Tard wipers

[BigD]

Hey guys,

I tried doing a search but no one seems to have quite what I see. I've had wipers fail where the nut just came loose and one wiper would swing 100% normal and the other would be frozen. I've seen burnt motors where nothing happens at all but I get neither.

The wiper motor goes just fine and everything seems/sounds normal but the passenger side does nothing while the driver's side works but only half way, kinda like the car waving a tard hello. I want to start driving this car more and we're approaching the rainy season here in Vancouver, I really need to get this sorted, it's the final problem.

Thanks a lot for any info!

[VAPORBLADE]

I thought the thread might be about people with special needs needing a clean up of sorts. ;)

Are they spinning in the nut? Could the shaft be stripped, or only half stripped??

[golde30]

I thought the thread might be about people with special needs needing a clean up of sorts. ;)

Are they spinning in the nut? Could the shaft be stripped, or only half stripped??

thats what i was thinking when i read... my wipers are starting to do this also, i believe you have to change the whole motor when this happens.

[AndrewBird]

I would also guess the splines on the shaft are stripped. Pull the wiper arms off and take a look.

[BigD]

There's something really screwed with the linkages. The wipers are on securely (there are no splines, they're pressure fittings like the E34). The reason the driver's side only goes half way is that it rotates in 3D. It doesn't just rotate around the main axis but it also wobbles - a lot. I pulled the wiper arm off and this also made the sheet metal get all torn up. The passenger side is odd, if I rotate it down to where it shouldn't be, towards the engine, it starts moving but only when the driver's side gets to about half way, and then back and stops... I suppose I can live with a quarter of a window in case of rain (thankfully no snow/salt around here ever)... I hear this is a huge PITA. There's no way it's a bigger pain than the clutch though (on jackstands).

[AndrewBird]

I didn't think that any e30 came with press fit arms. Me thinks all the teeth on your arms are stripped. I could be wrong though. There could have been different versions.

[BigD]

I didn't think that any e30 came with press fit arms. Me thinks all the teeth on your arms are stripped. I could be wrong though. There could have been different versions.

There must be different versions, these are not spleened for sure. I've seen many a stripped gear, plastic and metal, and you can always see remnance of teeth. These are smooth, conic pressure fittings. Same as my E34's had. It's a good design, especially for the North where you can get iced out. Breaking a pressure fitting loose just requires a wrench to tighten the wiper. Stripping the teeth on the other hand... In that kind of climate with salt on the roads it's a difference between waiting for good weather to go to a shop, vs 2 mins with a bicycle wrench/socket and going on your way.

[mattdk318i]

My wipers did this a few weeks ago. luckily it was the pass side that stripped. From what i understnad. The wiper arm is aluminum, And the Splines on the motor are steel. So you need to wire brush the sheered aluminum out of the steel splines
Thats on my 91 318. So i dont know if they did different versions.
There are conical in shape and i agree it is a poor design