Sagaris - wacky windscreen wipers
Discussion
The driver's side windscreen wiper on my Sag went a bit loopy today. It went right off the edge of the screen and got stuck and I had to open the window and give it a prod to get it back on the screen.
This lunchtime I undid the hex bolt that holds the wiper onto the spline and repositioned the wiper so it's touching the rubber seal of the windscreen when parked, and when I tested the wiper it just touches the rubber on the edge of the screen at the other end of its arc.
Is the wiper meant to describe an arc so big it touches a rubber seal at each end of the sweep? Or is there a way of adjusting the rods that connect the wipers to the motor so that it describes a shorter arc?
This lunchtime I undid the hex bolt that holds the wiper onto the spline and repositioned the wiper so it's touching the rubber seal of the windscreen when parked, and when I tested the wiper it just touches the rubber on the edge of the screen at the other end of its arc.
Is the wiper meant to describe an arc so big it touches a rubber seal at each end of the sweep? Or is there a way of adjusting the rods that connect the wipers to the motor so that it describes a shorter arc?
I had the same problem on my T350c. Did the same as you and made the adjustment on the spline but it only increased the size of the arc. I found it was the wiper link arm joining the motor to the driver wiper that had partial sheered. There should be no angle in it. I removed it had it welded and all is well.
Edited by turners5050 on Friday 18th February 14:17
Targarama said:
I ended up fitting wiper blades an inch shorter to cure this on mine. You don't notice the difference.
I may give that a go actually, since I can't see anything wrong with the assembly at the moment (I still haven't got round to sorting this out yet). Do you know what length blade you fitted? Or better still a part number (or length + donor car name) so I can call into Halfords on the way home please?
Edit: The most perplexing this is that the passenger side is fine. So I can't work out what's wrong, especially as nothing looks loose or broken.
Edited by JonRB on Monday 28th March 14:10
JonRB said:
I may give that a go actually, since I can't see anything wrong with the assembly at the moment (I still haven't got round to sorting this out yet).
Do you know what length blade you fitted? Or better still a part number (or length + donor car name) so I can call into Halfords on the way home please?
Edit: The most perplexing this is that the passenger side is fine. So I can't work out what's wrong, especially as nothing looks loose or broken.
Not got the details handy, but std blades 1 inch shorter than standard.Do you know what length blade you fitted? Or better still a part number (or length + donor car name) so I can call into Halfords on the way home please?
Edit: The most perplexing this is that the passenger side is fine. So I can't work out what's wrong, especially as nothing looks loose or broken.
Edited by JonRB on Monday 28th March 14:10
Well, I think I know what it is.
I had a good look when I got home tonight, and also compared it to the photo from Matador on how it should look, and I noticed a kink in the control rod.
So I popped the rod off and very, very gently straightened it against my knee, popped it back on and everything looked great, with the driver's wiper arm needing to be put back to it's original position on the spline.
So I tested it with the glow of achievement in me and the b
d over-reached again, jammed, and the rod bent itself again. Bugger. 
So I think I'm going to have to try and source a new control rod .
I had a good look when I got home tonight, and also compared it to the photo from Matador on how it should look, and I noticed a kink in the control rod.
So I popped the rod off and very, very gently straightened it against my knee, popped it back on and everything looked great, with the driver's wiper arm needing to be put back to it's original position on the spline.
So I tested it with the glow of achievement in me and the b
d over-reached again, jammed, and the rod bent itself again. Bugger. So I think I'm going to have to try and source a new control rod .
Two words, Rain Wizard. A mate put me on to this a few years back 
after years of TVR wipers which lets face it, even if they don't fall off or collide with each other, seldom do what god intended when he invented them. Coat the screen when you wash the car and you never have to touch the wiper switch. Works perfectly at speed, even in a proper lash down; must admit less effective when moving slowly, but personally I find that as a combo, moving slowly and being out in the rain is something I try to avoid. It's also seriously cool to watch in action.
after years of TVR wipers which lets face it, even if they don't fall off or collide with each other, seldom do what god intended when he invented them. Coat the screen when you wash the car and you never have to touch the wiper switch. Works perfectly at speed, even in a proper lash down; must admit less effective when moving slowly, but personally I find that as a combo, moving slowly and being out in the rain is something I try to avoid. It's also seriously cool to watch in action.GR1FF1F said:
Two words, Rain Wizard. A mate put me on to this a few years back after years of TVR wipers which lets face it, even if they don't fall off or collide with each other, seldom do what god intended when he invented them. Coat the screen when you wash the car and you never have to touch the wiper switch. Works perfectly at speed, even in a proper lash down; must admit less effective when moving slowly, but personally I find that as a combo, moving slowly and being out in the rain is something I try to avoid. It's also seriously cool to watch in action.
Been scanning the net, googling it up and im buggered if i can find someone who sell this Rain Wizard. Sounds like the perfect answer for me, not that i takw the Sag out in the rain but if i get cought out, job done! Never even heard of this product! after years of TVR wipers which lets face it, even if they don't fall off or collide with each other, seldom do what god intended when he invented them. Coat the screen when you wash the car and you never have to touch the wiper switch. Works perfectly at speed, even in a proper lash down; must admit less effective when moving slowly, but personally I find that as a combo, moving slowly and being out in the rain is something I try to avoid. It's also seriously cool to watch in action.Justyn
It lasts a long time. The manufacturer of the one I'm still using has probably gone out of business due to the amount of time it takes to get through a pottle of his product. The only ref I just found was some guy recommending it on a chat room in 2002 !
Anyway, Rain X looks like the same gear. I guess it's just a transparent silicon film in principle. Looks like milk when you put it on, but don't worry it buffs up easily and then there is literally no sign of it till it rains, at which point the fun starts
Anyway, Rain X looks like the same gear. I guess it's just a transparent silicon film in principle. Looks like milk when you put it on, but don't worry it buffs up easily and then there is literally no sign of it till it rains, at which point the fun starts
I've got a bottle of it in the garage that has been sitting there for years and I have never got round to using. Maybe I should give it a go.
I may pop into Halfords on the way home and pick up a 16" wiper too, or possibly call in on a mechanic I know who does welding and see if he can strengthen the wiper rod for me.
I may pop into Halfords on the way home and pick up a 16" wiper too, or possibly call in on a mechanic I know who does welding and see if he can strengthen the wiper rod for me.
Well, the car had other ideas over the "popping into Halfords" plan, because the rod snapped after one wipe of the windscreen in the carpark just as I was setting off home.
Fortunately The Phirm, who looked after my Corrado for years, are on the way home on the A30 near Hook and I managed to get there without it raining. Tim dropped everything and welded it up for me and did a superb job, even welding in extra strengthening. Proper job, and further confirmation (if any were needed) that they are proper mechanics and not "parts replacers" like so many garages are these days.
The failure was at the ball that is part-way along the rod and it snapped into two halves around the ball, leaving the ball in the cup of the short shaft connecting to the wiper.
Anyway, all repaired now. So that's good.
Fortunately The Phirm, who looked after my Corrado for years, are on the way home on the A30 near Hook and I managed to get there without it raining. Tim dropped everything and welded it up for me and did a superb job, even welding in extra strengthening. Proper job, and further confirmation (if any were needed) that they are proper mechanics and not "parts replacers" like so many garages are these days.
The failure was at the ball that is part-way along the rod and it snapped into two halves around the ball, leaving the ball in the cup of the short shaft connecting to the wiper.
Anyway, all repaired now. So that's good.
Edited by JonRB on Tuesday 29th March 19:55
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