Passenger side wiper does not move while driver side wiper works great. Is this fixable without taking the cowl off? If so or not so what part do I need?

 

Well, you're probably gonna need to remove the cowl to take a good look at the linkage.

 

Yeah, agree with artsr2002 - might be able to peek through the cowl holes and such to see the problem, but the cowl more than likely needs to come off to fix it right.

 

Hi: New to forum.
I received the recall and my local dealer replaced the wiper blade linkage.
Two days later with the first precipitation the blades wouldn't work. Dealer replaced linkage a second time.
Within the week the next precipitation and blades wouldn't work again.
Dealer said my 2018 Ford F150 required a new wiper motor. Seemed suspicious to me that wiper blade motor would fail when it was working fine before both linkage replacements but you can't drive without wipers. Cost $400.
It seems Ford F150s from 2020 were subject to an earlier recall and they are eligible for a new 'smart' wiper motor but the 260,000 trucks between 2015 and 2020 are not eligible for the motor replacement at Ford's cost.
Contacted Ford and they say it's not on their radar. Contacted Transport Canada at their suggestion who took details but who recommended contacting consumer affairs.
Has anyone else experienced this problem?

 

Ford did this recall for me. I guess, I will have to come back...

 

Hi. I'm new to the Forum. I have a 2019 F-150 Lariat with 5.0 V8. This is my first Ford after being a Ram guy most of my life.

I recently learned of the wiper linkage recall after my wipers stopped working. I spoke to a Ford Canada Rep who said my truck does not fall under the recall despite being a 2019 (my VIN was not listed).

Does anybody have any insight into why my truck would not qualify for the recall?

In the meantime, thanks to YouTube, I performed a quick-fix by drilling holes into the assembly and filling with white lithium grease.

 

Most of the time that symptom means the driver’s side is still turning the wiper linkage, but the passenger side has lost its connection to that linkage.

Here’s how I’d check it, starting with the easy stuff:

1. Lift the passenger wiper arm off the glass and look where it clamps onto the splined shaft.
   
2. Pop the little plastic cap off the base of the arm and check the nut:
   
   • If the nut is loose, the arm can slip on the splines so the motor turns but the arm doesn’t.
     
   • Mark the arm position on the glass with tape, tighten the nut firmly, and try the wipers again.
     
3. With the arm off, run the wipers briefly and see if the shaft itself is moving:
   
   • Shaft moves but arm doesn’t: the arm’s splines are likely stripped — you’ll need a new wiper arm.
     
   • Shaft does not move: the problem is in the wiper linkage/transmission under the cowl (often a popped bushing or worn joint).
     

If the shaft isn’t moving, there’s really no way around it — you’ll need to remove the cowl to get at the linkage. On most trucks/cars that means:

• Remove both wiper arms.
  
• Take off the plastic cowl cover.
  
• Inspect the linkage rods and plastic bushings; replace the broken bushings or the complete wiper transmission/linkage assembly if it’s badly worn.
  

So: you might get lucky and fix it without pulling the cowl if it’s just a loose/stripped arm, but if the passenger-side shaft isn’t moving, the proper repair is under the cowl.