Ever have an issue with your windshield wipers not setting properly? Are they stuck in the up position? Check out this video to help you now. This applies to most GM cars.
I LOVE you! My wipers have been this way for almost a year and when I took them to Midas they told me it would cost $300 to fix. Needless to say, I left. They still worked and weren't blocking my view and I didn't have $300 damn dollars for windshield wipers. After watching this video, I feel confident I can fix them (and I am by no means mechanically inclined. I know how to check/put in oil and my basic philosophy is "there are three things you need than can fix everything, duct tape, a butter knife and a hammer" LOL.). Thank you so much for this video!!!
Today, you are my hero. Been living w/ this for ~2 years. Pretty simple fix ... the key was getting the metal piece (the catch) bent to where it would clear one (upper) rotating part & catch the lower "arm". Thanks again! Chevy '05 Impala.
Excellent video, diagnosis, & explanation. My 2001 Grand Prix GTP has had this issue for several years. Usually after a couple of days, the wipers would finally go back down. Recently, it wouldn't resolve itself. After finding your video, I made the adjustment with the tab and fixed the problem. Thanks!
+Jordan Markwardt It is expensive, cost $450 to fix at the dealer the first time and with tonight's dumbass storm, I think the problem has crept up again even though to a much lesser degree. I will try this when the weather is better and see if it works.
Fixed the 2001 Chevy Impala right up.Used a rubber mallet & small pry bar to tap the tab over towards the transmission.Took about an hour. Gave the Misses & the kids a tune up about making sure the wipers are turned off when they shut the car off & to clean those chunks of ice out.Don't just use wiper fluid to clean windsheild off. Thanks so much.
2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Make sure the entire tab is bent up and back and not just the front of it. You might have to take a slightly smaller pliers to get at the back of the tab, but once you have clearance it pulls up easy with larger pliers. I found it was best to pull the tab back just a bit too far. Manually rotate the windshield transmission until the notch on the bottom plate is close to the tab and take a long handle, large screwdriver and tap it so it fits exactly into the notch. Thank you so much!!!
Dude, I hate wiper repairs and problems but the video is very accurate, informative and well done! Thanks a million, my 97 Buick Century was experiencing this vey problem. Seems to be a common issue through the ages and it always happens at the wrong time. Thanks again, I'm sure you just saved a lot of people a lot of money.
Hello, I started having this issue with my grand prix yesterday after i let the wipers clear off the snow from the windshield instead of using a snow scraper. I've learned a valuable lesson,and now have learned how to fix the problem thanks to you...i appreciate you taking the time to help others like me. Thanks again ,Happy Holidays....jeff
Very fine, clear instructions. This is problem is also common on GM Mini Vans esp Pontiac Montana. Fortunately, the access to the wiper transmission is even easier. No need to use a screw driver to remove the cover panels; it's all slide clips.
I fixed my problem because of this video. Only problem is it happens again every winter & bending the rusty tab around too much just makes it worse. I found JB weld to be a better longterm fix
I am having this issue right now, just googled it and your video was first to pop up, glad it's a easy fix and common problem. Glad it's inexpensive :)
Hep, that is how it is done. I have done this three times on a vahicle. The last time I did it I took pictures and a little video to post on you tube but now that I saw this video I noticed it is better than what I would have put together.
Thanks for the walk through, hopefully this cures our problem with the wipers hitting each other mid-wipe(for a couple more years DIY). This 'repair' has been done in the past by someone else describing it as a 'bent pin'.
Thanks for the vid. This just happened to me 2 days ago and I will try fixing it this weekend. A lot simpler than I thought it would be and being used to older style wiper systems, I couldn't imagine why they were sticking up like that.
Mine had done that also , I was going to replace it , I was told that when they do this that the motor was on it's way out , but thanks to your video I will save the motor for later . Thank you so much and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Your Family and to All .
Thanks man... That was a problem my girlfriend was having and I had nooo idea on how to fix it...was frustrated for a little bit til I saw your video. Big help
Yep, This what was wrong with mine. I took everything out and did the bending. Lined it up, It works just fine. Thank You. Your fix was right. The other guy was wrong!
Thanks for sharing this fix. My wipers started doing this, this week when it was 18 below here in Iowa (-50 wind chill). Maybe it warms up this weekend and I'll give it a shot.
This worked beautifully on my 05 Monte Carlo LS). What helped me was positioning the passenger side wiper to it's furthest point (when the car is in the off position otherwise it resets itself) Then you can see the bottom catch on the clutch which makes it super easy to align. I had to raise and push it forward (tapped a few decent strikes with a long flat blade screwdriver and hammer to bend it into position) and now it FINALLY catches. Kind of a stupid design in my book, but with some elbow grease and spinach (j/k about he spinach) this will fix the issue.)
I disagree with your fix. I found that on the wiper "transmission" part where the large plastic cover was removed, there is a spring loaded mechanical dog that is pushed away when the part rotates clockwise around the metal tab you are adjusted and swings back to engage with the tab to perform the proper wiper rest positioning when it rotates counter-clockwise. This dog appears to be very flimsy and positioned out by a very light duty spring. It is barely visible since it is underneath the "transmission" structure and is probably best serviced by removing the transmission structure and turning it over for inspection which I didn't do. I oiled it and worked it free in place and the wipers work fine so this should work for a while. I wish you could revise your video to show this. But THANK YOU for what you did show since you showed how to take what was necessary apart and pinpointed the area involved in wiper rest positioning turning a multi-hour job of blind mechanical, possibly fruitless, putzing around job of total confusion into a streamlined 10 minute job.
Correct, that "mechanical dog" can get rusty and stuck in the retracted position. If it does not come out into the extended position, the mechanism will not catch onto the tab. In this case bending the tab won't do anything and might make the problem worse. In other cases, the problem might actually be a bent tab. I used penetrating oil on the rusty "dog" and its hinge, then lubricated the whole transmission with white lithium grease. It's working now.
Thank you for helping me out with fixing my windshield wipers. I attempted it today and unfortunately i couldn't fix them due to the metal piece being too far bent.
Great video man I had to go back and adjust the passenger side wiper up just a touch after I the driver side on so it didn't put everything into a bind
Thank you man, Just fixed the same issue I had with my 02 Monte Carlo LS. I had to use the wiper tool though on the driver's side cause it was almost rusted on but other than that everything went fine except mine was slightly worse on the transmission arm gap, took about two hours to get but it's like new again.
The problem is not always a bent tab; the issue can also be a seized moving part, called a "mechanical dog" by another commenter, or pawl. That pawl can get rusty and stuck in the retracted position. If it does not come out into the extended position, the mechanism will not catch onto the tab. In this case, bending the tab won't do anything and might make the problem worse. In other cases, the problem might actually be a bent tab. I used penetrating oil on the rusty pawl and its hinge, then lubricated the whole transmission with white lithium grease. It's working now.
For clarity: Image of pawl in retracted position: i.imgur.com/IqAJmHz.jpeg Image of pawl in extended position required to catch tab: i.imgur.com/WtrNU9v.jpeg
I did not have to bend the tab. Mine was solid so bending it did not make any sense. Instead, with a screwdriver, I poked at the pawl to make sure it was free, then I tried the wipers and they parked properly. (wipers were actually not on the car but I could see the pawl catch the tab on the reverse motion.) I added a few drops of oil on the pawl and tested it a few times and then put everything back together. Next time (if it happens) I will take apart the part that contains the pawl and take a look.
Thanks for the video. My 2004 Impala also stuck in the up position. I opened it all up and found the little transmsission was simply gummed up with grease and dirt. Cleaned it out and freed up the little arm and its working again. Another video mentioned it may be not working as a result of just needing cleaning.
I fixed mine by removing the transmission part. I just removed the torx bolt from the center and pulled up on the transmission and turned it until the wipers were in the correct parked position.
Will this help to adjust them to the correct position? They were sitting too low down in the “off”setting, before they got stuck in this up position. I hope so.
I found an easier way by pulling the fuse just enough so that they still work and as it bottoms out pull it out and shut the wipers off and the car. Then put it back in and wa la all fixed. Found it out on the second try after not letting them get down all the way the first time.
What about on a 73 buick riviera, passenger wiper is stuck in the down position, had to take it off cause when you turn off the wipers it would slam down under the hood, its rest position is too far downward but if theyre on it wipes just fine not too far over its just when ya turn them off.
Obvs not your fault, but this was 10x more complicated in my car cause of where the little metal tab was located. I spent a couple hours trying to bend it up where it should be but couldn’t do it so I’m going to continue living with wipers up.
