Slow wipers

[academic]

Hi,

My front wipers have suddenly gone slow. Few weeks back I cleaned out the drain holes behind the wipers, they werent too bad and i sprayed some greese onto the moving parts. Then last week i fixed my indicator stalk as flashing the lights was temperamental and when putting the plastic steering column casing back on the screw went through one of the red wires coming out the indicator stalk. So i soldered it back to together and everything on both stalks works fine.

So what could be the problem? Has the greese caused the problem? Did i tighten the wiper arms up too tight? or is the soldered wire the problem?

Any help you guys can give would be very helpful

Cheers

 

[Gd_Maitre]

Hello!

Actually I'm not replying to this post but as a new comer into the forum, I just want to say hello to you old folks.


Thanks

 

[CallorFold]

i fixed my indicator stalk as flashing the lights was temperamental

How did this go? I need to do the same thing with mine, it's a real pain not being able to flash people!

So what could be the problem? Did i tighten the wiper arms up too tight?

I was going to suggest the opposite - not tight enough and maybe the wiper was slipping - although saying that, I think that would completely mess up the sweep of the wipers, rather than the speed in which they move.

Also, to confirm, do you mean the wipers move very slowly, or just they don't activate very often? So like 1 movement every 10 seconds, but the speed in which they move across the windscreen is normal?

 

[academic]

Was pretty easy to sort the flashing problem out, the guide was useful. Just be careful screwing the column casing back, keep the wire clear from hole the screw goes into. :S

Yeah think they position would be all screwed if they were lose as they start and finish in the correct spot.

Its the speed in which they move across the window is just slow, like there is more resistance than there was. When you put them in the fastest setting (so the stalk all the way down) its probably similar to the normal speed setting.

 

[Yiannis197]

I believe the wiper mechanism (linkage) has started to seize mate. You have to take it to bits, grease everything up and put them back together. You have to do it rather quickly as this puts stress to the motor and it will eventually damage it.

 

[CallorFold]

I believe the wiper mechanism (linkage) has started to seize mate. You have to take it to bits, grease everything up and put them back together. You have to do it rather quickly as this puts stress to the motor and it will eventually damage it.

There's a How To for that here - http://www.clio197.net/forum/showthread.php?10393-Seized-Wiper-Wipers-Stopped-Working-Cure

 

[academic]

Looks quite a mission, not sure im capable lol

Seems strange after i sprayed all the joints with greese when i cleaned the drainage holes. They were working fine before this and think they were fine straight after doing as well. Just noticed it yesterday when i used the car to get to work.

 

[Yiannis197]

Maybe a coincidence but trust me, just spraying the joints won't help if it's started seizing. I had it and lots of people had it in here. That scuttle area design is absolutely pants, however signed it off must had consumed lots of french wine!

 

[academic]

So you dont think its the wire I cut through on the indicator stalk and had to solder back?

Also if the wipers were tightened up to much?

Cheers

 

[Yiannis197]

With regards to the wire it would be either working or not, it wouldn't affect the speed of the wipers. Now it wouldn't matter if you overtightened the wipers either as this doesn't have any effect on movement of the linkages at all. Basically the linkage rotates the male metal plug thingie where the wiper arm is tightened on.

 

[academic]

I've ordered a second hand linkage and motor off ebay for £35, so will try and greese it up and fit it this week. Hopefully the old linkage when i take it off will feel like its seizing up which would result in the slow wipers.

Then hopefully when its working again i can give refurbing the orignal one a go so i've got a spare. Thats the plan anyway.

 

[academic]

Fitted the second hand linkage and wipers are moving quicker than ever! The old one was so seized i couldnt move it by hand so no wonder the motor struggled to move the wipers!! Will try and take old one apart some time and refurb it

The fitting guide was very helpful

 

[Yiannis197]

Nice one mate. As said a few posts back, this scuttle design is so bad it's unreal. I might have to do mine at some point as well just for generic maintenance.

 

[academic]

Cheers, yeah seems it gets clogged up easily. Having seen how quick the wipers now are think they been slow for a while and then suddenly got worse and seized.

Think I will check the scuttle every 3 or 4 months to check its draining properly, especially in the autumn when the leaves come off the trees.

 

[seeka]

Glad I found this thread, as my wipers are almost dragging across the windscreen. Gonna replace the linkage I think. Are the wipers, linkage and motor the same as a standard Clio or different on the 197??