buying a 318ti

Bar the requirement of a guide dog (!) how are you finding it? :)

It's lovely to drive. Really smooth through the gears and very precise handling.

Couple of minor issues, the heater doesn't work... (I think maybe it's the hedgehog?) and the rear wiper doesn't work either. Not decided what to do with the wiper. Seems it's the plastic teeth that go... and it's a £150 part...
 
Aye, well I could just remove the motor and disconnect the power. Or I could go the whole hog and put a blanking plate in.

If I could get a decent used part for £50 or so I'd replace it. Looks like a reasonably easy DIY. I'm used to a rear wiper and would miss it. I noticed it didn't work within 10 minutes of driving the rain.

The heater resistor looks like a right pain in the ass though :) I don't fancy spending an hour or so dismantling and reassembling the glove box and having to get my fat hands under the dash.

OEM for that is about £70, though there are eBay parts "OEM quality" for £20...
 
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I dunno, none of my hatches have ever got that dirty at the back - guess it depends on how flat it is at the rear though

If you want to keep it working then just find an eBay special and swap it over - should be dead easy even if you're not used to any kind of diy
 
The only car I've ever had that got filthy at the back was my Seat Leon Cupra R. And the rear wash pipes are prone to failing at a connector in the wheel well, so I disconnected that from the reservoir.

My Saxo stayed relatively clean at the rear, and my A6 Avant stayed pretty clear at the back too, and it's got a far more vertical rear screen than an E46 compact.
 
Yeah, been quoted £211 inc VAT for a replacement at our local indy. The motors are for sale on ebay for £80. Bit of a tossup. an extra £130 for a new part (2yr BMW warranty) and not having to DIY... hmmm.

I do have to do something though... I think once the motor / arm is knackered, using the wiper leaks water into the inside of the boot lid.
 
[TW]Fox;25271933 said:
The heater doesnt work? Before assuming its the 'hedgehog' (Which doesnt totally kill the heater) what are the symptons?

The fan is completely unresponsive. The console acts like it's working... but nothing comes out of the vents.
 
My money is on heater blower motor not the hedgehog, the hedgehog makes the fans random rather than kills them. This is exactly what I had - and it was the blower motor.

Think it was about £340 in the end.
 
If it is the blower then they're pretty easy to get to to test ( apply 12v) but it looks like to get it out ( or rather new one in) you'll have to do a bit of jiggery Pokery
 
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