> I appreciate that the motor runs at all, considering how old the
> car is, but I am really puzzled why the wiper blades swish back
> and forth with such an abbreviated swing. The blades don't clear
> off much of the glass at all, just the middle section, with both
> blades fairly vertical.
>
> A possible clue to the malfunction is when I turn off the motor,
> the blades do not go home, and lay down in the scuppers, but sit
> up about a quarter of the way from home.
The distance the wiper arms move should be fixed by the gear inside the
wiper motor (which can vary between different models of car using the same
wiper motor). There is no special "park" position, the wipers should move
to one end of the sweep and stay there when you switch the motor off.
My first guess would be that your wheel boxes (inside the car at the base of
the wiper arms) and/or the flexible rack that runs to them from the motor
are severely worn and in need of replacement. However, the gear inside the
wiper motor is still a possibility, and much easier to get to, so I'd check
it first. You'll need to take it apart anyway, to detach the rack for
inspection.
It's also possible the tube that the rack runs in has become disconnected at
the first wheelbox and motion is being lost there. I'm not sure how tough
that area is to see on a TR4, but if the tube feels loose after
disconnecting from the motor and pulling the rack out, there's a good chance
this is the problem.
Randall
|