dmstom33

• 2009 RL
• 5 Speed Automatic with Technology Package
• Grigio Metallic/Taupe

Taken 07/2016

dmstom33

Wiper Motor Replacement, Jan 2017 - picked it up off ebay ($40 including shipping ) from an insurance total junkyard out of Georgia. Just FYI, I'm not the person who uses the wipers to clear the windscreen, so I'm not entirely sure why the motor needed to be replaced... Just ticked that it isn't covered under the 2.0G recall.

Note: for the 2.5G, just understand you're replacing the entire assembly, not just the motor itself. As the threads say, be gentle with the arms when you're removing them (or moving between summer/winter positions!). I used a silicone lube on the nuts and tapped lightly with a small brass hammer to loosen them.

dmstom33

Okay, sorry about that 2nd post - I thought I had added captions to a lot of those pictures from the wiper motor replacement....

Tools I used:
super long/thin flathead screwdriver (8"); needlenose pliers; flex-neck magnet (only because I dropped the #$%^&* nut down into the wiper motor hole!); two short/stubby flathead screwdrivers (maybe 2" total) just to get all the xmas-tree clips out of the engine covers; silicone lubricant on the wiper arm nuts; small brass hammer (lightly tap the nuts after applying the lubricant, and they'll come right off).

I'll try to just post the pertinent captions here, without reposting pictures, in descending order:

the first several (maybe 8?) are of the cosmetic cowl --- there's a small clip on either side, push in/down toward either quarter panel to release it (like " ) " for driver's side and " ( " passenger side) ; you'll probably have to replace the entire piece if you snap these clips off.

the next showing just under the hood across the top of the engine - look at that seam: this second cowl is actually two pieces, and the passenger side comes off first. There are additional clips underneath, but those should slide right out with just light taps/slight pulling away. Note: try to pull straight out, rather than an extreme angle.

The bridge clip over the passenger side wiper arm: this is a simple pinch mechanism, and I just used a fine flat-head screwdriver to activate/release each side.

The one where you can see my finger aiming to the circle - this is another clip on the driver's side piece of the under-cowl. Note: this driver's side piece is a bear to remove (*not* to be confused with the grizzlies attacking schools in Wyoming... ;-) ?too soon?) and I ended up lifting up from the center end near the seam, and sliding my wrist under the end by the quarter panel and tapping upwards with my wrist to get it out. It took several minutes, but be patient & DON'T try to muscle it.

Two pics immediately following after the removed passenger wiper arm: this just shows the small plastic "v" shaped clips on the under cowls along the length of the windshield.

Next: driver's side of the under cowl. Again, this is a bear to get out, just because of the way it's installed. I'm still not sure how I got it back into place. There's a lot of finagling/wrangling to be done here, as you're going to have to work around various nuts/bolts and lips and nooks and crannies. Patience. (I distinctly remember cursing all design engineers. A LOT.)

Red mark across the nut/screw for the driver's arm, with the new motor visible underneath. NOTE: you pull the old mechanism out, and it'll take some serious wiggling here because of the shape of the exit hole and the shape of the mechanism itself. (again, much cursing of design engineers took place.) Also, the default position for new mechanism is summer, so take that into consideration or else you'll curse yourself as an idiot (yes, I speak from experience). The long shot shows the new wiper motor mechanism underneath the wiper arm.
***NOTE: once you have the new mechanism in, if the bolts don't go in easily, it's not effing straight and don't force this sh*t because that's just going to be a problem later and you'll have to go through this again... I ended up stretching out across the top of the engine (center mass straight over front license plate) holding it in place at center (where the passenger wiper arm attaches) and nudged it with fingers of one hand as I screwed in the nuts with the other. Hint: start with the (as you're looking at it) lower right, at the driver's side, screw. Then move back to the center and do those two (the one at the top, closer to the windshield, which proved to be the most difficult, but small nudging to reposition this end eventually pays off) and do the final (fourth) back at the driver's side... just be patient with the actual screws, and feel free to curse out the engineers for placing it at an angle. And *personally* I couldn't get to it from over the other side of the hood, so hence the laying across the top of the engine block. I did this in my Mom's garage (because it's Colorado and snowing and well below freezing *cue violins*), she came out and started laughing -- said it either looked like I was giving it a tonsillectomy or it was trying to eat me, and she was hoping for the latter.

This last picture is actually the under-side of the driver's side cowl piece, and you can see where I scraped it considerably against the screw for the driver side wiper arm getting it in/out, but you can also see the white clip that "snicks" it into place very snugly against the firewall/windshield.

Hope this helps someone else ---
/ds