Remove the tank and re-position it so you can fully access the motors. You can see I already disconnected one of the hoses.
Replacing the faulty part:
Disconnect the hose from the motor which shouldn’t require any tools or much force. Pull the motor and grommet out of the tank. Separate the grommet and motor and examine them both. My motor looked like it had been leaking. I tried sending 12 volts to it and nothing happened so again I knew the motor was bad. Inspect the grommet and see if it can be reused. You might want to order a new Genuine Washer Pump Grommet
but I just reused mine. I cleaned mine up with Simple Green dabbed petroleum jelly around it to help with the seal. Replace the grommet and then seat the new motor into the grommet while clipping it into the tank’s compartment. You can order a new motor on eBay or Amazon like this Windshield Washer Pump
which will work for your E83 BMW X3. Amazon has great prices but eBay will often have better prices, plus I can find more unusual parts available on eBay.
Re-installing the tank properly
Reconnect the wiring harness as well as the hose. I wrapped a small tie wrap around the hose at the neck of the motor just as a precaution to prevent leaking at the connection. You should now turn the ignition on and engage the wiper motor enough to hear if the motor is cranking. If yours isn’t working you should test the new motor with 12 volts to ensure the motor works. If it does re-install the motor and try again. You should also see some fluid get sprayed when you engage the wiper motor, if you don’t you need to rejigger the tank and hose. This is a delicate process, I had to re-position my tank a few times before fluid began spraying properly. If your tank was completely dry when you began this repair it might take a while for the hose to prime and fluid to spray out. Move the tank back into the installation position and try the motor again. Trust me, it took a few times to re-position the tank and have the motor spray, it’s finicky for some reason.
A better look at my faulty motor and the grommet that came with my new motor. I reused the grommet on the bad motor since it has the built in filter.
