endrop - for all your online needs

Technical Stranded Panda With No Wiper Eeekkk

Currently reading:
Technical Stranded Panda With No Wiper Eeekkk

JuicyLucy

JuicyLucy

Super Panda
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
178
Points
29
Location
Dorchester
I am looking for a bit of advice really. This is the current situation....
Arthur the Panda Colour is stranded at work about 20 miles away (got a lift home in a colleagues Landy :D) The problem is, if hopefully this snow subsides over the weekend I will need to pick my car up and get the wiper arm fixed back onto the motor. It fell of a couple of days ago due to threads going on spindle and arm so nothing to hold it in place. Anyway got it fixed by a local garage who also serviced my car and they drilled holes through and bolted it back on. This worked ok for a couple of days and I thought 'great' but this morning going to work it came off again and I had to stop every couple of miles to clear the windscreen of snow. The garage said they can have a look at it again tomorrow all being well that I can get it there without a wiper but they are having really bad trouble getting parts through due to snow. I desperately need the car to be ok for Monday to get to work as I live in the sticks!
Any suggestions on quick fixes that will hold?? I suggested to the garage whether they could weld it on until a new motor/ spindle/ arm contraption is delivered but this could be some time.
Any advice would be greatly received...are there any other motors or spindles which would be compatable or will I need a special panda one??
Thanks for reading this long essay :eek::eek:
 
Stongly advise against any form of welding in that area and do not let them use Superglue either.

If they drilled and bolted but the arm came off again, they could not have made a very good job of it.

Carefully line drilling the arm and spindle ( bearing in mind that the centre spindle shaft may be hardened ) and fitting a bolt with locknut would be the better option. This would allow the arm to be removed again, when the new parts arrive and even with a hole drilled through, both items would still be useable.

Rgds.
 
If you can still bolt the wiper arm onto the spindle try putting a layer or two of tin foil (the common or garden kitchen variety) over the worn splines in the wiper arm and bolt it back on as tightly as you can. I had this exact same problem once and it worked for me. Good luck.
 
Thanks I will certainly try the foil, it may give it a bit more to grip to! Thnks also Petel for the tip on not welding it!! The drilled hole I noticed tody wasn't all the way through just on either side of the motor spindle with two screws attached to the arm. It worked for a couple of days though just hope after some tweeking with foil it will hold out longer until parts come!!
 
Here's a good get you home tip if the wiper falls off.

Remove the rear windscreen wiper and fit it to the front. They're used less and have a smaller load so their splines are usually much better.

It's quite a small arc to see through and you have to lean to the left, but it will do until you sort something more permanent out.
 
I now have foil sandwiched between the arm and the motor spindle so fingers crossed for tomorrow as being in teh South West we are due to severe storms! I did wonder whether the front and back wiper arms were inter changeable so thats good to know if I get stuck again. Fiat parts aparently are a nightmare to get hold of at the moment because of the weather but we shall see. I will let you know of developements :)
 
Hello,
Sorry for going AWOL been busy the last few days with relatives weddings and wot not!
The foil seems to be working a treat if it is a bit rickety. I am trying to use the wiper only when necessary in case it falls off again.
I have telephoned my local garage twice for them to get a price off Fiat which seems to be taking ages. The last time I phoned was Friday and they needed the VIN number to make sure they were ordering the correct part and haven't heard anything since.
I will get in touch with them again tomorrow and report back as it would be interesting to hear what they quote! :D
 
You should only need to renew the wiper arm, not the whole mechanism. The arm is constructed from cast aluminium I believe, which is softer than the metal that the spindle is made from. It will be the splines on the arm that are worn away, not the ones on the spindle. The splines on the spindle will look bad because they're clogged up with aluminium.
 
Ok, The motor seems to be out of the window anyway as Fiat have got back to the garage and they no longer stock the part. I have had a few peeps on the FF offer help/ parts etc, but I am hoping default_user is right as the motor seems to be functioning ok just not holding the arm in place. I am going to see if I can get a 'plate' which Fiat may stock to replace the spindle bit and not the whole motor. The worse case senario would be for the garage to fabricate it which they have offered to do if it comes to it! The mechanic is trying to track down a copy part, if there is one, from a manufacturer who supply to Fiat.
Will keep you informed as it seems like a common problem! :D
 
I bought a good condition wiper arm off Aquamarine the other day for a fiver, so bargain and fitted it at the weekend. It lasted about 5 mins before it fell off again so it looks like I will need a new motor/ motor linkage. I think the problem is the fact that after cleaning the motor spindle of crap metal bits, there wasn't much left for the arm to hold onto, what with the hole drilled through etc.
Anyway my queston is will I now have to get the whole motor, which seems ok or does the linkage come come off in which case may be able to buy 2nd hand?
Looks like this palarva is going to carry on until next winter at this rate lol!
 
Whole motor i think Lucy...just sold mine to pandavan. I will keep an eye out at the breakers for you as i understand they are expensive. If not use Araldite glue..that hold anything in place!!!!..might have a prob getting it off though!!! Haha....kev
 
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
I have had a couple of FF members come to my rescue and offer motors but I need to have a look at the make of the one on mine as there appears to be two types for imported pandas into the UK. At the moment it is pouring with rain so will have a look when it clears. There are a couple of things I would like from the Ebay advert too!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
General Fiat panda with uno engine conversion issue
Replies
7
Views
355
Good104
G
Triumph66
General Rear Wiper size
Replies
3
Views
186
Johnbee
Johnbee
T
General Rear wiper arm
Replies
9
Views
472
Pugglt Auld Jock
Pugglt Auld Jock
T
  • Question
General I have a Fiat Panda that does not have an Imperial, but does have square cutouts in the roof with thread (M6).
Replies
6
Views
157
rmjbn1
rmjbn1
H
General Can I tow a 1988 Panda 4x4 with the front wheels on a dolly?
Replies
5
Views
322
bugsymike
B
Back
Top