Hey everyone
I put my new wiper motor in, and was VERY happy to have workig wipers again. Happy for a couple days. Just now as i was driving in the rain, the right wiper stopped in the straight up position, the left one worked for a couple more quick strokes, then died as well. I checked everything i did to the motor, and it's all well and still together. Then i looked up a bit more. There's a not so round disc type thing, with some cables that has fallen off it's shaft up in there. Hard to explain, but a cables come off it, and it's hanging down by the passenger feet almost by the other cable. I took a picture of it, but i don't know how to post it with this message. It seems like i just have to put this cable back around the pulley, and attach it back to the shaft? how do i make sure it's all aligned? and how on earth do i get up in there?
ALL help is appreciated.
Thanks Everyone!

Thats not a fun job. If you cable is hanging down I would suspect it has snapped. The end of the cable should have a head on it that fits in the wiper arm. If you don't see a head your cable is broken.
Take out your glovebox, as was said, and it is also helpful to take out the speaker grill in the center of the dash. It gives you some light. There are 2 linkages in that spot so you can look at the intact one to see how it goes together. If both are off you can look at the one on the drivers side. Before you start make sure your wiper motor, and wipers are in their parked positions. You need a small wrench (8mm I think) and a small flathead screwdriver. Hold the end of the cable with the flathead screwdriver and loosen off the locknut, to loosen the cable enough that you can wrap it around the wiper cam again (this is assuming your cable is not broken). Put the end of the cable in the hole in the arm first, then loop it around the cam. Then retighten the cable, and test it. If it creaks a lot tighten the cable a bit more.
what makes is hard and frustrating is the cramped space and it is hard to see. You might find it easier to turn the screwdriver, and hold the locknut in the cramped space. If you do this you have to let the nut go every turn or 2 to let the cable untwist. Good luck!

OH yes I had your problem once and boy it was a pain in the arse to fix. First I had to go to junk yard and look at one that had not come apart like yours has and like mine had. Oh yea I didn't go to a junk yard I went to the nearest ovlov (volvo) mechanic and he just happen to have one sitting outside that had the dashboard missing so I could look at the mechanism in question. The way to access the area you need to work on is take out he glove box. Then you have to lay on your back (with a pillow is softer) with your head were the passenger would put thier feet. You will need a headlammp (flash light) to get a better view. It is a difficult position to get into and out of. I also suspect that when you turn on the windshield wipers you hear noises in the dash board which you should if the wiper motor is still working.

I will try and explain how it works. That little ovular (round) thing or pulley has two grooves that go around the edges of it. This is where the cables wrap around it. One cable comes from one wiper and the other cable comes from the wiper motor I think ???. That ovular thing slides onto the passenger side wiper post which has many small grooves on it. I think I put the cables on before I put the pulley on to the post. The cables should have little round cylinder shaped things on them that fit into the pulley. I did this over a year ago so I am having a hard time remember what order I did things.First you make sure that the windshield wipers are in there normal off position. Another problem I think I remember having is there is little room for movement once you have the cables on right so on many occasions I had everything come apart and hard to start over. Patience is a big one on this project. I put some super glue onto the pulley after it was on the post so hopefully it never happens again.

To get an idea on how it works. I think the motor pulls back on forth on the cables which in turn makes the windsheild wiper work. I don't know why they did it this way you would think there was a better way especially when it breaks.

I hope I have shed a little light on the subject. I will check back to see if you have any more question. Best thing is to go and try and look at one that is already together. I was baffled until I did that. Maybe a friend has one??

Good Luck

ovlovrage

The simple is that: yes, you have to place the cable back around the pulleys. Afraid that I could not tell you how to do this as I have never done it before. But I did have my dash apart recently while installing a new heater fan (a miserable job if there ever was one!) and could clearly see the "lopsided" pulleys you refer to. I would think that with the wiper motor turned off and "parked" and the wiper blades in their stopped position, everything should be lined up. It is then time to reassemble. However, you have to ask yourself why the cables decided to leave the company of the pulleys in the first place. Or did the pulley come off its shaft? In either case, something is either worn or not as it should be. I would suspect that either the wiper posts are binding, the cables are worn, or maybe something was interferring with the motion of the connecting "arms" that transmit the motion from one post to the other. I recently installed an after market stereo in the upper dash position and discovered while doing my recent heater repair that the stereo wiring was in dangerously close proximity to the wiper mechanism. Maybe someone else has direct exerience and can be of more help. Good luck.

Tony Fontaine

If they worked, then only "1" worked, then you have a linkage problem. they are tied together and one does not work without the other. Look at the linkage that the motor attaches too on the inside of the car under tha right dash, maybe it came loose somewhere.

the wiper system is about the simplest thing on the car, besides the lighter.

You could check the wiring at the motor too, make sure it cannot get any moisture to it.

Chuck