Broken windshield wipers
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Ashland City, TN
Broken windshield wipers
98 Expedition.
We had our first big ice storm in middle TN. I failed to realize my wipers were on when I started my truck the other morning and now something in the mechanism is broken. I can hear the motor cycling normally, but it has obviously broken a link in the system somewhere. How do I access this area and what is the likely culprit? Do these have a designated "weak link" like GM's or are they more complicated? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
We had our first big ice storm in middle TN. I failed to realize my wipers were on when I started my truck the other morning and now something in the mechanism is broken. I can hear the motor cycling normally, but it has obviously broken a link in the system somewhere. How do I access this area and what is the likely culprit? Do these have a designated "weak link" like GM's or are they more complicated? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 37
Likes: 1
ME TOO ME TOO. My passenger wiper crapped the bed last night in the ice because I forgot to turn it off. Haven't investigated yet (lazy cuz of the holidays) but I will soon and will check back if anyone has advice.
Luke--
Luke--
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 12,679
Likes: 15
From: BC, Canada
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,297
Likes: 0
First thing to check:
At the base of the wiper arm is a plastic cap that covers the nut that holds the wiper arm to the post that is connected to the wiper motor. Pop off the cap with a flat blade screwdriver. Turn the wipers on. Any evidence that the post is turning but the wiper isn't moving? If so, breathe a $igh of relief. Then, turn the wipers off, ensure that the offending arm is positioned in the parked position, find a metric socket of the proper size to tighten the nut and tighten away.
The weak link is essentially that the arms are attached to the motor post by basically a friction fit. VERY fine splines on the post and none on the mating part of the arm. If the nut is even slightly loose, the wiper will either operate erratically or not at all.
If a loose wiper arm mounting nut isn't the problem, well...to quote a line out the famous 1974 Western epic "Blazing Saddles": "Son, you're onnn your own."
At the base of the wiper arm is a plastic cap that covers the nut that holds the wiper arm to the post that is connected to the wiper motor. Pop off the cap with a flat blade screwdriver. Turn the wipers on. Any evidence that the post is turning but the wiper isn't moving? If so, breathe a $igh of relief. Then, turn the wipers off, ensure that the offending arm is positioned in the parked position, find a metric socket of the proper size to tighten the nut and tighten away.
The weak link is essentially that the arms are attached to the motor post by basically a friction fit. VERY fine splines on the post and none on the mating part of the arm. If the nut is even slightly loose, the wiper will either operate erratically or not at all.
If a loose wiper arm mounting nut isn't the problem, well...to quote a line out the famous 1974 Western epic "Blazing Saddles": "Son, you're onnn your own."
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Ashland City, TN
Awesome, took 5 minutes standing in the cold, but I now have wipers again.
I still say this is by far the best truck I have ever owned. 3 days of ice and snow and I have gone wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. TOO COOL!
I still say this is by far the best truck I have ever owned. 3 days of ice and snow and I have gone wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. TOO COOL!
