windshield wiper 1 arm not working

[96droptop]

a couple days ago we had our first snow, and my windshield was ice and snow covered. I scraped it off etc etc. but then apparantly the wipers were frozen down still because i tried turning them on and it didn't work. then i drove off, and later tried again. now everythings thawed and only the driver side wiper works. it works as it should , but the passanger side only goes up an inch or so and flops back down. what do i need to do to fix this? it cant be the motor if the driver side one works can it? Help this is bugging the beejezus out of me !

[89IrocZ-28Camaro]

i think your car is trying to tell you.. its to cold to be out there lol

[Chevyracincamaro]

theres obviously a problem with the connection between the driver and passenger wiper. what that problem is i cant really tell you but it could be that the rod connecting the two came unhooked or the teeth on the wiper are are stripped. im not an expert on wipers so i can only give you general ideas...

[96droptop]

okay... is there someway i can determine the problem and maybe fix it myself? i'd at least like to have a general idea about what to do from here...take it to a shop or something or look at it myself? i guess id have to remove that dang cowl grill...? any help is appreciated thanks already !!

[Chevyracincamaro]

well one thing you can do is take the cowl off and look at what you have to work with. the plastic piece right below the wipers pops right off once you remove the retainer pieces. once you get that off you can look down under where the wiper mechanism is and see if you can spot your problem

[89IROC&RS]

very common problem, what happend is that the wiper was frozen to the windsheild, and when you turned it on, it turned the wiper transmission, but couldnt move the arm, so it striped the splines on the driveshaft.

use a screwdriver to pop off the black plastic nut cover on the wiper arm. then use a 13mm socket to take the nut off, then take the wiper arm off, it will take a little effort, try to be patient. then look at the splines on the driveshaft, and the splines in the wiper arm, a guarantee one or the other is stripped. if its just the arm, buy a new one, bolt it on, and go on about your buisness, if you stripped the driveshaft, youll have to replace the transmission.

[DaMoNe6969]

yeah im with 89.. But chances are you've stripped the driveshaft.. the arm itself never strips.. thatd be too easy..

I dont know if 4th gens are the same, but when it happened on my 3rd gen, I could just replace the arm for the left side wiper.. it just snapped on to the transmission

[testtube]

mine did the exact same thing. the drive shaft was stripped. I just unbolted it, Took the arm off, wrapped a small strip of sand paper (doubled over so it grips both sides) around the drive shaft and bolted the wiper arm back on really tight. Yeah, its rigged, but it works fine for me. You may have to replace the sand paper from time to time, but its cheaper then replacing all that other crap.

[Chevyracincamaro]

sand paper, thats awsome...

[96droptop]

i finally had time to look at it closer today, and all i did was pop that little plastic cover off, and what do you know the nut is loose. i few wrench flicks and its working again. easier than i thought...

[drvngstorm05]

Originally Posted by 96droptop

i finally had time to look at it closer today, and all i did was pop that little plastic cover off, and what do you know the nut is loose. i few wrench flicks and its working again. easier than i thought...

well now you know how to replace a wiper w/ stripped spines just in case that ever ACTUALLY happens lol

[DaMoNe6969]

Originally Posted by testtube

wrapped a small strip of sand paper (doubled over so it grips both sides) around the drive shaft and bolted the wiper arm back on really tight. Yeah, its rigged, but it works fine for me. You may have to replace the sand paper from time to time, but its cheaper then replacing all that other crap.

I would agree with you, but Ive tried it twice and had it fail on me.. Both times when windshield wipers were fairly crucial to me making it home..
i rigged it like that once, and i was on the highway in a storm, I hit my windshield wipers and Bam.. Now my windsheild wiper was somehow wiping my door glass! the wind blew it right around.. and it happened another time I rigged it while it was raining, it went to the top of the windsheild and stayed there..


I finally put a new driveshaft and arm in

[testtube]

yeah, I've had to redo mine once too. (the paper) I live in central Texas, so I dont really get alot of rain. Plus, its on the passenger side, and my wife keeps her eyes shut when I'm driving, anyway.