not sure about halogen headlights
 
I was told this was an mot failure.
But I have zenons, I got my car with a new mot, and the washer wasn't working.
So I think it all depends where you get it done.
 
Adamski said:
I think you'll fail if you have Xenon headlamps and the washer isnt working. Not sure about halogen headlights
Click to expand...

Failure with Xenon, doesn't matter with halogen.

Reason is that Xenons are brighter and a dirty lens will cause the light to scatter, dazzling oncoming traffic. It's why people who put xenon bulbs behind halogen lenses blind everyone on the road.
 
maybe a little bit off-topic, but this winter i planed to do an other bumper ( not an OEM), and i want to keep the original washers.

are the monting points ( that big blak box kinda thing) also avaible at the dealer or should i get a second hand oem bumper to cut them off ?


so the big black things on the last photo :

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185835&highlight=headlight&page=48
 
Does anyone know where i can get a headlight washer unit for the drivers side..? A part number, ebay seller? I can't find one :(
 
Resurrecting an old thread but rather than starting a new one on the same topic, here's a brief description of what I found and how I fixed it today on mine which I noticed was leaking washer fluid from the off-side:

Firstly, bumper removal was not necessary. I don't know if it's different on pre-facelift cars but on mine the washer unit was easily accessible via the removable section of wheel-arch liner that is intend to allow access to the back of the fog-lamp. Open this up. At this point I could see mine wasn't leaking from hose but seemed to be high up on the unit itself.

As described above remove the jet cover on the bumper.

The unit can then be removed by using a small screw driver to pry it free from the lower tangs. I got a bit stumped after this as to how to bring the unit down as it seemed really tightly locked in but actually with firm pulling and fiddling it did come straight down.

Unclip the hose.

At this point my presumption was that it must be blocked with some kind of gunk of some kind. I tried the hose with the jet technique first....lots of times actually. The thing would extend each time but no water would come out of the jets. I tried suctioning backwards by attaching a big 60ml bladder syringe. I tried injecting household cleaners, lactic acid descaler...I even tried hydrochloric acid! Nothing worked. It seemed like whatever gunk was in there was acting like a one-way valve. I could suck back but nothing would come out forwards.

I was at the point of giving up when I noticed that it's possible to remove the two-head jet piece separately from the extending arm. It's just clipped on...you can see how if you pull the arm out. Lift the tap and unclip it.

As I pull the two-headed jet piece off a small (approx. 5mm diameter) black plastic plug type thing fell out with it. This must have been causing the blockage/valve effect!

I couldn't figure out which way round it came out or where it was meant to go because it came out too fast for me to take note. It's exactly the same diameter as the end of the two-headed jet piece if you offer it up one way round and looks like it might go in there. I very nearly did this. DON'T !!! If you do I think it might be stuck and then lost forever! I'd fortunately left just a fraction proud for me to be a to retrieve it.

Looking down into the inside of the extending arm section you'll see what looks like a thin-walled metal tube like structure. On a hunch really, I figured that that's where this small black thing goes. It has a completely flat face on one side; the other is kind of hollow. The diameter of the hollow side is fractionally less than the flat side. So, the hollow side goes into the end of the metal tube. This was a bit of a fiddle because I had to keep dropping it down into effectively a narrow dark tube and then manipulate it with a screwdriver to get it lined up with the orifice of the metal tube structure. Once I'd achieved this I tapped it down into place with the end of the screwdriver.

I reassembled it all and it now all seems (fingers-crossed) to work perfectly.

p.s I'm sorry I didn't take pics but it was something I was just figuring out all the way along and wasn't sure what I was finding or whether I'd actually be able to fix it. I hope the description makes sense.
 
soooooooooooo... Replaced my nearside headlight washer jet at the weekend... after reading this i decided to try and do it without the bumper off..... mistake.... Although i did manage it eventually it would have been quicker and easier with bumper off, upto date price on the washer unit 67.80 with forum discount from sopers :thumbsup:
 
Just had a look on my car (its an early 2005 2.5SE) and it doesnt have these washers. I feel deprived - is there a reason my car is without?
 
SUUNTOBOB said:
if the headlight washer is not working is this an mot failure do you know?
Click to expand...

it is here yeah, last year mine didn't fire the water (prob had done it on the way round) and i had to give it another go
 
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