Wiper parking too high

**Pyro** · 12-10-2012, 10:38 AM

I stupidly turned on my wipers once while they were frozen to the glass and now the passenger side is parking about an inch or so above where it is supposed to. The weird thing is that the wiper still works properly - it goes all the way up, and all the way down past this high park position, however the wiper always comes back up before it stops.

Even if I push the wiper blade down the the proper position, when I start the car again the wiper blades pop back up to this high parking spot again. Really annoying. Any ideas what it might be? Someone told me I might need to replace the wiper relay, but i can't find any info about this or even how to do it.

I actually had this same problem last year but it mysteriously fixed itself after a couple of weeks, not sure what caused it that time though.

**Cab0oze** · 12-10-2012, 04:42 PM

I've never taken them off before, but when I was investigating potential windshield creaking noise fixes last week on M3F I read that you could take the wipers off and reposition them. Maybe take it off and take a look... it didn't seem to be something that was hard to do.

**instict911** · 12-10-2012, 10:45 PM

i took my wipers of to plasti dip. then i installed them wrong like too high. All you have to do is get i think it was like an 11mm socket and unscrew the wiper and push it down, then hold the wiper while you screw the nut back in. Simple easy maybe 2-3 min of work

**kilo4321** · 12-10-2012, 10:54 PM

I believe there is only a "cap" you pop off at the base of each wiper blade. Under the cap is the nut, loosen, adjust, and voila!!

**Pyro** · 12-11-2012, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by kilo4321

I believe there is only a "cap" you pop off at the base of each wiper blade. Under the cap is the nut, loosen, adjust, and voila!!

stupid question but how do you pop off the cap?

**instict911** · 12-11-2012, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by Pyro

stupid question but how do you pop off the cap?

flat head screw driver, its just a little tab thing.

**TheMAN** · 12-11-2012, 03:47 AM

be very careful popping off those caps... it's easy to put a knick on the wiper arm which will eventually cause rust!
use a 12mm socket to loosen the wiper arms... push down at the hinge to pop them off the linkages so that you can reposition, tighten the nuts and test

there is a spec for where the wipers are parked:
for the passenger side, it is 32mm from the edge of the plastic cowl to the end of wiper blade (measured at centre towards passenger side)
for the driver's side, it is 30mm

I use a masking tape and make the reference markings on it and adjust the blades accordingly
you may have to work the wipers to test their position, then adjust as necessary

**FoXy** · 12-11-2012, 09:22 AM

These things are a bitch....

Note to everyone... NEVER keep your auto wipers on in the winter. If something liek this happens it can strip the inside of the wiper arm...

Learned that the hard way one day when it was icy and started my car. Fortunately tho I got it fixed under warrenty.

**Pyro** · 12-11-2012, 10:12 AM

I could try adjusting but here's the problem - the wipers go up and down properly - meaning that when they go down, they go past the high parking spot to where it is actually supposed to park, but then always go back up to the high spot again.

So if I adjusted the arms so it parks lower, wouldn't the wipers hit the plastic cowl when I use them?

**kilo4321** · 12-11-2012, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by FoXy

These things are a bitch....

Note to everyone... NEVER keep your auto wipers on in the winter. If something liek this happens it can strip the inside of the wiper arm...

Learned that the hard way one day when it was icy and started my car. Fortunately tho I got it fixed under warrenty.

I hate my auto wipers with a passion. I want intermittent back! Lol

**Pyro** · 12-16-2012, 10:49 AM

So I tried to adjust the arm down, but just as I thought the wiper started hitting the plastic. Its not the arm position that's the problem, it's the wipers always popping up an inch before parking instead of parking at the bottom of the wipe. Seems like an electrical problem. Any ideas?

**Noisy Crow** · 12-16-2012, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Pyro

So I tried to adjust the arm down, but just as I thought the wiper started hitting the plastic. Its not the arm position that's the problem, it's the wipers always popping up an inch before parking instead of parking at the bottom of the wipe. Seems like an electrical problem. Any ideas?

The wiper motor has a set of contacts in it that trigger direction change, parking position, etc. Probably one of them is bent or otherwise messed up.

**Pyro** · 12-17-2012, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Noisy Crow

The wiper motor has a set of contacts in it that trigger direction change, parking position, etc. Probably one of them is bent or otherwise messed up.

Makes sense
BUT - both wipers have this problem, it's just more apparent on the right wiper because it has to travel further. So the same contact is damaged in both motors?
Or could there be potentially something else that controls the parking position of both wipers (ie: some kind of relay, which i was told may be the problem)

**Noisy Crow** · 12-17-2012, 05:42 PM

One motor for both sides, there is a linkage joining everything. I pulled the diagram today... contacts are inside of the motor, so they are likely not bent. However, a couple of the arms in the linkage are pre-bent (so they don't hit each other). So I see could the possibility of one them being forced out of shape if the wipers were frozen to the windshield. The linkage is under the front cowl... mostly plastic push clips holding it, plus you would need to remove the wiper arms.

**McGuyver_3** · 12-17-2012, 11:17 PM

The last 3 I saw with this problem was an accident car. It had overcharging issues and the wipers wouldnt go back in proper place. The overcharging led back to the underhood wiring harness as the fuse box was rather damaged from the accident. Replaced that harness the overcharging went away and the wipers went back in to place. Not saying you need a harness but try a battery reset as we did remove that to replace the harness

**Pyro** · 12-18-2012, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Noisy Crow

One motor for both sides, there is a linkage joining everything. I pulled the diagram today... contacts are inside of the motor, so they are likely not bent. However, a couple of the arms in the linkage are pre-bent (so they don't hit each other). So I see could the possibility of one them being forced out of shape if the wipers were frozen to the windshield. The linkage is under the front cowl... mostly plastic push clips holding it, plus you would need to remove the wiper arms.

Oh ok that makes sense then. I don't suppose you had a guide or pictures or something that would help me figure it out? I don't mind trying myself as long as I don't break anything, but I'm not too handy with cars so pictures of what I'm supposed to be looking for always help.

Originally Posted by McGuyver_3

The last 3 I saw with this problem was an accident car. It had overcharging issues and the wipers wouldnt go back in proper place. The overcharging led back to the underhood wiring harness as the fuse box was rather damaged from the accident. Replaced that harness the overcharging went away and the wipers went back in to place. Not saying you need a harness but try a battery reset as we did remove that to replace the harness

thanks for the idea, I had already reset the battery for something else already but it didn't have an effect on my wiper problem

**sean2220** · 12-24-2012, 09:24 PM

It's the park sensor that is going....had the same issue with my 2012 already..... its the board that's attached to the Wiper motor, it tells it where to stop......or, the main linkage that connects to the wiper motor was altered, loosen it and adjust (adjusting fro the wiper arm will not cure this issue).

**TheMAN** · 12-25-2012, 08:12 AM

then it sounds like the motor has to be replaced?

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