windshield wiper emergency ... - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sixto · #31 10-28-2011, 01:40 AM

But then you get that out of country surcharge...

Sixto
87 300D

BodhiBenz1987 · #32 10-28-2011, 08:33 AM

Even with the cost the rental option is so tempting ... but then the big concern is the 6 inches of snow expected Saturday ... I may get back here and then not be able to get my car home. Right now it's covered in ice and I can't go anywhere but it's supposed to clear up today. Saturday is snow all over Pa., pretty much my entire path home from here, which is 4 hours.

kerry · #33 10-28-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

But then you get that out of country surcharge...

Sixto
87 300D

There isn't one. In the past year I've rented twice in the US and driven into Canada both times. Rental companies said it's no problem and no additional cost. I'd leave my car in the rental company's lot.
However, if you're driving thru Buffalo the snow is a serious concern because Lake Erie is not frozen yet and the same concern applies to I-81 on the eastern side of Lake Ontario.

BodhiBenz1987 · #34 10-28-2011, 09:15 PM

I made it home. If it weren't for the ridiculous 10 inches of snow predicted up there where my car was, I'd have done the rental .. it was reasonable price, no out-of-country fee, and I had to pay for my hotel room up there anyway. Good to keep in mind in the future. Thankfully I had a clear day and got home without event. I'll have to channel the frustration into the repair battle.
At least the car basically went very nicely for the round trip. I used one tank of fuel and according to my calculations got 33 mpg (even filled up at the same pump on either end of the trip, actually ...) which is my best ever. I think Bodhi was glad to be out on the road again.

I did notice two things that really concern me but I'll do everyone a favor and wait until I'm in a better mood to address that.

vstech · #35 10-28-2011, 09:54 PM

looking forward to hearing your concerns with bodhi!

Yak · #36 10-29-2011, 09:34 PM

I had a similar failure with a jammed wiper motor on an Audi. There was an internal failure on the motor that prevented it from going to park, the motor drew full current for a long time but didn't move and basically became an electric heater. The current never exceeded the fuse capacity so the fuse didn't blow but the wiring got hot.

If you can unplug the wiper motor from the car, you can PROBABLY safely replace the fuse. If the wiper motor was hot, then that's probably the cause. There may be a mechanical jam elsewhere in the wiper mechanism but it sounds like the problem is a motor that's trying to move but something is stopping it. I don't think this is a short circuit-type of failure, more like a "slow burn".

BodhiBenz1987 · #37 11-03-2011, 07:36 PM

A week later, I've got the motor and mechanism out. Took me a while to figure out all the trim removal and a few clips and screws went scampering into the abyss in the process. Now that I've got it out, two questions: 1) How do I turn the center nut without the mechanism moving? It just moves the arm and I can't find a way to counterhold it. 2) How can I tell if something jammed? The linkage moves and doesn't look problematic other than some gunk on it. The motor smells, a lot, so obviously it burned itself out, but how do I tell if that happened because of a jam in the mechanism (so it doesn't happen again with the new motor)?

barry123400 · #38 11-03-2011, 08:20 PM

If your not certain about the mechanisim just get the one with the used motor off a wreck. Pretty safe component to buy used. They seldom fail. If no wrecking yard in your area is practical somebody in our parts section can supply one I think.

vstech · #39 11-03-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

A week later, I've got the motor and mechanism out. Took me a while to figure out all the trim removal and a few clips and screws went scampering into the abyss in the process. Now that I've got it out, two questions: 1) How do I turn the center nut without the mechanism moving? It just moves the arm and I can't find a way to counterhold it. 2) How can I tell if something jammed? The linkage moves and doesn't look problematic other than some gunk on it. The motor smells, a lot, so obviously it burned itself out, but how do I tell if that happened because of a jam in the mechanism (so it doesn't happen again with the new motor)?

since if failed during a drive in an ice storm, likely a buildup of ice seized the travel of something, either the gears themselves, or the blades on the glass, and the motor burned itself out attempting to move it. now that you've got it free of ice, it's got nothing holding it still!

MBeige · #40 11-03-2011, 11:04 PM

If the half-moon gear is bad, this could be a solution

Odometer Gears

BodhiBenz1987 · #41 11-03-2011, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

since if failed during a drive in an ice storm, likely a buildup of ice seized the travel of something, either the gears themselves, or the blades on the glass, and the motor burned itself out attempting to move it. now that you've got it free of ice, it's got nothing holding it still!

So what will keep it from doing the same next ice storm? Not that I'm planning to drive it in wretched weather much. I suppose it could have been a combination of tired motor + ice? It was an usually rapid buildup of ice, I have to say, maybe because I was ascending a mountain. There were chunks of ice just built up on the grille and side of the windows. I can't remember many times when chunks of ice built up like that on the highway.
As for the motor, I was just going to invest in a new one, thinking I don't really know what kind of life a used one has left on it. If I need the linkage, I think I'll go used on that ... new is $500.

BodhiBenz1987 · #42 11-03-2011, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

If the half-moon gear is bad, this could be a solution

Odometer Gears

Thanks ... the PDF posted there clears up a lot of my questions about how the mechanism works!

vstech · #43 11-03-2011, 11:14 PM

find a 91 or higher vehicle to pull linkage from if you can! I was at PNP this summer, and a 94 was sitting there with the wiper already pulled and waiting for me... but it was pulled to make room for the blower, and zero care was taken, and the mount arm was snapped... arrgh!!! I just sent my only spare one to a member. (my 95TE is for MY car!!!)
yeah, I'd bet the motor was just tired, and the ice pushed it over the edge.

sixto · #44 11-06-2011, 03:35 PM

There's also this pdf in gsxr's collection - http://www.w124performance.com/service/Index/MiscFiles/MonoWiperv2a.pdf

Sixto
87 300D

BodhiBenz1987 · #45 11-07-2011, 03:02 PM

Thanks for the additional PDF sixto. Very useful DIY!
Status update on this (and I'm beginning to see just grabbing the whole unit from a junkyard would have been much simpler): I got the old motor off and tested it by running alligator clips to the battery then to the ground and power leads, and it does turn. Not sure how to tell if it's turning with compromised power or speed? I tried to do the same with the new motor to compare, and obviously made some major error ... instead of turning the motor, the power-to post sparked and burned me (the test wire got really hot), so something is amiss. I thought maybe I reversed power and ground, but unless the motor has the opposite power-ground color system as the old one, I didn't. Can someone with electrical knowledge explain what embarrassing oversight I've made here? I did notice a difference between the motors -- the element splitting each lead from the plug to the motor (I'm sure someone can identify it). Hoping I didn't toast the brand new motor ...