Help needed - Freelander windscreen wiper problem

Hi all,
I've posted this on the General Forum as well, but someone recommended that I post it direct to the Freelander audience. So...

The other day my windscreen wiper linkage fell apart meaning no wipers - although the motor was still working.

I was able to get a new wiper linkage and I have fitted it in place. BUT having now reconnected everything my wipers now seem to be going in the wrong direction! i.e. they move downwards first.

Anybody have any ideas what I might have done wrong?

Thanks.

Freelander (2003)

You will probably have the wiper arms in the wrong position in relation to the mechanism - I had a similar situation with an MG TF a while back.

Remove the wiper arms, switch on the ignition then operate the wipers, switch them off and allow the mechanism to self park, replace the wiper arms in the normal position and hopefully all should be well.

Mantamad,

I've just tried your suggestion and now the wipers park themselves half way up the windscreen. Also, the initial movement is still downwards.

I'm wondering whether I 'confused' the motor when I disconnected it from the old linkage. In order to separate the pieces I had to rotate the cam several times, and to begin with this was also rotating the motor screw. Eventually the cam came loose and I was able to finish unscrewing it without the motor screw rotating. But is it likely that I've altered some sort of setting within the motor?

with the wipers cycled you need to adust the linkage and cam so that the wipers are in the rest position. one or the other has to be out of sync.....i.e. the wipers want to start and finish a cycle, so somewhere along the line you have inadvertantly moved them out of sync.

Is the mechanism moving freely as it operates?

You've lost the synchronisation when you've connected the motor to the linkage. You'll need to flick the wipers till they go to park, then unbolt the motor from the linkage without moving the motor spindle & find the rest position of the linkage then reconnect. It might take you a couple of goes but you will eventually get it. The main thing is not to move the motor spindle because the park switch is part of the motor assembly. If you do accidentally move it then just plug the motor back into the connector & flickwipe again till the motor self parks & then bolt to linkage.

All,

Have now managed to fix the problem and get the wipers aligned properly again

Cheers for the advice - it was very handy!