# Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures [TOC, Photos rehosted x2]



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hello Everyone:

There have been a few reports recently of failures due to corrosion within the mechanism that operates the windshield wipers. As most of you know, the Phaeton has two entirely separate and completely independent wiper mechanisms – one for each side of the windshield – thus it is possible for one side to fail and the other side to continue to operate. Unfortunately, unless the side that fails happens to be in the ‘parked’ position when it fails, the remaining functional wiper blade will foul against the failed blade, so the outcome is the same – no windshield wipers.

The failure appears to be caused by the round shaft that the wiper arm attaches to corroding within the aluminum (or other ‘white metal’) casting that contains it. There is an o-ring at the top of the round shaft where it enters the casting, and a bushing at the bottom, but it seems that liquid is somehow managing to get past these seals and into the middle of the casting. If you drive in an area where roads are salted in the winter, this water will contain salt, and the eventual result will be corrosion. As the ferrous metal shaft corrodes, friction within the casting increases, and eventually the fuse for the affected side wiper motor will blow. When the fuse blows, the wiper stops ‘wherever it may be’, and that is the end of your driving in the rain.

I am going to advise our friends in Dresden about these failures (my VW dealer has encountered three different Phaetons with this kind of failure this year, including my car), and perhaps they can come up with some kind of test based on wiper motor current draw that we can use to determine if a problem is developing, for the purpose of taking action before the sudden failure. I think that the probability of encountering such a failure is directly linked to the amount of salt or brine that is used on your roads during the wintertime, how long winter lasts in your area, and how much you drive in the winter. In other words, I kind of doubt if Don in Scottsdale will be affected, and at the other end of the scale, I think there is a high probability of failure for cars registered in the Province of Quebec.

The purpose of this post is to provide a little background on the failure, explain what happens, and provide some guidance to technicians who have to replace the mechanism.

Below is a photo of a Phaeton showing what it looks like after the fuse blows on the passenger side wiper. The wiper stops dead wherever it may be when the fuse blows, and typically, this will interfere with the operation of the remaining (functional) wiper. This is Chris’s car.

*What it looks like when the fuse blows*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_1.jpg

I suppose if you just happened to have a spare fuse handy, you could wait a few moments for the wiper motor to cool down, then put the spare fuse in, and you might get a few more wipes before the spare fuse blows. For all practical purposes, though, once the fuse blows, you are toast... the corrosion has caused the mechanical load on the motor to reach a point where the current required to operate the wiper is excessive, and the only solution is to replace the wiper mechanism. It is not uncommon for both of the blades to be damaged as a result of the fouling of the remaining functional wiper blade against the failed wiper blade, thus, you will probably need to replace both blades as well.

Below is an illustration that shows the left and right side wiper blade mechanisms. Normally, these parts are not visible, they are covered up by the cover that goes over the air intake plenum, aft of the engine. These assemblies consist of the motor, the casting and linkages, and a few nuts and bolts. The motor itself is usually unaffected by the failure (the fuse protected it), thus the part you need to replace is the casting and linkage.

*Left and right side wiper drive mechanisms*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_2.jpg

The photo below shows the left hand (driver side in NAR) assembly in situ before removal. It is not particularly difficult or time-consuming to remove this assembly, however, like all other Phaeton repairs, you need to pay attention to what you are doing because the car is rather complex, and you run the risk of screwing up something else totally unrelated to the system you are working on if you don't put everything back together properly.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_3.jpg

The photos below show where the corrosion takes place. This is the passenger side assembly from my Phaeton. Normally, the round shaft does not come out of the mechanism – I took it apart to find out why it was so difficult to move it.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_4.jpg









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_5.jpg


So, *here’s the removal and replacement guide*, which is a combination of instructions provided in the North American Phaeton Service Manual (ELSA) and lessons learned from the ‘School of Hard Knocks’:

*1)* Before you take anything apart, you might as well order the parts. You will need the part described as “windshield wiper bracket with operating rod and crank arm (driver side)” or “windshield wiper bracket with operating rod and crank arm (passenger side)”. These correspond to items 6 and 7, respectively, on ETKA illustration 955-00. You do not need to order motors! You will most likely need a new set of Phaeton wiper blades – this as a result of consequential damage from the blades fouling against each other. These are items 17 and 18 on the same ETKA illustration. You might need two of the cosmetic caps that go on the end of the wiper arm – item 21 on that illustration. Don’t forget to order one retaining clip (item 22) for each cosmetic cap (item 21) that you order. And, of course, you will need a new fuse to replace the fuse that blew.

In my own opinion, if you have sufficient corrosion on one side of the car to cause a failure, you probably have the beginnings of corrosion on the other side of the car as well, so it makes sense to replace both assemblies. Wipers can be considered a reasonably safety-critical part, and you might as well save the grief associated with waiting for the other side to fail. However, it is up to your VW dealer (or, perhaps, those who set policy at VW of America) to get the authorization to replace both sides at the same time.

*2)* Don’t disassemble anything until you have all the required parts. Trust me on this one, you don’t want to take everything apart on a Monday, then be scratching your head on Thursday wondering how everything originally fit together. This is an especially frustrating feeling if you don't happen to have another Phaeton handy that you can refer to for guidance about how to put it back together.









*3)* Before you begin any disassembly work, go get a replacement wiper motor fuse. Turn the ignition off, and replace the blown fuse. Make sure the wiper control arm on the right side of the steering wheel is in the OFF position (fully down position), and not in the INTERMITTENT (first notch up) position. Wet the windshield fully with warm soapy water, to minimize friction, then turn the ignition on. With luck, the failed wiper blade will move to the park position. Now, go to the Front Information Display and Control Head (the J523), press the SETTINGS hard-key, press the OTHER FUNCTIONS soft-key (lower left corner), then press the MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE soft-key (upper right corner). Finally, press the button that moves the wiper blades to the ‘change blades’ position – this being the extreme upward end of the stroke cycle for both wiper blades. Be aware that this button to move the wiper blades to the ‘change blades’ position will be disabled if the wiper stalk is in any position other than the OFF (full down) position.

Finally, get a wax crayon (from the kids play area in the front of the dealership, or get a tire crayon from the tire mounting machine) and put a mark on the outside of the glass windshield at the upper end of each wiper blade to show you where the blade should go when you replace them at the end of the job. This will save you having to remove and replace the blades several times to get the gap between the parked blades and the bottom of the windshield to the correct specification.
If you are successful in getting both of the wiper blades up to the ‘change blades’ position, great... this will save you quite a bit of time later on. If the new fuse blows and the problem blade won’t move, this is not a big problem, I’ll explain how to deal with it later.

*4)* Remove both wiper arms from the vehicle and set them aside. Now, remove the plenum cover that is aft of the engine. This is part number 2 on ETKA illustration 819-32. Next, remove the trim strip at the bottom of the windshield. This is a tricky task that brings with it the risk of breaking the windshield if you don’t perform the task correctly, so, see this post for full illustrated instructions:  Plenum Chamber Cover – how to remove and replace. Part of the reason why you used warm soapy water on the windshield during step 3 is to make it easier to remove this trim strip – if it has been flooded with warm soapy water, it is much easier to get it out from the channel at the base of the windshield that it clips into. It can sometimes require a great deal of force to dislodge the first part of this trim cover.

*5)* Once those covers are off, the process is fairly straightforward. To get access to the passenger side mechanism, you will need to remove the three screws that hold the supplementary coolant overflow tank (W12 only) in place. You don’t have to actually disconnect the tank, the hoses have enough play to let you move it out of the way. To get access to the driver side mechanism, you will need to remove one bolt that holds a very important temperature sensor in place. Pay attention to how this temperature sensor fits when you are taking it out – it is not difficult to remove and replace it, but getting it back together in the correct position is not intuitive. The photo below shows where it goes. You don’t have to disconnect the electrical connector, just remove the bolt and set the sensor aside.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_6.jpg

*6)* Below is a picture of the replacement part that you will get for the driver side. Compare the part below to the complete assembly above. It’s best to do this comparison before you remove the complete assembly.







As you can see, you will need to insert the lower tube-thing into the inboard side of the bracket, and remove the nut from the wiper drive motor and then fit the upper portion of the new part onto the wiper motor drive shaft. In the picture below, both of the arms are shown pointing out in the wrong direction. These two arms swivel freely, which is why it is kind of important that you compare the replacement part with the old part before you remove the old part from the car – otherwise, it can be a bit confusing to figure it all out.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_7.jpg

*7)* To actually get the assembly out of the car, you only have to remove three bolts. This is pretty easy, as you can see from the photo below.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_8.jpg

*8)* Once you get the complete original assembly out of the car, mark a reference line on the casting showing the alignment of the short, flat metal arm that attaches to the motor drive shaft. Because you put the wipers in the park position before you took the assembly out, and because you will be re-using the same motor, you want to get the alignment exactly the same – this will save you time and trouble later on, once you get everything back together. Now, take the nut off the end of the wiper motor drive shaft, loosen the three bolts that hold the wiper motor in place on the mechanism, pull the old tube out, and insert the tube portion of the new mechanism in the same place. From here on in, it is all re-assembly.

*9)* It can be a bit troublesome to fit the whole assembly back into the car, because there is not much extra space around it. Therefore, it is easiest to manipulate the assembly back into place first, then put the electrical connector into the wiper motor second. If you plug the motor in before you get everything in place, it limits your wiggle room. The remainder of the re-assembly process is pretty straightforward. Use a vacuum to clean out the channel at the bottom of the windshield before you try and put the trim piece back in – chances are that there will be all sorts of small stone chips in that channel. Flood the channel with warm soapy water (again!) before pressing the trim strip into place with your fingertips. If the channel is clean, you should be able to snap the strip into place with nothing more than just finger pressure.

*10)* Don’t forget to put the flat spring clips in place on the trim strip before you install the plenum chamber cover (see photos at this post:  Plenum Chamber Cover – how to remove and replace).
The process for replacing the passenger side wiper is very similar, but not quite identical because of differences in the design of the passenger side mechanism.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_9.jpg

As mentioned earlier, you will probably have to replace both wiper blades because of consequential damage caused by the blades fouling against each other. Wiper blade replacement is quick and simple, but please don’t forget to clean the windshield with a claybar before you put the new blades on – otherwise, the new blades will not perform at their best.
It is possible that the decorative caps on the ends of the wiper arms may also have been damaged when the blades hit each other. To replace these caps, you need to first remove a little retaining clip on the underside of the cap. The photos below tell the story.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_10.jpg









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_11.jpg









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper_Failure_12.jpg

Michael


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## V10Mike (Jan 24, 2007)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (PanEuropean)*

Another great piece of guidance, Michael.
In your opinion, is there any sensible preventative maintenance that can be done to the pivot to reduce the likelihood of failure? I was thinking of cleaning and/or lubrication.


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## Jack Orr (Mar 15, 2000)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (PanEuropean)*

Egad, Michael. You continue to amaze.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *V10Mike* »_...is there any sensible preventative maintenance that can be done to the pivot to reduce the likelihood of failure?

Based only on what I have seen, I think the answer is no, because once corrosion has started, it can't be stopped without taking the assembly apart, and the assembly is not designed to be taken apart - if you take it apart, you destroy it. 
I think, though, that we might be able to detect impending failure by measuring the current demand of the wiper motors and seeing if it is above normal. I'll let you know if that idea passes muster or not.
Michael


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## Motorista (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (PanEuropean)*

Michael,
This is very interesting, especially for me given my prevailin g winter driving conditions. Hence a few questions:
1) How did you determine the condition in your car, i.e. did you notice any early warning before the fuse blew, such as slightly slower or more erratical operation or noises?
2) Is the replacement part modified in any way to prevent this happening again? besides a better seal, it would seem that better lubricant or even a design that is lubricated for life would be in order.
3) Is there any way to suggest a recall? In the kind of wintry conditions that I often find myself in, a sudden failure of the wiper poses a serious safety hazard. On the other hand, a preventive replacement of the offending part would probably not currently be covered under warranty in the absence of a failure.
4) Is there any way to revise the software to allow a wiper to complete a half turn to the park position when the thermal sensor is triggered? This would at least preserve one wiper running, and probably not materially affect the longevity of the electrical motor since it would amount to a a second or so of operation at most. And even if it did, this would be vastly preferable to losing both wipers at the same time, one for thermal reasons and the other through mechanical interference.
Finally, I must say I'm greatly disappointed with this defect. While it is true that salt use in North America is generally much heavier than in Europe, this condition is well known and has been so for decades. In my personal experience, it has never affected any of my cars, including (ironically) a '73 Super Beetle which I drove extensively for five years in Boston winters. Surely this part should have been better engineered in a car of this caliber.
Stefano


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (Motorista)*

Stefano,
In my case, there was no forewarning. The car sat for a few days while I performed my Prius experiment. When I hopped in the car, I triggered the washers to clean the windshield. Both wipers came up, the passenger one stopped mid-travel and that was that.
As for software programming, I'm not sure that's possible as this failure blows a fuse, severing the electrical connection entirely.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (Motorista)*

Stefano:
Regarding your questions:
*1)* One wiper stopped working suddenly. I took the car to the VW dealer and they determined the cause of the failure (blown fuse due to high mechanical resistance).
*2)* I think that the replacement part has a better seal up on the top end, but I am not sure. The tech at my dealership applied some heavy grease around the top seal just to "assist" in sealing it up for sure.
*3)* I brought the problem to VW's attention, and I am sure they will have a look to see what kind of failure rate has been encountered with Phaeton wipers and then take the appropriate action. I work from the basic belief that we can assume that VW will do the right thing (they always have in the past), so, it's not for us to start telling them what to do. Let's give them a bit of time to check this out, to have a look at some of the failed parts (the parts get sent back to VW of America so that the Quality Control folks can analyze them), etc. It might be possible for VW to develop a test that looks at current draw on the wiper mechanism as an indication of whether or not a problem is developing, but this is just a guess on my part.
*4)* It's not a software or thermal sensor issue. It appears that when the electrical load demanded by the wiper motor exceeds the capacity of the fuse, the fuse blows. When the fuse blows, the wiper arm stops moving.
I don't share your feeling of disappointment. I am sure that VW designed this wiper mechanism to be as robust as possible. There could be any number of causes for the corrosion - manufacturing error (by the vendor, Bosch) on a limited number of items, installation error, who knows. The Phaeton has been on the road for almost 5 years now (it went on sale in Europe in 2002) and this is the first time I have heard of this wiper problem. Chances are, it's the first time VW has heard of it also. Let's give them the same benefit of the doubt and the same courtesy that we would want someone to give us if we were working at VW instead of the various companies that we work at today.
Michael


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## CA_W12 (Mar 22, 2007)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (PanEuropean)*

From what I read on German forum, this is probably quite well know to VW, due to significant failures in Europe.
http://www.motor-talk.de/t1201....html
On the motro-talk forum, they also imply there is an improved version with plastic bushings that no longer corrode.


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## Paldi (Sep 4, 2004)

*Re: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures (CA_W12)*

http://translate.google.com/tr...lr%3D 
Link to MotorTalk translated into English...


_Modified by Paldi at 1:09 PM 7-18-2007_


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## Stinky999 (Sep 14, 2006)

*Wiper Died*

Well, it appears as though I was afflicted with the exact same wiper failure that Michael described in detail last year, i.e., one wiper (pass side) stops in the vertical position while the driver side continues to operate. 
My questions is this, does anyone know if there was any sort of special recognition for this problem from VW? Naturally, the factory warranty expired less than a month ago. 
Thanks.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Wiper Died (Stinky999)*

Here's the file from VW in Europe. 
VW in North America will often cover little glitches that develop shortly after the warranty ends, especially if they are 'known issues'. This is something that is done entirely out of goodwill to the customer - it is not something that the dealership has any obligation to do. By example, my home dealership will cover 'known issues' up to about 10,000 miles or 1 year after warranty if the customer bought the car there and is a 'regular'.
What I suggest you do is visit your dealer, talk to the service manager, explain that the wiper failed and that this is a known issue for Phaetons, and ask if it is possible for the dealer to contact VW and see if it would be possible to 'make an exception' for you. The truth of the matter is that the dealer doesn't have to contact VW at all - it's their call. If you are a regular customer, if you bought the car there and have had it serviced there on schedule since you bought it, I am pretty sure that they will either cover it 100% or offer to meet you halfway (e.g. they toss in the parts, you pay the labour, or similar).
*Don't* take it for granted, and you will probably get a pleasant surprise.
Michael


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## Stinky999 (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: Wiper Died (PanEuropean)*

I'm bringing my car into the Autobarn in Evanston on Monday. If VW doesn't cover it, I do have an extended warranty, so I may get my first opportunity to test that out.
Thanks.
Roger


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## Motorista (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: Wiper Died (PanEuropean)*

The European file refers to the problem as due to insufficient greasing, and indicates additional greasing as the solution in production. This is consistent with what Michael indicates his technician did when reassembling the new part. So, I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to do this preventively as well. Speaking for myself, I would not mind paying a reasonable amount for this in order to prevent a failure later. I will show the thread to my tec and see what he thinks (and how much it might cost).
Stefano


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## Bluerock1 (Jun 21, 2008)

*Right Wiper Fuse*

Does anyone know where the right wiper fuse is located. It is not listed in the OM.
Thanks in advance,
Bill


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Right Wiper Fuse (Bluerock1)*

I don't know where it is located (don't know offhand), but I know why your fuse blew... see this post: Wiper Mechanism Mechanical Failures.
Michael


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## CLMims (Jul 13, 2007)

*Re: Right Wiper Fuse (Bluerock1)*

Mine got "stuck" once and I had to replace the fuse; if you open the hood and take the plenum cover off (there are 4 twist connectors holding it in place), the fuse block is tucked under the windshield on the passenger side - it's kinda hard to get the tabs of the cover off, but if you can unlatch one side and lift up you should be able to wiggle it free....


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

*Re: Right Wiper Fuse (CLMims)*

Hi everyone,
May I suggest those who don't know the product yet to try out some Rain X on your windscreens. When applied correctly (clean your windscreen perfectly, then apply a first layer of RainX in circles with a soft cloth, then let cure for 15 to 30 mn, then apply a second layer, then let cure for 15-30mn, and give a small clean with pure water to obtain a perfect windscreen), this product is marvelous, and makes your wipers redundant above 40mph. It is most impressive by night or during a snowstorm, since all raindrops / snowflakes immediately disappear when they touch the windscreen. I have fantastic memories of driving on the motorway during snowstorms by night, when the snow flakes lit by the headlights make for an eerie and beautiful view.
For me, the finish lasts for a good month or two. When I feel the thing works not as well as usual, I simply wash the windscreen, and apply another layer. Once more, once your windscreen is treated, your wipers become totally redundant above 40mph.
Last year, when I used to commute alone on 250 miles several times a week, I did not bother to do the whole windscreen, but only the area facing the driver. This was very frustrating whenever I carried a passenger in the car, since he had to fully trust me, as he could not see a thing through the non-treated unwiped part of the windscreen he was facing.
I'm not associated whatsoever with Rain'x, btw, but now, I consider it as important safety-wise as having properly inflated tyres, or thick enough brake rotors / brake pads. Last month my wife an I drove for 400 miles in two different cars on the motorway, in permanent phone contact. At some point, we crossed a line of summer thunderstorms with ultra-heavy rain. I had a treated windscreen, and could drive at full speed with no visibility problem (and wipers off, of course), while in her father's untreated car, my wife had to first slow down to 40mph with wipers at full speed, until she eventually had to stop in a parking area for 1/2 hour to let the storm pass over us.
Just passing my experience along.


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## Pink Panther (Jul 17, 2006)

*Re: Wiper Died - just happened to me*

Not very happy, especially since VW Does know of this Safety hazard that could potentially become Serious.
This has been going on for years with vw autos and their wipers seals failing, what is it they can't learn from another manufacturers? VW made over 100 patents on this car, but couldn't solve age old issues??

Luckily i came across this diy, thanks Michael, so i'll forgo the dealership hassle by fixing myself.

I'd like to recommend to all to start filing any safety concerns with NTSHA. Not only does VW and the dealers need to know, but for the mass of owners, NTSHA could help get more done. Even if your concern was covered by warranty or already fixed, Please still report it, easily done online.


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## R4DEK1 (Nov 6, 2010)

I had exactly the same problem a few days ago. I went to authorized VW servis in my town and they said that this problem is connected with electric screen washer pump. But now Iam sure that is the same problem which is described by PanEuropean. I think technician in service were lying because they didn't know real cause. 
RADEK


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## PeterMills (Sep 1, 2006)

*Wiper Motor Failure*

My passenger (LH because a UK car) motor failed last week. My VW dealer has advised today that the motor has failed and I am planning to have both motors changed, in the circumstances. 

I have Warranty Direct cover for the one motor and my dealer is also going to check if there is any special VW arrangement for what seems, from the string below, a recognised premature failure.

Have any other UK owners had this problem and if so been able to claim for the replacement? 

PETER M


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## Aristoteles (Sep 21, 2007)

*Distinguished Conduct*

Did you feather the port-side motor and proceed heroically to the GTG assymetrically? If so, one definitely deserves to be awarded the DFC for 'Distinguished Pheaton Conduct'.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

PeterMills said:


> ...I am planning to have both motors changed...


Hi Peter:

What is most critical is that you have both linkage assemblies (the pantographs) replaced. The motors themselves are totally innocent, they only fail because when the bushings in the linkages corrode, the mechanical resistance becomes too great for the motor to cope with.

In other words, don't put too high a priority on replacing the remaining motor, instead, put all the priority on replacing the two linkage assemblies.

Michael


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## vipa (Nov 20, 2006)

Hi,

I have the same problem a few months ago...The driver side wiper seized.. The VW technician opened the mechanism, cleaned and greased. Did the same on the other one (preventive). It is working fine since!


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## PeterMills (Sep 1, 2006)

Michael, Thank you for that guidance, I will get straight on to the dealer with it today.

Vipa, thanks, useful supporting comment.

Aristoteles, luckily the wiper failed in the parked position!

PETER M


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## PeterMills (Sep 1, 2006)

*Wiper Motor Failure*

I got my car back last week. In this case Nick, the master tech who always tends for my car, found the fuse had not blown but the actual motor had failed. This makes sense since the wiper had failed in its parked position, unlike the wiper 'tangle' that others have experienced before. 

VW offered, although out of their warranty, a 10% contribution but since I am covered by Warranty Direct cover, and I took the latter route. I also chose (perhaps over cautiously) to change the other motor at the same time out of my pocket.

The LH motor which failed was £210 plus 1 hour tech time, the RH motor was £270 plus a bit more time.

My dealer Wolsey Ipswich were grateful all the same for the Michael's guidance which I passed to them, and which they are going to file in case that problem arises. The checked the linkages on both wipers and found them loose moving.

I am hanging on to the motors and, out of interest, am going to have the failed motor stripped and checked by a specialist, who works form home nearby.

PETER M


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## Fratrick (Jan 23, 2009)

*Buying*

Where on earth do you buy the bracket with arm? I can't find anything online anywhere


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Just go to a VW dealer and order it there. Any VW dealer can order the part for you, they don't even need to know what a Phaeton is. 

Michael


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## Fratrick (Jan 23, 2009)

*part*

Yikes, looks like I'm going to get raped on that one. Definitely going to take it to my mechanic first to see if he can loosen it up with the grease first. Worth a shot!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

If you are in the United States, you can get a quote from any one of several VW dealers who sell parts over the internet at a discount price. I am not familiar with them, because I live in Canada, but I know some other forum members have purchased parts from these companies and seem to be happy. I think one of the larger companies is called "1st VW Parts" or similar. 

Personally, I don't think it is worth your while to attempt to repair the part you presently have - the problems are caused by corrosion, which implies that material is missing. Plus, the assembly is not meant to be taken apart, it is unlikely you will succeed in getting it back together (and working within an acceptable tolerance) even if you do get it apart. 

Michael


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## Fratrick (Jan 23, 2009)

*Tear down*

It seemed to work for Vipa. I have nothing to lose by trying. If it's screwed, then it's screwed one way or the other!


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## vipa (Nov 20, 2006)

The repaired wiper link arm connection is still working fine...


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

Well looks like mine went on me today as well, called the Dealership to see what they can do in order of a discounted rate for the replacement, waiting to hear back will advise on the results.


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## Fratrick (Jan 23, 2009)

*fixed*

Fixed mine on my own with the new bracket/arm. Could not fix the siezed one at all. I even tried to hit it with a hammer and it would NOT BUDGE! Incredible that a 7 year old windshield wiper could sieze up that badly. I contacted VW north America about it and they seemed to be oblivious to this issue. Probably because of the fact there are so few phaetons out there. If it happens to you, be sure to call them up!


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## chillson (Sep 6, 2010)

I finished replacing the wiper arm linkages on both sides. My problem now is that while the passenger side blade moves in the correct pattern (full range of motion and stops where it should), the driver side seems to not move in the correct way (not quite full range of motion and stops before it is in the true down position). Anybody know how to fine tune the motion? Thanks...Jay


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## chillson (Sep 6, 2010)

*request for pictures of wipers in the "service" position*

It would be of great help if any of you could post photos of your windshield wipers in the "service" position for me (photos in the down position would also be beneficial). I was able to mark the up position of the driver side before replacing the linkages but wasn't able to get the passenger side back in position to mark it. When I secure the wiper to match my "up" mark for the driver side, though, it seems to stop too high in the down position. Thus, the range of motion seems to be shorter than before (not achieving full range). Also, I have set the passenger side blade to stop almost pointing to the driver side blade when in the up "service" position. This helps reduce the amount of unwiped windshield area in the upper driver side view but I am afraid it is not really correct. The passenger side blade does return to a full down position, though. I hope this isn't too confusing to follow but any photos or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...Jay


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

Would anyone know which fuse drives the passenger side wiper motor?


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

udaymohan said:


> Would anyone know which fuse drives the passenger side wiper motor?


Fuse 20 in the E-box.... Rating is 20 Amps. This fuse is located in the right air intake plenum chamber. To get there, wipers need to be removed, air intake cover and the plastic weir which is running right under the entire width of the windshield. This part is easy to recognize as the two wiper spindles are sticking through this part.
Quite a job to replace just one fuse, to be honest! :screwy:

Willem


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

WillemBal said:


> Fuse 20 in the E-box.... Rating is 20 Amps. This fuse is located in the right air intake plenum chamber. To get there, wipers need to be removed, air intake cover and the plastic weir which is running right under the entire width of the windshield. This part is easy to recognize as the two wiper spindles are sticking through this part.
> Quite a job to replace just one fuse, to be honest! :screwy:
> 
> Willem


Good Lord...that is a fair bit of work to do simply to replace one fuse...or determine if it has indeed blown.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Uday:

Normally, one uses a diagnostic scan tool to determine if the fuse is blown or not. The scan will report if the fuse is blown... no dis-assembly is necessary.

Michael


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

PanEuropean said:


> Uday:
> 
> Normally, one uses a diagnostic scan tool to determine if the fuse is blown or not. The scan will report if the fuse is blown... no dis-assembly is necessary.
> 
> Michael


This is a valid point


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## ascono (Feb 25, 2012)

Could someone repost pictures?
thx


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## WillemBal (Nov 20, 2010)

*Post 1 pictures rehosted*

*Michael post #1 of this thread with original pictures:*

Hello Everyone:
There have been a few reports recently of failures due to corrosion within the mechanism that operates the windshield wipers. As most of you know, the Phaeton has two entirely separate and completely independent wiper mechanisms – one for each side of the windshield – thus it is possible for one side to fail and the other side to continue to operate. Unfortunately, unless the side that fails happens to be in the ‘parked’ position when it fails, the remaining functional wiper blade will foul against the failed blade, so the outcome is the same – no windshield wipers.
The failure appears to be caused by the round shaft that the wiper arm attaches to corroding within the aluminum (or other ‘white metal’) casting that contains it. There is an o-ring at the top of the round shaft where it enters the casting, and a bushing at the bottom, but it seems that liquid is somehow managing to get past these seals and into the middle of the casting. If you drive in an area where roads are salted in the winter, this water will contain salt, and the eventual result will be corrosion. As the ferrous metal shaft corrodes, friction within the casting increases, and eventually the fuse for the affected side wiper motor will blow. When the fuse blows, the wiper stops ‘wherever it may be’, and that is the end of your driving in the rain.
I am going to advise our friends in Dresden about these failures (my VW dealer has encountered three different Phaetons with this kind of failure this year, including my car), and perhaps they can come up with some kind of test based on wiper motor current draw that we can use to determine if a problem is developing, for the purpose of taking action before the sudden failure. I think that the probability of encountering such a failure is directly linked to the amount of salt or brine that is used on your roads during the wintertime, how long winter lasts in your area, and how much you drive in the winter. In other words, I kind of doubt if Don in Scottsdale will be affected, and at the other end of the scale, I think there is a high probability of failure for cars registered in the Province of Quebec.
The purpose of this post is to provide a little background on the failure, explain what happens, and provide some guidance to technicians who have to replace the mechanism.
Below is a photo of a Phaeton showing what it looks like after the fuse blows on the passenger side wiper. The wiper stops dead wherever it may be when the fuse blows, and typically, this will interfere with the operation of the remaining (functional) wiper. This is Chris’s car.
*What it looks like when the fuse blows*










I suppose if you just happened to have a spare fuse handy, you could wait a few moments for the wiper motor to cool down, then put the spare fuse in, and you might get a few more wipes before the spare fuse blows. For all practical purposes, though, once the fuse blows, you are toast... the corrosion has caused the mechanical load on the motor to reach a point where the current required to operate the wiper is excessive, and the only solution is to replace the wiper mechanism. It is not uncommon for both of the blades to be damaged as a result of the fouling of the remaining functional wiper blade against the failed wiper blade, thus, you will probably need to replace both blades as well.
Below is an illustration that shows the left and right side wiper blade mechanisms. Normally, these parts are not visible, they are covered up by the cover that goes over the air intake plenum, aft of the engine. These assemblies consist of the motor, the casting and linkages, and a few nuts and bolts.
The motor itself is usually unaffected by the failure (the fuse protected it), thus the part you need to replace is the casting and linkage. 

*Left and right side wiper drive mechanisms*


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Photos on page 1 rehosted. 

Michael


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

Hi Michael, 

Happy to see you again. 

Was anything decided concerning your thousands of photos ? Needing to rehost them every xx months is such a waste of your precious time and energy... 

Once more, none of the photos I put for free on photobucket since many years ago has ever disappeared or been removed by photobucket. Why don't you use photobucket ? 

I'm not affiliated with photobucket, and there are probably other sites that offer the same kind of service. I'm only advocating this site because I have experienced that none of the photos I put on it ever disappeared. 

P.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hi Pierre: 

I do use Photobucket now. In the past, I used two 'Volkswagen specific' photo hosting sites (HostDub and later a site operated by OEM Plus) that have now shut down. 

I have an account with Photobucket, costs about $50 a year (a free account won't support the bandwidth needed by the forum), I will use that in the future for all photo hosting, including re-hosting. 

Michael


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## John R (May 24, 2012)

*2004 Phaeton V8 Passenger side*

Where would i buy the replacement bracket with operating rod and crank arm from and recommendation ?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Here is some additional information about how the windshield wiper system on the Phaeton is controlled:

_Some information for decoding the diagrams:_
CAN means Controller Area Network.
30 means terminal 30, which is battery supply voltage.
31 means terminal 31, which is ground.



*Phaeton Windshield Wiper System - Description and Overview*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper1-1.jpg










http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper2-1.jpg










http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Wiper3-1.jpg


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Archival Note - *Related discussions:
Detailed Instructions for operation of the Windshield Wiper & Washer System (also contains windshield cleaning recommendations from VW)
Wiper Blades - How to change them
Washer Fluid - Buy premium stuff, or the el-cheapo stuff?


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

*Wiper Failure - Driver Side*

Hi Everyone,

As you all may recall a while back my passenger side wiper had stopped working. Turned out it was due to the corrosion that has been outlined in the post earlier.

Well I experienced another wiper failure, only this time it's on the driver side. Now one major difference between two incidents is that while the passenger wiper had failed I could still operate the driver, headlight washers and windshield washer.

In this instance I am unable to utilize anything, one could argue that it may be a safety feature to prevent the passenger wiper from smacking in to the stuck driver but not sure.

Any checks I can do before heading it back to the shop, or would this be pretty much the same issue only on the driver side.

As usual your input is always welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks
Uday


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hi Uday:

My guess is that the passenger side wiper is a slave (subordinate) to the driver side wiper, and as a result, the control module will allow the driver side wiper and other wiper-related elements to continue to work if the passenger side wiper is not in the appropriate position, but not the other way around.

The replacement process is more or less the same for both wiper arm pantographs. While you are having this done, clean out the air intake plenum at the same time, because it is really easy to get access to that plenum once the wiper arm assembly has been removed. See this post for more information about cleaning out the plenum: Cleaning Air Intake Plenum and Sunroof Drains.

Michael


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

Thanks Michael, figured there was some logic to the behavior.


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## udaymohan (Nov 8, 2007)

Well same issue as the passenger side, part replaced, fuse replaced, visibility restored


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## alex_at (Aug 13, 2011)

Hi,

are there any "pre"signs of this problem? Anything I can see while operating the wipers so I can check my "wiper health" without taking everything apart?

Mine is a MY 2006, and we have -11°C in Austria in the mountains right now. Unfortunately I don't have a garage or anything else warm nearby to take my wiper system apart. 

Since I am going to drive at least 5000 to 6000km over christmas (Austria-Germany-Denmark-Sweden ...) I would like to find out about any problems in my wiper system. As you can imagine I absolutely don't want to get forced to stop in the middle of nowhere in an snow storm because my wipers aren't working.


Thanks in advance,

greetings from Austria,


Alex


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## tekenn (Sep 23, 2009)

2006 V8 bought off a lease in Spokane in 2009

As always, thank you so much to Michael for all the info and the best pics. My RH failed in the snow about Feb.

I found 2 units with motors and linkages on a 2005... front end damaged 2005 and bought the total motors and linkage from the 2005. They work fine.

After working through your great pics and a gear puller to remove the RH wiper(totallly corrorded onto the spindle), then a little help from my Windshield replacement tech(it does take a LOT of force to bring up the plenun from the windshield)....The second time will be so much easier!!

Used masking tape to mark the wiper points on the windshield in the maintanance/service position and then did a fine tuning adjustment to get the resting points.

Michael, thank you so much again from one of the few owners in YEG

Dan

BTW, does anyone need the functional LH unit or the motor for the RH unit(needs a new linkage)?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hi Dan:

I'm happy to hear that the info here on the forum was helpful to you.

Now that you are familiar with what is down inside that air intake plenum, you might want to consider carrying out this preventative maintenance work before the summer is over and it gets cold out:

Water in Cabin Footwell (Cleaning Air Intake Plenum and Sunroof Drains)

Regards,

Michael


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## fingerlakes (Apr 9, 2013)

This happened to my 04. Driver side mechanism seized. I managed to get a wiper transmission with motor on ebay for 75 US. Took about 40 minutes to remove and replace!


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## Jorgsphaeton (Sep 8, 2009)

I also had the same problem, and fixed it by lubricating the pin first with a rust remover and after that with wd40. After that I sealed it with grease. I didn't remove the whole wiper. Just sprayed with the different solutions.

Jorg

_Posted via *Topify* using Android_


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## Sharbotcreek (Aug 25, 2013)

This morning was very cold -32 deg C, my wife went out the car and one wiper was in the up position, I drove the car yesterday and did not use the wipers. She has not touched anything (she is afraid to try them). Has anyone experienced this? What would have triggered it to come up in the cold? Should she try the wipers to see if they reset?
Thanks all
Rob


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Hi Rob:

I don't think anything would have "triggered the wiper to come up in the cold", however, if one wiper arm was frozen in position, the other one could still work, because each side is mechanically independent of each other.

My suggestion is that you just press the wiper control stalk down once, and see if that resets both wipers to the park position. If not, try putting the car inside a heated garage overnight, then activating the wipers again after everything has had a chance to thaw out.

Michael


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## Sharbotcreek (Aug 25, 2013)

Hi Michael

We did just that, brought the car in and thawed it out, wiper went back down on its own by morning. I went out and tested them and they worked fine. Kinda weird but mechanicals do weird things in the cold. Thanks for your help and Happy holidays to everyone!


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## Gabs08PHTN (Jan 6, 2011)

A transistor that became superconductive due to the cold might be the culprit


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## Canoeboy1 (Feb 25, 2011)

*Wiper Adjustment after fix*

Michael mentioned in the post about corroded wiper assemblies that:

*If you are successful in getting both of the wiper blades up to the ‘change blades’ position, great... this will save you quite a bit of time later on. If the new fuse blows and the problem blade won’t move, this is not a big problem, I’ll explain how to deal with it later.*

Well I replaced the passenger side assembly and was not able to get the wipers into the "replace blade" position.

I now and not able to get the passenger side wiper to sync with the drivers side and I could not find where Michael followed up with the "how to fix it part".

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul


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## Canoeboy1 (Feb 25, 2011)

I must admit I did not read all of Michaels post and he may have addressed it 

I did discover how to fix it.

When I replaced the motor on the assembly is it made a difference what the position of the arm was in as I bolted the piece to the motor would make a difference. IT DOES.

I went back out and removed the nut where the arm attaches to the motor and then put the wipers in the "replace mode/position". I rotated the arm to the wiper up position but not all the way. I tightened the nut to the motor and the wiper where I thought is should be in the "replace" position. 

The wipers worked fine, but I then had to remove and replace the wiper arm assembly until it rested in on the windshield in the correct spot for the down position.

Hope that might help someone else.

Thanks,

Paul


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

*Threads merged.*

Paul's post above added to this main Wiper thread.

Chris


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Archival Note:*

An older wiper discussion that might contain some additional useful information - Wiper blade motors


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## Remember_54 (Sep 18, 2014)

can any one post diagram of wiper blades motor, i bought phaeton, but there are no any wiper blades and motor inside, so i probably need to Order complete system. 

can you please help?


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi,

Welcome to the forum!

What sort of information do you need? Is it part numbers, or an electrical wiring diagram? There are a lot of photos and assembly discussions in this thread and the other one mentioned above.

Regards,
Chris

PS - please would you add some information in your forum Profile? It will help get the correct answers to your question, for example by listing if your car is from a Right Hand Drive country with the wipers reversed. This thread refers: Please Read Regarding your Forum Profile


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## RDMc (Apr 3, 2015)

*right side wiper drive mechanisms*

Thanks to all that have posted regarding the replacement of the right side wiper drive mechanism. Just replaced mine and your information made it an easy task to complete and save a bundle that the dealer wanted for the job. Thanks again.


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## anthonymck (Mar 8, 2012)

*Wiper Fuse Location*

The Wiper Fuses are located Under the plenum chamber cover on the passenger side of the engine compartment. You only need to remove the "additional cover" and then the fuse box cover. On the fuse box cover there should be a diagram of the fuses in order (wiper fuses are 19 and 20 - corresponding to Driver and Passenger wiper) They are the two 20 Amp fuses on the right hand side of a 2-column row of fuses, closest to windshield - (i took photo, but can't seem to attach it)


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## _Taz_ (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi follks.... As usual my beloved Phaeton decided to seize up the mechanism almost solid on the way home from my nightshift... Wtf lol.... It was like slow motion failure....

Anyhow, decided this morning to take apart the mechs.... Excuse my typing as I'm using the phone...

The passenger side is def the culprit as it was almost seized, after removing the assembly, I put it in my vice and with some gentle levering with some pen fluid, I got the wiper pivot free... The alu casting uses 2 bronze bushes, these were fine, but the gap between which should have grease was bone dry and full of alu oxide....

I removed the steel wiper pivot, emery clothed it, cleaned, greased etc... What a difference! 

Did the drivers side which was free, but stripped and lubed up too....

The wiper mech is quite clever as the 2 motors sync and match each other.... Once freed up, its now smooth as glass, on a difficulty scale, 3 out of 10, but you must be sympathetic to the alu casting....

I'll post a pic when I finish nights tonight.

Thanks to this forum for the pics from pan Michael...

Btw, that pivot may have been salvageable with some heat and pen fluid...

Cheers, Taz


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## invisiblewave (Sep 22, 2008)

Taz, did you remove and reinstall that lower windscreen piece that fits in the groove as part of this procedure? If so, could you give us your insights? How easy/hard is it to get off, and particularly how hard/easy it is to reinstall. I need to remove it to do the V71, and I'll probably do the wiper motors at the same time.


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## _Taz_ (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi mate, mine came off dead easy, but then again I took mine off a few years back to clean the plenum up... 

As it's quite easy, I can do a how to this weekend? 

Easiest way is to wash I down with son warm water 1st if it's never been removed, and I used a small plastic wedge at one end and your hands from the back.. 

Let me do a how to this sat? Pictures speak a thousand words bud. But it's nit mega tightly secured, if you use even a wooden spatula, you won't risk damage to the lower trailing edge of the windscreen.

Cheers, Taz

EDIT, almost forgot, the ONLY bit that needed some help was getting the wiper arms off, but I've got a micro 3leg puller so it was a non issue, I appreciate not everyone has access to this tool, so apologies, as you take for granted what tooling you may have....


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## Dangerrous (Sep 14, 2014)

Yep same problem, did it earlier this year

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...ipers-Yet-another-common-fault-of-the-Phaeton
Darren


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## invisiblewave (Sep 22, 2008)

Coincidence?? I think not!


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## _Taz_ (Jan 8, 2016)

Blimey, spooky thread... Cheers Darren...

No wonder it all seemed familiar once I got it apart... 

His write up I deffo better than mine ! 

No cups of tea for me though... Only bit I didn't do was the grease nipple, but it should be fine now.

Regards.


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## ernil (Sep 1, 2016)

Hello, 

W12, 65000 miles and my right wiper died. 

Code: 
00155 - Driver-Passenger Side Control Module Communication
011 - Open Circuit

Probably corrosion. 
But... 
Where can I find wipers fuses? 
These are those in the electrical box in right plenum chamber (place of common water leakages?).


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi (I m sorry but I don't know your name),

Does the fuse document posted here help at all?

Regards,
Chris


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## AlanX2033 (May 9, 2011)

*Rehost Photos*

Hello! My right wiper blade is now stuck. I'm thinking it's corrosion.
Could someone by chance rehost the photos?

Thanks!
Alan


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

*Moderation note:*

Photos re-hosted.

Chris


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