Replacing wiper motor on Xantia help plse

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Mark W
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Replacing wiper motor on Xantia help plse

Post by Mark W »

Front wipers failed yesterday. My local mechanic has had the car in and advised that the motor spindle/shaft has completly snapped thus requiring a replacement motor. On looking at the task he mentioned to me he was unsure how to access the motor. On speaking to the supplier of the new part (not sure if Citroen or a independent supplier) he was advised that one has to remove the entire plastic moulding that covers the bottom of the windscreen where it meets the engine compartment. They told him to take great care as it is bonded to the bottom of the windscreen and that there is a fair chance the screen will be damaged.
Has anybody else had to replace the motor on an Xantia and would care to comment on this. My man has replaced a few motors in his time but never to an Xantia, and has never known a breakage like mine to the spindle/shaft. Ironically the motor is ok as it can be heard trying to do it's job, but with no drive to the wiper arms.
Any advice I can relay to my mechanic other than be careful! when he attempts the job after the easter break.
Strange as it's a 97 model with a relatively modest 79K on the clock, guess I'm just unlucky.
As always thanks in advance and gratful for any tips or advice
NiSk
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Post by NiSk »

If you can't actually see the break, there's a fair chance that its just one of the plastic ball and socket joints that have parted company. The wiper spindles on my XM were so gunged up with crud and corrosion products that I could bearly move them once I'd go the linkage mechanism out (in a vice with a giant molegrip!). So I'd be rather surprised if yours has bust is motor spindle.
//NiSk
wheeler
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Post by wheeler »

to replace it the scuttle panel must be removed,it is (or at least should be) bonded on quite well,best way to do it is using a sharp flexible blade like a pallet knife & heat the blade up with a heat gun then just cut at the sealer.once the motor is replaced both the screen & scuttle panel MUST be as clean as possible,clean all the old sealer off & use a good bonding sealer to put it back on,if this is not done properly you will get water leaking in through the heater blower intake.
JoSawday
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Post by JoSawday »

Had my wiper motor replaced last year due to the arm parting company with the spindle. Garage managed to break both plastic scuttle and windscreen. Total cost well over £200 plus an insurance claim for screen. Needless to say I was not best pleased. One of the great design mysteries of the Xantia. No have a constant problem with water ingress to passenger footwell as scuttle persistantly 'pulls away from the screen necessistating frequent resealing.
blueboy2001
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Post by blueboy2001 »

Not replaced the motor, but I have done the wiper linkage - one of joints had just worn through after 200,000 miles! I just used one of the cheap DIY store utility knives with the break-off sections and cut through the sealant. To break the screen, the mechanic must have been extremely ham-fisted!
Once the scuttle was off (remove the alarm keyswitch and the wipers) access to gubbins is pretty good. I scraped all the old sealant away with a glass scraper and washed it down with Meths on both the scuttle and the screen. I used Hermetite Black sealant reccomended by a Motor Factors - not the cheapest at £12 a tube but as promised it was easy to apply and it never leaked.
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