crazy wipers!!!

[subieracer18]

It just so happened on one of the days it rains hard my wipers go crazy! lol. Good think i just applied some rain-x. whenever i use my wipers while i'm driving they fly off of the side of the windshield and then they never go all the way back down. if i use them when sitting still they will go half way up then sit almost all teh way to the bottom. What could be causing this? Are the motors goin out?
03 wrx
130k miles

[SonicWagon]

It just so happened on one of the days it rains hard my wipers go crazy! lol. Good think i just applied some rain-x. whenever i use my wipers while i'm driving they fly off of the side of the windshield and then they never go all the way back down. if i use them when sitting still they will go half way up then sit almost all teh way to the bottom. What could be causing this? Are the motors goin out?
03 wrx
130k miles

motors i bet

[goBABYgo113]

nope, not the motor, just reset the wipers to the down position, and tighten the nuts where the wipers bolt to the motor, simple=)

[subieracer18]

i'm thinking it's the motors... i popped off those rubber caps and the nuts were all ready tight as fxxx!

[goBABYgo113]

hmmmm, odd, well, in that case call up the dealer and check to see if they have an initilization process, also, just a thought, the actual gears on the motor(teeth) might be stripped or on the wipers themselves, most of the motors ive encountered when they go out, they just dont go back into the stop position, not that they flail all over, but hey, wierder **** has happened

[phobiarg]

Any fixes for this? mine just started today, I have an 02

[Trainrex]

Ok. -Wiper 101-

1: Wiper systems have 1 motor.
2: The wiper system consists of a switch, wiring, wiper motor, wiper linkage/transmission, and wiper arms.


If the wipers are stopping in different places, odds are the nuts that hold the arms on are loose. Try tightening them. If that doesn't work, the little splines on the studs are stripped and you will need to replace the wiper trans.

[phobiarg]

heres what it does, If I turn them on they dont go all the way up or down on the first 2 speeds. On the fastest speed it flys off the windshield on the left and the left one smacks into the right one when it goes completely down. With them off I can get out and move them up and down a good 6" without any resistance.

[spyder_doo]

Any other thoughts on this? Mine started doing this exact thing a few weeks ago and I cant figure it out. I took the case apart and the gears are all working fine, nothing stripped. When I put the wiper arms on the posts move freely a few inches up and down the windshield. Any suggestions?

[mudferret]

Are the symptoms exactly the same as the ones in the initial post? The gears, and drive part of the motor may be fine, but the wiper park switch may be broken or damaged. Are the linkages/pivot points all intact and in good shape?

Not sure how servicable Subaru wiper motors are, but likely easier to get a new motor if it's the park switch.

[bobbyjimmy]

$5 its the wiper linkage.
#1 in this picture; Wiper (windshilde) — Illustration #1, Subaru IMPREZA — Subaru parts catalog
The bushes (which you can't get separate) get flogged out and then your wiper blades go all over the place.