total_runout

I'm having some recent issues with the windshield wiper operation that doesn't look good. It's giving me the "Windscreen Wipers Defective" error on the center display, but only intermittently (no pun intended).

When I do get the error, upon trying to move the wipers, sometimes they operate just fine and other times they won't move at first but after cycling to a couple different modes (mist, intermittent, low, high) it will catch and they will start working again. I can hear the motor trying when they don't work, but after a cycling of the modes they catch everything seems fine.

The first thought is that the control unit/motor assembly has gone bad as that's the usual culprit. But that's a ~$300 part and I'm hesitant to just throw solutions at it immediately.

I'm thrown off by the fact that it only does this on about every other startup and it seems to right itself and work fine. Additionally, I'm hearing something like a strained or slipping gear tooth mesh.

With that in mind, it makes me think that the motor is fine, but either the linkage is bent, a bushing is worn out, or a gear inside the motor is stripped. I'm not totally in love with that theory because that kind of failure would likely not throw an error code to the computer - unless there's a load alarm built into the circuit that is set off my increased load (amps) being drawn by the motor.

I would love to watch this unit in action, but it appears there is a circuit prevention that won't allow the wipers to operate when the hood is up.

In summary, two questions to help me get started:
1. Is there a way to bypass the hood signal so I can watch the wiper linkage operate while the hood is up?
2. Can the drive motor be disassembled and the main gears be replaced individually rather than change the entire motor and control unit?

Thanks in advance for any help.

LuvToGoFast

Any solution? I am having the exact same issue...

webco

I'm having that problem now. How did you resolve it?
Thanks,
Bill