Wipers stop in up position. Work Ok

[cherrmj]

Hello. 1998 Buick Century 240,000 miles Wipers work ok but stop in up position. What would suggest I check to fix or is it something that needs to be replaced? I have more time than money. thanks! Michael

[Tech II]

Good news is, it won't cost you anything......

The crank arm on these wiper motors is not solid.....they rotate on themselves......as they rotate around, there is a moveable "peg" underneath the arm.....when you shut the wipers off, this peg catches a "tab" that causes the arm to rotate on itself, and parks the wipers( the tab is part of the mounting bracket that the motor is attached to)......you have to bend that tab upward a little.....do a little at a time....check it out by turning the wipers on and off.....when you have it bent up enough, the tab catches the peg, and the wipers park themselves.....

[rk_gupta]

I am getting the same prob with my 2001 grand prix SE......If you can provide some short of Picture (when you shut the wipers off, this peg catches a "tab") to see and understand the resolution better

[cherrmj]

Thanks Tech II I don't want to break anything. How is the wiper arm removed? Would you have any pictures of the tab adjustment?

[cherrmj]

Got it fixed. The wiper transmission is just to the side of the driver's side wiper arm under the cover. You'll see a tab that should stop the rotation. I took a flat screw driver and tapped it gentle with a hammer to move it closer to the catch. Test before you put it back together. This youtube video is very helpful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aGiZgRcsc0

[Tech II]

Ok, just a few suggestions on that video.......

The funny thing is, there was a a campaign or TSB for this problem.....and looking at this vehicle, it was previously done to it.....because there was a a re-enforcement pop riveted into the bracket.....

From the video, you can see the "catch" that is under the crank arm, which catches the tab, to reverse the rotation of the crank arm and park it....

In the video, he tried to bend the catch down, at first....THAT IS A NO-NO!!!!!

If you break the catch, you need a new crank arm.....

what you do, is remove that black cap off the crank arm, and put the wiper in delay so that it rotates and stops after the tab....now turn your key off.....I always found it easy to grab the tab with a small pair of vice grips, and bend it upward....now remove the vice grips.....turn key on....since in delay, may take awhile for the arm to rotate past the tab....should hear a click, as the catch passes the tab.....now turn wipers off....should park now.....

If it doesn't and the tab is high enough, the problem is the "gap" between the tab and the catch......you will see the gap, when the arm stops in delay mode.....should not be more than 1/16-1/8"....if the gap is too big, then there is another procedure you have to do, which is a little complicated, but lets's hope the gap is ok, and just the tab had to be bent....

One more thing....in the video, the guy said he cracked his w/s trying to remove the wiper arm....have seen that happen, trying to muscle it off.....

What you do, it remove the plastic cap, and then loosen the 13 mm nut, so that it is almost off(just a couple threads on).....this leaves a gap between the nut and the arm....now you take a pair of channel locks and adjust them so the jaws are on top of the nut, and just below the bottom edge of the arm....now when you squeeze, the arm pops upward towards the nut and comes loose....now remove nut and then the arm....

With just the PS arm on, you can check if the wiper now parks.....put all the parts back on and make sure the PS arm is in the parked position......now, when you go to put the DS arm on, loosely put it on the spindle, and then rotate it downward, but lift it a hair so that it is just passed the stop(where the wiper normally rests).....now tighten the nut down.....turn wipers on, and then park them to check your work....