W115 wiper linkage

[katja]

It's raining a lot so I decided to once again try to work on reconnecting my wiper linkage. The previous owner "broke" it when turning the wipers on when the right blade was frozen to the windshield on a cold day. The left wiper works fine, and the right one is intact up to the point where the linkage connects internally to the left one. I took both arms off today, removed the glove box and the panel under the steering wheel, and can access the right side linkage from the glove box, but can't find where it connects to the left side. I can hear it clank around as I move it. I'm hoping it just needs to be reconnected, but how and where do I get at it? The CD manual didn't help me much.
Thanks,

AC
1976 240D "Katja"

[Tristar1959]

If your left hand wiper is working properly, then the linkage between motor and the left shaft inner arm/lever is intact - and you've already sighted that the right END of the right hand rod is connected to the right hand shaft's inner actuating arm -
The remaining balljoint (which probably popped off its 'ball' under the stress of trying to move an entire windshield) is on an L-shaped lever, concentric with the left shaft, whose other leg is the rod coming over from the motor gearbox's rotating arm.
Access is gained by removing the dash underpanel on the driver's side (take care with the screws and old cardboard), which you've already done, then reaching up and finding that crank (directly behind the L wiper shaft) and "popping" the left end of the right wiper's linkage back onto the arm's ball pin.
C A U T I O N
Be careful of your oil pressure gauge line, temp gauge braided line, and instrument wiring harness, while poking about up there behind the instrument cluster.
You may want to check (with fingertip) that the plastic joint "liner" is intact, and greased, before you pop it back on.
You may also want an assistant to help position the arm up, from the glovebox side, to help you locate it onto the pin.
SAFETY SUGGESTION:
Make SURE no power can get to the combination switch, to make it more difficult to pinch/crush fingertips if and when you bump teh switch, while maneuvering about under the steering column...

Happy grunting and reaching.

Stan

[Tristar1959]

Katja,

I just went out and eyeballed the exposed linkages in the remains of a W115 - and verified all the above. The rod from RH side back to the L-arm at the LH wiper is one tubular rod with flattened ends into which the balljoints go - no other pieces-parts between them. It is highly unlikely that such a robust tube could have fractured, vs popping off a balljoint, so if that RH end looks intact, it almost has to be the LH joint, especially if you can move it about somewhat where it passes above the heater muffin fan housing. For orientation, that rod is almost straight, just slightly curved to fit over the muffin fan, so it's essentially pointing at the balljoint; the other coordinate is just to the right of the LH wiper's shaft - and yes, it's WAY up there, above and to the right of the pedal bracket.
In the unlikely event that it is a fractured arm of the "L" lever, between the LH wiper's inner shaft and the balljoint end, I could pull the crank and LH shaft mechanism off the W115 for you - but thankfully, my dash and heater/A-C box are all out of there, and I can stare at them from anywhere in the car...

Given how much fun it is to pull out one of these dashes and heater boxes, if you can't pop that balljoint back on the pin, you might consider doing what my Dad had to do with his father, in their Model A, when the handcrank fell off - tie a string to the wiper arm passing back through the vent windows, and always take a small, obedient child with you when it rains or snows, to pull the string back and forth upon command

Stan

[katja]

After many unsuccessful attempts the answer finally came to me: Remove the gauge cluster. It is so much easier to reach the linkage point that way. I also turned the wipers on so the left arm was vertical, turned the key off at that point & disconnected the battery.

Looking in from under the dash I could reach up and touch the left side linkage fairly easily through the large opening where the gauge cluster was. It was a matter of trial & error positioning the right wiper arm so its linkage lined up exactly with the ball joint of the left arm. Once it finally mated, I guided a screwdriver carefully from under the dash so it touched the right side linkage and tapped the end with a hammer gently to pop it back in place. Both wipers work now, yay! I love the way they look on these classic Mercedes.

And while I was replacing the gauge cluster, that silly dash dimmer switch fell out. It never worked properly anyway and my spare from a 220d cluster seemed to be completely broken, so I removed it entirely and put a jumper wire between the two terminals. Now I have nice bright dash lights - I hope it's not running over its design voltage though without the dimmer in the circuit.

The right side wiper chatters a little - hopefully this is just a matter of adjusting the arm a bit.

Next - to fix the windshield washer pump. Nothing happens when I press the floor switch. How is it supposed to work? I had filled the washer fluid tank and reconnected the lines, but perhaps the previous owner had run it out of fluid and burned up the pump or something.

-AC

[JimFreeh]

chattering can be the result of the wiper arm being bent.

Arm needs to be parallel to the windshield. If the end is twisted, you can induce chattering.

Jim

[bhahl]

There is no electric washer pump, but rather a bladder that you must manually pump with your foot. The bladder may have rotted out.