Hi all

The windscreen wipers on SWMBO's Fabia have given up the ghost. They suddenly stopped working, and have steadfastly refused to work again, other than a brief resurrection when she pulled the stalk to the wash/wipe position. Two sweeps, then dead again.

It's not a fuse.

I know the indicator stalks are known to fail, is it a common thing for the wipers too?

thanks

Martin

I doubt it's the stalk...

More likely to be the wiper linkage mechanism seizing up I would have thought - The system cuts off the power to the mech when it believes it's stuck - which is why off/on again sometimes works.

However I do have a spare wiper stalk if it does turn out to be that...?

You mean thermal cutout on the motor?

Will take a look at the mechanism tomorrow. I take it that the scuttle needs to come off to get to it? Or can it be reached under the bonnet?

thanks for the quick reply.

cheers

Martin

Yeah the scuttle needs to come off.

Be careful when removing the scuttle/mechanism - pressure in the wrong places could crack your screen.

The thermal cutout will come into play if the hinges on the mechanism seize up.

A lot of people (including me with an Octy) have had this problem. Poor design.

On some cars there are tell-tale signs of the wipers progressively getting slower... But some people have been known to just spontaneously have them lock up.

If it does turn out to be the wiper stalk i've got a spare here not far from you.

Be careful when removing the scuttle/mechanism - pressure in the wrong places could crack your windscreen

+1

Managed to crack mine recently while attempting to remove a wiper arm.

Yeah the scuttle needs to come off.

Be careful when removing the scuttle/mechanism - pressure in the wrong places could crack your screen.

The thermal cutout will come into play if the hinges on the mechanism seize up.

A lot of people (including me with an Octy) have had this problem. Poor design.

On some cars there are tell-tale signs of the wipers progressively getting slower... But some people have been known to just spontaneously have them lock up.

If it does turn out to be the wiper stalk i've got a spare here not far from you.

Hi Chris

Do you have the part number of the spare stalk please?

Thanks

Martin

Hi all

The windscreen wipers on SWMBO's Fabia have given up the ghost. They suddenly stopped working, and have steadfastly refused to work again, other than a brief resurrection when she pulled the stalk to the wash/wipe position. Two sweeps, then dead again.

It's not a fuse.

I know the indicator stalks are known to fail, is it a common thing for the wipers too?

thanks

Martin

Hi Martin

Yes it is a fuse, but not the one you think it will be, sorry Cannot remember the fuse number but it is documented on here do a search !

Think it might be number 25 (but don't hold me to it) I spent a whole day stripping down and greasing to find they still did not work, then my son

called round and said have you checked the fuse and it had blown, and been fine ever since.

Radiotwo

I have had a quick look, and it may be fuse 15, but if not just check them all (only 10 min job)

Edited 7 December, 201213 yr by RADIOTWO

Yes F15 according to the Haynes manual as Wash - wipe.

DB.

When I pull the stalk TOWARDS me, the rear wiper wipes. Looking more like the stalk?

I've checked all the 10&20 amp fuses, all OK.

Maybe not - F32 is the rear wiper fuse & f15 is the front wiper.

DB.

When you pull the stalk towards you, it operates the rear wash doesn't it?

Doesn't that make sense?

When you pull it does the front

Have now changed the stalk but no change. Wipers still not working. Rear wiper still operating when you pull the stalk toward you.

Now confused. Going to see if any clues in VCDS.....

You sure you've not got a short?

Try lifting wipers away from windscreen, (this off loads any weight on wiper motor).

Squirt-in some WD40 through the screen grill thingy to wiper arm joints, to help free a stiff joint.

Now kicking myself. I'd checked all of the larger 10A & 15A fuses (I mean physical size, not rating) but it did indeed turn out to be F15 blown. I hadn't checked the smaller fuses (and my fusebox cover doesn't have a chart showing what the various fuses do)

Oops. Should have listened to the voice of experience above!

I suspect she probably tried to use the wipers whilst they were frozen to the screen.

Thanks all,

Martin