Windshield Wipers Stuck

laserfixr

Member
I have a problem with my wipers where when you first turn on the switch, the wiper blades will move all the way to the right side (passenger side) and just stop. I can get up, reach over the windshield and move the passenger side blade they will start to wipe again, but as soon as it moves back to that far right position again it stops and I must nudge it to get it moving again. I tried moving the left (drivers side) wiper to try and get it unstuck but it won't budge. I can only get it to move by moving the right side. Is there any adjustment for this problem? Maybe the posts that go thru the hood are sticking or damaged. I don't think it is the motor because it wipes normally except in that one position. This problem was intermittant for a while but now it seems to happen all the time. I sprayed water on the windshield while trying to get the wiper blades unstuck, thimking that the dry rubber blades were sticking to the windshield but that made no difference. Any ideas? Thanks
 
Remove the nut that holds the linkage arm to the motor. Then turn on the motor and check the operation. Next, move the wipers from side to side and check for the linkage binding or hitting something in their path.
 

chasgould

New Member
This sounds like the linkage arm under the cowl is binding at the fulcrum point where it goes past its extreme position in order to reverse the motion of the blade. It has nothing to do with the blade binding on the glass. You need to get to the linkage arm, and if you are lucky, lubrication may resolve it, if the bushing is worn out, it may have to be replaced.
Chas


I have a problem with my wipers where when you first turn on the switch, the wiper blades will move all the way to the right side (passenger side) and just stop. I can get up, reach over the windshield and move the passenger side blade they will start to wipe again, but as soon as it moves back to that far right position again it stops and I must nudge it to get it moving again. I tried moving the left (drivers side) wiper to try and get it unstuck but it won't budge. I can only get it to move by moving the right side. Is there any adjustment for this problem? Maybe the posts that go thru the hood are sticking or damaged. I don't think it is the motor because it wipes normally except in that one position. This problem was intermittant for a while but now it seems to happen all the time. I sprayed water on the windshield while trying to get the wiper blades unstuck, thimking that the dry rubber blades were sticking to the windshield but that made no difference. Any ideas? Thanks
 

jfriese

Active Member
Hi,

This is an adjustment problem with the wiper connecting levers. I did a story on how to adjust these a few years ago that was in the newsletter tech section. See if someone can pull up that story or post again and I'll try to email you my original copy for the story.

John Friese
67 White
67 Red
 

laserfixr

Member
Hi John,
I would very much appreciate a copy of the adjustment procedure for
the wiper connecting levers. Could you email it to: _laserfixr@aol.com_
(mailto:laserfixr@aol.com) Thanks

_


In a message dated 9/21/2010 11:19:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:

Hi,

This is an adjustment problem with the wiper connecting levers. I did a
story on how to adjust these a few years ago that was in the newsletter tech
section. See if someone can pull up that story or post again and I'll try
to email you my original copy for the story.

John Friese
67 White
67 Red
 

jfriese

Active Member
Here is an edited version of the original article for everyone to see.


Adjusting Amphicar Wiper Linkages

The Problem: Wipers jam with possible damage to cowl area around windshield wiper pivots.

Stop the wipers at the furthest point in their sweep, by simply turning off the ignition, and check the position of the right hand “underside” arm. You want to be sure that a little bit of additional force (representing a wave or wiper inertia), pushing the right hand wiper to the outside, is not able to over rotate that lower arm past the line of the pivot. The fix is to simply lengthen the linkage from the arm to the motor. Remove the wiper arms, before you restart the system, since fooling with these linkages changes the positions of the arms on the pivots. While you’re working under there, you want to check to see that the two lower arms are coordinated. This is simply making sure that the connecting link between the pivots is adjusted to the same distance as the distance that separates the pivots. Sounds complicated, but it’s simple. With the motor linkage disconnected adjust the position of one of those lower arms to be perpendicular to the edge of the trunk compartment. I simply held a Popsicle stick along the side of the lower arm, with the end sticking out so that I could see its position. Then check the angle of the other lower arm. If it’s not also perpendicular to the edge of the trunk, adjust the length of the connecting link to make it so.

I believe that the motor drive rod length to the right hand pivot is the most critical adjustment. It’s the right pivot that’s most likely to over rotate, though the left arm could do it too. You simply have to be sure that the motor drive arm linkage length is long enough that any reasonable amount of additional rotating force is not able to force the pivot arm to over rotate and jam and, if you’ve also done the “perpendicular” adjustment, the left lower arm should also be in the correct position. Once those lower arms and linkages are correct, reinstall the wiper arms.


John Friese
67 White
67 Red
 
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