numbafree

Ok,

So, I have the front strut tower bar which actually broke the control arm for the wiper in the middle of a big storm last week, whilst on the freeway.

I got a new to me arm, $50, but couldn't figure out why the wipers weren't going the right way. Literally I have spent at least 6 hours on what should be a 20 minute job.

Here is the short version, and I will emblemish tomorrow at work, so I can procrastinate. I literally found nothing helpful online via various car forums. It clicked with me, just by chance, so I thought I'd save someone else the time and cut to the chase.

1) There is 1 nut that secures the motor to the control arm, and a washer.

2) marker the 2 wiper nuts that move with a sharpie or a little paint, it's the 2 to the right if you are facing the front of the car. This is so you can easily tell the direction and how much it has moved when you rotate the control arm.

3) If you are replacing the motor or the control arm or both, before putting that nut back on (re attaching the motor to the control arm) rotate the arm all the way clockwise and counterclockwise. With the assembly facing up, the way you would mount it on the RX. This way you can actually SEE which way the wiper nuts are moving and you will know which way the control needs to move (all the way - one way) to be in park. either it will be in park or your wipers will but up on your windshield, instead of on the bottom, if you fully extend the arm one way.

4) when attaching the nut, do not accidentally turn the motor.

5) put a couple of bolts back in a few turns so the assembly doesn't move, plug in the power again to the motor.

6) turn the wipers on to intermittent (2 down from off). observe the direction the wiper nuts are traveling, via the sharpie mark you made.

7) if it is moving in the correct position, voila, reassemble. If not, you take that motor nut off and rotate the control arm full extended the opposite direction and then reassemble.