 | Home > Technical > Front wipers problem - 2011 Defender |
 
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17453   
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Yes, that is a classic symptom of worn wheelboxes, the slack in the wheelbox allows one or other to jam up. Usually you will find that one wiper has a little bit of waggle (the unjammed one) and the other is rock solid. Giving the solid one a fairly forceful (but not excessively forceful) twist or tap, usually in the direction it was heading at the moment it jammed, will usually free it and cause the motor to park the wipers if the ignition is on.
It is possible to replace the wheelboxes and drive rack without removing the dash if you remove all the fixings and ease the dash towards the seats, I replaced mine a while back in this way. In order to postpone the need for the job there is another trick you can try, which should give you a bit more life from the old ones. Since the wipers sweep through less than 180 degrees, one side of the drive gear in the wheelbox is unused. If you slacken off all the dash panel fixings and ease the nearside of the dash away from the bulkhead, it is possible to access the motor. Remove the wiper arms from the spindles, then free the motor from the bulkhead and pull the motor and drive rack from the drive rack tube. As you withdraw the rack, the spindles will rotate until free of the rack. Once the rack is out, rotate both spindles carefully and accurately through 180 degrees by hand, so when the rack is reinserted it picks up the gears 180 degrees from the previous position. When all is reassembled, the unworn part of the gear will be the part used for drive. While the motor is out, remove the cover from the gearbox, disconnect the lug which drives the rack, and rotate the rack through 180 degrees, then reassemble. This will mean that the unworn side of the rack is now meshing with the unworn part of the gear in the wheelbox. it won't be good as new, but I did this as a roadside repair many years ago and it allowed me to postpone replacing everything for several thousand miles, when I finally put new wheelboxes in (without actually removing the dash, as mentioned above). |
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31st Jan 2023 5:10pm |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1087  
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Also note that the wiper system got changed around 2001 so if you plan to replace you need make sure you buy the right parts as they are not interchangeable.
Don't ask.. |
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31st Jan 2023 8:39pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20454
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Lube the spindles will help too, at least buy you time you should be able to buy enough time to around this summer.
I did mine last year, in the summertime but they needed doing a long time before that they kept going so schedule it for your earliest convenience or they’ll pack up at the very worst time or weather or just before MOT time…. I replaced mine entirely, with the exception of the motor which was fine and the tubes were also. They are like brand new now, and almost silent too. I think it cost around £185 (I did it so no labour charge). but the drive cable; ferrule, wheel boxes, and I replaced the arms as well as they were faded and gear mech. Might as well do the park switch as well whilst there. I’d recommend you get a wiper arm puller as well only around £12 and grease too. When I did mine I took the dash out completely as it was summer time as I anticipated and I had plenty of other things behind there to tidy up. If you take the steering wheel off don’t forget the torque for the nut in the WSM and a tiny bit of copper grease on the splines of the steering wheel wouldn’t go amiss either. I had one wheel box seize up on the passenger side, it basically went solid. When I had it off you couldn’t even hardly turn it with a pair of pliers / mole grips and that was lubed as well so no wonder it was problematic. I would lube spindles for now from the outside and try what Blackwolf said for now, that will at least keep it up together for now. But in the imminent future at your convenience I’d look at replacing it all - highly likely the motor is fine and the tubes like mine was but replace the rest. I’m pleased with it since I’ve done mine, I’d say better than new and nice and quiet as well. In fact I’ve learnt to no one worn whee boxes now, because the wiper arms have a slight droop towards the floor on them and the blades. So if your wipers go a bit lower on park or not sit quite as level as they used to and you notice it you can lowly say the wheel boxes are well worn. Mine was the passenger side nearest the motor which one was it for others is there a pattern to it? I thought someone on here not so long ago said the same scenario with theirs as mine was. Passenger side nearest the motor. No Guts, No Glory. 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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31st Jan 2023 11:30pm |
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| Tractorman Member Since: 08 Jul 2016 Location: Inverclyde Posts: 41  
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Great advice - many thanks to you all !!
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1st Feb 2023 3:02pm |
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| matchap801 Member Since: 05 Aug 2021 Location: Somerset Posts: 120 
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My passenger side spindle sized. Mangled the drive shaft a bit. I lubed and oiled it and freed it off. It was OK.
A few months ago I stripped the entire dash (it's a puma) replaced the wheelboxes, brive shaft and washer jet (standard LR). I also stripped out the hoses and fitted new non return valves to the front and rear. What an amazing improvement overall! 2009 Defender 90 CSW 2.4 TDCI. Ex Army Mechanic still living the dream. |
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1st Feb 2023 6:05pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 226 
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I've just replaced the motor, cable and wheel boxes on mine but I can't get the wipers to sit at the bottom of the screen when parked. They seem to sit an inch or two too high.
Is it a case of adjusting the arms correctly on the spindles or is there any adjustment to be made elsewhere like on the motor to correct this? (I notice there's a screw on top that can be turned and some align here stickers on the side of the motor?). |
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2nd Feb 2023 4:52pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20454
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The alignment arrow should be aligned to the top edge of the retaining bracket.
The sticker came off on mine, so before I took the motor out I put it back where it should be first and sellotaped it back on so it would be aligned where it should be. I have pictures on here somewhere on another thread, the tubes you can mark with a pen nearest the wheel boxes too to put them back exactly as they were. No Guts, No Glory. 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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2nd Feb 2023 5:52pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 226
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Thanks, I'll check my alignment with the sticker but not sure how that would effect the exact position the wipers stop at?
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2nd Feb 2023 6:42pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17453
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No, your issue is just the arms on the spindles. Pop them off and put them back a little lower.
Mine are much the same, because the new parts have less slop the wipers don't go so far down unless you click them off from fastt speed on wet glass at exactly the right moment. I don't mind them parking at a slight angle though because they don't collect water and freeze to the glass so much. |
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2nd Feb 2023 7:21pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 226
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Thanks, all sorted now.
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4th Feb 2023 6:44pm |
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