Rear wash wipe issues new problem.

[Avant4me]

For some time now I have been having problems with the boot lock on my A4 avant not registering as closed so it does not lock. i have taken the lock out twice and found no damage but idenditifed that it was todo with the electrical contact which registered the closed position.

Today when investigating a leak from the rear washer i stumbled across the problem and hopefully have fixed it!
The water hose attaches to the wiper unit and this often comes off, however i had a more serious problem.
Essentially this is a hollow shaft on which the wiper arm is fixed, moving with a rubber seal on each end trying to hold high pressure water. The water was leaking inside the unit, filling the gears with water which was dripping out into the boot lock and shorting it out.

I completely removed the unit and using a Torx 10 removed the screws. Water was escaping all round the body.

This was what i found inside

Basically the seal between the wiper shaft and the input nozzle had failed and the unit was filling with screenwash. This has caused the mechanism to corode badly and become stiff.

I removed the motor from the unit as well to give it all a good clean, but be warned: It is fiddly to get it all back together. You need to take the plastic unit containing the motor brushes and mount this back on the motor spindle before carefully putting the whole lot back on the mechanism.


This is the offending part, notice the rubber on the end of the shaft has perished

This is the seal it goes into

Cleaning the whole lot up

When reassembling it, i used lots of general purpose grease.

After fitting the unit back on the boot lid, do not put the wiper arm on yet, but put the ignition on and the mechanism will return to the park position. You can then put the arm back on.

I am not sure if the seal will work with the level of corrosion on mine, but to be honest i don't use the rear wash that often and certainly won't be buying a new mechanism as the cost will be frightening.

Would be worth you guys checking before yours gets as bad as mine.

Matt

 

[swarcup]

nice bit of investigation there. many thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

[T0m]

Im going to have to investigate mine after this thread, while I dont get the boot lock error my wiper has frozen still in this weather and is less responsive than normal and to top it off one of my jets always seems to be permanently blocked I keep clearing it but it still fails.

Without looking how easy is it to remove the panel in the boot? im going to have to have a look at this once it gets warmer.

Tom

 

[ScottD3]

When you take the wiper motor off, I'd point the water pipe awar from the car and give the pump a nice long jet of water to clear out any crap thats in the pipe and if you got access to an air line or compressed air, give the jet the same treatment.
I stripped mine down cause my arm and jet was not working. I was lucky, Mine was not as bad as this. A quick clean, re-grease and rebuild and it was fine.

If your O-rings are in a bad state, pop down to plumbing shop and see if they have any replacements of the same size.

EDIT:=- Golf Passat Polo A3 A4 A6 - Rear Wiper Motor Repair Kit on eBay (end time 27-Dec-10 22:18:36 GMT) Still cheaper than a motor.

 

[scott b]

removing the rear panel is a pain in the ****, 4 screws then pull hard on it, i just fitted a new motor cant remember exactly how much but i think it was around £80

 

[dubdemand]

Will be having a look at this too on my b7. Have noticed that my back windows get quite steamy in this cold weather which would suggest there is moisture in there somewhere!

Thanks for the write up - very useful!

 

[T0m]

Ive had a look earlier and I can see water in the boot lock so Im guessing when the weather gets better ive now got to do this job!

I did wonder yesterday why the rear wiper only worked when i squirted the water first and now I know why!

 

[snowball1969]

This is a common fault, but i just replaced mine as I'm hoping the new one will not go like the original

 

[rog190quattro]

Ithink mine is suffering with this problem as well just had a new boot lock mechanism and could'nt find a leak but rear wiper has developed a mind of its own again so looks like a new problem needs sorting ,seems like one problem after the other at the miniute.Good job she's redeemed herself by being so good in the snow.

 

[packman600]

I have an Audi Avant 1.9tdi Sport, 53 plate. Earlier this summer rear wiper worked but no screenwash. Removed fascia, cleaned nozzles and made sure screen wash flowed before refitting. Then before xmas wiper worked but no screenwash. Thought it may have frozen solid but now that temperature is above freezing, still no screenwash. So removed fascia, checked connections, cleaned nozzles, then tried wiper/ washer action and found screenwash leaking out of the wiper motor body). Couldn't undo the 13mm spindle nut under nozzle. Tried WD40 but would not budge.

Took silver cover off motor and found that the spindle was corroded at the end (not as bad as photo 2 above) but external diameter should be 6mm and was now about 5.7mm, 10mm diameter at top see photo 3 above. Cleaned off corrosion with emery paper. Cleaned black female housing in silver cover (int diam 6mm and 10mm near top see photo 4 above). Reconnected everything but body filled up with screenwash and leaked.

Rang Audi main dealer in Nottingham to find out if there was a repair kit. Sadly not and price of new motor was £98 inc VAT

Took cover off again. Couldn't find any sign of an o-ring or other seal mechanism. Looks like the close fit of the spindle in the housing creates the seal. Therefore, used white PTFE tape (used in plumbing with compression fittings) to wrap around both 6mm and 10mm parts of the spindle. Reassembled silver cover and tightened screws (managed to shear the head off one). Reconnected pipe and pushed on the nozzles. Screenwash emerged from nozzles and no leak from motor body.

Not sure how long this will last but will monitor over coming weeks.

 

[T0m]

Scott B Im going to try and fix mine tomorrow can you tell me where the 4 screws are? ive looked at the rear panel and cannot see any?!

 

[scott b]

open the flap in the boot where the warning triangle sits, remove the triangle thing and you should see them

 

[T0m]

Did that Scott but couldnt see them, must not of been looking properly lol will have a butchers later Cheers mate!

 

[T0m]

Hey guys I took mine off and sorted it however it will not work, I took the plastic wheel out and when I put it back in it does a rotation so the motor works but then it does nothing more any ideas guys?

I even plugged it in while it was open to test that the contacts actually touch the metal plate on the rear of the wheel and they do however when it reaches the end of a rotation it doesnt move again even after waiting a few minutes wierd eh?

 

[scott b]

new motor needed

 

[T0m]

Thought as much weird how it does a cycle so I thought it couldnt be the motor lol any ideas if you can get the motor separate?

 

[scott b]

not as far as im aware of, its the full unit, around £80 + VAT

 

[vorsprung dork]

yeah! my motor packed in last week and water is getting in the boot lock making the interior light come on and setting the alarm off all the time when i lock the car!! its doing my head in gona get a new motor tomorrow and fit it! sick as!!

 

[T0m]

Funny thing is my motor works but it only seems to work if I move the wheel inside the housing myself. Looks like a visit to the stealers.

 

[JimLoskot]

Mine finally packed iin last night, Afer stripping it down it looks like water has got in and corroded the small PCB on the back of the motor = whole new unit I think

 

[jbcalvin]

Mine did this just before Xmas, bought a complete motor/arm from scrappy for £50 off a B7 model, only thing I had to buy was a new nozzle, £6.19 inc VAT from dealer.....

It's a known problem with this design of wiper motor, Audi/VW have known about it for years, hence the repair kits available and the fact that most new models have the washer separate to the motor now...

Steve

 

[jolly14]

removing the rear panel is a pain in the ****, 4 screws then pull hard on it, i just fitted a new motor cant remember exactly how much but i think it was around £80

I bought a new rear wiper motor from 4 RINGS , when i had it fitted i found out that the new motor had only 1 wash jet that was built into the spindle and the old twin jet does not fit, i can no longer use the jet cos it just squirts into the plastic cover, when i phoned them they just said well you ordered it but why didnt he tell me that they do the twin 1 rather than doing the cowboy thing just to get a sale. I will avoid 4 RINGS from now on.

Cheers jay

 

[jbcalvin]

Jolly14,

I would go back to them because that is a motor from a B5 model, if you gave them a reg and/or told them it was for a B6 they have sold you the wrong part......

I know this because I used to work for Audi, B5's have a different set up with a bigger rear window.....

Steve

 

[jolly14]

Jolly14,

I would go back to them because that is a motor from a B5 model, if you gave them a reg and/or told them it was for a B6 they have sold you the wrong part......

I know this because I used to work for Audi, B5's have a different set up with a bigger rear window.....

Steve

Thanks steve but the way i spoke to the bloke i dont think he'll entertain a swap for the b6 1, but he did ask me for the year of my car 2003, is there anywhere i could adapt the ***** that i've been miss sold.

Cheers Jay

 

[JimLoskot]

mine is dead, looking to get one off ebay but there are a lot that look identical but with slightly different part numbers especially the first 3 numbers/letter.
mine is 8E9 955 711A, when I quoted it to the guy at TPS he said the A at the end shows as E?
I'm confused and can't really afford £90 for a new one.
Anyone any ideas?

 

[supra steveo]

anyone got any pics of this ?? think mine have gone on both A4s :/