Hi just joined and just bought a 51 Octavia and the noticed a wiper fault. Have searched read loads of issues about water and relays but wonder if it is the switch/stalk in mine. all functions work normally although when I put it on to fastest setting the wipers freeze and I have to put back to off position to get them working again. Having never had a Skoda or a recent VAG car i'm not really sure where to start. Should cleaning the relay be 1st port of call?

Thanks for any reply (1st post , Be kind:))

P.s. one of the air vents vanes are not moving with the wheel. Easy fix? can I just pull out the vents to see what is happening behind or is there hidden screws etc.?

Hi just joined and just bought a 51 Octavia and the noticed a wiper fault. Have searched read loads of issues about water and relays but wonder if it is the switch/stalk in mine. all functions work normally although when I put it on to fastest setting the wipers freeze and I have to put back to off position to get them working again. Having never had a Skoda or a recent VAG car i'm not really sure where to start. Should cleaning the relay be 1st port of call?

Thanks for any reply (1st post , Be kind:))

P.s. one of the air vents vanes are not moving with the wheel. Easy fix? can I just pull out the vents to see what is happening behind or is there hidden screws etc.?

Sounds like your wiper linkage is about to cease up. There have been a few posts about how to fix recently. Welcome to another 4x4 owner BTW

Sounds like your wiper linkage is about to cease up. There have been a few posts about how to fix recently. Welcome to another 4x4 owner BTW

Hi , cheers for that mate . yeah us 4x4 guys need ta stick together, not many about :yes:

on the vent issue, if it is just a single flap out of the 6 ish on the front, then then chances are someone had been a bit rough with it and broken off the alignment pin at the end of it. Not much you can do other than get down a scrappy and obtain a donor part and swap out the broken flap.

Not actually sure how you get the vents out though!

Welcome to Briskoda, btw

On the slower wipe speeds is the movement nice and smooth - if juddery this can be a linkage issue (easy enough to sort out).

Edited 7 December, 201114 yr by mbames

I think the middle vents are integral to the dashboard if I remember rightly so the whole dash has to come out to get to the back of them (steering wheel off, centre panel out, etc. etc. will take a while). The two side ones you can get out with a flat blade under the side of them, they have little clips to hold them in that you have to use the blade to release. You could try the same with the centre vents but I'm pretty sure they're part of the dash?

Cheers all. Still not sure about wipers seem to work perfectly and smooth, its only when I put it to step 3 or the fastest wipe they freeze as if lost power and like I said I have to reset back to off to get them started again.

I managed to 'pop' out the vents. Not really hard just very tight. removed the hazard switch 1st then pulled from middle and the whole unit came out. Turns out I have three horizontal vanes broken at the edge were the meet the quadrant that moves it. But no bigey, £15 on e-bay or I'll jump down to the scrappy for a look.

Will look into the linage of the wipers when I get a mo then onto the relay.Am I correct in thinking the relay for the wipers is under the steering column?

Cheers Phil