Wiper failure

[weimylady]

Hi all,

Yesterday, after having braved a 70+ mile adventure for the first time in my 1970 minor 1000, my windscreen wipers decided to give up the ghost, just as it started to rain.

They are stuck in the upright position (as they will go up but not down?), I can hear the motor running and the arms jerk as if they're trying to move but can't.

Any ideas? Because I don't live here and need to be able to get home on sunday, and given the forecast of rain all weekend it's not looking hopeful!
I am a complete novice (think 19 year old student), but am able to change fuses/tighten nuts and bolts, a real 21st centuy girl
Would obviously rather call my mech but he's 100 miles away and have little hope of finding one where I am!

Even a diagnosis or point in the right direction would be helpful,
Thanks,
Bree

[MarkyB]

If you pivot the wipers away from the screen will they stay in that position?
If so, do that and see if they travel the full arc.

Put them back on the screen, open the bonnet, and see what's happening to the wiper motor when they are running.
I've seen similar symptoms when the top cover of the motor was coming loose.

If they do travel the full arc when off the screen I'd treat the screen with Rainex as it reduces the friction.

In the longer term some lubrication of the rack and attention to the wheel boxes will be needed

[weimylady]

Tried as suggested, no luck.
Had a look in the engine, all components seem to be ok, no jamming or jerky movements and everything's fixed tight. Have also checked fuses and they look to be fine.
It seems to be a mechanical issue with the wipers themselves. If I pull them down they will go up, just not back again.
Any other suggestions?

[mike.perry]

Check the wires to the wiper switch and connections to the wiper motor.
Remove the top of the wiper motor and disconnect the motor drive from the rack. Then switch the wipers on to see if the motor works on its own.
My wipers packed up last night, same problem and it is pxxxxxx down.

[chickenjohn]

It sounds like the wheelboxes are siezing up. You'll need to remove the glove boxes and unbolt the wheel boxes, give them a good soak in penetrating oil, wiggle them lots, and a good soak in oil (cen be used engine oil) grease up (along with the rack!)

It is best to try and revive and keep the existing wheel boxes going as the replacement repro ones available do not have the proper arc for the Minor windscreen. I think we are being sold Mini items!!!

Your car will pass the MOT with the modern wheelboxes, but it is most annoying that the swept arc of the new wheelboxes is much reduced over the originals.....

....or, the brushes could be worn and the motor not working very well because of that. Carefully unscrew the cover of the motor (where the electrical connections are) and inspect the carbon brushes for wear. New brushes are available and cheap!

[bmcecosse]

Try removing the passenger wiper arm complete - will they work with just the driver side - as a get-you-home measure?

[MarkyB]

Cunning plan Roy, I like it!

[bmcecosse]

Well it obviously does need a complete strip down/rebuild etc - but that's probably not possible before the car is needed again to get home........ If all else fails - a good dose of RainX (as suggested) and good fast driving to blow the spots away should keep the screen clear enough to get home! Or of course - remove the screen and drive with goggles..............

[MarkyB]

remove the screen and drive with goggles

Cunning but nasty .

Tried as suggested, no luck

weimylady doesn't say if the mechanism works OK with the wipers off the screen explicitly, but I'm guessing they do.
Either removing the passenger wiper or introducing some oil to the spindle shafts to reduce friction should do the trick anyway.

[bmcecosse]

Oh yes - oil on spindle shafts - v essential -well spotted!

[weimylady]

Thank you for all the answers. It was my daughter posting and she promptly went out for the day (and eve, to the theatre) after asking. I think she followed some of your answers and appears to have fixed it. I will get her to let you all know tomorrow, exactly what she found.

Again, thanks for helping

-wei

[mike.perry]

I suppose that I am going to have to remove the wiper motor from behind the instrument panel as there appears to be no mechanical action at all, the electrics are OK.

[chickenjohn]

The wiper motor is under the bonnet Mike, not behind the dash board.

It is the wheelboxes and rack that are behind the dash!

[bmcecosse]

Early cars - the motor/box IS behind the dash - unfortunately for Mike......

[mike.perry]

[quote="chickenjohn"]The wiper motor is under the bonnet Mike, not behind the dash board.
If it was under the bonnet I would have sorted it. As it is I have to remove the steering wheel, inst panel cover, inst. panel, disconnect speedo and oil pressure gauge and wiggle trip meter cable free. Then remove wiper arms and release spindles and I will just about be able to undo the wiper motor frame, hopefully without dropping the bolts down the A post.
Fixed it! Connected the wiper motor to the battery charger and it decided to work, reconnected the wiring and it continued to work.

[weimylady]

Hi all,

Thanks for all of your help. On closer inspection of the motor, I discovered that the cover of the moving piece (attaching motor to actual wipers) had been completely removed. I thought that was what it was meant to look like! Luckily we managed to find the offending article and reattach it with no problem, the wipers now work fine.

As for your suggestions of removing the windscreen, a little unorthodox but it's the thought that counts right?
Thanks again!

[bmcecosse]

Cover had been completely removed?? By whom - the Pixies??? Screen removal would be a way to get home without an extremely expensive trip on a Recovery Vehicle.....

[ASL642]

Far safer to be transported home on a recovery truck than try to drive home in heavy rain without wipers. Isn't it illegal to drive without a windscreen wipers? It's certainly an MOT fail if they don't work. Why remove a perfectly good windscreen.

[bmcecosse]

If you don't have a screen - you don't need wipers - Simples !!

[ASL642]