(2003 TLS) I was on a road trip on Sunday in the rain and all at once I started to hear a clunking noise from the passenger side wiper . It had stopped its full range of motion and was only moving about one inch off its bottom resting point. The drivers side is fine. The wiper arm on the affected side can be moved in the full range of motion with little resistance. I figured that it's not probable that it's stripped. Does this car have individual motors? Any suggestions for investigation or repair would be helpful. The car is out of warranty. I've only had the car for about 6 weeks. If the threads are stripped on the arm and/or attatchment, would just the arm or the whole motor need to be replaced?[/FONT]

 

First I would figure out what's stripped. Look at the wiper arm where it connects to the shaft at the bottom of the windshield. Does the shaft turn when you slide the wiper up and down? It may be as simple as tightening the nut on top of the wiper arm.

If not and you truly stripped the shaft that the wiper arm connects to, it's about a $115 part from: Acuraoemparts..com

 

Like Nsxnext said. Try to tighten the nuts (#22) first. The wiper motor shaft is threaded and is made of harder metal than the wiper arm. I had experience with my previous car that a nut was loose and the wiper blade was frozen to the windshield when I turned on the wiper. The threads inside the wiper arm were then stripped, but not too badly. I just tightened it back up and it worked again like new. If the threads are too badly chewed up, time to order a new wiper arm.

 

Thanks for your help. All it took was to tighten the nut! I never imagined it was so simple since it occured so suddenly.

 

My windshield wipers were "stuttering" a little lately. I figured it was from the rain-x wearing off. Anyway, next thing I know, they are completely dead. Both of them. I tried them over and over. A couple of times I noticed them barely moving...just maybe 1/4" or so. I figured it wasn't a fuse, so I called up Acura. I brought it and and they said they had to replace the motor. It was all covered under warranty, so I don't really care, but I'm wondering if they BS'd me.

 

This is an old thread, but it seems closest to my issue.

I bought a 2003 TL a week ago. 147,000+ miles, I expect there to be some problems. Today I drove to work in the rain and had the wipers on. I parked at the store, but during my shift it got colder and started snowing. When I left to go home, the car was covered in snow. I turned it on and the wipers were still on. The left one came up, but the right was frozen to the windshield. That's happened on many cars over the years and I unstick them, knock the snow off and they are fine.

But this time the wiper is dead. It won't move under power, although I can move it freely with my hand. I did not hear anything snap and I didn't smell anything like a burned out motor.

Have I burned the motor or did something break? Can it be fixed easily or expensively?

Thanks.

 

Try tightening down the small nut holding the wiper arm onto the spindle rod.

 

If that doesn't work, pull the plastic cowl panel and once underneath, check the control arm linkage for the wipers at the motor.

Oftentimes the teflon bushing will wear and the wiper arm won't operate properly. The control arm isn't difficult to replace and costs about $30.

 

I haven't had time to do more than look at it today, but the arm can be moved freely with the wipers off, while the left one can't. The right arm is mounted on a flat sided post that moves with it. So that makes me think the problem is down inside, but I didn't have time to pop the hood.

I'll get a better look Wednesday.

 

Well, the nut was just loose. It looks like it happens a lot given the wear on it. I tightened it up and it works fine.

Whew!!!!!!!