How to Maintain a Wiper Motor

A bad wiper motor causes you repair or replacement costs. Failed wipers can also mean a canceled trip. But the good thing is that some wiper motor problems are preventable if you observer the proper maintenance practices. To help you extend the life of your car’s wiper motor, use these tips.

• Always allow the wipers to return to the home position before switching off your engine

• Avoid using the high speed wiper motor setting on a dry windshield or when there’s a lot of debris on the surface

• Do not use the wipers on a windshield that’s covered by snow or if the wipers are frozen. Doing so risks training the motor and causing it to overheat or even burn out

• Always remove debris from the windshield before using the wipers. This will help prevent straining the motor unnecessarily

• If your car has been unused for a long time, the wipers are likely stuck. Free them using your hands but gently before switching on the wipers. Stuck wipers can cause your motor to burn out

• Grease the wiper motor mechanism to avoid running it with the grease dried up and causing wear

• Repair or replace worn and broken wiper motor parts on time to prevent the problem from worsening and requiring a new assembly

Conclusion

Wiper motor problems cause your car wipers to malfunction, sometimes even stop working altogether. Some can be fixed while others, such as burned out motor, cannot and require the installation of a new motor assembly. After you have narrowed down and identified the problem with your wipers, you can now decide whether to fix or repair it. Read the next section for the repair procedure.