Technical Would it be difficult & expensive to fix intermittent windscreen wipers?

[ThePandaFan131]

Hello, I'm looking at buying my first Panda for approximately £1,000 and found this not too far from where I live. But there's only one problem that I'm concerned about, the windscreen wipers. According to the seller, the wipers work intermittently which could be an electrical problem or the motors need replacing. As someone who has never owned a Panda before, I would like to know if this would be a big problem.

Looking forward to your response.

 

[koalar]

No guarantees

But so far we seen three or four over the last few years that have been either the motor or the stalk

Often cause by blocked drains in the scuttle area under the windscreen

We haven't ever seen a faulty body computer

Odds favour a cheapish repair, if you are willing and able to do it yourself

 

[irc]

As above.
Wipers not working on any or both speeds is often the stalk, but can also be the motor.
Wipers randomly stopping, stopping mid-wipe, suddenly going slow - almost always the motor. In most cases it can actually be fixed by dismantling and cleaning up the motor, but its much quicker to just swap with a working one if available.
Secondhand genuine parts are easy to find. Some new ones available but choice is reducing.
Completely possible to transplant a working motor onto a working mechanism to make a good one out of two bad ones.

Be careful with fingers when removing the mechanism from the car
Definitely best to disconnect battery before removal to avoid injury.
Clean out the "duckbills" at the bottom of the scuttle while the motor is out of the way, and think about re-covering the wiring loom in the middle of the scuttle to stop it chafing, while access is good.

 

[koalar]

Look carefully at the rear axle

Also check for bubbling paint on seam where the outer sill meets the floor pan especially the passengers side about 3" from the rear wheel arch,

Struts, suspension arms, exhaust also advisories on the MOT

 

[ThePandaFan131]

Look carefully at the rear axle

View attachment 467671

Also check for bubbling paint on seam where the outer sill meets the floor pan especially the passengers side about 3" from the rear wheel arch,

View attachment 467672

Struts, suspension arms, exhaust also advisories on the MOT

Don't worry, I am aware about the corrosion and I know how to treat it. Thanks for the heads-up though.