Rear Wiper stopped working

unameiti'lltryit

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Location
Owen Sound, Ontario
TDI
2003 Golf
The other day the rear wiper motor stopped working on my Golf. Is the fuse for the rear wiper in the fuse box on the driver’s side? I checked all the fuses there and they are all okay. Any suggestions? I think that the motor might have just died.
 

JASONP

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Location
Guelph
TDI
2015 Golf TDI Comfortline 6spd
Plastic worm gear tends to strip on these, can you hear the motor turn over?
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Fuse Locations & Functions VW Jetta maybe Golf too

1. Washer nozzle heaters, glove compartment light (10A).
2. Turn signal lights (10A).
3. Fog light relay, instrument panel light dimmer switch (5A).
4. License plate light (5A).
5. Comfort system, cruise control, A/C, steering wheel module (7.5A).
6. Central locking system (5A).
7. Back-up lights, speedometer vehicle speed sensor (VSS) (10A).
8. Open
9. Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (5A).
10. Engine control module (ECM): gasoline engine (10A)
11. Instrument cluster, shift lock solenoid (5A).
12. Data Link Connector (DLC) power supply (7.5A).
13. Brake tail lights (10A).
14. Interior lights, central locking system (10A).
15. Instrument cluster, transmission control module (TCM) (5A).
16. A/C clutch, after-run coolant pump (10A).
17. Open.
18. Headlight high beam, right (10A).
19. Headlight high beam, left (10A).
20. Headlight low beam, right (15A).
21. Headlight low beam, left (15A).
22. Parking lights right, side marker right (5A).
23. Parking lights left, side marker left (5A).
24. Windshield washer pump, windshield wiper motor (20A).
25. Fresh air blower, A/C (25A).
26. Rear window defogger (25A).
27. Motor for rear windshield wiper (15A). (if equipped)
28. Fuel pump (FP) (15A).
29. Engine control module (ECM) gasoline engine (15A)
30. Power sunroof control module (20A).
31. Transmission control module (TCM) (20A).
32. Injectors: gasoline engine (10A)
33. Headlight washer system (20A).
34. Engine control elements (10A).
35. 12 V power outlet (in luggage compartment) (30A).
36. Fog lights (15A). (if equipped)
37. Terminal (86S) on radio, Instrument cluster (10A).
38. Central locking system (w/ power windows), Trunk light, fuel door, Trunk lid (15A).
39. Emergency flashers (15A).
40. Dual tone horn (20A).
41. Cigarette lighter (15A).
42. Radio (25A).
43. Engine control elements (10A).
44. Heated seats (15A). (if equipped)

Fuse arrangements in fuse bracket/battery:
S162. Glow plugs (coolant) (50A).
S163. Fuel pump (FP) relay/glow plug relay (50A).
S164. Coolant fan control (FC) control module/coolant fan (40A).
S176. Relays panel interior (110A).
S177. Generator (GEN) (90 Amp.) (110A). Generator (GEN) (120 Amp.) (150A).
S178. ABS (hydraulic pump) (30A).
S179. ABS (30A).
S180. Coolant fan (30 A)

I can't get the picture of the fuse panel to display, but look at the # 27 fuse to be the culprit maybe.


[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 
Last edited:

JASONP

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Location
Guelph
TDI
2015 Golf TDI Comfortline 6spd
Pull the hatch cover and check the harness plug for voltage while motor is activated.
 

Brian B

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Location
Acton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon - Silver
See if the spray nozzle is corroded. This happened on my Golf and on my Jetta Wagon. I replaced the whole assembly :( both times.

Did you notice if it was spraying weird(not straight up) before it happened? Mine was spraying left and right for months before it finally quit on me. If you let it sit a long time without using it it may have rusted in one spot(seized). The motor is probably fine.
 

HandiDad

New member
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Location
Waddington, NY
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
Hi, I am in the process of diagnosing the rear wiper on a 2002 jetta wagon. I have power to the plug and I cannot remove the wiper blade arm from the motor assembly. I was able to remove the nut, but it seem the wiper arm is froze to the wiper motor shaft. Does any one have any suggestion on how to remove the wiper arm.
 

JASONP

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Location
Guelph
TDI
2015 Golf TDI Comfortline 6spd
HandiDad said:
Hi, I am in the process of diagnosing the rear wiper on a 2002 jetta wagon. I have power to the plug and I cannot remove the wiper blade arm from the motor assembly. I was able to remove the nut, but it seem the wiper arm is froze to the wiper motor shaft. Does any one have any suggestion on how to remove the wiper arm.
That shaft is a taper spline, you have the nut off so gently try to rotate the arm back and forth and is should come off, if not try a gear puller or some penetrating fluid.
 

unameiti'lltryit

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Location
Owen Sound, Ontario
TDI
2003 Golf
I got the cover off tonight to get at the motor. I unpluged the motor and when I turn the switch on I have power at the black wire and no power at the other three wires. When I turn the switch off I still have power at the black wire. Does that seem right?
 

Ksf

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Location
Ontario
TDI
Zora
I had this happen to me with the last (sniff) TDI wagon. I found that the shaft failed because it had seized. The outer seal failed and let in the rain and corrosion resulted. I did not hear the motor once this failure happened and the gears (plastic) were still OK when I took the wiper motor apart.
What I found just before it failed for good (seized) was that the spray nozzle moved with the wiper arm, before it did not. Also there was residue inside where the arm shaft passed through the car.
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Yes, the black wire is constant system voltage (fuse 27) when the key switch is in the on position.
The brown wire is ground.
The green/white wire gets power (fuse 24) when the switch is put in the wash position.
The green/red wire gets grounded when the switch is put in the rear wipe or wash positions.
 

yvon g

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
Salisbury New Brunswick Canada
TDI
2014 jetta trendline 2.0 liter
i have a bad wiper motor as well. checked voltages and grounds as above all are good. i was able to remove nut and wiper arm, but what has to be removed to take out wiper motor. haven't ordered new motor yet, just looking to see what's involved in removing bad motor. thanks
 

JASONP

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Location
Guelph
TDI
2015 Golf TDI Comfortline 6spd
Plastic trim (black) on bottom edge of hatch, two screws hold that in inside the pill down handles, once that is removed three 10 mm blots hold the motor to the hatch, unplug the motor .... Done!!


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
 

Doc_Oc

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Location
Orangeville, Ontario
TDI
03 Golf TDI
I am willing to bet that none of the people in here have an actual blown or bad motor. It is the linkage that rusts and seizes up. I just fixed this 1 month ago.
To remove the wiper arm, use a gear puller as suggested already, or a special wiper arm removal tool. Princess auto has one for 12$ or so.
Remove the plastic trim on the inside of the hatch. There are 3 bolts or nuts IIRC that hold the motor and linkage mechanism onto the hatch. You have to take the plastic lid off the back of the motor/linkage housing to be able to access the linkage. When that is off, you might have to you a rubber mallet or a piece of wood and a hammer to take the linkage and shaft out of the housing. A bench vise is recommended but not needed. Some 120 grit sand paper and some grease. I use bearing grease for everything, but you can use whatever you have or prefer.
On mine, the shaft was not badly seized in the housing. It was the hinged/articulated linkage that was rusted. Take pictures/notes of how it is assembled, than pry it opened completely. Every piece comes off. Even though it looks like it's not. Sand every one of them until they are clean of rust, lube them up and put them together as they were and you will be surprised at how easy they move now. Fill the housing with grease, put the lid back on the housing, go to the car, plug the wire back in the motor and try your rear wiper. If it spins freely, you're almost done. Put the motor back in the hatch, put the trim back on, install the wiper arm and you're done.
Sorry I have no pictures of this. It's super easy to do and I think vortex or even here might be tutorials for this.
I would be curious how much a new motor/linkage is. And buying one from scrap is not worth it since all MKIV golfs are plagued by this issue. And even if you have your hatch replaced under warranty, they will not replace the wiper motor for free.
 

yvon g

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
Salisbury New Brunswick Canada
TDI
2014 jetta trendline 2.0 liter
thanks for your input Doc Oc. it was the linkage assembly in the motor that was seized, however i mushroomed the washer nozzle in the end taking the shaft out of the housing.it was seized in there real good. I'm letting the link ass. soak in diesel fuel to help free up completely before reassembling. do you know if the shaft ass. can be bought separately in order to have washers again or would i have to buy a motor ass.? i can live without the washers....at least i should have a working wiper again. thanks

yvon g
 

Doc_Oc

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Location
Orangeville, Ontario
TDI
03 Golf TDI
I'm not sure, but I don't think VW will sell just the linkage. You can ask on the forums and see if anybody has a busted one they are willing to give you or sell for cheap.
Is there no way to fix it? With a small file to go inside and clean the shaft?
I find myself using the rear washer way more than the front one. We have a lot of dirt roads around were I live.
 

yvon g

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
Salisbury New Brunswick Canada
TDI
2014 jetta trendline 2.0 liter
no...the nozzle part is gone. had to hit the end of the shaft quite hard to remove link ass. from housing ...it's broken. i find that the rear window is a magnet for road spray. I'm satisfied if i only have the wiper working but the washer would absolutely would be a bonus.
 

yvon g

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
Salisbury New Brunswick Canada
TDI
2014 jetta trendline 2.0 liter
rear wiper acting up again. is there a relay that powers the motor?. it starts then stop where ever. some times it won't come on at all. pulled the loom apart at motor, doesn't seem like i have a broken wire.suspect bad relay.

thanks
 

JASONP

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Location
Guelph
TDI
2015 Golf TDI Comfortline 6spd
Remove the motor and take it apart, there are some electronics in there that switch the direction of rotation , if the sprayer has been leaking at the stem guaranteed there is corrosion and not functioning properly


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
 

DieselDrink

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Location
Etobicoke, ON, Canada
TDI
2001 Golf TDI 1.9L
Glad I found this thread. I just took my rear wiper linkage apart. I got all the gears apart inside, but couldn't get the entire shaft out of the housing. I cracked a bit of the black plastic on the outside of the shaft housing banging on it a bit in the process. I did spray anti-seize all over in there, and reassembled the gears etc. It works now.

But the spray nozzle still rotates with the rest of it.

I may just go buy a new one, or a used one and replace the entire thing.

At least I know how to do it now.
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
The wiper on my sisters Golf no longer works, because I'm the family mechanic, of course I get to fix it, lol!

I'm guessing the linkage is seized as well.
 

yvon g

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
Salisbury New Brunswick Canada
TDI
2014 jetta trendline 2.0 liter
Yes, the black wire is constant system voltage (fuse 27) when the key switch is in the on position.
The brown wire is ground.
The green/white wire gets power (fuse 24) when the switch is put in the wash position.
The green/red wire gets grounded when the switch is put in the rear wipe or wash positions.
i replaced rear wiper motor last october....worked ok all winter. now every time i turn ignition on, wiper runs constantly for about 6 sweeps then stops at middle of window. checked at connector, my test light is on steady when plugged in to black(constant power) and green/red(signal for wipe). question....is there a module in rear motor to activate the sweep function, or is the intermittent ground signal supposed to come from somewhere else?
 

RiceChopper

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2016
Location
Tallmadge Township, MI, US
TDI
2000 Golf GL
i replaced rear wiper motor last october....worked ok all winter. now every time i turn ignition on, wiper runs constantly for about 6 sweeps then stops at middle of window. checked at connector, my test light is on steady when plugged in to black(constant power) and green/red(signal for wipe). question....is there a module in rear motor to activate the sweep function, or is the intermittent ground signal supposed to come from somewhere else?
yvon, I know it has been nearly four years, but for anyone who may run into this issue, I would check into the green/red wire being grounded somewhere. I would suggest looking at the wiring that comes down from the top left corner as you face into the hatch from the back of the car.

That location is where I found my issue. I was perplexed for a while, when I grounded the green/red wire to the hatch, and the wiper would activate, but otherwise would not. When I looked into the aforementioned area, I saw that the green/red wire (and green/white wire too) was severed in two and sticking out of the rubber covering, which had gotten pinched somehow, by the previous owner. Once I soldered the wire back together, VOILA!, it was working once again. This was all after disassembling the wiper unit, cleaning, lubing, and general freeing up of the components. Since the washer tube is cracked, my guess is that it is the same old story of fluid getting into the unit and gunking it all up.

So, average person desperately looking for answers, there is something else to investigate. Clipped wires. I hope you find the solution to your answer soon.
 
Last edited:
Top