1982 Malibu

Can anyone help me with the wiper arm travel? The wipers only go up about a quater of the way up the windshield. WHAT THE HELL? :banghead:

Have the wiper arms been removed/ re-installed recently?

Remove the wiper arms turn the wipers on.
Are the shafts rotating as they should, approx 90 degrees?
If yes the splines, either on the shafts or on the arms (or both) are worn.
If no, then the wiper motor linkage is bent or broken.

Nope, just the wiper motor. The wipers didnt work at all when I first got the car, now they do, but only go up the windshield like a quarter of the way up. I cant figure it out for anything! Oh and the shafts that the arms connect to are fine, but, the linkage and everything has been thoroughly inspected and seems to have no damage at all. I've adjusted the stuff a million different ways and still no luck. It's as if the motor is'nt creating enough travel for the linkage to make the arms travel at that 90 degrees they're supposed to.

These wipers had 2 seperate operations.
One moved the wipers up about 2-3 inches from the park position, then another operation cycled them across the windshield. That first 2-3 inches never gets swiped during normal operations, just when you intially turn the wipers on, then again when you turn them off.
I suspect the motor is giving them their initial lift out of park, but they do not sweep.
Try a new wiper motor.

Thanx alot man. I'll give another motor a try, although this is like the second motor I've put on this car. Guess I'll try some junkyard stuff. Oh, do you think there is much of a difference between intermittant wipers and non? See, I had to wire the motor directly to the battery through a toggle switch. The switch on the column wasnt doing anything. I have a no delay motor on there now. I guess I figured being directly connected to the battery that the wiper speed would make no difference. Plus I just need them to work what with winter coming and all. Thanx again.