Wiper Linkage Removal And Regrease.

[SilverBeast]

Just another note of thanks.

 

Drivers wiper started stopping 6" shy of the A pillar at the top.

 

Half expecting it as had trawled the Forums, prior to buying last year, for potential problems and what to look out for. Mind you still had to replace the spare wheel pulley in the first week, just had a leaking radiator replaced, noticed the air-con has stopped working with a leaking pipe against mounting bracket under the drivers headlight (looks like engine needs to come out to replace :D ), got VAG-COM working today and discovered my coolant temperature sensor needs replacing and guess my auxillary/booster heater glow plug needs replacing too - I wondered why the tempearture guage didn't move off the stop in my 15min journey to work when it was very cold last winter! :D Oh and two leaks in the rear washer lines - passenger footwell and D pillar joints.

 

Reasonably easy to do. Drivers spindle however required a 14" adjuatable for leverage just to be able to turn it. I am amazed the wiper would even move! :o It took over an hour with WD40 and the spanners. It was also easier to apply downward pressre to the spindle while 'easing'.

 

One point I would advise is not to just turn the arm and hold the linkage (I was concerned I would shear the end off) I used a 12" adjustable so the jaws fitted either side and 'supported' it a little better. Bit awkward to manipulate it all but I suuported the overall mechanism in a workmate (vice, not someone I work with!).

 

One thing I didn't see was the temperature senaor for the Auxillary Heater, that is mentioned as clipped to the wiper mechanism. I think they must have moved it on the later MKII's as my trim panel that the wipers pass through is also one piece across the whole width of the car compared to the photos above.

 

There that feels better. Thanks again for the information, it would take much longer to figure things out without the help of you all.

 

Richard

[JRWR]

Step 1 is to remove the wiper arms. OK, there's a nut holding them on which is easy to remove but then how do you pull the wiper arms off? A small puller?

 

Cheers,

JRWR

[chrispb123456]

Step 1 is to remove the wiper arms. OK, there's a nut holding them on which is easy to remove but then how do you pull the wiper arms off? A small puller?

 

Cheers,

JRWR

Hi

With the palm of one hand down on the arm by the hinged area toward screen, fingers of other hand under the arm using a push pull rocking motion will losen arms.

[v6mikey]

Step 1 is to remove the wiper arms. OK, there's a nut holding them on which is easy to remove but then how do you pull the wiper arms off? A small puller?

 

Cheers,

JRWR

 

 

I had this exact problem a couple of weeks ago. I thought I was going to break something with the amount of force I tried to remove them with.

 

I took the nuts off then soaked the spindle in WD40, left overnight and they came off quite easily the next day. :D

[vr6 2001]

How long does the re greasing last?

I've had a ford dealer and a VW specialist tell me it will only solve the problem short term.

Will the 'drilling fix' work if the spindle is seized?

[chrispb123456]

How long does the re greasing last?

I've had a ford dealer and a VW specialist tell me it will only solve the problem short term.

Will the 'drilling fix' work if the spindle is seized?

Hi and welcome to the forum

Of course the dealers will tell you that, they want you to spend

[vr6 2001]

What grease do you recommend? Are all copper greases suitable?

[cbrpaul]

I have had trouble with my sharan wipers , i removed the motor , and serviced it , ( im a electrician), but stil problems!!! i did not think of checking the spindles ,

 

So took apart the wipers last night after seeing this thread, and couldnt beleive that one side had almost seized completely !!! , 30 mins later and wd40 it was out , filed . cleaned , then wet&dry , and packed LM high pressure bearing water proof grease.

 

 

However the small rubber o ring seal is damaged , after searching Ebay I found some that should fit , they are 16mm dia , x 1mm thick , I can post the link here if anyone needs to replce the O ring !!!

 

thx again !!!

[chrispb123456]

What grease do you recommend? Are all copper greases suitable?

Copper slip is fine, when you dismantle the spindles there is an o ring and washer careful not to loose these, clean spindles with some fine emery paper.

[cbrpaul]

Just done some re-search on the best grease to use in this application , and this looks like good stuff !!

 

Castrol CL Grease

 

more info here !! might pick some up myself tonight !!

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_173851_langId_-1_categoryId_165705

[andynali]

Just done mine as the drivers spindle was almost completely jammed. Used a bearing puller to get the arms off,

[rich.]

just did my car last night.. tip for people if you wish to hit out the spindle with a hammer screw the nut on backwards. it will protect the thread.. thanks for the advice chaps

hopefully nothing else will go wrong!

Edited July 20, 2011 by rich.

[gazz]

:) hi , just to add i bought a 2003 galaxy ghia and within a week the drivers side wiper siezed, went to ford who Aug 2011 quoted my

[Kingfisher]

Hi there all

 

I dont usualy mess with cars so could someone do me a big favour and post a picture on where you have to drill to try and fix wiper linkage

 

cheers Doug

[Scott1973]

The help from this site has saved me alot of money.

Many thank for the step by step with pictures.

My drivers side wiper was seazed up. First It had blown the fuse, and proble would have burnt motor out in the end. I took my time had a game getting the stem out plenty of release spray and working it with a large spanner for a leaver. Cleaned with wet n dry paper greased up now all working better than when I got the car.

Many thank guys/girls :-)

[Tazdon]

Hi Guys,

 

Did my Galaxy 99reg today and found it was a sized spindle on the drivers side, took alot of time to free up and get out of the housing but got there in the end and greased it up well. Realized I put one of the arms back on in the wrong position once I put it all back in the car and had to take back out again to rectify. Took about 6 hours in the end, the wipers are now free and work very well.

 

Just one big problem now as I can't line up the wipers, I put the wipers on and they travel up past the window or travel down to far below the window. I have let the wipers finish there cycle, losened the wiper nut and but back to the resting position, When I turn the wipers on again it trys to go down first!! I'm lost, any ideas??

[chrispb123456]

Did you take the drive arm off the motor, because that sounds like you put it back in the wrong position, did you start off with the wipers correctly parked before you dismantled?

Remove wiper arms and motor link, operate motor then park, iirc the motor link arm should be refitted contacting a stop arm which will be it's lowest position, then refit the wiper arms.

Look closely at the earlier photo, the position of the motor link.

Edited October 23, 2011 by chrispb123456

[Tazdon]

Thank you chrispb123456, I knew I made a mistake somewhere. After viewing the photo I could see that yes I did put the motor arm in the wrong position. An easy fix as I had the assembly in and out so many times the last couple of days It was easy to rectify and saved me alot of money.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

[Airrex7]

Hi folks, have posted on this subject before....buried in the depths somewhere....anyway..usually no need to strip down the spindle assembly at all, just drill a 3mm hole in the monkey metal bearing housing about halfway up just till the drill bit touches the steel spindle, then use a good spray grease and give it a liberal squirt, best to use the fine tube applicator that normally comes with the grease and operate the wipers whilst spraying...did this over a year ago and still going strong..took ten minutes tops...good luck.

Hi Spitfiremac and also to Vimer ( post 39)

 

 

For those of us not greatly confident around vehicles but would like to be, would like to know more, do more.

 

Any chance of an X marks the spot picture, I appreciate you both have done the job maybe a while ago but just a couple of pictures pointing to the spot where to drill would be so good.

 

Would you know, is this quick fix viable on all models, diesels/petrol/all years?

[steve123]

If possible would also like photo of where to drill please.

Only I am worried might do more damage if drill in wrong spot.

Thanks

[chrispb123456]

Why not take the whole assembly off dismantle and regrease.

[Plantagenet]

Hi all. First post here. Just bought a Galaxy T reg.

Made a poor purchase as it turns out because there was tons wrong.

I am now down to a few of which the most urgent is the wipers.

 

I've got a mechanic who has tried to sort out problems with the wipers and as far as I know he has focussed his efforts on the linkage and spindles, however after a few swishes they started to play up again.

First stopping and only swiping every few minutes or so. Then giving up altogether.

 

Ford tried to tell me it would cost

[chrispb123456]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

May well be the wiper stalk thats at fault although that is not that common, check washer pumps for power, the wiper spindes seizing up is quite common, usually stopping and starting randomly, creeping up the screen.

 

 

The rear washers usually more troublesome, supply pipe becoming detached from inside the tailgate and a joint in the pipe under front passenger floor, telltale signs there are soaking wet carpet in passenger footwell

[steve123]

Hopefully repaired wipers tonight.

 

Couple of photo's of where I drilled.

Used lots of WD40 and wipers are working okay now, but think it would have been just as easy to remove, strip and regrease.

Drilled a bit deap on drivers side, you only need to go about 2mm - 3mm.

Hope this solves my problem of wipers stopping.

 

Would like to thank people in this forum, guidence much appreciated, especially photo's.

 

Hope my photo's are useful to someone.

 

Good luck

 

Steve

 

Edited November 4, 2011 by steve123

[mobile armchair]

Hopefully repaired wipers tonight.

 

Couple of photo's of where I drilled.

Used lots of WD40 and wipers are working okay now, but think it would have been just as easy to remove, strip and regrease.

Drilled a bit deap on drivers side, you only need to go about 2mm - 3mm.

Hope this solves my problem of wipers stopping.

 

Would like to thank people in this forum, guidence much appreciated, especially photo's.

 

Hope my photo's are useful to someone.

 

Good luck

 

Steve

 

 

Thanks for these photos. I need quick fix to get me by for a busy few weeks then will remove the lot later this summer.