Hey, Why Are My Windshield Wipers Not Working?

A proof image was taken to provide visual evidence of the wiper transmission issue, clearly showing that it had come apart. The mechanic removed the front cowl to have better access.

A customer brought in their vehicle because the windshield wipers were acting strangely. When they turned the wipers on, they would bounce and jump slightly, and a loud knocking came from the dashboard.

During a test drive, the technician checked the wipers and confirmed they weren't working properly. They also heard the loud knocking noise the customer mentioned.

As part of the vehicle health inspection, the technician didn't find what caused the problem. To investigate further, the customer authorized additional diagnostics.

To investigate the issue thoroughly, the technician had an assistant activate the windshield wipers while they looked through the small gaps or vents near the windshield. This revealed that the wiper transmission arms, the parts responsible for moving the wipers, had come apart.

Next, the technician removed the wiper arms and the front cowl to get a closer look. They found that the wiper transmission had worn down significantly, causing the bearing pivot points to come apart. This wear and tear on the wiper transmission meant that it would need to be replaced to fix the problem.

The proof image shows an odd voltage value for the wiper motor, indicating it had an internal failure. This can be wiring issues to a blown fuse.

A customer brought their vehicle in because the windshield wipers were not working. So, the technician took the car for a test drive and confirmed the malfunctioning of the wipers.

During the vehicle health inspection, the technician found no cause for the wiper problem. To further diagnose the issue, the customer authorized additional diagnostics.

Firstly, the technician checked the wiper fuses to see if they were blown, but they had good power and were working fine. Next, the technician referred to the shop manual containing wiring diagrams to understand the wiper system better.

To access the wiper motor for further testing, the technician went under the front cowl of the vehicle. The technician verified the power and ground of the wiper motor using a digital voltmeter and back-probing. Strangely, despite having power and ground, the wiper motor was still not functioning, indicating internal damage, so it needed to be replaced.

The proof image shows that the knurls holding the wiper arm in place show completely torn wiper blades.

A customer brought their vehicle in because the passenger's wiper stopped working. They explained that it worked sometimes but moved around oddly. However, now it's completely stuck.

During a test drive, the technician confirmed that the passenger's wiper arm was not moving at all. As part of the vehicle health inspection, the technician found no issues. To investigate further, the customer authorized additional diagnostics.

To investigate the problem, the technician opened the cover on the passenger's wiper arm. They discovered that the nut holding the arm was loose. The technician removed the nut and the arm and found that the part called the transmission stud was fine. However, the wiper arm knurls, which are small ridges providing grip, had completely stripped out, causing the wiper arm to become ineffective. As a result, the wiper arm on the passenger side would need to be replaced.

The proof image shows the damaged resistor inside the wiper control module, which clearly indicates that it needs to be replaced to resolve the issue. This can be wiring to wiper fuse issues.

A customer brought their vehicle in because its windshield wipers were acting strange. Sometimes, without warning, the wipers would turn on by themselves even if the switch was off. Additionally, every time they turned off the wipers, they ran for about a minute or two before finally stopping.

During a test drive, the technician observed the issue firsthand. They operated the windshield wipers and found that when they tried to turn them off, they kept running independently. As part of the vehicle health inspection, the technician couldn't identify the exact cause of the problem.

To investigate further, the customer authorized additional diagnostics. The technician accessed the windshield wiper control module, which is the electronic component responsible for controlling the wipers.

With an assistant switching on the windshield wipers, the technician used a digital volt meter to measure the voltage going to the control module from the wiper switch. They noticed that the voltage was normal, but the wipers were still running when they were supposed to be off.

To get a closer look at the control module, the technician opened its cover and made a crucial discovery - the circuit board inside was shorted, meaning there was an internal electrical problem. The windshield wiper control module will need to be replaced to fix the issue.

The proof image shows the exposed wiper switch, which was tested and found to be faulty. This can be affected by issues with the vehicle's fuse box.

A customer brought their vehicle in because the windshield wipers only worked on either the intermittent mode or the highest speed setting. So they wouldn't move at other speeds.

During a test drive, the technician confirmed the customer's concern. They tried different wiper settings but found that they only worked on the highest speed and the intermittent mode. The vehicle health inspection couldn't pinpoint any issue causing this problem.

To further investigate, the customer authorized additional diagnostics. The technician then accessed the connection end of the wiper switch. This switch is responsible for controlling the wiper speed. Upon testing the voltage, the technician discovered that the switch was not sending the necessary voltage to the other speed settings of the windshield wiper motor. 

This issue was due to internal damage to the switch's electrical system. This finding led them to conclude that the wiper switch must be replaced to fix the issue.