Slow rear wiper (2001 Forester)

[hbadorties]

Dear experts,

 

The rear wiper on my 2001 Forester has become VERY slow. Indeed it stopped 1/3 of the way up once, requiring a manual push to get it to finish its inital swing, but it returned on its own. No grinding or other abnormal sounds.

 

The temperature is hovering around freezing but I don't think this is temperature related as until now it has been fine in sub-freezing temperatures.

 

Would lubrication help or does it sound like a replacement motor is required?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any pointers...

[gbhrps]

This is typical of rear wiper systems as they age. I've done a number of them over the years and almost always for the same reason, their lack of constant use and the way in which they are made. Use it or lose it applies to these motors. The body of the units is usually a cast alloy material while the final drive shaft to the wiper arm is usually steel. As water and time and lack of use add up the 2 metals corrode, start to slow down the shaft's speed to which the wiper arm is attached, and eventually will seize the shaft altogether. If the unit still moves, you can usually free the shaft up, relube it and get many more years out of it. Lift up the plastic cover where the wiper arm comes through the tailgate, remove the nut on the end of the shaft and pry the wiper arm off. Its not rocket science to remove the rear deck interior panel (just pull the plastic plugs, any visible screws, and then just pull the panel straight off), disconnect the wiring harness to the wiper motor, unbolt the motor assemble and remove it from the tailgate. At this point you'll be able to judge whether you can get the gearbox open to take the unit apart. Some are held together with small screws or bolts, some are rivetted. If rivetted, determine if you can drill or grind the ends off of the rivets, and if so, whether you'll be able to drill through the body of the unit edges to put it back together using small bolts where the rivets were. If you can get it apart, clean and relube all interior parts with grease and put it back together. Maybe it won't be possible to disassemble the unit. If so, see if you can drill into the case where the final drive shaft exits the case. In the past I've put one or two units into a drill press, and have drilled just part way through the final drive case till just touching the steel drive shaft without drilling into it. Then I was able to spray white grease into the hole to lube the shaft. Regardless of which way you do the project, hook a 12 volt battery up to the wire harness of the motor, to be be sure it works before putting the unit back into the car. If all of this is above your abilities (a man has got to know his limitations), you might be further ahead to just get a used unit (test it) or get a new one. Good Luck!

[brus brother]

God awful weather and conditions up there in T'rntoe, Mr. Badorties.

Really, can I call you H, as experienced a man as you in the workings of a fan should know that lubrication can't hurt.

I think gbhrps covered the nitty gritty for you if you decide on a full assault.

Still might be time to search the detritus piles of civilization as your avatar's namesake Horse might do and see if a used replacement is on hand.

Thanks for reminding me of a good book I read... 30+ years ago!

BTW, what is life like in the Waterloo/Kichener area? Just checking out travel there from NYC with a possible change of venue.

[OB99W]

[...]Mr. Badorties. Really, can I call you H, [...]

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/9B2/17B

Kotzwinkle would either be proud or confounded.

 

Oh, and to keep this on-topic, although the problem could be due to insufficient voltage reaching the motor, I agree that lubrication is the first thing to investigate.

[hbadorties]

Thank you brus brother and OB99W. Being limited in both the technical skills and harware I will attempt to, wait, what were you saying...

 

And doesn't it figure that Subaru owners would know my reputation? And to bb, I don't know what it's like in Kichener-Waterloo area, not living there. Here's a link to the KW weather for you.

 

But hey, Thanks for the advice. I gotta go, now, I'm being called and, wait, what's that I see in that pile of what some poor soul thinks is garbage over there - a wiper motor. Gotta get it. Bye.