Headlight Wiper Motors

[banben]

I am getting some front end body work done on my 1994 E320. After it was put back together the drivers side headlight wiper started running backward i.e. wiping down toward the bumper instead of across the headlight. The body shop couldn't figure it out so they took it into the local Mercedes dealer.
The dealer examined it and says there are 2 passenger side wiper motors on the car but I am told that the wiper motors were not changed out. Is there a way that the polarity could have gotten switched on the motor?
Any other ideas. Thanks

[babymog]

I can't remember the wiring, but if the wiring was messed with, then yes.

The wipers on both sides should have the motor through the trim panel toward the outside end of the headlamp and lay toward the center/foglamp.

There are two styles of 124 headlamp wipers: The US version '86-'93 comes out below the foglamp side of the headlamp and has an 80degree bend in the wiper arm, the Euro version which is the same as the '94-'95 (yours) 124 comes out below the center of the headlamp portion and has a 45degree arm. Click my photo above to see the Euro + '94/'95 arrangement.

I don't know if a left could be mounted on a right etc., seems like the mounting wouldn't line up correctly, I'd check for a polarity problem, or the possibility that the arm just wasn't put on the axle in the correct position: run the wipers with the arm off, then put it on laying along the bottom of the lense pointing toward the center of the car. Should wipe correctly.

[compu_85]

If you remove the wiper motor from the bracket it is easy to put a left one on the right side, and right on the left. I have the wipers on my SDL set up like that right now actually...

-J

[MBeige]

On a side note, and hopefully will help, do the wipers wipe the headlights simultaneously? Or is one slightly faster than the other (to ensure that there still is some light thrown into the road)? I know that on some newer models the headlight washers come on at one side first then the other, for the same reason.

[compu_85]

They wipe at the same time. (On the 86+ cars I think, don't know about the earlier ones) The squirting of the washer fluid is controlled by the position of the passenger side wiper. When they are wiping they don't really block that much light.

-J