2006 Bmw X3 Wipers & Visibility Problems

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING IN THE RAIN WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON, THE WIPERS SHUT OFF AND QUIT WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. IT TAKES ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OF TIME BEFORE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGIN TO WORK AGAIN. THIS IS CONCERNING DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY AND MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

AFTER EACH RAINFALL, FRONT AND/OR REAR PASSENGER FOOTWELLS FLOOD, DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE THAT THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED VAPOR BARRIERS BUT A WATER TEST REVEALED THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS IS TOO LOW, CAUSING THE LEAK. *JS

2006 BMW 330XI WIPER FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 80 DURING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND FAILED IN FIXED POSITION. HAD TO PULL OVER CAR...SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED AND THEY WORKED AGAIN, BUT INTERMITTENT FEATURE FAILED. WIPERS WOULD NOT RESPOND BEFORE CAR SHUTDOWN/RESTART. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED DURING A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CEASED TO OPERATE. THIS CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHEREIN VISIBILITY WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. NOT ONLY WAS THERE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WATER BLOCKING MY VIEW, BUT THE WIPERS THEMSELVES HAD STOPPED IN A SLIGHTLY VERTICAL POSITION, ALSO BLOCKING MY VIEW. THIS SITUATION CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, AS WE CAREFULLY AND CAUTIOUSLY ATTEMPTED TO GET OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND AWAY FROM OTHER TRAFFIC. AFTER SITTING AT REST IN THE CAR, ENGINE RUNNING, FOR UP TO 15 MINUTES, THE WIPERS FINALLY CAME BACK ON AGAIN. I HAD TRIED TO MANUALLY ENGAGE THE WIPERS BY ACTIVATING THE CONTROL STALK, WITH NO EFFECT. I ALSO TRIED TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING, WITH NO EFFECT. I SCHEDULED AN EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT AT THE BMW DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, CONFIRMING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FAULT IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE MECHANICAL LINKAGE FROM THE MOTOR TO THE WIPERS, EVEN THOUGH THE DIAGNOSTIC HAD BEEN INCONCLUSIVE ON THE LINKAGE. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATE THAT ALL OF THE WINDOWS IN THE CAR CAME DOWN ON THEIR OWN, WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP.