I've been having an intermittent problem with my front windscreen wiper for about a week now, however driving down the motorway it was terminal.

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem, basically when switching the wipers on the wiper moves however they slow down and ultimately stop somewhere in the middle of the windscreen as though the motor has lost its power.

Is it simply the motor on its way out or something like the switch? Anyone had this type of problem before? Its pretty inconvenient given problem given I commute 100 miles a day to work - fortunately the forecase looks reasonable for the next few days.

RIP wipers!!

No mate, probably the linkage is siezed. Easy repair or buy a new linkage. Unlikely to be the motor.

Strip the linkage, rub with wet & dry, re-grease and reassaemble. Did mine in September and still going strong (fingers crossed)

Just be careful with the removal of the cowl at the bottom of the windscreen.

Feel free to PM for further info.

Will try and have a look at it tonight and see whats entailed, and whether I can actually even work out what I need to strip!

Any "how to's" floating around on this at all?

I gave the wipers another try this morning, they seem to fly up the windscreen, its the coming down part thats the problem.

Can't find one for you but:

First things first. Your wiper arms are probably stuck fast. To make things a little easier, I'd take off the black plastic cap over the nut, then give the nut a good spraying of wd40 and leave it for a while. I'd recommend that the wipers are in the rest position (ie full sweep). To remove the arm, pull it away from the windscreen and be careful not to damage your screen!! It might take a bit of wiggling but it does come off eventually! There is a tool that you can buy but I didn't. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=040211427&r=2076&g=111 

Shtu recommends keeping the retaining nut on a few turns, to stop the arm flying off with the pulling pressure.

Remove the filter cover on the passenger side of the black cowl (simply unscrew and remove). Now remover the black cowl. I hated this job!! Basically, it has a thin piece of plastic at a 90 degree angle to the cowl which fits into a groove in the windscreen. Again, take care of the screen. Once this is removed you should be able to see the linkage and motor on the drivers side.

Remove the nuts and it should pull out. I bet the linkage is siezed. Now, you can either buy a new piece or do what I did and clean it up. To clean it, you need to get the 2 spindles out of the housing. I think there was a c clip that needed removing, it's all fairly easy when you look at it. I put mine in a vice, sprayed it with trust wd40 and kept twisting and pulling until it came out. Then give it a rub with wet & dry, give it a good greasing, and reassemble.

It might be an idea to take some piccies if you've got a camera to post on here. I know lots of people have had this. Let me know if you come across a problem and I'll try and help.

 

 

Thanks for the instructions, will get the cowl off tonight and have a look. I'll come back with any obvious questions.

Thanks again.

Managed to get some time to have a look at this, this evening.

Indeed it looks as though the linkage is seized quite badly. I can't see a c clip on the linkage, so think I'll end up buying the part tommorow.

Thanks for the instructions, they were really clear. Will try and get some photos tommorow when refitting everything.

Did this repair yesterday - linkage was starting to judder so I stripped it all down.  Took 50 minutes tops and now everything is fine again.

Happened on my last Golf as well, at about 100,000 miles then also.

I recommend that anyone with juddering wipers gives themselves a few hours and clears the linkage out - I ended up putting a 12mm auger bit down inside the main link arm-hole and clearing out a lot of CRUD.

Tried this today as our wiper linkage has seized. Bought the original linkage from the local VW outfit for £38.88 inc VAT.

Dug out the Haynes manual and attempted to remove the wiper arms ... stuck solid, no amount of WD40, sharp taps on the spindle etc etc would make any difference ... so I shimmed up the windscreen with a piece of wood to protect it and it cracked before I even looked sternly at it!

I can't believe how weak the screen actually is in that area. Wiper arms are still rusted solid to the spindles and the linkage is still seized ... what a week!

Anyone know what windscreen tint a GT TDI 130 on a 52 plate will have?

davemk:

To clean it, you need to get the 2 spindles out of the housing. I think there was a c clip that needed removing, it's all fairly easy when you look at it. I put mine in a vice, sprayed it with trust wd40 and kept twisting and pulling until it came out. Then give it a rub with wet & dry, give it a good greasing, and reassemble.

Typically, like others, it's my drivers side spindle that's seized.  I can only move it with a mallet ! I doubt i'll get it out of the housing, so looks like it's a new linkage for me.  Any part numbers ??  Is it this on russell's comment ? http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/101161/697711.aspx#697711

The way I got it out was by putting it into a vice and twisting and turning the mechanism with the occassional "touch" with a persuader tool. It'll eventually come out. Just don't do what I did and damage the thread.

 OK - first about the wiper arms.

don't be scared to try and bend them up and left so you can get some force on them.  You need to simply perservere with it.

When you get the motor and mechanism out of the car (don't try and adjust it still on the car), you do not have to move the mechanism.  It's best of you don't so the wipers will still be at the same position on the windscreen when you put it back on.

Take the round metal caps off the top of the 2 spindles.  You'll see a 'C' clip on top of both of them. Take them off and with a few gentle taps with a hammer the spindle will come out through.  You only really need it down about 2 thirds of the way.  You'll notice that one of them will probably be quite dry looking.  Grease them up well with a silicon grease spray or any of the new type of motorcycle chain spray.  Then put it back together and it's sorted.

That's all you need to do.  The mechanism doesn't need to be taken apart or moved.

Bazmcc:

 OK - first about the wiper arms.

don't be scared to try and bend them up and left so you can get some force on them.  You need to simply perservere with it.

When you get the motor and mechanism out of the car (don't try and adjust it still on the car), you do not have to move the mechanism.  It's best of you don't so the wipers will still be at the same position on the windscreen when you put it back on.

Take the round metal caps off the top of the 2 spindles.  You'll see a 'C' clip on top of both of them. Take them off and with a few gentle taps with a hammer the spindle will come out through.  You only really need it down about 2 thirds of the way.  You'll notice that one of them will probably be quite dry looking.  Grease them up well with a silicon grease spray or any of the new type of motorcycle chain spray.  Then put it back together and it's sorted.

That's all you need to do.  The mechanism doesn't need to be taken apart or moved.

I wish i'd sen your advice a day or so ago !  Takne it all off, then whacked the mech with a mallet freed up one side, the seized side also moved but not freely, so is now out of position.

Just put it back on the car, it moves through the whole movement of the crank attached to the motor, but when it gets to the top, 12 o' clock position, where I think it has the least torque, it kind of "click click clicks" as if it's meeting resistance, so it's still partially seized or it's out of position and can't turn fully.

Couldn't whack the spindle out with a mallet with the c clip taken off, so left wd40 on it overnight to try and soak in, think it's done it a bit, but not enough.  Gonna give up now, as cracked the windscreen with the scuttle panel off, so that's £50 via the insurance, then a new mech is £40 odd..

davemk:

occassional "touch" with a persuader tool. It'll eventually come out. Just don't do what I did and damage the thread.

Snap! That's what I did. Managed to get a nut back on though by hack-sawing the damaged thread off the top luckily.

I'm having trouble getting the cowl to click back into the retaining part that's attached to the wind shield, anyone got any tips on how to get it back in properly? The drivers side has clicked back in but i'm struggling with the rest for some reason. Gave it all a good clean but it just doesn't seem to want to go back in and leaves a small gap. I'm a bit worried that when it rains I may get some water passing through. Any tips/ideas?

ADi Nuff Valves:

davemk:

occassional "touch" with a persuader tool. It'll eventually come out. Just don't do what I did and damage the thread.

Snap! That's what I did. Managed to get a nut back on though by hack-sawing the damaged thread off the top luckily.

I'm having trouble getting the cowl to click back into the retaining part that's attached to the wind shield, anyone got any tips on how to get it back in properly? The drivers side has clicked back in but i'm struggling with the rest for some reason. Gave it all a good clean but it just doesn't seem to want to go back in and leaves a small gap. I'm a bit worried that when it rains I may get some water passing through. Any tips/ideas?

 

Spray it all with either glass cleaner or DW40 and GENTLY using the palm of your hand, start where its already started to clip back in, give it a sharp short tap along the top of the cowl/scuttle... should start cliping in all the way along....

 

Also a good tip would be to place the fillter cover in situ before clipping it back together.....saves knuckles and time swearing at it lol

b1ackb1rd:

Anyone know what windscreen tint a GT TDI 130 on a 52 plate will have?

 

Green/Grey - if your fully comp insurance ring your insurance company should be around £50 - £75 for a replacement, if your only 3rd party ring around for the best price....

Ahh yes I was thinking wd40, gonna go give it a try now. Thanks.

My brother had a problem just like this on his Audi A3.  I bet its the same mech and the same bit seizing.  it cost him £400 from a dealer to get fixed so I'd persevere if I were you.

I'll do a bit of preventative maintenance next week I think!

James

Hi, I've a 99 bora. Did the above put it all back together and now when you turn the wipers on they don't work the same they just keeps going. If you put it on wash/wipe it does 4 sweeps then stops halfway down. Does that mean it mucked up the motor when it seized or the relay? I'm thinking relay but theres no fault codes stored. Any ideas?

Thanks