hey guys, trying to fix my wipers. I’m inexperienced with cars but too poor to bring it to a mechanic. they move a inch and stop, I took the vent cover off, wiper arms off and checked that metal tab wasnt bent outwards (that the spring catch catches on). a YouTube vid instructed me to do this but that doesn’t look to be the problem, it looks like once the catch its the tab it just pushes right past it without stopping. do u think that spring mechanism is messed up? if so how can I fix it and also what’s it called (if it has a name) so I can get another one without replacing the whole motor?
Sounds like the wiper’s transmission (gearbox) is broken. There is a cam mechanism in there that “parks” the wipers when turned off. The internals were not designed to be serviceable so you will have to change the whole wiper motor assembly. They usually are not too expensive as a re-manufactured unit (say $60) and you might find a good on in a local “pull-your-part” salvage yard for cheaper.
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The first thing I’d do (and did do years ago) is use a cheap circuit tester (like this one) to make sure the wiper motor is getting power when the car is running and the switch is on. If it’s getting power, remove the wiper motor assembly, take it to an auto parts store, and buy a new one.
You might find the new motor doesn’t include the circuit board portion of the motor (which is why you should bring the old one with you), but in my case, the old circuit board was fine, so everything worked once I installed it on the new motor assembly.
When this happened to me, it was back in the day when I was young and foolish, so I was able to drive without wipers for a while by using Rain-X on the windshield. I can’t recommend the same for you in good conscience, but if driving to the auto parts with this car is your only option…
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