wiper pissing me off

[zmatt]

So the other day my wiper started sticking again. This has happened before and the solution tends to be a good spray with lithium grease. So I did, and it rained again the next day, it starts sticking and gets stuck right in the middle of the windshield. Brilliant! So I take the thing apart the next day and clean and re-lube it and I check the fuse box. Sure enough the wiper fuse blew so I replace it. I go to test and and it wont cycle at all. i figure like most electronic things on this car an reset is need to work so I unhook the battery and try again. Still nothing.

Anybody know what to check next?

[SD202]

better pissed off than pissed on. Sounds like it just wants to run true to its heritage DTM wiper mod FTW

[zmatt]

I wish, unfortunately the dtm look doesn't do me any good when it's raining.

[hvmercy]

sounds like you need to grease up the bottom section of the wiper. (which you already did).
A little more perhaps.
Open it up by removing the plastic cover at the base. Try it and see where it gets you. I hope that solves it.

[zmatt]

The thing is swimming in grease, when i turn it on it wont budge an inch. I even pushed it around with my hands, that didnt help.

[anf6789]

wiper motor doing anything? relay??

[zmatt]

as far as i can tell the motor is doing squat. I cant hear it trying to move the wiper. where is the relay located?

[anf6789]

i believe the relays are behind the fuse box, that other black box, not sure the exact relay though

[triod3signs]

yep its the relay... freaking thing is $200, I just replaced mine, but found a used one online for $50

[zmatt]

ah damn, $200 for a relay? that's steep. Would a failing relay explain why it was slowing and sticking?

[strictlyspeakin]

No, the relay would not exhibit those symptoms.
Which part is swimming in grease? There's the rod area which you can get to by taking the cover off and then there's the area where the gears are.

Look at the bottom left pic in this link. Near the number 4 is a small access hole which is the likely culprit. The main gear is in there. The grease gets old and slows everything down. Take the linkage off, flip it over and with the motor disconnected you can move it by hand feeding grease in that hole.

The last thing to check is to see if the nut (see the yellow arrow in that same pic) is slipping.

http://members.multimania.nl/mbenz/windshield_wiper.htm

[0yorkie0]

I had the same problem with my car when I first bought it.
There is only about 4 things that typically cause no wiper. Motor, linkage, switch and relay. First off, NEVER move the wiper by hand unless it is free from the motor. The wiper motor uses a nylon spindle gear that is prone to stripping/breaking. By forcing or moving the wiper you speed up or complete the stripping process.

Start off by turning the wipers on. If the switch is engaging the motor, move on to removing the windshield cowling. Read a "How -to" for removing this and the wiper motor and linkage assembly. Once the motor and linkage is free check the nuts on both side of the linkages, as some have worked themselves loose and caused the motor to spin freely inside the linkage. If tight, remove the motor from the linkage and engage the wipers agian. If you can hear the motor, but the motor is NOT spinning then the gearing is stripped and the motor is shot.
Solution: new motor

If the motor is spinning: before reassembling the linkage and motor, check the gearing UNDER the actuator rods at the base of the wiper. These gears can become sticky with old grease or broken. If they are in good shape reassemble and move to the indicator stalk itself. You can remove the end (Washer button) by prying with a lil force. Ive only opened two, but once inside I found the original cause of my problems. The inside of my switch was slightly burnt and the contacts were melted and or burn.
Solution: New wiper switch or possibly reworking the switch and the contacts..

The relay only works the Hazards, Interval wipers, and rear window defroster. I had a blown one on my car, but still had defroster, hazards, and FAST on my wipers. The fastest setting on your wipers uses direct voltage, I believe. This relay has three relays built on the same board. My wiper relay was burnt but the others worked fine.. It is located UNDER the hood/bonnet, UNDER the top of the fuse box. You will have to remove the top of the box(5 phillips screws, I believe) Once inside it is located on the right side of the box, next to the relay with the pull release handle. Its about 3 inches long, inch an a half wide. Once removed, open it up and look for burnt or dry sockets at the base where the board attaches to the pins. If these are damaged, you can buy a new one, or spend about fifteen minutes heating it up and soldering the joints. I fixed mine at first but it eventually burnt again. I replaced it with a used relay from a yard for $20.
Solution: NEW or used relay or search the forum for the DIY on Combo relays. I know its here, that is what I originally used.

Also, If your area gets frost or snow. Be sure to free your wipers from the windshield before turning them on. This will extend the life of your wiper motor.

[strictlyspeakin]

A much more eloquent and detailed explanation of what I was suggesting. Very nice write up 0yorkie0

[zmatt]

Alright I switched the rely and it did squat. I cant hear the motor operating, but I am getting voltage from the connector coming from the relay box. I'm going to start dissembling the whole thing tomorrow and see if i can find the root of this.

[0yorkie0]

Ok, if you turned your wispers on and it didnt do anything I would definitely start with the relay because its the easiest.. Open it up, see if it is broken, burnt, or has a dry socket. Also, move each relay separately to make sure they are functional. Ive read a few posts about people looking it over and it look fine, but the relays were stuck or hard to move. If that checks out Id move to the motor. Especially since they seem to be a problem for us all.

(http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30976&page=3)

If that checks out, Then Id finally move to the switch. Its honestly easy to replace, but can be frustrating due to blind bolts that seem to be everywhere.. One is right under the key(10mm bolt, I believe) and then a few screws here and there. Id go ahead after this and disconnect the wiper, horn, and airbag plugs so you dont accidentally set it off during removal. The two bolts that hold the airbag(30 torx, I believe) are a pain. they are located INSIDE the steering wheel and accessed from the back. I would suggest buying a torx wrench to fit it if you dont have one. I did it with a ratchet and a torx bit.. BIG PAIN IN THE @$$. I kept loosing my torx bits inside the steering wheel due to the constricted holes on the back of the wheel. You will need a large Allen wrench to loosen the wheel from the column(10mm). After that its just a few small bolts holding the cancel cam and stalk to the column.

I will also suggest if you think you may have the dreaded dash vac leak, now would be a good time to check it out since its impossible to remove the gauge cluster in a w202 without an adjustable steering column.

[zmatt]

Its definitely not the relays. I replaced the wiper one and nothing else electrical is going wrong that the relays effect. It rained literally all day so I will have to hope for sun tomorrow and try again.

[phyberlink]

So what did you end up doing? I have the same problem!