HELP 4 ISSUES Headlight Jets, Bonnet and Light

S

samax92

Member
3 things....

First, I have just received a new third brake light. I don't have new springs for it yet, or in fact a deep enough socket. How essential are new springs? And how far am I to tighten them up? I don't have any torque equipment.

Second, my headlight washer jets don't rise as of today. I hear the pump moving to spray the fluid, but it's doing so inside the bumper.

Third, I went to open the bonnet to try and see if I could see the washer jets, and I can't open the bonnet because the lever just doesn't do anything.

Fourth, as my wing mirror glass fell out and smashed into a gazillion pieces, I am looking at a £10 eBay one. Should be ok right?

Come on you lovely lot, help me like you always do :)
 
Be careful!!! I bought a new third brake light from Sopers at a good price. New nuts 30p each. Spring over £3.00 EACH!!!!!! ouch! My fault for not asking the price BERORE I ordered. :cry:
 
Sopers were cheaper for all parts I enquiries about. Except the springs as you say. About £12 for the lot. My local BMW does the whole lot for under £4. Strange, I would have thought prices would be set across the board
 
Get someone to push down on the bonnet while you pull the lever to release the tension. That usually works with dodgy levers aslong as it's still connected ie the cable isnt broken. Are your window washers working? The jets aren't electric they work on the pressure and the pipe on the pump on mine was leaking and losing all the screen wash. Obviously it still made a noise but they won't pop out if there is no water.
 
You need to check the filter in the washer bottle, probably blocked.

Also bumper off job to check anything to do with headlamp washer jets.
 
How to I access the filter? Does the fluid tank have a removable top half?

Bumper off...I gather it is relatively easy if your methodical..no extreme tools or special skills required
 
samax92 said:
How to I access the filter? Does the fluid tank have a removable top half?

Bumper off...I gather it is relatively easy if your methodical..no extreme tools or special skills required
Click to expand...

You might find it a pita if its your first time. A few torx bolts across the top. Little plastic rivets in the arches that you push the pins through with a really thin screwdriver or similar. Some 8mm bolts connecting the undertray I think.
 
samax92 said:
or in fact a deep enough socket. How essential are new springs? And how far am I to tighten them up?
Click to expand...

These will do the job -http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p... pro225 8 piece 1/4 deep 1/4 drive socket set

I think springs essential

If I recall correctly 2.5 Nm +/- 0.5 Nm or in non technical terms not a great deal. I didnt bother with a torque wrench just finger tight and then a bit more

(Nm = Newton meter so 2.5 Nm = 1.85 ft/lbs so just think of the force 3/4 of a bag of sugar would exert on the end of a 1 foot long spanner)
 
My headlight washers didn't work when I bought my z4 and I had 2 problems.

First was the actual pump nozzle to which the pipe slides over had broken off and bodged back on. New pump from eBay was about £18 so cheap enough.

Second was the drivers side headlight washer unit was leaking so any screenwash that was pushed through was just coming straight out the bottom half of it. New unit cost £50 quid or so from BMW and it's been fine ever since.

You could always order some more rubber piping aswell whilst the bumpers off. Will save you perhaps needing to do this in future.
 
ben g said:
My headlight washers didn't work when I bought my z4 and I had 2 problems.

First was the actual pump nozzle to which the pipe slides over had broken off and bodged back on. New pump from eBay was about £18 so cheap enough.

Second was the drivers side headlight washer unit was leaking so any screenwash that was pushed through was just coming straight out the bottom half of it. New unit cost £50 quid or so from BMW and it's been fine ever since.

You could always order some more rubber piping aswell whilst the bumpers off. Will save you perhaps needing to do this in future.
Click to expand...

Mine had been bodged as well. The connection between the pipe and pump wouldn't seal so someone blanked it off with a pieced of pipe. Thing is it probably took more effort doing it that way than it took me to pull the plastic connector off the rubber pipe and re fit it with a jubilee clip that fixed it completely!
 
Sim_Simma said:
Get someone to push down on the bonnet while you pull the lever to release the tension. That usually works with dodgy levers aslong as it's still connected ie the cable isnt broken. Are your window washers working? The jets aren't electric they work on the pressure and the pipe on the pump on mine was leaking and losing all the screen wash. Obviously it still made a noise but they won't pop out if there is no water.
Click to expand...
Yes my washer jets work fine. No difference in response or pressure or anything

Sim_Simma said:
samax92 said:
How to I access the filter? Does the fluid tank have a removable top half?

Bumper off...I gather it is relatively easy if your methodical..no extreme tools or special skills required
Click to expand...

You might find it a pita if its your first time. A few torx bolts across the top. Little plastic rivets in the arches that you push the pins through with a really thin screwdriver or similar. Some 8mm bolts connecting the undertray I think.
Click to expand...

That's for the bumper I assume not the washer bottle .

The annoying thing is that il remove the bumper just to see what's wrong with the jets, reassemble it (as I need the car daily) while I wait for parts, then disassemble it all again!
 
The washer bottle is only held in by one bolt and theres a bit at the bottom which slots in, so just pulls straight out.

That would be the first job. Check the pump (theres 2, one for windscreen washer jets and one which sends screenwash through the headlight pumps). As I said, mine was broken and had been bodged back up badly, so everytime I used the screenwash with the headlights on, the pipe would blow off which emptied the washer bottle of it's contents.

Filter could be clogged up, no harm in giving it a wash.

If none of those are the issue, then it's bumper off time. From there, it'll either be a split pipe or one/both of your headlamp jet pumps are leaking/busted. If it's a leaky pump, it can be sorted short term by putting silicone sealant around the leaky area (you'll see where when you try to use them with the bumper off), but it won't last long so a new pump is the only option.

Hope that helps. Done mine over a year ago so trying to remember :lol:
 
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