Front wiper bolt sheered - is it hard to fix?

[Sotosound]

Yesterday we had Autoglass out to replace the windscreen on my wife's Fabia vRS.

 

This morning when she started it and switched on the wiper, the driver's side worked fine but the passenger side wiper twitched and stopped.

 

On checking I found that the bolt (I assume it's a bolt) that the wiper is mounted on had been sheered through. The top and it's cover are in the wiper arm and the rest of it is fixed to the car.

 

This has rendered the car unroadworthy.

 

Does anyone know what's involved in getting it fixed?

 

Many thanks.

[Guest BigJase88]

New wiper motor / linkage

Or you can bodge it (i did this and still holding strong)

I drilled and tapped it out to M6 (have to be very carefull) then used a stainless high tensile bolt and fair sized washer and some extremely strong thread lock.

Hasnt budged since and got me out of a hole

[Guest BigJase88]

and its originally a threaded stud and the wipers held on by nut / spline.

Where mine snapped i had enough spline to still hold the wiper.

[Sotosound]

New wiper motor / linkage

Or you can bodge it (i did this and still holding strong)

I drilled and tapped it out to M6 (have to be very carefull) then used a stainless high tensile bolt and fair sized washer and some extremely strong thread lock.

Hasnt budged since and got me out of a hole

 

Many thanks for this.

 

I suspected that it would need a new wiper motor and linkage having seen an image of it on the web.

 

I can't see myself or my wife doing your particular repair but I can see a qualified mechanic doing it, so it is also a very good option.

 

Once again, many thanks.

[Sotosound]

and its originally a threaded stud and the wipers held on by nut / spline.

Where mine snapped i had enough spline to still hold the wiper.

 

Many thanks, but I suspect that it's sheered too far down for that.

[mannyo]

Speak to Autoglass, it is their operator who overtightened the nut causing it to break so they should be the ones paying.

[mogwye]

Or it broke when he undid it, the Autoglass guy would have known full well that it had broken and to think that he skulked off without saying anything is outrageous. If you had of waited until driving on a motorway to switch your wipers on it could have been disastrous.

 

Get onto Autoglass and show your displeasure at their 'couldn't care less' attitude and ask them what they are going to do about it.

 

DB 

Edited 22 August, 2014 by mogwye

[danny6189]

I would complain to auto glass about that. The fact he did not say anything about it is bad enough.

[Southy]

If you have no luck with Auto glass I have a replacement linkage and motor and wiper arms available

[Sotosound]

Many thanks to all of those who suggested contacting Autoglass. Briskoda strikes back.

 

We contacted Direct Line, who are my wife's insurers and through whom this was originally organised. They contacted Autoglass, who contacted us. Autoglass didn't argue at all because - as has been pointed out by several of you - there was no way that their operative didn't know what had happened. Instead, they were nothing but courteous.

 

(What is clear is that the stud was 100% sound before Autoglass arrived. The break is clean, with no signs of prior corrosion.)

 

Autoglass therefore undertook to complete the repair by midday yesterday (Saturday) but, unfortunately, the person who ordered the part ordered a rear wiper motor assembly by mistake. (Not a good testimony by any means!) The correct part should arrive with Autoglass on Tuesday but they will then have to wait until one of us can be at home to meet and greet the repair man.

 

Since my wife is a freelance contractor, she also lost earnings because she couldn't get to work, and Autoglass are also indicating that they will address that as well. (How, I don't yet know, and this is possibly where they might wriggle.)

 

In the meantime, my wife has been able to organise alternative transport, so it is now just a case of passage of time.

 

Thanks also to Southy for the parts offer.

 

[Guest BigJase88]

It is easy to break it (i have done it)

Probably cause on the mk5 golf platform you have to remove the wipers to change the suspension (which i have done a few times) so probably had been weakened!