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balmybaldwin



Member Since: 17 Apr 2021
Location: Surrey
Posts: 192

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Buckingham Blue
Wiper MOT woes
Hello, MOT due next week (Thursday)

Today despite working flawlessly previously including on a 250 mile trip this weekend, my wipers have suddenly started only retreating to about 45 degrees.

I've done a bit of searching, but haven't found this issue.

My wipers still go "up" to the desired poition, just beyond vertical and not hitting the a pillar nicely in parallel however they only go down to about a 40 degree position and are no where near the bottom seal. And they go to the same 40 degree position when parked

I can manually move them back to the correct parking position, but one sweep and they park back at 40 degrees.

I have read this might be due to a loose grub screw on the drive spline, however I can't get a clear idea of where this spline is... I assume on he top of the actual motor inside the assembly? If that's the case tho, I would have thought at some point in continually wiping the gear that does the push pulling would still go to it's extremes as it would still rotate all the way round but it doesn't so I seem to have lost about 30degrees of sweep from the bottom end. So is this spline somewhere else? (on the end of the push pully bit the rack attaches to?)

"Up"

Click image to enlarge


"Down"

Click image to enlarge


Given that the defender is 20 yrs old, and I suspect original motor unit is it worth faffing with the spindle given the symptoms or swap the unit out?

While I'm at it I might do all the spindles too.... has anyone had success with a kit like this? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373760453871?va...CuEALw_wcB
Post #949198 12th Apr 2022 7:54pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

United Kingdom 
Ok. It sounds like (based on you not saying anything about grinding gear noises) the wiper arm has slipped and continues to slip on the wiper spindle shaft.

Bottom of the wiper arm there is a plastic cover that hinges up. Under it is a 13mm nut. Undo the nut, remove the arm and clean the internal mating surface. NB that the spindle shaft is chamfered so the tighter the nut is done up the better the mating between the shaft and wiper arm. However, the shaft and wiper arm surfaces should have fine ridges to prevent the arm from slipping. If these have worn smooth then the friction of the rubber on the windscreen could make the shaft slip. It happens.

To fix it you can either replace the wiper spindle (inside the dash) and the wiper arm, it will involve taking the dash apart, but job done.

If you are looking for a quick fix then you need to rough up the spindle shaft to increase the mechanical connection between the shaft and wiper arm. The best way to do this is with a dremmel and scoring the shaft lengthways (90 degrees to the direction of rotation). Clean the inside of the wiper arm. The wiper arm is a softer material and is meant to deform and mate the the spindle, so do not file out the hole, just clean. Refit the arm and do up the nut. If it feels a little loose, then add a washer under the nut to press the arm on to the spindle a bit harder. It is a bit of a bush fix but it works when in a pinch and no dash removal.

Hope that helps.
Post #949231 13th Apr 2022 8:48am
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balmybaldwin



Member Since: 17 Apr 2021
Location: Surrey
Posts: 192

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Buckingham Blue
Hi, thank you, but I think I didn't explain properly... The wipers aren't slippind on the spindles, as it's happening to both sides at once, so seems to be that the rack isn't moving to its full extent.

If I manually move one wiper the other moves in sync

Having thought about it over night, I did loosen the band around the motor the other week when I used a bolt as an earth... I suspect I havent tightened it properly and the motor assembly is moving on the "down stroke" will try to get the dash off at lunch and see if this is the problem.

Def no grinding gear noises
Post #949240 13th Apr 2022 9:22am
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balmybaldwin



Member Since: 17 Apr 2021
Location: Surrey
Posts: 192

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Buckingham Blue
So I've stripped down the dash, and sure enough the motor is moving around. However I am taking only half the blame as it seems the main culprit is the nut that joins the rack tubes to the motor has fallen off the thread.

When I 've done this up to where it should be, the wipers are hitting the bottom rubber, and it appears previous owner was loosening this nut to adjust rather than moving the wipers on the splines.



Click image to enlarge
Post #949443 15th Apr 2022 1:21pm
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