# BMW 328CI - Lights or Wipers some choice?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 31, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664 "2008-05-31T08:19:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![photoneil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@photoneil](https://community.cartalk.com/u/photoneil)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664/1 "2008-05-31T08:19:47Z")

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When driving, at night, in heavy rain, suddenly my wipers stopped working. I pulled over to try all the wiper options but they were dead. I switched the engine off and on again. Now the wipers worked perfectly normally again, so I started driving. After 100 yards I realized I’d forgotten to switch on the lights. When I did the wipers stopped working again.  
  
 I feel rather limited with only the choice of daytime driving in the rain or night driving in the wet. Any clues which bit of my Beema has decided to become stroppy? Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664/2 "2008-05-31T09:42:53Z")

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There may be trouble with a connection to the power of those areas or possibly the grounding to them.

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**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664/3 "2008-05-31T15:31:29Z")

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You dont give a year for your BMW but. The 3series(E46) made starting in 2001 produced in the USA (Spartanburg I think) had electrical concerns with turn signals,wipers column mounted devices the problem was wires chaffing on the bare metal dash frame. I think you can access this area through the air outlets (must be removed) both sides of the dash. BMW usually got on these production problems quick so I dont know if it applies to your year model. What is "stroppy"On second thought these couls have been South Africa produced whatever wires were getting chaffed in the area described.

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**Author:** ![photoneil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@photoneil](https://community.cartalk.com/u/photoneil)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664/4 "2008-05-31T17:43:10Z")

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Thanks for your feedback. Actually I live in England and the car is a late 1999, German build, I presume. The car has done over 100,000 miles and aside from the air-con this is the first “fault” I’ve had. By the way “stroppy” is how people start behaving as soon as the become teenagers.

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/bmw-328ci-lights-or-wipers-some-choice/14664/5 "2008-05-31T22:08:29Z")

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Sometimes the engine to body ground needs scraping.