Windscreen Wiper Malfunction

[lawser]

Hi folks,

 

2003 HPI Exclusive Est, front windscreen wipers stopping after cycle in middle of screen.

Yesterday coming home in the rain, the windscreen wipers stopped dead centre of the windscreen, when they start again they cycle as normal but stop in the middle of the windscreen instead of at the bottom !........anybody got a fix ?

[Randombloke]

Hi folks,

 

2003 HPI Exclusive Est, front windscreen wipers stopping after cycle in middle of screen.

Yesterday coming home in the rain, the windscreen wipers stopped dead centre of the windscreen, when they start again they cycle as normal but stop in the middle of the windscreen instead of at the bottom !........anybody got a fix ?

 

I'm going to guess that the motor has slipped, the spindle is no longer in the right place on the mechanism under the cover where the wipers are.

 

Haynes manual purchase followed by a look.

 

HTH.

[lawser]

Thanks for the reply, just throwing this in the hat, why does it work as normal but doesn't return to rest at the bottom of the windscreen but into the middle ?

 

I'm going to guess that the motor has slipped, the spindle is no longer in the right place on the mechanism under the cover where the wipers are.

 

Haynes manual purchase followed by a look.

 

HTH.

[paul.h]

It may be some sort of software problem - when the engine is off and I think the key removed, if you immediately pull on the wiper stalk the wipers should go to the middle vertical position so they can be changed. Maybe something has happened with this. If you try it see if the wipers go to the normal parked position.

 

If you do a single wipe does this stop after one wipe or continue ?

[lawser]

Hi & thanks,

 

Yeah that was my immediate thought when it first happened, with a single wipe it cycles as it should then returns to the centre again instead of the rest position.

 

It may be some sort of software problem - when the engine is off and I think the key removed, if you immediately pull on the wiper stalk the wipers should go to the middle vertical position so they can be changed. Maybe something has happened with this. If you try it see if the wipers go to the normal parked position.

 

If you do a single wipe does this stop after one wipe or continue ?

[Randombloke]

Thanks for the reply, just throwing this in the hat, why does it work as normal but doesn't return to rest at the bottom of the windscreen but into the middle ?

 

If you look under the scuttle you will see why. The mechanism there changes the rotary motion of motor into a back and forth motion of a piston, which moves the wipers in an arc.

 

I've had the same problem on the rear wiper of a Montego Estate ad a BX Estate.

 

If the motor slips in the disc that drives the back and forth motion, the motor will still park in the same place but this will correspond to a different position for the wipers.

 

Try the suggestion below to park the wipers in the up position to change the blades. Is it still the same problem?

 

Can you see any end stop sensors when the scuttle is off?

 

Have you removed the cover and checked the wiper mechanism?

[lawser]

Will do today....First dry day :)

[paul.h]

Few things if you are going to take the scuttle off if you have not done this before;

- the plastic trim at each end of the scuttle is held on by a single screw and also by a peg that goes in to a plastic sleeve in the bodywork - do not waggle the trim to remove it or the peg may snap off (my experience).

- a puller may be needed to remove the wiper arms. Before removing may be useful to mark the arm positions on the top of the spindles. Normally would mark the wiper position on the windscreen but yours are not parked correctly.

- the scuttle needs to be lifted over the wiper arm spindles and then slid down off the bottom of the windscreen.

 

With the scuttle off, you will see the air intake to the cabin and understand how rain goes down the wiper spindle grommet or off the bottom of the windscreen and into the intake eventually appearing in the driver's footwell as it runs down the inside of the bulkhead. I did a post on how I cured this problem by putting a plate over the intake fastened to the wiper mounting, drilling drain holes in the intake box, putting a wall of sealant at the back of the box behind the drilled holes, sealing the intake where it meets the bulkhead, sealing the top edge of the scuttle against the glass although this did not last that long. Since doing these mods over 2 years ago the problem has not returned.

[lawser]

Thanks everybody,

 

Took off all the trim, couldn't see a thing obviously broken or wrong, nut on the wiper motor was still tight but i slackened off and adjusted the wiper mechanism anyway.

Works fine now, wipers resting in correct place........Can't see for the life of me how the mechanism could slip and retighten itself.....I guess it's another Citroen C5 phantom niggle ?

 

Cheers,

 

Paul :)

 

Few things if you are going to take the scuttle off if you have not done this before;

- the plastic trim at each end of the scuttle is held on by a single screw and also by a peg that goes in to a plastic sleeve in the bodywork - do not waggle the trim to remove it or the peg may snap off (my experience).

- a puller may be needed to remove the wiper arms. Before removing may be useful to mark the arm positions on the top of the spindles. Normally would mark the wiper position on the windscreen but yours are not parked correctly.

- the scuttle needs to be lifted over the wiper arm spindles and then slid down off the bottom of the windscreen.

 

With the scuttle off, you will see the air intake to the cabin and understand how rain goes down the wiper spindle grommet or off the bottom of the windscreen and into the intake eventually appearing in the driver's footwell as it runs down the inside of the bulkhead. I did a post on how I cured this problem by putting a plate over the intake fastened to the wiper mounting, drilling drain holes in the intake box, putting a wall of sealant at the back of the box behind the drilled holes, sealing the intake where it meets the bulkhead, sealing the top edge of the scuttle against the glass although this did not last that long. Since doing these mods over 2 years ago the problem has not returned.