Jables66

Hi all! Please let me know if this isn't the appropriate section for asking for help; it's been a while since I last used a forum with any kind of regularity and I forget the etiquette. Anyway, I'm having a few problems with my E46 (318i SE Touring, 2002) and I was hoping someone might be able to shed some light on what I can do about them. First, my rear wiper doesn't work at all. Using the stalk, there's no noise to indicate that any motors or pumps are activating and the rear screenwash jet doesn't squirt anything. The wiper arm moves freely by hand and the action feels pretty smooth, so I don't think it's seized. I've also checked the two fuses (14 & 45 at 5A, I think) related to the rear wiper and both look fine. Only things I haven't checked as I don't have the means to do so (I do have access to a workshop and my boss/guru/father-in-law/best mate to assist) are the motor itself, which I assume is a visual inspection followed by a volt meter, and I haven't checked for faulty or broken wiring causing a short. Replacement parts aren't a problem, nor is any amount of labour. With the current bad weather, it would be prudent to make fixing it a priority. Second and final thing is the central locking. It works when using the locking button on the centre console, but the key fob does nothing at all. Furthermore, when locking the doors with the key, it takes a few tries to get all the doors to lock instead of just the driver's door. Finally, the dash lights say the tailgate is always open. Not sure if it relates to the locking issue, but it's just a minor annoyance. The lights in the boot don't turn on unless I actually open the tailgate. Could this be a replacement locks/motors job? I haven't checked the fuses relating to the locking mechanisms, but I'm assuming they're fine since the problem seems to be mechanical rather than electrical. Many thanks in advance, Jack

Thanks Dave. Christmas was certainly a lot easier and less stressful with a reliable car! It's been very dependable so far. To date, I've done a service, added an aftermarket stereo and replaced most of the bulbs with LEDs. Still got a few issues to address, but I'll post them in another more appropriate thread. Likewise, I hope you and yours, and everyone else here had a pleasant holiday period! To sign off, here's a snap of my sidelights that I recently colour-coded.

Ay oop. I'm Jack. I'm 27, keen musician, budding mechanic and pathological tinkerer. Just bought my first BMW, and despite the usual bugs that come with most used cars I'm very much enjoying the experience. First priority is a service which will be undertaken at the weekend. Buying it was a bit of a snap decision. I previously had a Ford Mondeo ST TDCI estate and the clutch took a sudden turn for the worse, necessitating its replacement just three days before Christmas. Got into a bit of a panic and took to Auto trader with a pathetic budget (Christmas almost cleaned my wife and I out), whereupon I found my 3 series being sold from a dealership I was familiar with. Picked it up the following day, traded in my Mondeo and that was that. The transition from diesel to petrol has been a bit of a lurch, but the car has proven itself a worthy successor and I'm very pleased with it. It has a number of minor faults which I will soon endeavour to fix, I hope, with the help of all of you guys.