wipers stop in upright position

[twentyone]

[twentyone]

i also tried spraying wd40 on the nut threads, thinking the wiper arm was rusted on but, that didn't help either.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by twentyone

i also tried spraying wd40 on the nut threads, thinking the wiper arm was rusted on but, that didn't help either.

Try some PB Blaster. After the nut is removed the wiper arm will pull off. There is nothing else holding them on except in your case possible rust or corrosion.

[twentyone]

okay, i'll give it a shot. if not, should i just throw in the towel and head to the dealer? or do you think that i'd be better off at a firestone/car-x/etc?

[twentyone]

any idea why it is that i can't get the wipers to work at all now?

[richtazz]

The shafts that the wiper arms attached to are tapered. To remove the arm, you need to lift the wiper off the windshield to relieve the spring tension, then gently rock and lift the arm straight up to get it off the shaft. You may even have to gently pry them up using something between the pry bar/screwdriver and the cowl/windshield pry against (protecting the windshield and plastic cowl from damage). To fix the parking up issue, you cannot just remove the arms and manually move them down the windshield. This will throw off the wiper timing and make them jam up.

[SNKPWR]

thanks for the info guys! saved my sanity and my wallet...took about 10 minutes to fix...

[EJ200]

I have an 04 Impala and I have the same wiper problem. I while ago, my wife had it looked at. They mentioned this problem with a "bent tab" and said that their fix was temporary. They said that if it happened again, we would have to replace the entire wiper motor... ?
I haven't actually looked at it yet, and this is my first time on this forum, but what if the tab is not just bent, but actually snapped off - could that be replaced?
I'm not sure why the wiper motor would need to be replaced when they actually work fine, they just don't park correctly.

[jerry1967]

My tab is so bent I can not do anything with it. Is there some kind of cover I can put on that will work?

[inafogg]

hey EJ the tab they bent catches the parking mech.if they work ok they should be fine.when you keep bending tab back into place that causes the tab to brake off.THEN YOU NEED TO REPLACE hope this makes cence.Good LUCK

[EJ200]

do you mean that
1. if that tab is broken off, you can replace the tab
or
2. if that tab is broken off, then I need to replace the whole motor

thanks a lot for your help!!!

[richtazz]

EJ200, If the tab is broken off, you will have to replace the wiper motor bracket it's attached to (GM#12368639 for your 04 Impala) .

[Doctormud]

Thanks for the photos! You made it so easy to repair with them. EXCELLENT!

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

Next time, use your scraper and brush to clear the windshield, NOT the wipers.

Raise the hood. Remove the wiper arms. If the plastic cowl trim is assembled in two pieces (some models are) you will only have to remove the left (driver side) wiper arm. Remove the rubber cowl seal, then the screws and/or push pin fasteners holding the cowl cover. Remove the cowl trim/cover. You should then be able to see the wiper motor cover:



Remove the push pin fastener holding the cover, then remove the cover. This should reveal the wiper motor, linkage, and plastic wiper stop cam cover:



Lift off the black plastic stop cam cover to reveal the stop mechanism and cam. You will probably see the metal stop tab in a condition similar to that pointed out by the arrow:



Closer inspection should reveal something like this (the blue piece is the stop tab):



Using chain nosed pliers (most people errantly call them "needle-nosed", but true needle nosed pliers are actually quite different) straighten the stop tab so that it is perpendicular to the wiper cam:



Make sure the area is clear of obstructions, turn on the ignition,and operate the wiper motor and allow it to park while observing the mechanism. Once the wiper motor reverses to park the wipers, you'll see the action of the cam and stop tab. If you bent the tab too far, it will probably clear itself when the motor begins to run. If the motor parks and stops correctly, apply some lubricant (white lithium grease) to the cam and mechanism and test them again.



Install the plastic cover, and reassemble the motor cover, cowl cover, and wiper arm. Remember to install the rubber cowl seal.

Lastly, find your ice scraper and snow brush, or acquire new ones. Instruct all the drivers of the vehicle to use them, or start saving your money for parts. The tab can be bent and straightened two or three times before it finally breaks off, which will involve a lot more repair work.

[jerry1967]

Originally Posted by richtazz

EJ200, If the tab is broken off, you will have to replace the wiper motor bracket it's attached to (GM#12368639 for your 04 Impala) .

How do I replace the wiper motor bracket?

[derffred]

For the poster that could not get the Wiper arm off the car

I bought a tool from Princess Auto here in Ontario Canada (not sure if this chain is in the States) it is made by Power Fist I think.

anyways very easy tool to use (see picture) of course take the nut off the arm first (I did not because I was just taking a picture of how it is done)

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...emovalTool.jpg

The tool only costs about $10.00 and you just turn the knob until it pops off the arm from the shaft (like a pully puller) otherwise I have also done it by using waterpump pliers, one jaw under the arm the other on top of the post.