Flaky 4k wipers same as VW design?

[Larry C Leung]

I have found simply tightening the (usually loosened) mounting nut works
just fine.

LL - NY

On Fri, 11 Jan 2002 11:18:37 -0500 "E Bavely" <veetesse at hotmail.com>
writes:
>Hello all...
>
>The other morning there was a bunch of snow on my 4kq when I came out
>to
>crank it up. I brushed off what I could then turned on the wipers only
>to
>see the driver's side go up half way, stop then skewer the passenger
>side
>wiper on its way back down. Wiper shish-ka-bob.
>
>Now it seems like if there's anything that provides resistance to that
>wiper
>on the windshield (other than water...i.e. ice, frost, snow, etc) it
>will
>hang up.  Not good on the highway with spray coming up at you in rush
>hour.
>
>I had the same problem on the 89 GTI a while back and found out that
>it is a
>common problem on watercooled VW's.  What happens is that splines on
>the
>wiper spindle actually machine/wear down part of the wiper arm which
>is
>softer metal and then get "clogged".  This means that the metal
>shavings
>effectively fill up the splines and the spindle stops gripping the
>arm
>causing the wiper to slip.
>
>I fixed this on the GTI by removing the arm, then taking a knife or
>awl and
>cleaning out the splines on the shaft.  Easy fix, works fine.
>Apparently no
>need to buy another arm, more parts, etc.
>
>Are the 4k's the same way? same design?  I didn't get the chance to
>look
>(having a job does bad things to my hobbies) and wondered if anyone
>else had
>the same experience or if there's something else I have to do to fix
>this?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Elliott Bavely
>Cincinnati, OH
>
>86 4000CS Quattro
>83 GTI FSP Racey car
>83 GTI- under the knife for the 16V transplant
>90 Cabriolet
>
>
>
>noticed the other morning when I turned on the 4kq that t
>
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