Rear wiper motor

If you post over on www.ultimatesubaru,org you'll have no problem finding a used one. Never replaced one but it just can't be that difficult. Have to believe one from at least 95 through 99 will swap. You probably should first determine if the problem is the motor and not something else like a blown fuse or bad relay. Another source is

A used motor from a private seller isn't worth more than $30 so keep that in mind

mine has twice quit on me and been revived by removing the wiper arm and spraying WD-40 down the sides of the shaft.

Hi... I'm late in replying... I've been away but wanted to thank you for the advice. Time to go do some online shopping after I try the WD40 thing!

do you have any junk yards in the area? Should be a common item, as they don't fail a lot.

WD-40 is mostly Stoddard Solvent (deodorized kerosene) and is a good cleaner and of course displaces water. It is not a great or long-lasting lubricant. I'd follow it up with something else - maybe a medium/heavy weight silicone oil?

Carl

Here's some generic advice. A simple check is to pull the rear hatch trim cover to access the motor and see if you are getting power to the motor when the switch is on. Motors usually have 3 connections: +12V, GND and a third for the intermittant operation (might be +12 or GND) . I recently fixed my

93 Mitsubishi Expo rear wiper: the problem was the harness where it passed from the body to the rear hatch: years of flexing finally broke the +12v wire.

Motors also run slow (and then burn out) if the wiper arm pivot shaft rusts up, increasing the load on the motor.

SD

Hi, Lubriplate grease or Teflon based lubricant.

Sheesh, I feel like such a noob for not thinking of it (broken wire) have replaced/repaired several subaru's for that problem. On my defence, I wouldent have replaced the motor in my shop without checking power and ground. Steve

This is the best I've found yet...I hope GM doesn't go under!!

When you say it quit, did the motor itself quit? If you can hear the motor running, the plastic gear may have shed some teeth and isn't engaging anymore.

Just had one today that was just froze up, hotter than hell to and unknown how long it's been like this. Steve

Froze up from rust, or the motor seized?

I'm sure YOU know a wiper motor is kind of like an alternator, with an armature, stator, etc. I had a blower motor that stopped working in a Corolla, and when I checked it it was hotter than hell. I took the motor apart, and one of the brushes had worn down so far it slipped between the housing and the collar. Still delivering current, but locked the motor in place. $2.50 for new brushes and it worked fine for another 10 years!

In my case, the broken gear did it in...you can't get just the gear. I'll save the motor for a spare...

I'll take it apart for Sh*ts and giggles after we get the new one in, But working in a shop, it isn't cost effective to repair such parts.