I went out this morning to clear the snow/ice buildup on my pickup.

I had forgotten that I had left the wipers turned on.

I started the motor to warm her up. and proceeded to clear the windshield.

After a few minutes, I had the driver's side cleared and as I was working, the wiper moved. The passenger side blade was still frozen in, and it did not move.

I shut the wipers off, but too late, the damage was already done. After I completed windshield clearing, I tested the wipers again. The passenger side makes a limp effort, but doesn't other wise doesn't move.

I haven't started looking at it, it's still snowing/ice/raining.

So.. questions are:

1. What to look for when weather clears.?

2. Does anybody have a exploded parts view of the linkages etcetera they could post?


TIA,

blue2001 (2001 F150)

 

Remove the plastic cap covering the wiper arm nut. Loosen the nut and align the wiper arm. Tighten the nut. Remember to always turn off the wipers when you shut off the truck.

If the arm is still loose some steel wool wrapped around the stud might help.

 

I managed to take the wiper arm off, and inspect it. The insides are smooth... shot.

After 260,000 miles, and 10 winters.. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

Off to get new arm.

 

Well at least it was just the arm. You could have easily burnt out the wiper motor forgetting them on. Just a good thing to remember to shut them off from now on. Actually if I know its gonna storm and my pickup is outside, i'll flip the wipers up off the windshield so the do not get froze down at all or any build up on them.

 

Hi All,
2011 f 150
I accidentally turned my wipers on with a ton of snow on my windshield. Now the arms won't move and there is a loud vibrating noise coming from where the arms connect to the posts. I took the arms off and checked the posts. I can physically grab the post with my fingers an prevent it from moving which replicates the loud vibrating noise.

I also tried brand new arms because I thought that would solve the issue. Any thoughts?

 

What I find amazing is that with all electronic aids in the modern car the device like wiper blades did not really change too much. How difficult is to:
- disable wiper blades if they are on at startup (e.g. the user would have to manually turn them off and then on to get them working)
- put a sensor of some sort that disables the wiper blades if there is too much resistance

 

Cost benefit ratio on that one. The cost of adding sensors to do what you are recommending is higher than the amount of profit they would make off those sensors unless marketing comes up with a justification or the goobers in the boogernment makes them. It's not necessarily difficult to do but the 30 cents per wiper would not generate enough difference to really make it worth it unless a large number of people demanded it.

 

I had a Cadillac STS with auto wipers... meaning that they would turn on when they sensed water. Neat concept, until the sensor goes bad, or you can't get the wipers to shut off in a car wash.

 

I had auto wipers on several cars, including old Mitsubishi Outlander. The concept is quite old. But you still need to turn them on - unless you always drive with the wipers turned on

Have not yet seen the car where this function would work smoothly. The sensors are either too optimistic or too pessimistic I always end up either turning it off or forcing it to work harder.

 

My STS would not shut off in the car wash if you went in on auto. That thing was full of gremlins, and was sold off. Cured me from owing another GM.