Community Forums

JohnParker · 09-24-2011, 07:19 AM

Is it possible to adjust the arc through which the windshield wiper arms swing?

Here's a scary one that I have never heard of and which I hope is fixable.

Recently I was eastbound on I-10 in my new-to-me 07 Dutch Star when I ran into a bit of rain. No problem, I thought. I turned on the intermittent wipers, and then went to the constant wiper setting as the rainfall increased, and eventually went to high speed wipers as the rain came down in a flood. The wipers, in intermittent mode veiewed rom the driver's seat, move about a 90 degree arc from approximately a 3 o'clock rest position to a 12 o'clock maximum. In constant low-speed mode, the arc is about 95 degrees, from 3 o'clock to 11:30. In high speed, the arc is over 120 degrees from 3 o'clock to 10 o'clock. Due to the curvature of the windshield, the high speed mode arc puts half the wiper blade off the left edge of the windshield. On two occasions during the rainstorm, the wiper went way over to the left and stuck, hung up on the curvature of the windshield by the friction of the contact of the wiper blade arm against the glass. I had to pull over to the shoulder to manually lift the blade arm to restore normal wiping action.

I presume the momentum of the wiper arm in the high speed mode swings and twists the arm so that it can move around the curvature of the windshield. Is it possible to adjust the arc through which the arm swings?

deandec · 09-24-2011, 11:24 AM

I can adjust my arms rest and end point by loosening the nuts on the front exterior and with a little outward pressure on the base of the arm adjust the rest position. Then snug the nuts back down and test the travel of the blade.

Actually, the first time I did this I had the use of a Tie Rod end puller to pull the arm out enough to move it to a new position. It had not been detached for at least 9 years.

I did have my driver wiper passing the edge of the window once, and so had to readjust again.

Yours may be different.

George Z · 09-24-2011, 12:12 PM

Sometimes the wiper post spline will become worn from a loose attachment nut.If this seems to be the problem, try tightening the nut to stop the movement on the shaft from the momentum of the wiper arm. Apiece of brass shim material can also be used on the spline to tighten the fit. Another possibility is wear in the wiper linkage .

GaryKD · 09-25-2011, 08:57 AM

Hi JohnParker,
This is a known problem. Consider rereading:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/wipe...lem-59909.html
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/wind...lem-51983.html

Searching the Newmar forum for "windshield wiper" will provide several threads for reading.

JohnParker · 09-25-2011, 10:26 AM

GaryKD;

Thanks. I'm new here and just found the 'search' function. It does seem that this is a known problem.

I have tried the technique of re-positioning the wiper arm on the spline. This puts the 'rest' position with half the blade below the window ledge but the high-speed motion still has the blade hanging up on the windshield.

I'm sure the motors are set to swing an arc of ~90 degrees. I was hoping someone could tell me if it is possible to adjust the arc by changing the motor set-points. It seems to me that an adjustment of the swing arc would solve most of the issues I have seen in the threads I reviewed. I did see a contact number for wiper technologies that I will call on Monday. In the meantime I will check out the other threads you suggest.