Intermittent windshield wipers

[snoop]

I have an 03 jetta TDI and sometimes when I turn on the wipers they will not move from the park position, they seem to work fine once they are moving until they are shut off. Any Help Thanks

 

[Lug_Nut]

The switch has four positions: Off, intermittant, on, and fast. Try moving all the way to fast then back to normal speed.
In intermittant mode they park between swipes. Is there a problem initially in intermittant? Every stroke thereafter, or just that first one?

 

[snoop]

Prior to shutting the car off we shut the wipers off. Then when we start the car up again and go to use the wipers they do not move in any position on the switch.

I did turn the switch to all positions and back today and left the switch on low and then went outside the car and slightly pulled on the wiper arms and they began to move on slow speed and are working now.

Until next time which may happen any time.

 

[eats1963]

It could be that the wiper linkage has corroded. I have a 2001 Jetta that my wipers stopped working. When I removed the linkage I was shocked that I couldn't even budge them. I replaced with the following from IDParts.com http://idparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=989

Wow! What a difference.

 

[cmitchell]

Mine did the exact same thing. If you live in a marine climate (which most who live in NS do) some corrosion may build up inside the wiper motor. Give the motor a good whack to loosen the corrosion. I had the same problem last winter. I have a friend who is into older Mercedes diesels & he actually smacked the motor for me. He put a bar on the motor itself and hit the bar with a hammer. Wipers have worked perfectly ever since. I do plan to replace the wiper motor at some point in the near future though. If the wipers work fine and move quietly at the normal speed once they get going this may be your problem. Mine would always decide not to work whenever it was raining the hardest ... go figure!

 

[BioBob]

Wipers stop mid swipe

I have an '03 as well, and my wipers will stop while operating. I get them to restart by going to the fastest speed, or going to the wash position (so far no one seems to have noticed that I am washing the windows in the rain).
There are times when I have to push it into the fast position two or three times before they will restart.

I have removed the linkage and it is free (and now lubricated).

Is this a problem with the column mounted switch, or am I getting water (they work fine for about ten minutes after the rain starts) in the motor, or in the wiring somewhere?

I'm hoping someone here has had a similar problem, and can point me to a possible solution.

I've searched this before, and was sure It was the linkage problem. What a surprise to find it free after I got it out.

HELP ! ( I have to pull off the road in a real downpour)