# Windshield wiper problems.......



## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

Ok.....so, of course the week I need to take my car in for inspection everything decides to go wrong with it!!!!  

Most recently.....a few days ago, I was driving and it was raining-the wipers were working.....and I stress the word WERE.....then like a block away from my place-they just stopped working (and no, I did not shut them off by accident). The motor of the wipers is making a clicking sound-like they want to work, but somehow are detached from the actual wiper? (trying to decribe the problem as best I can)

I am asking on here if anyone knows how much it costs to get something like this fixed before I take it to the mechanic and get ripped off......because I am a female, I am always afraid of being taken advantage of by a mechanic because they think I wont know anything about cars and what it REALLY costs to repair them.......they tried doing that last year when I took my car in for a simple brake job and told me I needed new rotars when the rotars were brand new-they changed their tune really quick when I put my father on the phone 

Anyone here have an idea how much the wipers/motor/whatever is wrong with them costs? Is it perhaps something I can fix myself? I tried to see if anything was stuck there-but nothing significant that would cause them to not work......

Thanks :thumbup:


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

motors themselves are usually expensive... if the motor is still working, i would try to remove the wiper arms first, and reinstall, maybe the gears are just slipping. the arms can be a bitch to remove, but just take some elbow grease when working the nut out...


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

Blank said:


> motors themselves are usually expensive... if the motor is still working, i would try to remove the wiper arms first, and reinstall, maybe the gears are just slipping. the arms can be a bitch to remove, but just take some elbow grease when working the nut out...



Oh thanks.....yea-the motor is still running....it's clicking but not catching onto anything. Thank god it hasnt burned out at least....I'd be seriously pissed if I had to replace that considering I'm selling the car in a few months anyway before I move to Spain......

As it is, I might have to replace the muffler in order for it to pass inspection.....not too happy about that one either....this mechanic has welded the thing twice already-and it still is rattling.....dont even ask.....*shakes head*


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

DJ Becka said:


> Oh thanks.....yea-the motor is still running....it's clicking but not catching onto anything. Thank god it hasnt burned out at least....I'd be seriously pissed if I had to replace that considering I'm selling the car in a few months anyway before I move to Spain......
> 
> As it is, I might have to replace the muffler in order for it to pass inspection.....not too happy about that one either....this mechanic has welded the thing twice already-and it still is rattling.....dont even ask.....*shakes head*


well, arre you htrowing a check engine or service engine code? just being loose should be ok IN ny... HELL ON MY MAXIMA IT WAS BANGING AROUND LIKE A mfER... whoos caps lock, sorry...


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

Blank said:


> well, arre you htrowing a check engine or service engine code? just being loose should be ok IN ny... HELL ON MY MAXIMA IT WAS BANGING AROUND LIKE A mfER... whoos caps lock, sorry...


No....the engine lights are a-ok......I'm just thinking he should fix it just to be on the safe side....if it fails once-I have to pay for that-and I dont feel like paying twice


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

Check your local Nissan Dealership for a recall on the wipers, the B14's had a recall along time ago, just make sur eit was done on your car before you spend any $$$


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

wes said:


> Check your local Nissan Dealership for a recall on the wipers, the B14's had a recall along time ago, just make sur eit was done on your car before you spend any $$$



WOW....I did not know that.....what exactly is a B14 though? (pardon my ignorance of the car lingo  ) My car is a 1997 Nissan Sentra GXE......I bought the car in 2000 though, so to my knowledge there was nothing wrong with the car.....

Gonna call the dealership in the morning though just to check.....thanks for the heads up


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

DJ Becka said:


> WOW....I did not know that.....what exactly is a B14 though? My car is a 1997 Nissan Sentra GXE......I bought the car in 2000 though, so to my knowledge there was nothing wrong with the car.....
> 
> Gonna call the dealership in the morning though just to check.....thanks for the heads up


b14 is the chassis code for your car, all sentras 95-99 are considered to be b14's...


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

Blank said:


> b14 is the chassis code for your car, all sentras 95-99 are considered to be b14's...


did you buy the car from a nissan dealer, or just a local mom and pop, or another make dealer? if it was nissan the recalls HAD to be done before they could sell it to you, but if it was another make, or just a local dealer you may be in luck...


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

Blank said:


> did you buy the car from a nissan dealer, or just a local mom and pop, or another make dealer? if it was nissan the recalls HAD to be done before they could sell it to you, but if it was another make, or just a local dealer you may be in luck...



I bought the car from Amityville Nissan-it was used-but still came from an authorized Nissan dealership....one of those cars that was leased for 3 years. The car is in decent shape....I have had minor problems with the locks sticking-nothing that wd40 cant handle  Aside from that though, this is the only 'major' problem I've had.....of course it had to happen when I was driving in the rain


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

lol if you got it from a nissan dealer the recall should have been done, but it cant hurt to double check... call theirr service department and give them your VIN, they can tell you what recall work has been done to the car...


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

Blank said:


> lol if you got it from a nissan dealer the recall should have been done, but it cant hurt to double check... call theirr service department and give them your VIN, they can tell you what recall work has been done to the car...



Noice....thanks guys :thumbup:


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

So, I just checked with the dealership and they said that there are no recalls for my car.....guess I'll just have to suck it up and take it to the stupid mechanic and get it fixed. Thanks for the helpful advice though


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## sfhellwig (Feb 4, 2003)

I believe this has been a somewhat common problem where the linkage arm between the wiper motor and the wiper arm studs themselves breaks. I am pretty certain it was in this forum and that I am not thinking of my S-10. Some searching in this forum should reveal the answer. It will be under the cowel (right in front of the windshield) and certain years of the B14 were recalled for a leak in that area. From the wiper motor there is a linkage that attaches to one arm and then a strut or bar that runs to the other arm. I recall something about one of the pieces being plastic so once it breaks the motor drives nothing. It is a relatively cheap part available at your local nissan dealer. Sorry I couldn't be more specific/certain, HTH.


Went ahead and did a search in the B14 section for the word wiper and came up with some info. It was mostly one side not working but if you do the same search you will at least find directions to get under the cowl and info on how the system works. A visual inspection should reveal the problem from there. I guess the system is meant to fail a few cheap parts first so as not to burn up the expensive motor. Good luck.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

DJ Becka said:


> So, I just checked with the dealership and they said that there are no recalls for my car.....guess I'll just have to suck it up and take it to the stupid mechanic and get it fixed. Thanks for the helpful advice though


they are lieing out of their teeth. someone had a list for the recall iirc. anyone want to post that for her? she could then print it out and take it to the a-holes. i will be a mech soon and i would rather personaly live the movie "saw" than be a jerk off and over charge people. that makes me mad  your already a step ahead by joining here to learn. there is nothing better than looking nothing like a grease monkey but being able to put them in their place.

a dealer quoted me $400 for a FRONT brake job at a free inspection and i left and did the job my self for $70. anyone can do anything on a car if they try and read up before hand. but most people "dont have the time" so they would rather pay out the ass to save time. :thumbdwn:


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

pete? said:


> they are lieing out of their teeth. someone had a list for the recall iirc. anyone want to post that for her? she could then print it out and take it to the a-holes. i will be a mech soon and i would rather personaly live the movie "saw" than be a jerk off and over charge people. that makes me mad  your already a step ahead by joining here to learn. there is nothing better than looking nothing like a grease monkey but being able to put them in their place.
> 
> a dealer quoted me $400 for a FRONT brake job at a free inspection and i left and did the job my self for $70. anyone can do anything on a car if they try and read up before hand. but most people "dont have the time" so they would rather pay out the ass to save time. :thumbdwn:


Take it easy, it doesn't mean there were never any recalls at all, just htat there are non-open for that particular VIN.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

wes said:


> Take it easy, it doesn't mean there were never any recalls at all, just htat there are non-open for that particular VIN.


idk, my buddy had the same thing happen to him and he has owned it his entire life. it just seems kind of shady to me. i teach all my women friends what they need to know so when they go there they will not get riped off. 

re-calls =free=no labor costs= no $$ made. <dealers nightmare. find a good dealer (my local dealer is accually very good) and never go alone. have any car friends? or atleast someone who can BS car lingo? take them along with you.


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

pete? said:


> they are lieing out of their teeth. someone had a list for the recall iirc. anyone want to post that for her? she could then print it out and take it to the a-holes. i will be a mech soon and i would rather personaly live the movie "saw" than be a jerk off and over charge people. that makes me mad  your already a step ahead by joining here to learn. there is nothing better than looking nothing like a grease monkey but being able to put them in their place.
> 
> a dealer quoted me $400 for a FRONT brake job at a free inspection and i left and did the job my self for $70. anyone can do anything on a car if they try and read up before hand. but most people "dont have the time" so they would rather pay out the ass to save time. :thumbdwn:


This is what I found when I checked up to see if maybe, just maybe, I was being crazy here:

http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/67-int/1997/nissan/sentra/xe/

See where it says the whole schpeal about the wipers? That is exactly the problem I am having......

What really cracks me up is the fact that I called the dealer-they said 'we dont know'-so I called the corporate headquarters (probably offshore somewhere since lots of companies are outsourcing these kinds of jobs now)....and got some weird ass shady response from them....

I had to repeat my VIN number like 6 times....the woman said there was no record of my car at all-I repeated it again and gave her my name-and she said that there is a record of my car, but with a different owner. (yea....I forgot to mention I stole the car this morning at the beginning of the call....sorry  ) Then she says there is no record of any recalls for this particular vehicle and that it is a coincidence that I am having this exact same problem. I'm not buyin it.....something sounds fishy......

She starts explaining to me how a recall works-but too bad I dont understand broken english-otherwise I would have understood what she was saying....but I am pretty sure it was something like they do a survey of people who own this model car-and then if there are any recalls-notify them? Why would you do that though? Shouldnt EVERYONE who owns a particular car be entitled to the same safety standards as those who are lucky enough to be surveyed? Again-I wasnt sure I understood what she was saying-I got fed up with having to ask her to repeat herself over and over, so I gave up....

What I am really thinking might have happened is that whoever owned the car before me, got a letter and never bothered to do anything about it.....hence the reason there is no record of any work being done......could be wrong though......


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

pete? said:


> idk, my buddy had the same thing happen to him and he has owned it his entire life. it just seems kind of shady to me. i teach all my women friends what they need to know so when they go there they will not get riped off.
> 
> re-calls =free=no labor costs= no $$ made. <dealers nightmare. find a good dealer (my local dealer is accually very good) and never go alone. have any car friends? or atleast someone who can BS car lingo? take them along with you.


I wish I had some car friends.....that would make this whole ordeal that much easier.....

I'm not gonna sweat it too much.....I just dont want to be paying all this money on a car that a) I'm still paying off the loan and b) I'm going to be selling in a few months anyway.....

Next time I buy a car though.....I am definitely going to shop around-this one-while it has been a wonderful car up until now-I did buy it in a hurry because my other one (also a Nissan) was totalled in an accident (100% not my fault) and I was living on longisland where you NEED a car there to get around.....otherwise you're f**ed


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

from what i understand the recall has not been performed or it was done and the wrok was half assed. http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/67-int/1997/nissan/sentra/xe/
^print that out, take it to them. say "i am having these exact problems" and demand they help you out or atleast not make you pay labor.


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

pete? said:


> from what i understand the recall has not been performed or it was done and the wrok was half assed. http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/67-int/1997/nissan/sentra/xe/
> ^print that out, take it to them. say "i am having these exact problems" and demand they help you out or atleast not make you pay labor.



Yes, this is the page I did see about the recall.....I already printed it out-but now my biggest fear is taking it to the Nissan place and having them a) say TFB and charge me anyway and b) charging me an astronomical price for the parts.....

I'm just gonna take it to the guy around the corner from me and see what he can do.....hopefully he can fix it in enough time to get the car inspected before that runs out 

Seems like a fairly easy fix though.....


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## sfhellwig (Feb 4, 2003)

http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=81424&highlight=wiper

http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=78669&highlight=wiper

If you are going to take it to a mechanic at least print these two threads and leave them with the car. It will tell him/her what the problem is, how to quickly get to it, and some help in what part to ask for. Most likely going to be a dealership only item but with this help at least it should save a half hour of time that the mechanic would spend figuring out where to start.


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

sfhellwig said:


> http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=81424&highlight=wiper
> 
> http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=78669&highlight=wiper
> 
> If you are going to take it to a mechanic at least print these two threads and leave them with the car. It will tell him/her what the problem is, how to quickly get to it, and some help in what part to ask for. Most likely going to be a dealership only item but with this help at least it should save a half hour of time that the mechanic would spend figuring out where to start.



Shit....this actually sounds like an easy fix-I could probably do it myself (dont mind getting my hands dirty at all)......but since I'm already taking it to the mechanic to get inspected tomorrow, I'll just have him do it. It's raining outside right now anyway and I cant drive anywhere to go get the part I need.....

Oh well......guess I can do this now :cheers:


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## tinkerick (Jul 27, 2005)

*windshield wiper recall still active*

the driver's side wiper on my 97 sentra gxe just quit this morning. After viewing this forum i did some online research and made a few phone calls. 
The recall (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 98V093000) is still active, so your local Nissan Dealer should fix the problem free of charge.

To view the details of the recall you can go to safecar.org or the nissanusa.com

Tink


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

tinkerick said:


> the driver's side wiper on my 97 sentra gxe just quit this morning. After viewing this forum i did some online research and made a few phone calls.
> The recall (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 98V093000) is still active, so your local Nissan Dealer should fix the problem free of charge.
> 
> To view the details of the recall you can go to safecar.org or the nissanusa.com
> ...



Too late.....I already had my mechanic fix it because the a-holes at nissan told me that my particular vin # didnt qualify for the recall-which is bs. All I can say is that the problem is fixed now.....and if this is how Nissan North America treats their customers, I will think twice before purchasing another car from them.....

A shame too considering my family has always owned cars from Nissan with no problems......


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## RadioInsomnia (Mar 27, 2004)

*Both wipers don't work - not just one side*

I was on my way to work when I heard a "pop," and both wipers wouldn't move anymore. It sounds like the motor is still turning. I visited a Midas shop and they said I need a new wiper motor, but the part isn't available from any local dealer (didn't keep them from charging me for an hour of labor just to take it apart, though). I can still move the wipers manually - I move one wiper and they both move together, so I don't know if this is a linkage problem.

Most of the problems on this thread seem to be related to one wiper breaking, not both. Do I really need a new motor if both break? Also, the wiper recall information from Nissan makes it sounds like all they'll do is put in a seal to keep water from coming in, which leads me to believe they'd charge to fix the actual failure even if it was their fault. I bought my car in 2002, have not received notice about the recall, have not had the recall work performed, and do not know if it was done by the previous owner (I doubt it).

Suggestions?


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## thestunts200sx (Jul 11, 2005)

Have you put rainX on your windows ?? Cause I have , and honestly....I dont ever use my wipers even in heavy rain, cause it seriously slides off so quick it doesnt even matter....and it helps the water bead up so quick that visability is still around 85%....granted 100% is better....but 85% without wipers is freakin awesome !

Definately consider....oh yea, I put that on any exterior glass surface...back window, front ( obviously ), side and small triangles.....and I can see everything direction perfectly clear...woohoo !


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## GA BOY (Apr 25, 2005)

*I had da same problem!!!!!!!!1*

I had da same problem with my wipers. i tried fixing them my self but they kept poppin loose. so finally i took the car to the dealership and they fixed the problem for a $100.


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## RadioInsomnia (Mar 27, 2004)

thestunts200sx said:


> Have you put rainX on your windows ??


Yeah, I have, but there's only so much it'll do in freezing rain like I was driving in tonight. I'd rather have my wipers back.


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## makaveli (Oct 5, 2005)

DJ Becka said:


> ......because I am a female, I am always afraid of being taken advantage of by a mechanic because they think I wont know anything about cars and what it REALLY costs to repair them.......they tried doing that last year when I took my car in for a simple brake job and told me I needed new rotars when the rotars were brand new-they changed their tune really quick when I put my father on the phone


i dont think that a mechanic would try to rip you off because you are a *Girl*, i think they just try to rip any1 off.
i took my car into midas to see how much for now front brake pads, and was quoted somthing like $200 for the pad swap(like 2 hours labor @ $90/hr + $20 for parts) i told them to fuck off and when and did it my self in like 15 mins


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

DJ Becka said:


> Too late.....I already had my mechanic fix it because the a-holes at nissan told me that my particular vin # didnt qualify for the recall-which is bs. All I can say is that the problem is fixed now.....and if this is how Nissan North America treats their customers, I will think twice before purchasing another car from them.....
> 
> A shame too considering my family has always owned cars from Nissan with no problems......


Nissan North America is different than a dealer.. its like a franchise, You should have checked with another dealer.. Nissan doesn't own the dealership. You should call Nissan North America's customer line and tell them the story.. and check the Vin against the recall, you might be able to get your money back..


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

myoung said:


> Nissan North America is different than a dealer.. its like a franchise, You should have checked with another dealer.. Nissan doesn't own the dealership. You should call Nissan North America's customer line and tell them the story.. and check the Vin against the recall, you might be able to get your money back..



When I didnt have any luck with the dealer, I did call Nissan North America directly......and they said that my particular VIN didnt qualify for the recall. (which is bullshit I think.....if its a problem with these cars they should fix it). Doesnt matter now....the problem is fixed....the part cost less than $20 and the wipers work just fine now


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## sfhellwig (Feb 4, 2003)

RadioInsomnia

My suggestions. I have not had the problem and have not been under the cowl so I don't know the exact mechanism but it does sound like a linkage problem. Most people break the connecting rod from wiper to wiper hence the single wiper issue. I believe their was a recall for this. Your problem sounds like the connection from wiper motor to wipers/connecting rod mechanism. If you hear the motor and they move manually together that's the only other part I can think of. Since the racalls were issued so long ago I believe most people have not been successful in getting these issues taken care of. I belive pulling the cowl is a fairly simple deal, but the part is not going to be available at the parts store. Either junk yard or call one of the popular dealerships mentioned on the forum. There's also the FSM in a sticky on the GA16 forum that might help with the actual name of the part. Good luck, let us know what you find.


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## tinkerick (Jul 27, 2005)

RadioInsomnia said:


> I was on my way to work when I heard a "pop," and both wipers wouldn't move anymore. It sounds like the motor is still turning. I visited a Midas shop and they said I need a new wiper motor, but the part isn't available from any local dealer (didn't keep them from charging me for an hour of labor just to take it apart, though). I can still move the wipers manually - I move one wiper and they both move together, so I don't know if this is a linkage problem.
> 
> Most of the problems on this thread seem to be related to one wiper breaking, not both. Do I really need a new motor if both break? Also, the wiper recall information from Nissan makes it sounds like all they'll do is put in a seal to keep water from coming in, which leads me to believe they'd charge to fix the actual failure even if it was their fault. I bought my car in 2002, have not received notice about the recall, have not had the recall work performed, and do not know if it was done by the previous owner (I doubt it).
> 
> Suggestions?


If the wipers move together when you move one that it is NOT a linkage problem. That is all I can tell you. sorry.


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## GA BOY (Apr 25, 2005)

*I had da same problem*

when u turn ur wipers on and it sounds like their moving but there not on thw windshield, ur motor is still good. like i said i had da same problem and the dealership charge me a 100 bucks. they said something bout the linkage or something was worn out.


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## Joekuh (Aug 14, 2005)

the problem is this : water accumulates on the linkage holding the wiper arms to the motor and messes with the seal...on my car it actually destroyed my seal completely, sounding off with a loud "pop". Its not the motor dont worry about it. I took a b13 link and replaced the b14 one, and everything seems to be working fine for the moment. I am worried about it doing this again at a later date.


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## DJ Becka (Jul 5, 2005)

GA BOY said:


> when u turn ur wipers on and it sounds like their moving but there not on thw windshield, ur motor is still good. like i said i had da same problem and the dealership charge me a 100 bucks. they said something bout the linkage or something was worn out.


Damn!!!! 100 Bucks????!!!! My boyfriend wound up fixing the problem for me and the part cost only 15-20 bucks


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