1987 560SL; wipers not moving

[ElyMayor]

I am a new member here and I can't seem to locate any posts on this topic? 1987 560SL; wipers not moving.

The motor is running(I can hear it). The blades move freely when manually activated, and only move 1-2 degrees when the motor goes thru its cycle. Is there a linkage or transmission to check out? How do I get access to the motor location to check for a linkage problem? They were working fine as I was driving down the highway, with my cruise control on. First the cruise control just quit working. About a half hour later the wiper quit. I am sure they aren't related but I couldn't help but wonder what the next surprise would be as I was driving down the road. Luckily, nothing else. This is my 4th SL and I LOVE them!

My name is Ed and I love this site!

[ElyMayor]

What I am really looking for here is some advice as to where do I look to fix the wiper problem? I can't seem to figure out where the motor lives. Thanks, and Later, Ed.

[GermanMarque]

Ed,
As yours is the same body style as the 280/350sl's. The wiper control arms live in the plennum chamber ahead of the windscreen. Those two grill covers either side in the front of the windscreen provide the access. Find the ends of the arms and you'll find the motor. Have you tried removing the wiper arms first and then trying the wiper motor to see if the spindles where the wiper arms fit rotate? If they do, hold them, putting some resistance on them, if they still turn despite your finger grip, check the splines are not worn on the spindles and inside your wiper arms. Are the splines intact or are they rotating within the actual wiper arms due to wear? If they don't rotate it's a journey into the "chamber"! to check the drag link of the wiper operating assembly where it joins the wiper motor itself to see if it's still connected at that point. I'm not sure if the Benz runs an eccentric external of the wiper motor to operate the drag link. If your initial checks reveal all's connected, however not actuating the wiper link it has to be in the wiper motor itself. A problem with the internal gear in the wiper motor, having either jammed or sheared it's teeth. Check the simple things first before looking for more serious problems. Hope that helps.

[ElyMayor]

Thanks. I'll work on it in a day or so. Do I have to drill out the rivets holding the slotted chamber covers in place? Driver / Pass / Both? Later, Ed.

[GermanMarque]

Ed,
Drilling out the rivets is a last resort. Try the simple tests first even just folding the wipers back to their stops off the screen and have someone turn on the wipers on. See if they make any attempt to move without the friction of blades on glass. You'll be able to feel and see any movement at the spindles projectingfrom the bodywork. Check and clean the fuse contacts, it could be a simple intermittent electrical fault. Eliminate the easy things first before looking for major faults, it could be something really simple. Alot of older Mercs have the aluminium fuses in the fuse box. The aluminium reacts with the metal fuse contacts and cause electrical problems, a good idea to replace with ceramic fuses with copper filaments, cheap insurance and off topic sorry.

[ElyMayor]

... replace with ceramic fuses with copper filaments, cheap insurance ...
Where do I get these? It seems like EVERYBODY talks about this and mine are still the old Aluminum.

I will try your suggestions but the motor runs and the wipers move freely when I handle them from outside the car. I was driving along and they were working. It was not raining hard so I am the kind of guy who uses the wipers FREQUENTLY for only ONE cycle. That is to say, I was turning them on and off every 30 seconds or so. When they quit I heard a disturbing noise in accompaniment. Also, the wipers still lift about 1" at the very tip when I activate the switch. I do so much appreciate the help that people give one another on this website. I hope I will be able to return favors at sometime. Later, Ed.

[GermanMarque]

Ed,
Sounds like your probelm is electrical not mechanical. The fuses. Fastlane, the providers of this Site! They stock them just go to the top of this page. Try replacing all your fuses with copper ceramic first before going further. Your wiper blades also may just be brittle and need replacing, only a thought.

[ElyMayor]

GermanMarque - Check this out:

1987 560SL; wipers not moving

[GermanMarque]

An accurate diagnosis and easy to follow step by step guide. This site is terrific for the help it provides owners to maintain and restore their vehicles. The information I passed on was from advice, in good faith of a Mercedes trained mechanic here in Australia, with respect to electrical and the apparent location and preliminary checks regarding wiper fault identification. I do give you full credit for this response and for fixing the problem. I will be having a word with this mechanic. Thank you for solving the problem and providing a future reference guide.

[ElyMayor]

GermanMarque: " ... This site is terrific for the help it provides owners to maintain and restore their vehicles. ... " You can say that again! Thank you for your concern about my problem and let's all keep sharing info. Later, Ed.