Excessive wiper arm travel
Discussion
I seem to have a problem with the screen area that the wiper arms are covering. Started by the arms becoming entangled with one another over on the passenger side. The driver's side arm has started going underneath the passenger one at the parked position. Thought to adjust the driver's side arm on the spindle but note that the driver's side blade is already going the entire screen width (from windscreen rubber to windscreen rubber), so no room for adjustment.
Does this indicate wear in the linkage mech or is there an adjustment for the wiper arm travel - don't remember seeing anything in the motor gearbox mech.
Thanks.
Does this indicate wear in the linkage mech or is there an adjustment for the wiper arm travel - don't remember seeing anything in the motor gearbox mech.
Thanks.
Had this on mine - caused by flat wiper on pass side that was too long levering the spline loose. This then loosened the driver one. Fixed by adjusting passenger one in the correct position and a few adjustments of the drivers side (the spline only seemed to lock in certain positions on tightening so your driver's arc could be a symptom of that although unlikely). Doesn't happen now with correct length blades.
So sounds to me like your wheel boxes may be passed it. I had exactly the same problem last year so did what Adrian Venn recommended.
Remove the cover on wiper motor and lift off the ribbed cable from the cam. Then remove both wiper arms and attach a cable tie to mark both shaft positions and set both cable ties to the 9 o'clock position. Then draw out the wiper motor cable slowly from the tube which goes behind the front bulk head and apply plenty of grease.
Then while the cable is out rotate both wiper arm shafts through 180 degrees from their present position. Then reinsert the cable carefully until fully home, you may need to slightly rotate the wiper arm shafts to get the wheel boxes to engage with the cable.
Then fit the cable back to the motor cam and apply plenty of grease then fit motor cover.
Turn wipers on and off and allow them to park and then refit wiper arms. Job done.
You are now using the other half of the wheel box which has never been in contact with the wiper shaft and hopfully they will now run as good as new. Much easyer than trying to replace wheel box.
Paul.
Remove the cover on wiper motor and lift off the ribbed cable from the cam. Then remove both wiper arms and attach a cable tie to mark both shaft positions and set both cable ties to the 9 o'clock position. Then draw out the wiper motor cable slowly from the tube which goes behind the front bulk head and apply plenty of grease.
Then while the cable is out rotate both wiper arm shafts through 180 degrees from their present position. Then reinsert the cable carefully until fully home, you may need to slightly rotate the wiper arm shafts to get the wheel boxes to engage with the cable.
Then fit the cable back to the motor cam and apply plenty of grease then fit motor cover.
Turn wipers on and off and allow them to park and then refit wiper arms. Job done.
You are now using the other half of the wheel box which has never been in contact with the wiper shaft and hopfully they will now run as good as new. Much easyer than trying to replace wheel box.
Paul.
Thanks for those replies, just what I was hoping for, awesome thanks.
I think the problems are a mix of both your answers. The car is a daily driver so wipers do get a lot of use and there is definitely slack there particularly in the off(drivers) side. I have also changed the wiper blades recently for a pair of Storm ones with the built-in washer jets, which could be incorrect lengths I guess.
Can you clarify the bit about the cable ties, not quite sure I understand what I am marking and how and it's important to get that bit right.
What lengths should the wiper blades be ?
Cheers, Matt
I think the problems are a mix of both your answers. The car is a daily driver so wipers do get a lot of use and there is definitely slack there particularly in the off(drivers) side. I have also changed the wiper blades recently for a pair of Storm ones with the built-in washer jets, which could be incorrect lengths I guess.
Can you clarify the bit about the cable ties, not quite sure I understand what I am marking and how and it's important to get that bit right.
What lengths should the wiper blades be ?
Cheers, Matt
Matt, the idea of the cable ties are to mark the position of the wiper arm shafts once you have removed the cable from the wheel boxes.
Once you have slowly removed the cable that goes to the motor, carefully fit a cable tie or other indicator so you can then rotate the wiper shaft half a turn so when you refit the cable into the wheel box you will know that the final resting place of the cable will be on the half of the wheel box that has never been in contact with the cable before. (ie not worn)
Think about it, when the wipers are working the wiper arms never rotate more than half a turn, probably more like 120 degrees. This means half of the wheel box gear has never been used, so if you remove the cable, turn the shaft half a turn then refit the cable you will then be using the unused bit of the wheel box gear.
Are you with me?
Paul.
Once you have slowly removed the cable that goes to the motor, carefully fit a cable tie or other indicator so you can then rotate the wiper shaft half a turn so when you refit the cable into the wheel box you will know that the final resting place of the cable will be on the half of the wheel box that has never been in contact with the cable before. (ie not worn)
Think about it, when the wipers are working the wiper arms never rotate more than half a turn, probably more like 120 degrees. This means half of the wheel box gear has never been used, so if you remove the cable, turn the shaft half a turn then refit the cable you will then be using the unused bit of the wheel box gear.
Are you with me?
Paul.
paulathome said:
Matt, the idea of the cable ties are to mark the position of the wiper arm shafts once you have removed the cable from the wheel boxes.
Once you have slowly removed the cable that goes to the motor, carefully fit a cable tie or other indicator so you can then rotate the wiper shaft half a turn so when you refit the cable into the wheel box you will know that the final resting place of the cable will be on the half of the wheel box that has never been in contact with the cable before. (ie not worn)
Think about it, when the wipers are working the wiper arms never rotate more than half a turn, probably more like 120 degrees. This means half of the wheel box gear has never been used, so if you remove the cable, turn the shaft half a turn then refit the cable you will then be using the unused bit of the wheel box gear.
Are you with me?
Paul.
I understand what you're saying, just wasn't expecting a gear type construction. The only experience I have with wiper linkages is on a Land Rover and they use a cam at the wheel box which a rod attaches to, so if you rotate the wheel box the rod won't link back to the cam. I know the motor pushes and pulls on the cable and had assumed that this just connected to a cam or lever at the wheel box. This is not the case ?Once you have slowly removed the cable that goes to the motor, carefully fit a cable tie or other indicator so you can then rotate the wiper shaft half a turn so when you refit the cable into the wheel box you will know that the final resting place of the cable will be on the half of the wheel box that has never been in contact with the cable before. (ie not worn)
Think about it, when the wipers are working the wiper arms never rotate more than half a turn, probably more like 120 degrees. This means half of the wheel box gear has never been used, so if you remove the cable, turn the shaft half a turn then refit the cable you will then be using the unused bit of the wheel box gear.
Are you with me?
Paul.
Thanks.
Stripped the motor/gearbox over the weekend ano slack there. Pulled the whole drive cable out and greased it, see what you mean now Paul about rotating the wheel boxes so did that too.
Found that most of the play was coming from the wiper arms themselves. They appear to have worn badly at the wiper hinge pin, which is allowing a lot of side to side movement too - presume they are not like this new ?
There is also a bit of play due to the bushes in the motor gearbox being a bit worn.
Also found the wiper park problem to be due to poor contact between the new park switch (put in a month or two ago) and the plug connector. Connector is not serviceable, so anyone know where I can get the Lucas plug to replace this one in the loom ?
Matt
Found that most of the play was coming from the wiper arms themselves. They appear to have worn badly at the wiper hinge pin, which is allowing a lot of side to side movement too - presume they are not like this new ?
There is also a bit of play due to the bushes in the motor gearbox being a bit worn.
Also found the wiper park problem to be due to poor contact between the new park switch (put in a month or two ago) and the plug connector. Connector is not serviceable, so anyone know where I can get the Lucas plug to replace this one in the loom ?
Matt
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