Technical Windscreen wiper arm reset

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Technical Windscreen wiper arm reset

Yes that's what I'm saying.

The second time I put them back I took the arms off, cycled the wiper mechanism, reseated the arms on their shafts where they should go, and then tested. Whereupon they slammed into the scuttle as if they were trying to wipe the bonnet.

I then tried some other positions to see if they helped me understand what the mechanism might be doing.
Though... black marker? Top spline?
 
Put some tape on the spindles to act as a flag

Post a video so we can visualise what’s going on

Keep it short under 5 second’s usually upload fine from my phone

Your telling us it was working fine before you cleaned the scuttle and now it doesn’t.

We’re the nuts or arms really tough to remove
 
Put some tape on the spindles to act as a flag

Post a video so we can visualise what’s going on

Keep it short under 5 second’s usually upload fine from my phone

Your telling us it was working fine before you cleaned the scuttle and now it doesn’t.

We’re the nuts or arms really tough to remove
What are we looking for?

Not massively tough no. A bit of resistance, but nothing arm bending or spline stripping. Why?
 
My bet is the scuttle cover clips (white "nylon") have broken so its not sitting correctly. Good luck buying new ones for reasonable cost. Part number is 71732949. Eleven (11) are used under the black scuttle cover.
 
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My Panda has setting marks for the wiper arms etched into the 'screen. They're a pair of small dots which line up with the ends of the wiper blades.

The idea is that you cycle the wipers with the arms off, then replace the arms so that the ends of the blades line up with the dots.

Now my memory may be failing me, and I could be confusing this with another car, but IIRC the wiper shafts on mine are tapered, not splined, so the arms can be set anywhere and therefore can be adjusted precisely. However, just like an unkeyed cam sprocket, this offers endless possibilities to go wrong and get into difficulties, rather than just being a spline (or tooth) out.
 
My bet is the scuttle cover clips (white "nylon") have broken so its not sitting correctly. Good luck buying new ones for reasonable cost. Part number is 71732949. Eleven (11) are used under the black scuttle cover.
Yes I smashed half of them, and bought half a dozen new ones from shop4parts. How would a poorly seated (though it doesn't look too bad) scuttle result in the wipers smashing, full force, into the scuttle, like the system is working backwards?
 
My Panda has setting marks for the wiper arms etched into the 'screen. They're a pair of small dots which line up with the ends of the wiper blades.

The idea is that you cycle the wipers with the arms off, then replace the arms so that the ends of the blades line up with the dots.

Now my memory may be failing me, and I could be confusing this with another car, but IIRC the wiper shafts on mine are tapered, not splined, so the arms can be set anywhere and therefore can be adjusted precisely. However, just like an unkeyed cam sprocket, this offers endless possibilities to go wrong and get into difficulties, rather than just being a spline (or tooth) out.
What would you expect to see if they aren't perfectly lined up?
 
What are we looking for?
We need to know what’s gone wrong. Keep ask why isn't helping.

Post a video would save so much time.


Not massively tough no. A bit of resistance, but nothing arm bending or spline stripping. Why?
If it’s not working correctly something must be damaged. Normally due to being forced

Without see it we can only guess as to what or if something wrong.
 
We need to know what’s gone wrong. Keep ask why isn't helping.

Post a video would save so much time.



If it’s not working correctly something must be damaged. Normally due to being forced

Without see it we can only guess as to what or if something wrong.
I'll get on it when I'm not at work, but it would help if I knew what to look for.

So you're looking for signs of damage which might have occurred due to applying too much force to the retaining nut? Okay, I'll have a look when I get round to getting the scuttle off again. Which components should I be paying most attention to?
 
I'll get on it when I'm not at work, but it would help if I knew what to look for.

So you're looking for signs of damage which might have occurred due to applying too much force to the retaining nut? Okay, I'll have a look when I get round to getting the scuttle off again. Which components should I be paying most attention to?
We need to know what happens to both spindles the moment they start to move

Are they both moving together

Do they both turn only anti clockwise


For example it’s not unusual for one of the linkage ball sockets to fall off or get badly worn and so on


We are not there, without enough information we can only wildly guess
 
We need to know what happens to both spindles the moment they start to move

Are they both moving together

Do they both turn only anti clockwise


For example it’s not unusual for one of the linkage ball sockets to fall off or get badly worn and so on


We are not there, without enough information we can only wildly guess
 
When they were last in the regular position they both immediately turned clockwise and didn't stop until I killed the ignition. I'll go and take em off and put some markers on as you suggest, but does that sound like a symptom of a detached or worn linkage? Is that what I'm looking for?
 
they both immediately turned clockwise and didn't stop until I killed the ignition.
Doesn’t make sense

They twist about 90 degrees clockwise and anti clockwise alternatively

I suspect the arms are spinning on the tapper and can’t lift the arms upwards only downwards


 
Doesn’t make sense

They twist about 90 degrees clockwise and anti clockwise alternatively

I suspect the arms are spinning on the tapper and can’t lift the arms upwards only downwards


View attachment 418260
1675439679759.gif
 
Been watching this thread and just wonder if the arms have been put on in the wrong direction so they go down instead of up at the start of the sweep........ the wipers move clockwise when sat in the drivers seat of a RHD and anti clockwise if LHD.......
 
Been watching this thread and just wonder if the arms have been put on in the wrong direction so they go down instead of up at the start of the sweep........ the wipers move clockwise when sat in the drivers seat of a RHD and anti clockwise if LHD.......
How would I have managed that? How would I check?
 
Doesn’t make sense

They twist about 90 degrees clockwise and anti clockwise alternatively

I suspect the arms are spinning on the tapper and can’t lift the arms upwards only downwards


View attachment 418260
If they turn 90 degrees clockwise from rest with the arms on, I'm not waiting for them to "complete" that before killing the ignition am I? Not with the wipers slamming into the scuttle and jamming there in a big tangle, as I described.
I'm just off now to take em off and see what they do with just tape on as you suggest.
 
If they turn 90 degrees clockwise from rest with the arms on, I'm not waiting for them to "complete" that before killing the ignition am I? Not with the wipers slamming into the scuttle and jamming there in a big tangle, as I described.
I'm just off now to take em off and see what they do with just tape on as you suggest.
They don’t
They turn anti clockwise from rest looking from the bonnet


All this could easily be diagnosed if you post pictures and videos

The arms run diagonally should start bottom left and rise to top right as per photo in post 10

Would it not be a good idea to lift the arms up while testing if you having problems
 
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