So today I got into my 2003 dakota and started it and the wipers must have been left on over night cause they were frozen to the windshield and broke free but now they wont go back and forth. While driving, they go up a inch or so, then back down...over and over. When I turn them off, the blades go up a little and stop but when I turn them on, they go down. I checked the relay and fuse and they seem to be fine since they probably wont work at all if it were the fuse. I swapped the relay with another one and it didnt fix it. Is this a motor problem? Ive not dealt much with these wiper systems so im not sure

Thanks

 

That's gonna be a mechanical problem. Need to have a look at the linkage. Which, of course, is cleverly concealed under various panels.....

 

Yeah i figured it was mechanical since it had power enough to move it up and down a little. Oddly enough I went out and tried to move both arms 1 at a time by hand and it makes the other arm move too and its tight like there isnt a bushing problem (that at least I can tell anyway). I went back in the truck and turned them on and they work fine again so I dont know if there was a piece of ice that dropped thru the cover that got wedged into the linkage somehow or what. It hasnt been above 10 degrees here in days and we just got about 10" of snow Sunday so it thaws while driving to work and then re-freezes while Im at work. I must have not turned them off when I got to work and they kicked on when I started the truck and they were frozen but broke loose. Hopefully it was ice stuck in there but I guess Ill find out soon enough. Thanks for the reply

 

Hey, if it works, leave it be. Too cold to be playin' outside.

 

EXACTLY ...at least wait till summer to mess up again. Suppose to be -30 overnight here in Indiana so I definitely dont wanna be playin mechanic

 

Your wiper transmission has probably broken or popped loose from the motor. I don't have a truck like yours to look at but under the windshield is a panel. Your wiper shafts poke through it. Remove the wiper arms and then remove the panel. The wiper transmission is a set of rods attaching the motor to the wiper arms. Since it moves a little, I'll bet the **** on the wiper motor popped of the motor. It may pop back on.

 

Its too cold to mess with it now and its not suppose to get above freezing for another couple weeks. If it happens again, Ill try to find a garage I can look at it in. For now it seems to be working so i hope it stays that way till at least better weather gets here

 

If it happens again, to me it would be worth while taking it to an independent shop, and just having THEM fix it..... No freezing your important parts off outside, turning wrenches.....

 

I agree. I've paid for some repairs I could do myself because I just didn't want the bother. When I was younger, I didn't have the money. Now, I'm old and lazy.

 

Right there with ya on that 'old and lazy'..... Plus, health issues just makes it rather difficult for me to actually DO much on my truck.