V70 rear wiper issues + solution

[Brendan W]

They corrode over time and can be frustrating. The main thing is to avoid collateral damage to the surrounding bodywork and glass. The corrosion expands and locks the arm on the splines. A small pullers can apply pressure and then a few judicious sharp but gentle taps to break the grip of the oxides. I use hot water carefully applied to the arm ( glass won't like it) to help the process along - just be patient and think about doing it every year to stop the problem recurring.

[Daz Newell]

I finally got the motor out,stripped it and found the white cog/wheel to be partially worn.
Has anyone managed to replace this yet.
Please let me know if you have.
Many thanks.
Daz.

[foggyjames]

Mine is currently in the garage, and there's a nice hole in the tailgate

I'm going to try to source one from a scrapper with a decent cog.

I'm also going to write to Volvo - this is a joke! (i.e. the situation is a joke...I'm not joking about writing).

cheers

James

[Daz Newell]

Totally agree with you

[foggyjames]

I've finally got around to sending the following to VCUK. Let's see what happens! I won't reproduce their reply here, but I'll let you know the jist of it...

Dear Volvo UK,

I'm a long-term Volvo owner. I currently own 8 Volvo cars, from a 1970 164 to the 2005 V70 D5 about which I am writing today.

I bought this car in May, and shortly afterwards noticed that the rear wiper was a little 'unenthusiastic'. I consulted knowledgeable friends, and was informed that this is a common problem on Phase 2 V70s. A quick Google search will soon reveal evidence to support that. I currently have the entire unit removed from the car for investigation (more on that later), and on a recent visit to an independent Volvo specialist to pick up some parts for one of my classic Volvos, he spotted the missing rear wiper and commented that they have 2-3 enquiries a week about failed rear wipers on Phase 2 V70s. I think that tells a story!

Being a practical sort of person, I removed the unit and took it apart. With a little guidance from various information on the internet, and comments from friends, I soon identified the nature of the problem, and its cause.

The washer jet is located in the centre of the pivot for the wiper arm on these cars. I generally regard this to be a good thing - it works much better than on the 850s / Phase 1 V70s! Unfortunately, the inevitable leakage into the spindle causes corrosion over time, and the mechanism begins to seize. If the owner has the mechanism stripped, cleaned out, and re-lubricated at this point, no long-term damage is done. Some people online are recommending this is done once a year as a precaution.

If it is left too long, the motor and mechanism is fighting a losing battle with the partially seized pivot, and the weak link in the mechanism, a large white plastic cog (which also carries the brass contacts to tell the motor when to 'park' at the end of a sweep) gives up - and its teeth are partially stripped.

Now, two comments to add at this point. Firstly, there is no disgrace in a part failing - my complaint is not that superficial. Such matters are an inevitable part of car ownership, and I fully accept that. A further internet search reveals that it's also a common problem with some Audis and VWs. However, my second point is that I believe that Audi / VW offer a service / repair kit for the rear wiper mechanism. Volvo do not, and the only course of action is a replacement mechanism. A kindly dealer has offered me a (I believe heavily) discounted price of £220 for a replacement mechanism. I accept that my car has a higher than average mileage, but it has already had one replacement rear wiper motor, and now requires a second!

So what am I asking for? Dead simple - offer a service kit. The rest of the mechanism is still perfectly good, so throwing it away is hardly "green", nor economically friendly for the owner. Package a new 'cog' (I can supply pictures of the offending article, including damage) and seals in a repair kit, and charge £20-30 for it, and I (and no doubt many others) would be over the moon. You could probably end up making more margin (at least in percentage terms) on those parts that the complete assemblies anyway! It would only be advisable for the suitably brave, but it's really not that hard, either - just a case of cleaning everything out, fitting the new cog, re-lubricating, and reassembling the mechanism. A moderately skilled home mechanic could do the job for the first time in an hour or two.

As the cars age, the number being attended to by home mechanics, or simply owned by those who object to paying £220+ for one cog (or, in my case, both!) is bound to increase. There are already various discussions online complaining about this subject. I think it would be a very wise move to nip this one in the bud.

Kind regards,

James

cheers

James

[foggyjames]

Swift response from VCUK, essentially saying that they buy the mechanism in, and can't take one apart in order for me to have a new cog.

I've just replied clarifying that I didn't expect a complete assembly to be cannibalised just so I can get a cog on the cheap - I was suggesting that spare parts were sourced from the manufacturer of the mechanism.

They're going to forward it on to their Product & Development team, anyway, so maybe they will think it's a good idea? I can see this being a major problem in years to come. People may not object to spending £200+ on a motor every few years when the cars are still worth £5k+, but once the prices tumble...

cheers

James

[foggyjames]

Bump. I'll shortly be contacting VCUK again...

In the meantime, some bad news: I've been meaning for some time to try the cog from an 850/V70 (P1), to see if it fits. I got my chance today, after taking apart a seized mechanism from a V70XC to which I'd just fitted a replacement.

Inevitably the layout was going to be a little different (the linkage is entirely within the housing on the P2), but the cog is also a different size, which makes it a game-over situation. Was worth a try...

cheers

James

[acseuser]

Thanks for this post/thread; very useful.

In dismantling my motor, I discovered ANOTHER o-ring: I assume this one was meant to seal the flared end of the water pipe against the drive tube? It's REALLY small: around 5mm and it's ~1mm diameter.

[AlteredCarbon]

Thanks for the useful info. My rear wiper wasn't working either - I'm getting the click from the rear of the car, so hoped it might just be some corrosion inside as detailed in earlier posts.

So, I stripped mine down to see what the problem was. Wasn't really all that bad inside - but cleaned it all up and regreased anyway. Assembled it all back together again without mounting it back on the tailgate, and when I connected it up and flicked the switch it did a half turn and then stopped. Thought I'd finish and reassemble it in place anyway, but no joy when it's all back together - still getting the click, the assembly seems free - it's just not moving!

I've checked the fuse, and given the motor did turn once, it looks like it's getting a supply, but I'm a bit stuck now. Any thoughts on what the issue might be or where I should be looking next?

[acseuser]

First check (with the unit connected to the car harness) what happens with no cogs connected - the motor should turn.

Then try with the white cog fitted - but NOT the cranked drive. You may need to apply a little finger pressure to ensure the wheel turns. If it doesn't (and the motor does turn, as above, then it's the white wheel - probably the teeth are worn away, and not meshing with the motor worm-drive.

Then re-assemble the cranked drive; test again (with the cover off) - does the crank, well, crank?

I've just cleaned and lubed mine within an inch of its life; it works - except that the white wheel is so worn out, nothing moves :-(