Windshield wiper arms

[redspire]

With all this crappy icy and snowy weather I think I may have ruined my passenger side wiper arm. What did it was this morning with I had a few inches of snow and ice on top of my car and the last time I drove I left the wipers on and when I started it this morning they tried to actually turn on. the drivers side one went but the passenger side did. When I finally cleared it off the passenger side arm only reached to about the middle of the windshield and when they finish their rotation (settle at the bottom) the passenger arm slides the whole way down onto the hood. Any help here? what's broken? Thanks guys!

[sketchman]

I bet it's the linkage under the cowl that links the wiper motor to the arms. I've experienced exactly what you did before. It was the linkage coming loose and not turning the arm anymore. Pretty easy to fix if that's what it is.

[redspire]

What do I do to fix that? Remove the nut then the arm? Then what?

[sketchman]

By fix I meant replace. I don't know how you'd fix it. IIRC the linkage is a flimsy pressed together thing that you need to throw away. I'm not sure what kind of metal it is though. Might be able to get it tig-ed back tight enough.

You have to take both wiper arms off, then pop off the rubber cover and there will be a thin nut holding the stem to the cowl. Then you have to snake it out through the hole in the firewall where the motor is mounted, IIRC. It's been a while since I did it.

[redspire]

I bet I can't find this part anywhere new?

[sketchman]

fourgreen has it. A group buy is being put together right now.

KKY0167360

[bravekozak]

Aluminum diecast wiper arms support that is pushed onto a steel, taper broached spindle.
The wiper arm is meant to be sacrificial and strip (unless you've grossly exceeded the torque spec). So that you don't break the wiper transmission or burn out the wiper motor. Get another wiper arm from the junkyard. Just don't ask me how to change the wiper blades.

[redspire]

forgot to mention that this is for an Aspire. Would they be the same part?

[sketchman]

Oooh. No idea there. Sorry.

[Icedawg]

I don't think you need to replace the mechanism, certainly don't do that first. The wiper arm has splines where it goes on the rotating "pin" for lack of the right word. Those can slip. Since your arm still moves, but goes only half way and then goes down into the hood (if it could) the most likely problem is the splines slipped, and the arm just needs to be taken off and placed back where it belongs.

Undo the nut that holds the arm in place, wiggle the arm and tap lightly with a hammer to break it free of the "pin". Put it back on at the position you believe the arm should be at for where you turned off the wipers. Screw the nut back on and tighten it, then test. You might have to reposition once or twice.

The mechanism pin's splines might be damaged, but even when they are badly worn, just tightening the nut that holds the arm on the pin usually gives enough tension to make it work.

[bravekozak]

Great news. I finally figured out how to get my wipers off my wiper arms.
They were not original wipers. I bought a pair of Ford Festiva wiper blades E8BZ-17528-A. They have pins on them. There are no holes to stick them into. The wiper arms just curl at the end. Does anyone know what part I'm missing? I don't see it on any parts diagrams.