Last Wednesday I was travelling back from Swindow to Weymouth, via Salisbury. Having just gone past Porton Down in the pouring rain, I noticed my wipers getting slower and slower and more juddery. Then they failed :-(

I managed to make it to a layby where I called the csma. An hour later (by then the rain had stopped) a breakdown man came out and conluded my 'linkaged was knackered' (funny I already knew it was corrosion in the spindles). He then left, and I waited about 30 minutes and then a low lower to arrive and take the car back to my parents. I opted to return to my parents as my garage is non-operational at the moment (due to me replacing the roof!).

Got to parents at about 9.30pm. Took of the wipers and the scuttle pannel (now I know how!), and removed the linakge and motor. Hey presto -- the passenger spindle was seized totally. Eventually managed to part the spindle from the bushes and then cleaned it up (see pictures). All reassembled and working by 11.00 (first attempt I aligned the linkage wrong - a schoolboy error!).

Reassembled with plenty of grease and all seems to be fine at the moment...

Anyhow, had I not had breakdown cover, then the tow home would have cost me about

Urgle!! Kinda surprised you didn't get a recovery wagon from Britannia straight off; They've been very good at sending me a wagon when asked, rather than insistng on sending a mechanic in order that he could tell me what I just told them.

And, on this general subject, can anyone think of a way of running lube into the spindles without more dismantling than maybe taking the wiper arms off?

You can take the wiper arms off, and then a circlip out and get some lube in, but this is much easier with the scuttle cover off.

Yes, was rather annoyed with Britannia for that - good job I had a book to read. Mechanic nearly got his tie sucked into the rad fans as well (too busy yacking on the phone to someone). First time I have ever needed to call for help (and it took about 10 minutes for them to answer - on hold music from my mobile... ouch!)

I had my wiper linkage replaced under warranty bceause a circlip wouldn't stay in place.

I just joined britannia after looking at the prices of the AA. I never had any problems whatsoever getting through, so I am a bit supprised. Hope they have kept up their high standards. I only left due to the three years free AA with the skoda.

Was it castle that came out for you and if so do you know if they have a VAG-COM?

Hello mbames and everybody!

I have the very same problem (mine still work but make an annoying sound and they stop sometimes), I just took my Octavia to the dealer and wants 200+US for replacing the mechanism (which I dont have because I just spent 300 on maintenance arghhhhhhh!!! )

I suppose that greasing the mechanism will work for me and Ill have a happy wallet , could you explain to me in detail how you did it? (step by step do-it-yourself foolproof explanation!).

Its hurricane season down here, sure would like my wipers ready for heavy rain!

Kindest regards

Dominican_Skoda

I suppose that greasing the mechanism will work for me and Ill have a happy wallet , could you explain to me in detail how you did it? (step by step do-it-yourself foolproof explanation!).

Have a read of these 3 threads. The answer you need is in one if not all 3.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/first-time-visitors-say-hello-here/hi-i-am-new-can-anyone-help-wiper-linkage-problem/43780/?highlight=octavia+wiper+linkage

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/how-do-i-get-my-wiper-motor-linkage/52115/?highlight=octavia+wiper+linkage

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/wipers-again/50248/

Cheers Denis; I was hoping to avoid dismantling due to a severe lack of a garage to keep wind and rain off me!

I could cry. Mine have seized and, due to lack of funds at the moment, I thought I'd have a bash at getting the wipers off and cleaning out the linkage myself. Just popped the tops of the wipers, and while undoing one of the 13mm nuts, the whole thing sheared off. Aaaaaargh! One expensive trip to the dealer coming up :-(

You can buy a new linkage from GSF/Eurocar parts etc and go to an independant place to fit the part.

Much cheaper than a trip to the dealer.

Hey everybody!

Thank you very much for your advice . Havent had the chance yet to take them wiper linkages off but Im planning to do it soon (weekend maybe). Hope I dont break anything like slidejules :eek:

Kindest regards

Dominican_Skoda

Well, I ordered a new linkage from Butts which arrived yesterday, so I spent all day in the sun with the car in pieces. Some points:

1) what a nightmare it is getting the wiper arms off the spindles when they are all corroded on!

2) what a nightmare it is getting the plastic covering at the bottom of the windscreen off - what haynes doesn't show you is that it lifts away perpendicular to the windscreen, every other car I've had has lifted away parallel to it, and *then* up and away.

3) what a nightmare it is getting the assembly itself out of it's space. I have rechristened myself butterfingers, with the wiring that's in there already there's really not much room to manoeuvre in there...

4) yes it had siezed, utterly corroded - it was in a terrible state in there! No surprise it had stopped working really.

5) sorry about the last 3 - this is the interesting one. ever since I bought the car the wipers had been making a strange clonking noise at the top of their travel, I finally found out what it is and where it's coming from! right above the motor, and encroaching on the space that the two arms revolve in, is a nut or bolt of some kind - you can't actually see it but can feel it with your fingers. It seems to be going through the bulkead and up into the dash. Anyway, the arms that move on the assembly, as they go through the circular motion by the motor, bash into that nut! Not very hard, but enough to make an audible clonking noise. It must be a design fault as try as I might, I couldn't figure out any way of moving the assembly at all - once it's all bolted in, that's pretty much it in terms of location. Does anyone else's car do the same thing?!?

6) last thing - having reassembled it all, is it me or is there quite a big gap around the spindle at the base of the windscreen? It's no surprise the linkages corrode quickly really, anything can just leak into and around them. There are those little rubber surrounds but they don't really work terribly well do they?

So there you go. Chuffed with myself for taking some baby steps into DIY fixing, but surprised by what to me doesn't look like an especially good design...

Seeya! Jules

Jules - ref (5), mine (52 reg Elegance) certainly doesn't do that; in fact it has the quietest wiper motor and linkage of any car I've ever been in in the wet.