Last year we bought a 2005 Lincoln town car with about 60K miles. [ the car guide did say the windshield wipers could be a problem]
And they were. Early this year the wiper motor would not turn off and when the ignition was cut the wipers stopped in the middle of the window.
Replacement was $1700 - the dealer said the battery tested weak and so did the alternator. Altho i have been such a good service customer that they credited me for $300 in coupons and it cost [only] $1400 for a wiper motor, and alternator and a battery - and about 2 hours of labor to install. i know because i was there and waited for the car.
And two months later the [new - or probably just rebuilt] wiper motor failed again
what a coincidence.
the dealer explained that the wiper was sitting in a water puddle under the hood because there was a handful of tree stuff clogging the drain.
and he handed me the pine needles and other stuff, telling me that if the wiper motor went out again they would need me to pay for another one
Which i do not want to do.
So how do i keep the area around this part clean enough to not drown the wiper motor [again]
And do you think this is a reasonable charge on For’s part for the initial repair.
And should i report this to the Transportation safety board - since, if this is how the wipers fail - earning Lincoln a bad reputation on this item - it might be safety issue
Wow sounds like someone made a few boat payments. $1700 for that repair on a Ford is ridiculous. Porsche I could understand but not a run of the mill Ford.
A quick perusal of prices for OEM parts… $120 for wiper motor…$260 for the high output Motorcraft (150 amp) alternator and let’s say $100 for new battery…Rounded off its $500 in parts…$1200 for 2 hrs labor? Unless that dealer is using neurosurgeons someone got hosed.
The motor is below the intake cowling at the bottom of the windshield. Pine needles are hard to stop, but a screen with a fine mesh could be added under the normal screen to keep them out. Of course this would be a DIY project unless you can find a mechanic or friend to do it.
^
I will add that, simply being much more careful about where you park your car can do a lot to prevent a recurrence of the problem. Try not to park underneath those evergreen trees!
One downside of living in the west side of The Evergreen State is that you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a fir tree. Crown Vic/Grand Marq/Town Car all have the wiper motor in the lower part of the cowl encased in a plastic area that is prone to collecting needles. I’ve seen these so full of needles that the wiper mechanism was jammed up by them and burning up the motor. Even so, replacing the motor would also have included cleaning and vacuuming the area of all debris and ensuring that the protective screen is intact. The first wiper motor lasted 8 years, so should the second.
As for the prices, sounds a little high, but depending what part of the country you are in dealer labor could be $120-$140 per hour and parts are going to be Motorcraft or original Ford, usually higher priced than independent shops use.
The OP would not have had this problem with his Lincoln had FMC left well enough alone after designing the 1937 Lincoln. Note the placement of the wipers in the picture.
Yes, and if Lincoln had stayed with the wiper system they used in the 60’s there would never be an issue with a wiper motor either, as it didn’t have one. Although having the wipers run by hydraulic pressure from the steering system had unique problems as well, like not being able to see in the rain if the engine stalled.