Windshield wiper problems

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2000 ford windstar with intermittent wiper problems. In off pos. they don’t return to bottom of windshield, only the constant settings works perfect intermittent setting the wipers swipe up and stop instead of swiping back down it waits until the next interval to swipe down so I’m waiting about a min to get 1 full swipe up and down sometime when they swipe up they stop right b4 they get to the top or in the middle and when switched off where every they are at that’s where they stay so I have switch off and on to get them to go down as far as they’ll go when done using them… any suggestions??

2

You need a new wiper motor. The controller in the motor that stores the “parked” position of the wipers is malfunctioning. You can’t replace the controller without replacing the whole motor.

3

Alright thanks a lot I’m definitely gonna get the part today ND see what happens

4

Agreed. Replace the wiper motor.

I’m not being mean or critical but your post is one long run sentence. Periods and capitals make things a lot easier.

5

The problem might be with a bad Front Electronic Module, FEM

This module controls all the functions of the wiper systems.

Tester

6

I Know If I Was Working On This 16 Model-Year Old Senior Citizen Of Vehicles, I’d Be Shopping At My Local You-Pull-It Salvage Yard. I’d First Try The FEM Or If The Price Was Right I’d Go Home With Both Pieces (motor & FEM). My Local Yard Has Only Older Stuff, Charges Hardly Anything And Guarantees The Parts (Marked With A Yellow Marking) To Work.

I’m not knocking an older vehicle. I’ve got 3 older than that. I’m just saying what I’d do. More power to anybody keeping what they’ve got. Long live that Windstar!
CSA

7

I found this and i hope it helps.

To replace the front windshield wiper motor on 2000 Windstar this weekend.

  1. Once you take off the wiper arms which are held on by a 15 mm nut they may may not come off easily. I found that if you move the arms to the 90 degree position and wiggle them a bit they will come off.

  2. The plastic clips that hold down the top plastic cowl tightly to the windshield are brittle so take care when pulling them apart. You can’t see them so go easy. Replacement clips can be purchased.

  3. The part that required the most force to take apart is where the wiper arm mechanism (scissor arms that move the wipers) attaches to the wiper motor. The screw holding the two together comes out easily enough but the shaft from the motor which fits into the wiper arm mechanism is hammered in pretty tightly. A few good taps with a hammer and screwdriver should knock these apart. When attaching the new wiper motor do NOT hit the new wiper motor too hard with a hammer or other object because the motor has some ceramic bits in it that could shatter and ruin the motor.

  4. When separating the wiper motor and wiper arm mechanism note the orientation of the wiper arm mechanism. You’ll need it to be in the same position when you install the new wiper motor. If you put it in backwards your wipers will be 180 degrees out of synch so they will stop in the full up position when you turn off your wipers. Yes, I found out the hard way.

The tools used were metric sockets and wrenches 7 mm - 15 mm, a philips head screwdriver and a hammer.