Driving home on the M5 last night, started to rain, so turned on my wipers..... Drivers side wiper didn't move an inch!
Managed to get to the Services Ok, and fortunatley had some tools with me.
Got the wiper arms off, and the scuttle-tray. Found that the linkage arm from the motor to the driver-side wiper, had popped off. It's a ball-and-cup joint.
Tried putting it back on, only to find that the cup on the linkage arm had worn too much, and it wouldn't stay on!
Used a bit of Engineering inginuity, and lashed it together with an old shoe-lace...... Put it all back together again, and left it running in the car-park for 5-mins on fast.... no problems.
Gingerly drove the 4-hrs home, with no further issues.
Googling it once I got home, and this appears to be a fairly common-fault with this type of linkage design across various makes/models.
According to the Google links I've read, Vauxhall/Chevrolet do not just sell the linkage arm on it's own, you have to replace the whol wiper motor etc, at about £200.
Found a temporary clip that holds the join together for £3 on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/x2-NICKEL...127614?hash=item2585a75b7e:g:XuMAAOxyZzlTdlVF
and also a more permanent solution, which is an aftermarket replacement linkage for £35:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEVROLET...884563?hash=item2ef068a193:g:ZXYAAOSwMmBVrehc
I would recommend everyone buying a set of the clips, and having them in the car 'just in case' this happens to you.......
Managed to get to the Services Ok, and fortunatley had some tools with me.
Got the wiper arms off, and the scuttle-tray. Found that the linkage arm from the motor to the driver-side wiper, had popped off. It's a ball-and-cup joint.
Tried putting it back on, only to find that the cup on the linkage arm had worn too much, and it wouldn't stay on!
Used a bit of Engineering inginuity, and lashed it together with an old shoe-lace...... Put it all back together again, and left it running in the car-park for 5-mins on fast.... no problems.
Gingerly drove the 4-hrs home, with no further issues.
Googling it once I got home, and this appears to be a fairly common-fault with this type of linkage design across various makes/models.
According to the Google links I've read, Vauxhall/Chevrolet do not just sell the linkage arm on it's own, you have to replace the whol wiper motor etc, at about £200.
Found a temporary clip that holds the join together for £3 on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/x2-NICKEL...127614?hash=item2585a75b7e:g:XuMAAOxyZzlTdlVF
and also a more permanent solution, which is an aftermarket replacement linkage for £35:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEVROLET...884563?hash=item2ef068a193:g:ZXYAAOSwMmBVrehc
I would recommend everyone buying a set of the clips, and having them in the car 'just in case' this happens to you.......