Wiper Linkage Refurb - How Hard To Do

[arnie70]

Hi,

 

My wiper linkage is slowing down a lot now, need to replace it or do the strip out & refurb.

 

Considering the most complex job I've done before now is changing a wheel or fitting new bulbs, how hard of a job is it to do?

 

Thought about buying replacement but local Fords want

[Mauser]

There are loads of posts on this subject along with detailed pictures etc, do a search and you will find them. Basically it takes an hour or so depending on how bad they are seized, take your time and get your gear ready before removing from the car.

Best of luck

[Marge]

Hi Arnie. Is the price you quote just for the linkage, not fitting? After reading elsewhere I am getting the sneaking suspicion that this is the problem I'm facing. :16: I don't have the time and I'm not sure I have the ability to deal with this myself, but a bill running into hundreds is a scary prsopect.

[mumof4]

its easy to do marge, you can do it yerself if you have a bit of time to spare. :16: the price he quotes, will be i believe just for the linkage.

[Marge]

Hi mo4.

 

Time is in short supply recently :lol: but we've finally got a bit further along with this. The linkage was seized onto the motor, finally got it off. The motor spindle will not turn at all so it seems like it is the motor that's gone. The linkage appears to be moving okay now (not sure whether it was before or not - when it was on the motor spindle it didn't move much).

 

I've read lots of people's comments about problems with the linkage (including at least one that has resulted in the death of several motors before diagnosis :ph34r: ) so it seems to be a common problem. Many people mention that the wipers slow before failing altogether. Is this typical of linkage problems? In my case, I turned the wipers on one day (in sudden heavy rain on the motorway fast lane!) and nothing happened. I want to be sure before we replace the motor that it is just the motor at fault. Any thoughts?

 

Secondly, I'm searching for a replacement motor just now. Can anyone recommend a good place to get one online? We've already tried local breakers, car electrics and Frauds. The Fraud price was scary (and probably incorrect it now seems, as my car is older and therefore should take the cheaper wiper motor).

 

Marge (mum of 3!)

 

(I've ticked the 'notify box' again - hope it works this time).

[mumof4]

ooo, there was a place online, where a member was looking for somewhere to get a replacement seat for his car,( mondeo) will have a gander if you cant find it.Let me know.

[Marge]

I've had no success finding a wiper motor online. They seem to be like hen's teeth. :ph34r: One local car electrics place said they wouldn't guarantee a wiper motor unless we also bought linkage at same time (

[Mirez]

Just to check you have removed the assembly from the car for testing or is it still fitted? If its the latter and you are using the car's electrics to test the motor - have you checked the fuse hasn't blown for the circuit when the wipers first stuck? I know thats probably a silly question but occationally it can be overlooked! I'm still a little curious though, how free are the wipers when not connected to the motor? They should be really easy to move, when connected to the motor you shouldn't be able to move them by hand at all. If you are trying to move the motor itself by hand then forget it, you deffo wont be able to do that!!!

 

I'm still also a little skeptical of a complete motor failure, have you checked to see if there is voltage to the motor?

[Trucker Dan]

Hi there, When my wiper linkage went, i found it really hard to get it appart and in the end, had to get another from frauds.

But it was really easy to put back in and set back up again.

Good old Haynes manual... :)

[nichola97990508]

Hi,

 

My wiper linkage is slowing down a lot now, need to replace it or do the strip out & refurb.

 

Considering the most complex job I've done before now is changing a wheel or fitting new bulbs, how hard of a job is it to do?

 

Thought about buying replacement but local Fords want

[nichola97990508]

HELLO

 

PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP ME ........ I NEED TO GET A NEW OR USED WIPER MOTOR AND LINKAGE FOR A FORD GALAXY 2.3 PETROL AUTO ITS 1999 T PLATE AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD I NEED A 1 BOLT NOT A 4 BOLT IS THIS RIGHT????? AND WHERE CAN I GET ONE CHEAP??? I LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE ANY HELP PLEASE?????????????????????????????? : :)

[mumble_bee]

nicholas

 

the 1999s are in the middle of the wiper fiasco, there was a version prior to and immediately after the regular 1999 models.

 

your best bet is breakers on fleabay who arent actually advertising the wiper motor just that they are breaking, have a look at your motor and match it up on fleabay...

 

A couple of years ago I picked up the whole mechanism for

[nichola97990508]

mumble bee

 

 

thanks for the info we have tried everywhere to find the linkage and motor but it would seem there are alot of people with the same problem or people who are braking them have the newer or older version do u know of anyway you could possibly modify the newer or later one to fit as we have searched high and low for 4 days now and still have nothing i see people have been quoted

[mumble_bee]

nicholas

 

I had 2 gals, both had the same problem, one was a 98 the other a 99.

The entire mechanism I am referring to is the linkage + motor + wiper blades.

I believe if you were to buy the WHOLE thing, you could replace the existing set up.

Mo4 knows the wiper system inside out she might be able to verify.

What you can't do (from memory) is use a wiper motor from a different era system in the same mechanism.

 

1stly if you are able to get a sharan or alhambra complete mechanism of any era, change it as they are complete in themselves.

2ndly on my 98 galaxy, I replaced the wiper motor from a 96 alhambra, no problem.

 

Nicholas I know how stressful it can be when the wipers are on the blink and the clouds are threatening to shed their load. Good luck.

[Marge]

Just to check you have removed the assembly from the car for testing or is it still fitted? If its the latter and you are using the car's electrics to test the motor - have you checked the fuse hasn't blown for the circuit when the wipers first stuck? I know thats probably a silly question but occationally it can be overlooked! I'm still a little curious though, how free are the wipers when not connected to the motor? They should be really easy to move, when connected to the motor you shouldn't be able to move them by hand at all. If you are trying to move the motor itself by hand then forget it, you deffo wont be able to do that!!!

 

I'm still also a little skeptical of a complete motor failure, have you checked to see if there is voltage to the motor?

How do I check if power is getting to the motor? We checked appropriate fuses first (according to Haynes and the driver's handbook). However, at least one of the fuses listed is in the wrong place in my gal compared to the driver's manual diagram. There is a block of six fuses above and to the right of the main row (of about 22 fuses). In the driver's manual there is only 5 fuses shown in this block. One of these 6 fuses is actually diagonally opposite the place the driver's manual says it should be, and the fuseboard has upside-down writing on it, so I'm wondering if it was therefore fitted upside down, hence it not matching Ford's diagram. Or is it possible that other random fuses are also in the wrong place? However, in the auxilliary fuse box under the bonnet there IS a blown 30 amp fuse. The technician at Ford's said he didn't know what it was for, and after poring over the driver's manual, it would appear to be the fuse for the 'secondary blower' (whatever that is?). We tried replacing it but it made no apparent difference to anything!

 

So the situation so far is that we have removed the motor (another hint to add to the list there, which I'll mention in a minute!) and the wiper arms. On the passenger side, the cone-shaped part where the wiper arm fits is lovely and shiny/clean-looking, whereas the driver's side is very grimy. The motor also looks shiny and almost 'as new'. So we are wondering whether this has been tackled before. I got the car nearly a year ago (a 1996/P reg 2.0L), and it had a good service history up until about 18 months before that, but nothing is listed regarding the wipers/linkage/motor, so we wonder if this was one of the problems the dealer 'fixed' when he took it as a cheap trade-in.

 

Now the wiper motor... took us hours to get the thing unplugged. Both in Haynes and on here we got the impression there was only one plug which you pull out, but we actually had to unplug the wiring from two places (one side if I understand correctly goes to the wiper relay box - no info about that in Haynes). The other side we pulled and pulled to no effect ('wrench it off, carefully' I believe was one suggestion, lol). We tried spraying in some WD40 to loosen it up, and after some further pulling I realised it was moving more than before, but not in the direction we expected. It turned out I had to slide the black plastic plug away from me (towards the car) and out that way. So the moral is... slide NOT pull!

 

We now want to try and test the motor, but there's about 5 or 6 wires going into it (the spindle will not budge at all by hand). Anyone know which wires are which? The linkage moves, though we think the driver's side may not be as free as the other side, so it doesn't seem like it was that (there was no slowing of the wipers, just a sudden not-workingness!). The other possible culprit seems to be whatever is in that silver box - the thing I'm led to understand through googling is the 'wiper relay box' - but we can't find any detailed info on that. Anyone know more?

 

If the motor turns out to be working (or we can't test it sufficiently) then I will be pulling and checking every damn fuse! These motors are stupidly expensive new (and virtually unavailable second-hand it seems) so we don't want to splash out unless we're certain it was a motor failure and not something else we've so far overlooked. Oh and it's a Bosch motor by the way. So if I give that part number to VW or Seat, are they also likely to be able to supply it?

[Marge]

Put the motor back today, still no further along. In addition to my previous questions (see post above) can anyone tell me what the relay should be doing if it's working correctly? If I put the wipers on, the relay clicks once then nothing until I turn the ignition off and on again. We have of course tested the relay itself (working fine). Is there any way of testing the wiper system to find out which bit is not working, before handing the vehicle and excessive amounts of cash over to Frauds to try to identify/fix? Help please!!

[POMPEYFAITH]

Have you tried www.partsgateway.co.uk very good souce for parts ive found i managed to get a thermostat housing from there for a 1996 model vr6 quick delivery too it arrived the next day friday when they said monday

[Marge]

:P After all the hassle, it turned out to just be a loose/damaged wire! Frauds told me I needed new wiper motor, hence my going down that route. Decent local garage found and mended the wire! :( So a word of caution for anyone else in this boat. Forget what Frauds tell you, always check the fuses, wiring, etc first!!! :P Edited June 16, 2009 by Marge

[lilbob]

Hi,

 

My wiper linkage is slowing down a lot now, need to replace it or do the strip out & refurb.

 

Considering the most complex job I've done before now is changing a wheel or fitting new bulbs, how hard of a job is it to do?

 

Thought about buying replacement but local Fords want

[leeh]

Hi,

 

My wiper linkage is slowing down a lot now, need to replace it or do the strip out & refurb.

 

Considering the most complex job I've done before now is changing a wheel or fitting new bulbs, how hard of a job is it to do?

 

Thought about buying replacement but local Fords want

[Gavin]

I have been experiencing similar problems to most here reference the front wipers on my Galaxy. Reading through the forums it appeared to me that this is a common problem of the galaxy and the VW and Seat equivilants. A note of caution to those of you that like me attempted to strip off the linkage and regrease. Mine was well and truly seized up and upon attempting to remove the spindle i noticed that the spindle on the other side of the linkage had previously sheared off and some cowboy had previously used metal wire to reattach and whilst i tried to unseize the other side this part broke away. As a result i was left with no wipers and therefore no car for over a week until i received my new linkage from the internet for