From digest.v4.n565 Wed May 8 22:29:18 1996
From: Andrew West <andreww at lna.oz.au>
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 13:04:24 +1000
Subject: E30 Wiper/Switch Problem

In digest V4-560 Jay Snyder asked:

>The windshield wipers in my '89 325i are giving me intermittant trouble.
>Sometimes they work fine, other times, when I put them on the fastest
setting, >the don't work at all, but when I come back to the low setting, they work, and >then I can go to fast and they'll work. Other times, they function in delay >mode in all three (delay, low, and fast) settings. ...[snip, etc.]...

I have had similar intermittence in my indicator/high beam switch. It seems due to muck accumulating in the switch. Remove the steering wheel, lower half of the steering column clamshell cover, and spray WD40 or similar through the switch which is now exposed. Operate the switch through all positions to clear out the muck. This clears things up for me for a few years. This problem seems to be worse in damp weather.

This may be only a band-aid, but it saves disassembling the switch to really clean it out mechanically (I am not even sure that the switch can be disassembled and reassembled). Of course: If you have the right kind of rain, just use Rain-X and ignore the wipers (grins and prepares for the onslaught of virulent, vitriolic and vituperative anti-Rain-X postings).

Andrew West, '83 E30 318i, BMW Club Queensland