I have a 1998 BMW 528i that has a serious issue with the windshield wipers. The wipers would work for only a few seconds when I first turn them on then they would just stop working. I changed the wiper transmission and the motor and the relay but the problem did not go away. what else can I do that may work for this problem..?
You could try actual diagnosis instead of swapping parts out randomly. Run it until it stops. Measure voltage at the motor, then at the switch and then at the relay.
Work your way back from the motor to fuse 11. Be sure to check not just the motor itself but the switch attached to the motor that goes to the black/red wire.
Odds are you have a cold solder joint in the wiper control unit, which is a very common problem. But maybe not. The test light will tell you for sure. As always, look also for grounding issues.
--scott
What Scott said.
It's the height of silliness to swap stuff when you have no idea what to swap. Frankly, based on the description, I would have replaced the Wiper Switch first. The switch is telling the motor that it's okay to shut down now, so it does. The transmission would make the wipers jump and grind, or not go at all, and the motor would do pretty much the same thing. I'd have guessed the switch before either of the parts you guessed.
I bought a wiper motor and it came with the wiper transmission. I was also advised to change the motor by a bmw repair person. The swap of those parts cost me $75. I had a 98 e39 to pick parts from on the cheap. I even have the General Module,
The bmw repair person did tell me to also check the switch, but my e38 wiper was also acting up and a change of the motor solved that problem and being that I was already schooled on the wiper repair and the parts so cheap I did the easiest for me.. I never worked on the steering column.
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