On my 2002 SE, the intermittent windshield wiper setting isn't working as it did usually. When I turn on the intermittent setting now, the wiper starts to go up and then freezes about 1/4 - 1/2 way. once I turn on the continuous wipe setting, they work just fine. I thought it may be the switch, but the dealer thinks it's the windshield wiper motor. New motor is about 250 - 300. Has anyone experienced that on their 5th gen? What is the consensus on how to fix? Thanks.

 

I'm experiencing the same thing. My car has sat up with not being driven for nearly 6 years. Prior to that, the wipers worked perfectly. I don't think it's the switch as it looks and feels solid. I'm afraid the dealer is likely right that it's the motor. When my wipers are on, I also notice the far left side of the driver's side wiper wobble a bit as if it's not firmly pressed against the windshield or that it's trying to overcome some type of friction.

I wish I had a better answer for you. If I find a cheaper solution, I'll be sure to let you know. Good luck.

 

My 02 has been doing the same thing with the floppy drivers side and occasionally stalling mid wipe.

I'm guessing it's the pivot point for the drivers wiper or maybe the motor. The switch wouldn't cause the flopping. I'll be tearing into it sometime soon and I'll let you know what I find. If it's the motor I'll pull one from the U-Pull it.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback thus far. I suppose it really could be the motor, because my wiper switch does look pretty solid also. I've scrubbed the internet and the genuine Nissan motor is about ~$250 + installation. The dealership is really only good at replacing parts and won't 'fix' anything, so I may try to find a lower priced mechanic to do the job. I guess I was hoping that WD-40 or something simple would fix it up.

Appreciate the input. I have a couple months until the rainy season, so I may wait to see if anyone come up with something definitive.

 

Has anyone tried lubing all of the wiper linkage pivot points? My intermittent wiper works normally when the windshield is really wet, so I'm thinking it is a friction problem.

 

There are electrical contacts inside the wiper motor that are to keep the motor spinning if the switch is turned off in the middle of a wipe cycle. When these contacts fail, then the motor stops, leaving the wiper blades where ever they might be. Intermittent wiper operation is turn the wipers on then immediately turn them off, relying on the internal contacts to complete the cycle.

you have a problem where the motor is not creating all the power it is supposed to. A good motor will snap the wiper blades if they were to somehow jam. My guess is that the brushes inside the motor are almost worn out.

 

OK-- I ordered a "remanufactured" motor in hopes of replacing it on the cheap. The first motor I was sent must've been dropped during shipping because the mounting bolt threads were deformed and the shaft was a little bent.... The second motor they sent me had a broken mounting land-- three of them were good but the broken one was the upper-left location. The third one they sent, looked used-- not even cleaned-up or anything. I was just about to pay the $300 for a new Nissan motor when I decided to disassemble the motor from my Nissan and diagnose the problem-- and Dennis was right, the brushes on the electric motor were damaged. The motor has three brushes mounted to a carriage and one was cracked/broken. So, I cannibalized the carriage/brushes from one of the remanufactured motors I was sent and inserted it into my motor.... Works great now... Only, I cannot seem to get the lower-left bolt to go back in... that one was very hard to get out due to limited clearance, so I'll travel with 3 mounting bolts for now.


A 1-2 hour job turned into about three weeks due to the damaged motors and waiting between shipments and motor removal, motor disassembly, diagnosing, motor reassembly and re-installation.


Thanks, everyone that contributed. Hopefully the motor will keep working for the foreseeable future.