Voyager Wipers Big Trouble

[OKBill]

Last Friday I parked my 2000 Voyager knowing that snow and ice were on the way. I forgot that the wipers were still set on the slowest intermittent setting. So by the time I went back out to deice it 3 days later, a few inches of packed snow and ice had covered the van, but I managed to get inside to fire up the engine and unwittingly let it sit there for maybe 15 minutes trying to move the icelocked wipers.

So now that its all deiced, here's where I am : the the wipers got tangled up the first time they became free, and I forced the driver side one down and out of the way. If I swing both blades up, both of the pivots seem to be moving back and forth like they should but when I swing the blades back into position on the windshield, the drivers side wiper now seems to spasmodically move a few inches back and forth, but the passenger side actually sweeps all the way back and forth pretty much like it should.

Clearly the wiper motor is OK, and I'd even say all the controls and electrical are fine, its just a "mechanical drive/ linkage" issue. As important as the drivers side wiper is to safety, whats involved in fixing this, am I better off just turning it over to a dealer or a shop?

For the record, I built my own engines and automatic transmissions in my younger days and still have all sorts of tools left, and rarely had to use a sledge hammer to fix anything.

[Stretch58]

I would take off the driver's wiper arm and see which is stripped, the arm or the splined pivot and go from there. I think it will be the arm. Remember, when they are in park, the Driver's arm has to be above the Passenger's or they will tear stuff up.

[OKBill]

BINGO you were exactly right, the formerly splined socket inside the arm now looks like it was machined smooth. (the pivot looks fine, whew) Well at least the labor on this will be straightforward. My dealer says he and everybody else in town is out of stock on this part at the moment. Are there any online Mopar parts sources?

[Stretch58]

Originally Posted by OKBill

BINGO you were exactly right, the formerly splined socket inside the arm now looks like it was machined smooth. (the pivot looks fine, whew) Well at least the labor on this will be straightforward. My dealer says he and everybody else in town is out of stock on this part at the moment. Are there any online Mopar parts sources?

Bill--I would try some local salvage yards first, at least you can hold the part in in your hand and see if it is a good one. You can always then put on a new blade. I don't know of any on line new Mopar parts. There is plenty of used parts on line, but then again you go by their definition of condition.

[twistedtech]

Not being a smrt arse here,bet you wont leave the wipes on again.I've been a tech for a day or two and that is one of my" Why do people do that" questions.