The wipers do not work: the cause of the malfunction and their elimination

15.08.2019

Issues discussed in the material:

• How and when were windshield wipers invented?
• What are the main reasons why wipers may stop working?
• How can I fix this mechanism?
• Why the rear windshield wiper may fail

When something in your car doesn't function properly, you begin to experience inconvenience and even irritation. For people who are accustomed to the perfect functioning of their personal car, driving a faulty vehicle is especially difficult. Windshield wiper failure is one of the most annoying problems. Why don't the wipers work? The cause of the malfunction can be single or complex. Let's figure it out.

History of the creation of wipers

A windshield wiper is a mechanism that removes drops of rain or dirt from the windows of a car (windshield, and sometimes rear). In the modern world, windshield wipers, or windshield wipers as they are popularly called, are usually installed on every car, train, plane or ship.

Rain, mud and snow caused a lot of trouble for drivers back in the early 20th century. The very first cars did not have windshield wipers. When the pollution was severe, the cars stopped, and the drivers themselves worked as “windshield wipers,” manually wiping the windows to improve visibility. In this case, various cleaning compounds were used.

For a very long time, the most convenient way to clean glass was to use a special scraper with a strip of rubber, with which the driver could remove dirt directly from his seat without leaving the car. At this point, it's pretty clear that this isn't the best way to improve visibility, although people had a different opinion in the early 20th century.

The patent for the first windshield wiper was received in 1903 by American Mary Anderson. She came up with this idea while moving from Alabama to New York. While traveling on a tram on a frosty day, she noticed that the driver was driving with the windshields open, as it was impossible to clean them due to heavy snowfall. She came back to Alabama and arranged with a designer and a local company to make a working device.

Her idea was to use a rubber scraper with special rods and a return spring, which made it possible to control its movements from inside the car. Using a special lever, the invented mechanism pressed a scraper with an elastic band against the glass, the device described an arc, clearing the glass of rain, snow or dirt, and returned to its original position. Similar mechanisms had been proposed before, but Mary Anderson came up with the first truly effective cleaning device.

Unfortunately, Mary Anderson's invention was not properly appreciated by her contemporaries. In 1903, the number of cars was very small, Mary Anderson's idea did not arouse enthusiasm among both car manufacturers and their buyers. Critics did not take it seriously and believed that activating the windshield wipers would distract drivers' attention from the road. Their attitude changed dramatically in 1908, when Henry Ford assembled his first car. By 1913, most machines were equipped with an invented cleaning mechanism.

Time passed, and Mary Anderson's patent ceased to be valid. As is usually the case, Mary Anderson did not make any profit from her idea. However, it is noteworthy that it was also a female inventor, Charlotte Bridgwood, who came up with the idea of ​​automating the windshield wiper. She managed the Bridgwood Manufacturing Company in New York. In 1917, Charlotte Bridgwood received a patent for the first electric roller wiper. She called it Storm Windshield Cleaner.

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The wipers stopped working: the most common reasons

Over time, every car owner is faced with the fact that the wipers suddenly stop functioning. Problems that arise reveal themselves either by a complete stop or by the appearance of extraneous sounds during operation (for example, creaking).

The mechanical part of the windshield wiper is usually very reliable. Therefore, usually wipers may not work for the following reasons:

1. Large wear-out of moving parts of the system or lack of lubrication in required places . In order for the windshield wiper mechanism to work properly and not fail for unknown reasons, inspection and maintenance are required, albeit not too often.
2. Improper use of wipers . As an example, in the winter season, before turning them on, you need to unfasten them from the glass (ideally, melt the ice on them). Failure to do this may result in fuse, motor, or drive rod failure during startup.

As a rule, the cause of windshield wiper failure is often a malfunction of the electrical part of the device:

• The hum of the motor is not heard, the wipers do not work (they do not move in any of the operating modes) . In this case, the cause may be a malfunction of the following elements: wiring, connectors, switches or gear motor.
• The wipers work, but very slowly . Most likely, the reason is also in the gear motor. The drive mechanisms may have become oxidized and rusted. Usually they need to be cleaned and lubricated or checked for correct assembly of the mechanism.
• When the intermittent mode is on, the windshield wipers operate continuously . The reason is most likely a broken relay, which will have to be replaced since it is not repairable. If the wipers are working and the sound of the motor is heard, you can also diagnose a malfunction of the breaker relay.
• You can hear the engine running, but the wipers don't move . In this case, the reason is most likely a break in the rod or contact elements.
• The windshield wiper arm does not work . The cause of the malfunction may be oxidation or damage to the contact elements of the traction rod.
• The windshield wipers do not work correctly - they do not move to their original positions . The cause of the breakdown in this case may be improper installation, problems in the contact group of the gear motor, wear or shearing of the splines on the brush drives.
• The wipers do not work when the washer fluid is applied to the windows . The cause may be a broken steering column switch or defective wiring and electrical connections.

Reasons for mechanical windshield wiper failure include:

• Self-unscrewing (full or partial) of the nut connecting the crank to the gear axle . Such a defect is easy to determine when the wipers are on, since the gear motor is working, but the brushes do not move.
• The nut securing the wiper arm is loose or its thread has been stripped . The reason may be incorrect installation of the leash in the initial position. Avoiding this is quite simple - you need to tighten the nuts with the required torque, and before final tightening you need to put the windshield wipers in the desired position.
• The wipers do not clean the glass due to a poor fit . The simplest reason is wear of the brushes themselves. The brushes simply need to be replaced. The second most common reason is poor adherence of the brushes to the glass due to mechanical interference. An option to eliminate it is to clean the wiper of foreign objects that interfere with normal pressure. But if none are found, then it is necessary to inspect the wiper mechanism, disassemble it, find and replace parts with a lot of wear.

From the above it follows that the reason that the wipers do not work can be either a malfunction of the electric motor or wiring, or a failure of the mechanical component of the vehicle unit in question. The trapezoid, the mechanism for driving and moving the wipers, is very often prone to breakdowns. Read further in the article for what to do when your windshield wiper breaks or does not work.

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Features of the operation of automobile windshield wipers

To ensure long-term and effective operation of the wipers, you must follow a few simple but effective rules. If you run out of washer fluid, do not turn on the wipers on dry glass. Do not forget about wiping the windshield from inside the cabin, since poor visibility on the street side is not always the cause. It is recommended to periodically wipe the windshield with non-aggressive detergents.

The bending areas of the brush holder lead need to be lubricated from time to time, which ensures normal pressing of the element to the glass. The water supply nozzles must be adjusted so that the maximum pressure is directed strictly into the area of ​​movement of the brushes. In winter, you should not turn on the wipers until the glass thaws. Cleaners will not help clear it of ice, but the brushes will wear out more actively.

What to do with a faulty electric motor

First check if the electric motor is working properly. To do this, first make sure that the fuse responsible for its operation is serviceable. If the engine does not spin and the fuse is in good order, it makes sense to check the integrity of the electrical wiring and that there are no broken wires or short circuits.

Very often, the gear motor for the wiper drive stops working due to foreign parts or objects getting into it, such as keys or something similar. Car owners often keep a tool under the hood so that it is always at hand in case of any problems. If you determine that the cause of the malfunction is that the electric motor does not work, then there are only two options for further action - either replace it with a new one, or give it to an auto electrician for restoration.

To replace the electric motor in the gear motor, you will only need a 12 key and a certain amount of time. It is important to pay attention to the strength of the electric motor fastening, since if it is not fastened tightly enough, it will very quickly break the trapezoid. This operation is not complicated; it is enough to put the trapezoid in the desired position so that the wipers stop in the required place.

If the wipers are not working well, the cause may be faulty electrical wiring. First, they check the fuses, which very often burn out and simply do not allow electric current to pass through. The fuse box is installed both under the hood and inside the vehicle, depending on the manufacturer and model.

Sometimes the cause of the malfunction is torn wires as a result of poor repairs. If, for example, after visiting a car service center your wipers do not work, then most likely the technicians cut the wiring and did not notice it.

It is necessary to check the electrical circuits of the windshield wipers, if possible. But it is best to take the car to a trusted auto repair shop and repair the damaged wiper power wires.

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What to do if the trapezoid “flies”

The trapezoid is one of the most complex devices in the overall mechanism of the wiper system. At the moment, no car manufacturer will provide a guarantee for the long-term operation of the windshield wiper drive mechanism.

Elementary jamming of the wipers or their increased pressing into the glass, illiterate activation of the wipers (for example, glass frozen in frost) - all this can cause the trapezoid to break.

In order for the mechanism to start working normally again, the following measures can be taken:

• Buying and replacing a trapezoid with a new one is the best option for domestic cars; their windshield wiper mechanism is estimated at 1000–1500 rubles.
• For foreign-made cars, buying a new trapezoid will be quite expensive; here it is more advisable to repair or replace the parts that caused the mechanism to fail.
• It is common for trapezoid bushings and tips to break. They are often made of plastic and cannot withstand extreme cold at all, they crack, and they are most often replaced.
• If it is very difficult to find a repair kit for the trapezium of your car, you can try to find bushings and other necessary spare parts from the mechanisms of other cars of the same class or close to them.
• The trapezoid must be changed if the repairs made do not eliminate the malfunction, or if subsequently, when the mechanism is working, extraneous knocks are heard.

Any sounds coming from the trapezoid may be a warning sign. This call signals that the entire device may stop working. This is not a reason to immediately replace the trapezoid. You can continue to operate the device until it completely breaks down, or try to eliminate play and gaps in its components using ordinary tools. This simple job can usually be done right outside or in the garage.

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Actions in case of faulty steering column switches

Nowadays, in most cars, windshield wipers are activated by turning on the steering wheel stalks. The latter must be reliable, perform efficiently and provide the necessary signals to turn on the windshield wipers. Most often, the handle breaks, the switch does not transmit signals, and this is precisely the reason why the wipers do not work.

But this failure can be eliminated by the following steps:

• It is necessary to free the steering column from the plastic attachments in order to see the places and method of attaching the steering column switches. To perform this simple job you only need to unscrew a few bolts;
• With the switch removed, when using a tester, it is easy to check its performance by connecting the probes to different contacts in turn and turning on different operating modes of the wipers;
• if the switch itself breaks, it is usually replaced with a new one; installing it is as simple as removing it;
• if all the equipment works, then you need to look for other reasons - most likely, you need to check the switch connection contacts.

Often the cause of the malfunction is that the wires that need to be put in place are simply disconnected from the terminals of the steering column switch. Most likely, after studying and conducting a complete analysis of the causes of electrical failures, you will be able to quickly diagnose problems and easily bring the system into working order. No special abilities or highly specialized devices are required. All you have to do is to properly restore the operation of simple windshield wiper systems.

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Windshield wiper design elements

Design features depend on the type of device and the type of fastening elements. The standard windshield wiper circuit consists of the following parts:

• lever drive (trapezoid);
• leashes;
• relay for controlling operating modes;
• electronic control unit (if equipped);
• electric motor with gearbox;
• hinged fastenings;
• brushes

Design of windshield wipers Additionally, control devices are provided. For example, for manual control, a steering column switch for windshield wiper operation modes is used, and for automatic mode, a special electronic control unit and a sensor for analyzing glass contamination (rain sensor) are installed in the vehicle.

How to fix relay problems

When the windshield wiper is not operating intermittently, the blades often do not return to their original position. In this case, the cause of the problem is a faulty relay. At the same time, the wipers operate in continuous mode, as well as in the accelerated windshield cleaning mode. The reason is that these operating modes bypass the breaker relay; they are connected directly to the switch contacts. If the windshield wiper breaker relay fails, then simply replace it using the following procedure:

• Find the location of the relay installation in the car - on the Internet, in the instruction manual, or from information from specialists.
• Then remove the non-working relay from its original place, rewrite the device number to eliminate an error when purchasing a new replacement part.
• Next, in an online store or a regular store, purchase the necessary part from the original manufacturer, focusing on the device number.
• When you receive the part you need from the seller, be sure to review it. Make sure this is the exact part that the manufacturer installed on your vehicle at the factory.
• Install the new relay in its original place with the ignition and steering column switch turned off.
• Turn the ignition key to the "on" position and check how the wipers work with the new relay.

On inexpensive cars, the wiper operating modes are quite simple. They can be modified by installing a relay from a standard manufacturer, but with different output data. It is popular to replace a simple car relay in the basic configuration with a special one, with the ability to adjust the pause between the operation of the wipers. This option makes the driver’s work easier and also increases traffic safety.

Total

Windshield wiper failure can occur for quite trivial reasons:

• fuse F5 burned out;
• the terminals of the connecting blocks are oxidized or burnt;
• wires are faulty;
• relay K5 524.3747 broke;
• ordered the steering column switch to “live for a long time”;
• the nut that attracts the trapezoid crank to the gearbox has become loose;
• the nuts securing the levers to the trapezoid shafts were unscrewed;
• The brushes are frozen to the glass.

Often, wipers on models of the VAZ 2110 family do not work due to complex faults:

• oxidation/burning, insufficient pressing force of the contacts of the limit switch located on the gearbox cover;
• brushes hanging in the gearmotor;
• burnout/contamination of the collector;
• break in the armature winding;
• chipping of gear teeth in the gearbox.