[Zfdeisde]

So, my girlfriend's car was having issues with her windshield wipers. Over a week or so they got slower and slower until they stopped moving this Sunday, even though it was somewhat warmer out. Figured it to be the wiper motor died, so the next day I stopped by Advance Auto on the way home from work to get a new one (it was raining a bit so it was real fun with no wiper blades.) Just go fast enough and it would just bead up & blow off haha...

It would figure that the only one they carried for her car ('02 Hyundai Accent) didn't come with it's own motor arm (or whatever you call that small arm on the motor that actually connects to the wiper pivot rod) or even the rubber mounting feet. At first I felt a little stupid for not taking the motor arm off, as I thought it was part of the motor and that the new one would have one, but then those poor bastards had a hell of a time for like 30 minutes trying to get it off the old one, and then spent another 15 minutes or so trying to get it back on the new one.

So, I got the new one installed right out in the parking lot (while it was raining and everything) and they worked great. They needed adjusted/realigned or whatever because they were slightly off, and I think the passenger side one needed a little tightening up because it seemed a little loose, but they still worked.

Yesterday morning, the day after I replaced it, it had snowed overnight and the rain froze. It was pretty damn cold. So while cleaning off the car I popped the wiper blades off the windshield to scrape the ice, and I guess I pushed a little too hard when they were up and the entire wiper arm on the passenger side just cracked right off, right where the arm is bolted on.
[cursing]

It's metal of course, but I guess a combination of cold & age just decided to do that to me. Nobody around here carries them, and the few places I found online would take too long to ship. The nearby dealership was slightly more pricey of course but they were able to have it here in only a couple days, so we get to go pick it up tomorrow.

This morning, it's even colder out (like 8'F / -13.3'C.) Even after warming up the car for 15 minutes before leaving with the heat on full blast there was still a bit of frost & moisture on the windshield, and now the wiper that's not broke on the driver side would barely move on it's own.

I've read that oiling the joints where the arms connect may help, would WD40 work ok?

[FuXA8nQM]

would WD40 work ok?

Maybe....it's for rust removal rather than lubrication.

[eocavrWM]

Got to a junk yard and find what you need. A part like that at the junk yard will only cost you like a dollar.

I know in my vehicles, wiper motors can be fairly expensive, so if yours was aswell, pull one from the junk yard for way cheaper and return the one you bought.

[WhileKelf]

Lubricating the wiper pivots in the first place would have been the way to go, however, if you don't know...
WD40 will work with all metal pivot bushes but, as many use plastic/nylon bushes, it can cause problems - I use a CRC Silicone lubricant for the family cars as part of the annual check over - works well.
There may also be some moisture in the pivots that is causing problems.
The rest of the linkages are generally good for the life of the car, but a little grease or lubrication shouldn't hurt.

[ORDERCHEAPVIAGRASOFTWARE]

Maybe....it's for rust removal rather than lubrication.

Um.... where exactly are you getting that info from? The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture. This is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to give a low viscosity fluid which can be sprayed and thus penetrate crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving the oil behind.

With that being said, i'm pretty sure WD-40 would work to lubricate the joints the OP was asking about.

[FuXA8nQM]

Um.... where exactly are you getting that info from? The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture. This is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to give a low viscosity fluid which can be sprayed and thus penetrate crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving the oil behind.

With that being said, i'm pretty sure WD-40 would work to lubricate the joints the OP was asking about.

Two thumbs up on the wiki quoting, but as I understand it from friends in the mechanical field it's best at removing rust and dirt and providing temporary lubrication. Once wd-40 has been used to lubricate the area should be properly lubricated.

How true that is I don't know but I'll take the word of people who use it regularly over wiki anyday.

[Zfdeisde]

Got to a junk yard and find what you need. A part like that at the junk yard will only cost you like a dollar.

I know in my vehicles, wiper motors can be fairly expensive, so if yours was aswell, pull one from the junk yard for way cheaper and return the one you bought.

It wasn't too expensive, it was like $65, and no core-charge since I already pulled the old one out. Some vehicles are $200+ for a new one. I'm going to try and give the pivot joints some lube and if I'm still having the issue, I'll definitely be returning the one I bought. A brand new one shouldn't be having this issue, assuming everything else is working the way it should.

And I've also been told that while WD-40 can be used as a lube, it's just a temporary solution for most things because it doesn't last all that long. It's best at protecting from rust AFAIK, not sure how effective it is at actually removing it.

[elton]

catsun I feel your pain. I used to have a 2000 Hyundai Elantra and all the power windows required seperate motor arms. And every single power window broke, one of them breaking twice. $200 a pop to fix each time, a ridiculous waste of dough.

[ORDERCHEAPVIAGRASOFTWARE]

Two thumbs up on the wiki quoting, but as I understand it from friends in the mechanical field it's best at removing rust and dirt and providing temporary lubrication. Once wd-40 has been used to lubricate the area should be properly lubricated.

How true that is I don't know but I'll take the word of people who use it regularly over wiki anyday.

Why thanks, i worked hard getting that info from wikipedia. That was just for a technical explanation there. But i've been using it to lubricate stuff for years. Yes, it can and does remove rust and all, but it's still a good lubricant

catsun I feel your pain. I used to have a 2000 Hyundai Elantra and all the power windows required seperate motor arms. And every single power window broke, one of them breaking twice. $200 a pop to fix each time, a ridiculous waste of dough.

Damn man, $200 a pop is quite expensive. Is that just parts or is that parts & labor to have them installed? .

[FuXA8nQM]

but it's still a good lubricant

It is, but not for something that is permanently exposed to the weather.

[Cyzkrahu]

deleted

[ORDERCHEAPVIAGRASOFTWARE]

It is, but not for something that is permanently exposed to the weather.

True, but i say it would be a good idea for him to spray with it, and then see how things are for a few days. Could be just a bunch of gunk buildup from being exposed to the elements and the wd40 could break that up.

[FuXA8nQM]

True, but i say it would be a good idea for him to spray with it, and then see how things are for a few days. Could be just a bunch of gunk buildup from being exposed to the elements and the wd40 could break that up.

Definitely, it should help in the short term.