driver side wiper not working?
03-16-2004, 09:39 AM
#1
driver side wiper not working?
This a.m. when I was almost at work my driverside windshild wiper stopped working but the passenger side wiper is work fine...the nut ontop of the arm is tight. Does anyone know what this could be? Its raining here I would like to fix it. Thanks.
Carson
Carson
03-16-2004, 09:54 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by cardana24
This a.m. when I was almost at work my driverside windshild wiper stopped working but the passenger side wiper is work fine...the nut ontop of the arm is tight. Does anyone know what this could be? Its raining here I would like to fix it. Thanks.
Carson
Carson
that either the shaft or the arm has worn teeth causing that
arm to "slip".
You can test this by trying to move the driver's side arm through
it's movement by hand, if it moves, you'll have to remove the nut
that's holding the arm on, then pull out at the base of the arm to
free it from the shaft and take a look to see which is bad.
If you're out somewhere and need to get home and you get lucky
that it's the arm that's the problem, you can always pull the other
side's wiper arm and use it in place of the driver's side arm.
If both look good, then you have a problem with the rotating arms
under the sheet metal...
Hope this helps!
Scott
03-16-2004, 10:04 AM
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 17
Can you rotate the wiper arm manually ?- (don't use too much force) It happened on my 86 Nissan hardbody on the passenger side. The problem was the wiper arm pivot, which is the thing that the arm is mounted to. The drivers side worked properly but the passenger side just stopped working. The parts guy at the Nissan dealer said that he didn't remember ever selling one of those as they rarely wear out - but then again these vehicles are 18 years old now. The part cost about $25 on my truck. I haven't looked at what it will take to replace it on my Maxima but think I will have to soon as the arm is travelling beyond where it should and off the windshield. Let me know what you find.
03-16-2004, 10:05 AM
#4
I moved the driver side arm by hand and it feels very easy to move and it has no effect on the passenger side arm....it sounds like something is stripped...but at the same time is this something that would all of the sudden ware out like this. I was driving down the road this morning with wipers on full tilt and....it just stops, while the passenger side is still going?
03-16-2004, 10:08 AM
#5
and what is a tale-tale(sp?) sign that the pivot is gone bad? The wiper seemed to be working fine before it just quit.
Originally Posted by my86max
Can you rotate the wiper arm manually ?- (don't use too much force) It happened on my 86 Nissan hardbody on the passenger side. The problem was the wiper arm pivot, which is the thing that the arm is mounted to. The drivers side worked properly but the passenger side just stopped working. The parts guy at the Nissan dealer said that he didn't remember ever selling one of those as they rarely wear out - but then again these vehicles are 18 years old now. The part cost about $25 on my truck. I haven't looked at what it will take to replace it on my Maxima but think I will have to soon as the arm is travelling beyond where it should and off the windshield. Let me know what you find.
03-16-2004, 02:47 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by cardana24
and what is a tale-tale(sp?) sign that the pivot is gone bad? The wiper seemed to be working fine before it just quit.
on your wiper arm.
The teeth are small and thin and yes, over time, they will shear off... the
pivot is still turning, but the arm has no teeth left so it's not turning.
For a "quick fix" you can move the passenger side arm to the driver's side,
but you'll have to replace the arm.
Scott
03-17-2004, 04:59 AM
#8
ok thanks for the help, it has been raining the whole time here so I have not had a chance to check anything out but hopefully today I will have a chance...on a side note, sorry for posting this thread so many times...I dont know what happened but I promise I only hit the post button once 
03-18-2004, 05:19 AM
#9
ok I pulled the wiper arm off yesterday and the teeth are defintly warn out on both the arm and pivot. But I dont think that is my main problem because when I had the arm off I turned on my wipers to make sure the pivot was actually moving....it was not moving while the passenger side wiper was going....so where do I go from here? I am guessing something that makes the pivot move broke?
03-18-2004, 07:34 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by cardana24
ok I pulled the wiper arm off yesterday and the teeth are defintly warn out on both the arm and pivot. But I dont think that is my main problem because when I had the arm off I turned on my wipers to make sure the pivot was actually moving....it was not moving while the passenger side wiper was going....so where do I go from here? I am guessing something that makes the pivot move broke?
of the pivot - the arm is connected to a rod that's connected to
the wiper motor.
The passenger side is connected the same way which tells me/us
that the wiper motor is okay because the passenger side is working.
There is a ball stud on the arm attached to the pivot which fits into
a cup socket on the rod.
The ball stud is steel where the cup socket is usually a snap in plastic
piece (which I'm thinking has either popped off, or broke and fell off).
You will need to remove the second arm and the large piece covering
that area and all will be revealed!
Scott
03-18-2004, 08:20 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by cardana24
jeeeezzzz...why couldnt it just be a wiper arm...anyway, what is the best way to get to the parts you just described? Thanks for all the help.
your 1998 Max...
If you look where the wiper arm pivots are, you'll see a large
black piece of steel that goes from the driver's side to the
passenger side of the car and it goes from the lower portion
of the windshield to the firewall.
You'll have to pop the hood and you'll see screws holding this
"plate" in place. After removing the second arm and the screws,
this plate will just lift out.
If you have a shop vac, now's a good time to clean out any
debris that's down their (grass, leaves, bird's nests, etc).
It should explain itself from there...
You'll have to replace the pivot assy and the arm assy at
least (not sure how the pivot comes out, never had one
go bad before...).
Just curious, have you looked at the pivot closely? Maybe
what looks stripped could just be the teeth from the wiper
arm and could be cleaned out with a small flat blade screw
driver... just a thought!
Scott
03-18-2004, 08:42 AM
#13
yeah I have looked at it and there are still grooves there, they are worn down but I am not planning on replacing it, I just want the pivot to turn and I will be happy. Once that works I am not worried about the wiper arm and pivot grooves being worn down, I will just epoxy those together if I need to 
And for future reference if I post on this section then yes, I am talking about my 87SE not my 98 
And for future reference if I post on this section then yes, I am talking about my 87SE not my 98
Originally Posted by 86Wagon
Well, I assume we're talking obout your second gen and not
your 1998 Max...
If you look where the wiper arm pivots are, you'll see a large
black piece of steel that goes from the driver's side to the
passenger side of the car and it goes from the lower portion
of the windshield to the firewall.
You'll have to pop the hood and you'll see screws holding this
"plate" in place. After removing the second arm and the screws,
this plate will just lift out.
If you have a shop vac, now's a good time to clean out any
debris that's down their (grass, leaves, bird's nests, etc).
It should explain itself from there...
You'll have to replace the pivot assy and the arm assy at
least (not sure how the pivot comes out, never had one
go bad before...).
Just curious, have you looked at the pivot closely? Maybe
what looks stripped could just be the teeth from the wiper
arm and could be cleaned out with a small flat blade screw
driver... just a thought!
Scott
your 1998 Max...
If you look where the wiper arm pivots are, you'll see a large
black piece of steel that goes from the driver's side to the
passenger side of the car and it goes from the lower portion
of the windshield to the firewall.
You'll have to pop the hood and you'll see screws holding this
"plate" in place. After removing the second arm and the screws,
this plate will just lift out.
If you have a shop vac, now's a good time to clean out any
debris that's down their (grass, leaves, bird's nests, etc).
It should explain itself from there...
You'll have to replace the pivot assy and the arm assy at
least (not sure how the pivot comes out, never had one
go bad before...).
Just curious, have you looked at the pivot closely? Maybe
what looks stripped could just be the teeth from the wiper
arm and could be cleaned out with a small flat blade screw
driver... just a thought!
Scott
03-18-2004, 09:01 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by cardana24
And for future reference if I post on this section then yes, I am talking about my 87SE not my 98
You make an ***/u/me!
Good luck with the wipers!
Scott
03-18-2004, 09:45 AM
#15
hahahahaha Carson, your 98 is the beater of your cars! Admit it! hahahahaha!
Just kidding, your 98 rocks. Can't wait to see what numbers you pull when you get boost.
A suggest I was gonna say is maybe getting some piece of rubber or something like that between the pivot and the wiper arm. When you tighten it, the compression of the rubber should force the arm to move. Just a thought if you don't want to spend too much trying to fix it.
S
Just kidding, your 98 rocks. Can't wait to see what numbers you pull when you get boost.
A suggest I was gonna say is maybe getting some piece of rubber or something like that between the pivot and the wiper arm. When you tighten it, the compression of the rubber should force the arm to move. Just a thought if you don't want to spend too much trying to fix it.
S
03-18-2004, 10:42 AM
#16
Sorry, not all of us can have such a hott second gen 
....so when are you going to sell me your intake and springs? Or find someone else to fab. an intake for the second gen, I read the post about littlepiggie...that sux. Anyway thanks for everyones help and I will try to pull things apart when I get off of work tonight.
Carson
....so when are you going to sell me your intake and springs? Or find someone else to fab. an intake for the second gen, I read the post about littlepiggie...that sux. Anyway thanks for everyones help and I will try to pull things apart when I get off of work tonight.Carson
Originally Posted by maximase86
hahahahaha Carson, your 98 is the beater of your cars! Admit it! hahahahaha!
Just kidding, your 98 rocks. Can't wait to see what numbers you pull when you get boost.
A suggest I was gonna say is maybe getting some piece of rubber or something like that between the pivot and the wiper arm. When you tighten it, the compression of the rubber should force the arm to move. Just a thought if you don't want to spend too much trying to fix it.
S
Just kidding, your 98 rocks. Can't wait to see what numbers you pull when you get boost.
A suggest I was gonna say is maybe getting some piece of rubber or something like that between the pivot and the wiper arm. When you tighten it, the compression of the rubber should force the arm to move. Just a thought if you don't want to spend too much trying to fix it.
S
03-19-2004, 07:49 AM
#18
ok, I just went out and found my problem...the conector rod actually fell off of where it hooks up to the wiper motor, so I poped the nut back inside the rod assembly and poped it back on to the wiper motor...works fine for now, hopefully it will stay on...thanks for everyones help!!
oh yeah, try rain-x if you never have...its great
oh yeah, try rain-x if you never have...its great
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