What do you need to pry off the plastic rear door panel? Peering carefully, it seems there are some metal clips with barbs that, when replacing the panel, you just thump home. But, how do you get the plastic panel off without damaging the paint, the plastic bits of the clips etc?

 

I've taken off the only visible screw fastening, but wary of causing too much damage.

Treat yourself to a set of Trim Removal tools - only a few pounds. Once you've removed the Torx screw that holds the rubber 'pull', it should come away with a bit of force, by prying off with one of the plastic tools!  The clips can be re-used.

 

HTH 🤙

Edited 22 April, 20206 yr by Merlinman
Grammar!!!!

Thanks, I've got some plastic tools - that's how I can peer under a section I've tried to loosen.

 

Guess I'll have to use some more force - not something I really like doing.

Give it the good news, like all the trim panels once they have lost their virginity they are more compliant.

 

Mine has been on and off a lot recently with a body repair and reversing camera install, one of the clips broke the plastci retainer on the panel because I was being too timid, once the single screw is removed this is one panel in particular that really needs wrenching off with gusto once you have levered an edge up enoygh with a trim tool to get your fingertips under.

Done it. Not with brute force though.

Using a plastic tool to left an edge up, torch in one hand and a long pry bar popped out each clip in turn. Only negative is that I lost 3 metal clips as it fell off and the wiper blade spline is not proving compliant.

 

Still, got to order a motor first, and then I can cut off the wiper spindle and tap the splined bit out.

Why are you doing this work, what is the problem with the wiper?

 

Is it simply because you cannot remove the wiper arm from its splines?

 

I had the same problem recently, my extraction tool for the front wiper arms would not fit and I was frightened that it would crush the washer jet anyway, I fabricated some thin steel folding wedges (thats what they call em but they dont fold) but it took a huge amount of synchronised hammering and could easily have broken the rear screen.

 

There doesnt seem to be any protection for the retaining nut and the tapered spline like the front wipers and they seize up anyway, a design fault unless mine was missing an inner plastic covering sleeve.

Quiet simply the wiper has stopped working, blade left parked nearly vertical.

 

Can't be bothered to dismantle and try to fix, it seems pretty common on VAG vehicles. I might take it to pieces after replacement for interest.

It has been funny recently, but as it is not used much now it has not been a problem.

Now is the time to fix it.

 

 

20 hours ago, J.R. said:

There doesnt seem to be any protection for the retaining nut and the tapered spline like the front wipers and they seize up anyway, a design fault unless mine was missing an inner plastic covering sleeve.

 

I don't think it's a design fault, it's down to old age. The front wipers don't have the washer fluid coming up the middle of the shaft - the whole assy has to be as small as possible to look neat and minimise rear vision obstacles.

Anyway, I had an idea about removing the wiper harmlessly. Unscrew the flanged nut about one turn, stick a bigger flanged nut to clear the thread over the top, bit of metal to act as a spacer, and use a ball joint separator to pull the wiper arm off the splines. Only had to breathe a spanner over the joint separator and the arm popped off.

Happy now, just got to wait for the new wiper unit to arrive.

Smart thinking!

 

My ball joint seperator is in my UK workshop and the wiper one I bought would not have been up to the task given the force that I used with wedges.

 

Yes they can stick with old age but my car is only 5 years old, the fronts are protected from the elements by plastic caps, the rear is exposed by virtue of the wide slot for the wiper to rotate around the fixed jet, it would have been better for the jet to rotate with the wiper and then the threads could have been protected, as it is the washer fluid alone is enough to cause the galvanic corrosion.

 

Once bitten twice shy, part of my maintenance now will be to slacken the nut and break the splined joint from time to time.

 

Would love to know if your old motor failed through washer fluid ingress, any chance of popping off the cover? The knowledge will give me more preventative maintenance info.

3 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

Would love to know if your old motor failed through washer fluid ingress, any chance of popping off the cover? The knowledge will give me more preventative maintenance info.

 

I "think" it's to do with the gearing, as I managed to push/pull the wiper arm a bit and it suddenly moved and parked.

I'll strip it down, but it certainly points towards a gear mesh problem as there is a bit of movement in the arm when parked.

The new unit is in the post, hopefully it will arrive next week. I've got the old unit off and dismantled - bit like a Rubiks cube puzzle.

 

The spindle has an O ring seal very near the splined section. The shaft was very stiff, almost seized, and the other gearing was very stiff as well. The grease was dried up and very rusty brown. The motor looked fine, but is crimped together so really not able to say if is ok. There is a little box with a pcb - I'm guessing this will have overload protection, like the windows lift motors and probably might give the "twitch" as well?

The shaft sealing O ring still feels effective, but the evidence is that water ingress has caused a problem with all moving parts clogged up with degraded grease. The shaft is steel in a alloy housing - not good with water.

My MG TF has a Metro wiper motor, with a clever little rubber drain valve - except on the MG it is installed at a different angle and the wiper casing fills up with water and corrodes the brush gear away! The trick is to drill a new drain hole - mine has been fine for years now I've done this mod. I'm thinking about a drain valve on the new unit, or a second O ring under the wiper arm which could be kept silicon greased from time to time? Hopefully, newer ones might be better.

Don't know how to edit, so another post!

 

I've had trouble working out how the parking works - further investigation reveals part of the rotating/reciprocating bit is a magnet, so there must be a Hall type sensor inside the little pcb box on the outside of the unit.

The casting date starts 06 - 11, so this was an older VAG design as mine was made just before Christmas shutdown, shipped to UK over the break and registered the first week 2012.

Can you not just lube & refit it while waiting for the new one?

 

Where I am deliveries are taking a couple of weeks.

Could do, but not really worth the effort.

 

Not allowed out to drive around in this part of the UK from this morning, rain is not a problem, and my unit is in the German postal system and tracked - should be with me early next week. I'm in no hurry to go any where!

The inside of the door is gleaming, but I'll give a quick squirt of Dinitrol ML round the bottom seams. I'm also looking for an O ring of suitable diameter and thickness to act as a primary seal under the wiper arm.

Impressed with the internals, just let down by the lack of a drainage hole, and I've decided where to put it. 

3 hours ago, Yety said:

just let down by the lack of a drainage hole, and I've decided where to put it.

 

Would that be anywhere near an orifice of the designer?

@ J.R. - the bit of plastic sticking out of the rubber grommet in the rear glass should be able to be removed, as it contains the O ring which is the only line of defence against water ingress. I would think "water pump" pliers with some protective stuff would enable you to wiggle this bit out - it basically is just pushed over a sleeve on the alloy spindle housing. My O ring was worn flat, which could be renewed, but the brushes were getting near quiet worn, so sort of glad I've got a new one coming. The brushes are not accessible as the motor is crimped together which means you would have to destroy it first.

Btw, it has spent more transit time in the UK than in Germany. Yesterday it was out for delivery, but the Parcelforce van returned back to Newport with my tracked parcel on board, and no news where it is today!!!