Help! Wipers went bang

[Alan Surrey]

I would value advice/guidance from anyone with first hand experience of this.
When I turned on my windscreen wipers today they did not move, but there was a bang and for a moment, while I rushed to turn them off with the column stalk, there was a whirring/clicking sound as if the motor was turning. The wipers can now be freely moved by hand across the windscreen. They move as a matched pair - just as they should. Its just that they shouldn't move at all unless its the motor that's moving them.
We have a lot of trees round here and this time of year they drop a lot of sticky, sugary liquid. I think my wiper blades had become glued to the windscreen and that when I turned them on the motor produced a lot of (stall) torque and broke a mechanical linkage somewhere.
Where should I start?.

 

[Lozzer]

I would value advice/guidance from anyone with first hand experience of this.
When I turned on my windscreen wipers today they did not move, but there was a bang and for a moment, while I rushed to turn them off with the column stalk, there was a whirring/clicking sound as if the motor was turning. The wipers can now be freely moved by hand across the windscreen. They move as a matched pair - just as they should. Its just that they shouldn't move at all unless its the motor that's moving them.
We have a lot of trees round here and this time of year they drop a lot of sticky, sugary liquid. I think my wiper blades had become glued to the windscreen and that when I turned them on the motor produced a lot of (stall) torque and broke a mechanical linkage somewhere.
Where should I start?.

Wiper linkage, you can get clips to remedy from places like Halfords that work surprisingly well.

 

[Alan Surrey]

Thanks Lozzer. How do I get to the mechanism? 2008 QP with ZF gearbox.

 

[Zep]

The wiper mech sits under the scuttle panel, the plastic bit below the windscreen wiper arms. You’ll have to take off the wiper arms and the securing screws, which is a pain.

 

[mowlas]

Here’s a video on how to do it…

And how to remove the wiper mechanisms…

 

[Alan Surrey]

Thanks guys. Really helpful

 

[conaero]

Your not having much luck at the moment now are you Alan

 

[Scaf]

Your not having much luck at the moment now are you Alan

was thinking the same thing….….. hopefully this is a simple fix.

Don't lose heart Alan, these cars are worth fighting from time to time.

 

[Alan Surrey]

Thank you both for your much appreciated kind thoughts.
It can be grim sometimes, can't it? But I'm with you Scaf. On this occasion, I think the car is worth it.
Glad you think it might be a simple fix. I'm hoping it will be quicker than the last one or I will have no summer left in which to drive the car. Like last time, my starting position is one of zero experience in this kind of thing. So at best, I feel nervous.

 

[safrane]

I had a car do this when I was on a ski holiday.

It was my own fault leaving the huge accumulation of snow on the windows and switching the wipers on... luckily it was just the retaining bolt on the mechanism which took 2 mins to fix... but was added to by the 40 mins getting the wipers and scuttle off!

 

[Alan Surrey]

Any advice?
I have taken off the smaller of the two wipers without a great deal of trouble, but the larger one (on the driver's side) is putting up a fight. The splines are seized. Can I safely use a steel tool, rather then the GRP trim removal tools? Is WD40 the best penetrating oil? Has anyone tried dynamite?
All help/advice greatly appreciated.

 

[mowlas]

I’d let the WD40 do its work overnight before trying again.

 

[Gazcw]

Any advice?
I have taken off the smaller of the two wipers without a great deal of trouble, but the larger one (on the driver's side) is putting up a fight. The splines are seized. Can I safely use a steel tool, rather then the GRP trim removal tools? Is WD40 the best penetrating oil? Has anyone tried dynamite?
All help/advice greatly appreciated.
View attachment 102780

You need a smaller puller on that. Sometimes they will wiggle off and sometimes they are a real **.

 

[Zep]

It’s a pig getting those off, probably not seized, but the tension put on it by the spring in the wiper arm causes it to not come off. If you press down firmly on the arm to the right of the hinge and pull on splined part at the same time, over and over and over, in the end it will come off.

 

[jasst]

You need one of these https://www.diy.com/departments/aut...TdtCQdBBjoUuXZYGapBoC1GoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[CatmanV2]

You need one of these https://www.diy.com/departments/aut...TdtCQdBBjoUuXZYGapBoC1GoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This, but also as @Zep says the spring tension is forcing the wiper arm on the cock to the shaft (ooer)

C

 

[mowlas]

This, but also as @Zep says the spring tension is forcing the wiper arm on the cock to the shaft (ooer)

C

So a quick tug should get it off?

 

[CatmanV2]

So a quick tug should get it off?

Well, yes but ultimately that may lead to the dissatisfaction of a broken coupling. When I have been in similar situations I have enjoyed success using ample suitable lubricant and, as ever, the correct toy from my tool box.....

C

 

[Alan Surrey]

Thanks Zep. Excellent thought. There's stacks of tension in the wiper arm spring and its all resolved in the splines. The smaller arm, which has less spring tension, came of reasonably easily. I'll try your suggestion tomorrow, after the WD 40 has done its stuff overnight.
Might it be sufficient to pull it with my fingers?
Failing that, I'll take a look at Jasst's suggestion. I must say it had crossed my mind that a hub puller for windscreen wipers was what I need. Good to know that they exist.
Have you tried it Jasst? Does it fit without fouling on the bonnet? (Would hate to have to take that off) Is the business end of it sufficiently compact to avoid the various features of the scuttle molding?

 

[Zep]

Thanks Zep. Excellent thought. There's stacks of tension in the wiper arm spring and its all resolved in the splines. The smaller arm, which has less spring tension, came of reasonably easily. I'll try your suggestion tomorrow, after the WD 40 has done its stuff overnight.
Might it be sufficient to pull it with my fingers?
Failing that, I'll take a look at Jasst's suggestion. I must say it had crossed my mind that a hub puller for windscreen wipers was what I need. Good to know that they exist.
Have you tried it Jasst? Does it fit without fouling on the bonnet? (Would hate to have to take that off) Is the business end of it sufficiently compact to avoid the various features of the scuttle molding?

The trick is, when you press on the arm you move the splines past the point where they are aligned and with a bit of upward pressure from your fingers will slowly move it up.

A puller would be good, but I never get round to buying one as they have always given in. One like this will be better to clear the bonnet.

One other thing, put a bit of tape at the same angle as the blade so you put it back in the same place.