cribb55 Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 Hi people my '98 A3 has suddenly seized up its front wipers... Fronm my own assumptions and also reading the forum it would seem it's to do with the motor or linkage that has some defect. Now, I have a manual for this kind of repair, but can't seem to actually get the wiper arms off their screw/spindle thingy. The manual says to "rock" the arm until it eases off, but no luck with that approach. Has anyone had this problem before - and if so, how did you solve it? Am I maybe missing something else here? Any tips would be much appreciated. Cheers Lev PS I am in Scotland and the rain is never far off - please help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomk Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 there is a nut to unscrew and then its just a case of pulling it ! use some wd40 ? that shifted mine! then just position and pull ( after the nut is off ! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cribb55 Posted September 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 TomK Sorry, should have mentioned that. I had removed the nut and pulled, but it wouldn't come loose. Just wondered if it was just seized/rusty or if I was actually missing something that was keeping the arm from coming off... Have you ever opened the actual wiper motor? Is it complicated? Is there a place online where I could order a replacement, or does Halford's do that kinda thing? Lots of questions, I know, but only just got the A3, cheers! Lev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomk Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 just take the nut of and thats it , im sure its stiff so going to be a bit of pulling and wd40 to take it off... is the machanism under the bonet moving ? or nothing happening? im sure halford can sort you a wiper motor , if not try www.vagparts.com think there is a 10% discount to, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cribb55 Posted September 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 The mechanism under the bonnet, you mean the linkage? If the arms don't move anymore - should that still be moving? I will give the ol' wd40 a go and keep you posted! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillihead Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 What were you using to rock, I prefer Van Halen although Saxon usually does the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillihead Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 Seriously, you can get the arms from Halfords, I have seen this Aero wipers On Ebay, seems a good price if you like Aero wipers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingermouse Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 The wiper arm centers are aluminium i think so they bite onto the splines. I have a pair of S3 arms in the shed doing nothing if they are of any use to you ??? along with a worn pair of wipers I think. They are off a 2002 S3 and were removed when I fitted the aero wipers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomk Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 the aero wipers are not that much better really , and i think www.vag.com do them cheapera anyway ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cribb55 Posted September 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 It's not actually the wipers that are the problem, but the motor (or linkage). The reason I asked about the arm replacement is to find out whether I was missing something, as they weren't coming off. Obviously they need to come off in order to get to the motor and linkage of the wipers. I put some WD40 on it yesterday and will check later if that has done the trick in loosening them. Thanks for all the replies and offer of wiper arms! cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cribb55 Posted October 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2005 Just to give you all an update - in case you need to do this yourself - I have finally managed to get the wiper arms off (with a lot of wd40 and 'rocking' - carefull never fully twist the arms off as that will damage the splines irreversably). To see why the arms were moving so slowly and eventually stopping entirely, I then removed the splash cover. Tip: start on the right as the radiator side comes off more easily. The cover is clipped in just underneath the windscreen, so once you pull it loose the rest should come off quite easily. I then removed the linkage and motor unit of the wipers (3 nuts to be removed - easy) and after removing the motor unit from the linkage (4 nuts - easy) was able to see if it was the linkage or the motor that was causing the problem. The motor (reconnected on its own) worked fine, while the linkage seemed seized up. So I ordered a new linkage from Audi (approx 30 pounds plus VAT) and will install everything tomorrow. Will keep you posted if that fixes it (it better!!). Just a last tip: Make sure you look out for any washers, nuts etc. They have a tendency to slip out of your hand and into the engine compartment (yes - it happened to me ). cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cribb55 Posted October 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Right -- I got the linkage from Audi, but they only supply the main bit of the linkage (the part that holds the turning spline for the wiper arm) and not the “connecting rods” that allow the whole linkage to fit together and move simultaneously. Here is a short list of the next steps, with a more detailed explanation after: 1) Take note of the linkage alignment 2) Take off connecting rods 3) Put connecting rods onto new linkage 4) Reinstall the linkage & motor In detail: 1) Make sure you take note what the exact alignment of the linkage is, as you will otherwise not get the usual up down movement of your windscreen wiper, but a “down/half up/down” motion. So make sure the linkage is aligned flat. 2) Take the connecting rods off their joints by using a screw driver to lever them off. They are just clipped onto a ball joint and will pop off. 3) Before you clip the rods onto the new linkage, make sure you lube the ball joints on the new linkage. Just clip them back on to the ball joint with help of a hammer. 4) Reattach the motor and reinstall the linkage + motor. For the other parts just reverse your instructions and reinstall all parts as taken off. cheers Lev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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