[jckevin]

Driving home tonight the driver's side wiper motor suddenly stopped working.

How tough to find a new motor and then to fix?

Otherwise my '94 Q is doing OK. Check Engine light is still on ...

 

[Del]

There is only one motor for both arms. Usually it's not a motor problem but an arm attachment problem. Did both arms stop moving, or just the lhs one? If just one arm, it's not the motor. Probably the lhs arm is loose from the shaft and slipping. A relatively common occurrence for many cars, including the 164. Look at the wiper assy layout drawing in the Fiat parts eper (on line at the fiatforum site) to see how it is put together. Look at the left hand driver version of the 94-95 164.

Either the nut is loose and the arm then lifts slightly and slips, or the serrations on either the shaft or more likely the arm fitting itself are worn/corroded and need shimming or some other fix. I've fixed this problem in older Alfas when the blade attachment fitting was slightly corroded and therefore slipping by using a piece of thin aluminum foil between the fitting and the shaft to make it tight when the nut is tightened.

Also, check the workshop manual for more information.

 

[Sol Badguy]

I had this happen recently on my LS. The serrations on the wiper arm were worn off. I bought a used one from a parts car and added some blue Loctite to the serrations and nut to keep it in place on the shaft.

 

[jckevin]

Thanks

This was good news to wake up to today.

I'm going to see if I can convince Del to help me out!

 

[kcabpilot]

This happened to me the first time it rained after I bought my car. I tried to continue driving home at night looking out the passenger side but it was a real downpour and impossible to do so I pulled over under a gas station awning and discovered that the Alfa tool kit in the trunk has a flat blade screwdriver to pop the cap off and a 13 mm open end wrench to tighten down the nut after which I was able to make it home safely.

I noticed a few weeks later that it was coming loose again as the position of the blade began to migrate. Unfortunately the serrated arms appear to be made of the same crappy pot metal as the door handles but due to the taper it is possible to tighten them down enough to function. I eventually used a new star lock washer and a dab of torque seal on the nuts and so far that seems to be working.

I was surprised after posting about this that I got so many replies of "Oh yea, happened to me too" Seems that nearly every seasoned veteran 164 owner has experienced at least one wiper failure and of course it only happens when it rains.

 

[jc96]

seems to me it's always the drive side that gives fits. It was on mine and now it's preventative mx to cinch those nuts down every three months or so. ciao, jc

 

[Sol Badguy]

I'm sure the heavier "pantograph" style wiper on the later models puts more strain on the serrations.

 

[Del]

I believe that as well. The failure is usually in the blade fitting, and the material the fitting is made out of is just not the best. I've found that if you keep an Alfa, any model, long enough, this failure will most likely appear.

 

[jckevin]

My wipers are fixed beautifully. Blow torch helped shape the arms, no longer touching hood and they park properly! I'm happy.

 

[Michael Smith]

This happened to me the first time it rained after I bought my car. .....

Unfortunately the serrated arms appear to be made of the same crappy pot metal as the door handles ....

I was surprised after posting about this that I got so many replies of "Oh yea, happened to me too" Seems that nearly every seasoned veteran 164 owner has experienced at least one wiper failure and of course it only happens when it rains.

And always the driver's side. Happened on my SAAB 9000 which uses a different part but the spindles driving the wiper arms are always made from soft metal. I suspect this is both sacrificial in case the arm gets jammed and practical in that the spindle mounting metal has a high friction characteristic.