Challenger wipers

[j37genie]

We picked up our new 2016 Challenger on Thursday, and started our trip from Alvarado TX to Colorado Springs CO on Friday. While we did have some minor glitches, the worst of them happened during a downpour just South of Amarillo. We were cruising approximately 65 mph, wipers clearing the rain off the windshield, when the passenger-side wiper just disappeared, and the driver's side wiper was stuck on the left side of the windshield. I was pretty much driving blind until I could pull of the road. I checked the front and found the right side wiper was stuck just below the horizon of the windshield. I gave it a slight tug, and both wipers went to the rest position. The rain stopped, but another 5 miles, the rain picked up, wipers went on, and once again became stuck. I pulled over, but before I could tug on the wipers, they went back to the rest position.

My gut reaction is they can't handle operation at highway speeds, but I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem.

[EA37TS]

On my 2015 when I was checking the wipers at purchase I did not like the wiper travel. I loosened the nut holding the arm to the motor and raised the low point of travel one or two gear splines. This increased the high point of travel to about three inches from the edge of the windshield. Since then we have traveled in the rain a couple of times and never had an issue with the wipers at highway speeds.

Here is a pic of how I set my wipers. Also, if you remove the arms make sure the splined adapter is the correct size. Someone in the past found that one of theirs was the incorrect size for attaching the arm to the motor's geared shaft and that caused their wiper arm to just flop around.

[j37genie]

Thanks! Mine may be traveling too far to the left. We did notice the wipers were starting to lift off the windshield just before they became stuck.

[bigben]

We didn't experience the not working but did have the wiper blades start sliding out of the wiper arm. Like you j37genie, I had it happen at the worst possible time - in a down pour on I10 headed east in west Texas. I put on some duct tape and it held for a while. Replaced the wiper and low and behold the other side did the same thing. Called Thor and they sent me out 2 replacements. Seems there is a week point in the small plastic retainer on the wiper blades.

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by j37genie

We picked up our new 2016 Challenger on Thursday, and started our trip from Alvarado TX to Colorado Springs CO on Friday. While we did have some minor glitches, the worst of them happened during a downpour just South of Amarillo. We were cruising approximately 65 mph, wipers clearing the rain off the windshield, when the passenger-side wiper just disappeared, and the driver's side wiper was stuck on the left side of the windshield. I was pretty much driving blind until I could pull of the road. I checked the front and found the right side wiper was stuck just below the horizon of the windshield. I gave it a slight tug, and both wipers went to the rest position. The rain stopped, but another 5 miles, the rain picked up, wipers went on, and once again became stuck. I pulled over, but before I could tug on the wipers, they went back to the rest position.

My gut reaction is they can't handle operation at highway speeds, but I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem.

Did it look like this? Just happened to us last week end....

[j37genie]

Originally Posted by mustang94@hot.rr.com

Did it look like this? Just happened to us last week end....

Exactly!!

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by j37genie

Exactly!!

Yea I have heard of a few like this and not sure what the fix is yet. I am going to call Thor tech line within the next few days and see what they have to say. Oh and your driving speed has nothing to do with it. We were sitting at a stop light once when it did it then decided to just take off the right wiper just to make it home...

[j37genie]

I just got the following response from Thor: "Hi sounds like the wipers are out of time to get them back in time take the arms off then put the wipers in park and then put the wipers back on Thanks"

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by j37genie

I just got the following response from Thor: "Hi sounds like the wipers are out of time to get them back in time take the arms off then put the wipers in park and then put the wipers back on Thanks"

NO NO no..... The tech guy (Brian) at Thor sent me to a local shop that took all kinds of pictures to be sent back to them. Here is 3 pictures being sent back. One is of the motor its self with a short arm off of it, notice the rubber bushing is all ready cracked, and the bigger nut behind the bushing and arm is hitting the 2 smaller screws that hold the motor to the bracket. Next you will see another pic of the shaft and gear, that gear is the wrong one. If I were to refer to a screw that gear is a fine thread vs. the wiper arm in the next pic is a course thread. Well because of all that both gears are worn out and wont stay in place any more. The local shop here is going to tell Brian at Thor they need everything, Motor, brackets and wiper arms.

[ctpres]

Thor having what looks like a potential recall. This problem has been going on for about two years now. Temp solution for us was to remove passenger wiper and later clean and coat glass with Rainx. That allowed us to finish our trip. Ours failed during heavy rain in middle of long mountain decent. All I could do was follow tail lights of truck in front hoping he stayed on the road.

[EA37TS]

Folks having the problem may want to file a complaint with the NHTSA.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

Thor may not do anything until a NHTSA investigation is complete.

Although I have not had an issue in the rain, this weekend I will pull my arms and look at the splines on the adapters to see if there is unusual wear. I have a trip planned for Memorial Day and don't need any problems that can be prevented.

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by dstankov

Folks having the problem may want to file a complaint with the NHTSA.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

Thor may not do anything until a NHTSA investigation is complete.

Although I have not had an issue in the rain, this weekend I will pull my arms and look at the splines on the adapters to see if there is unusual wear. I have a trip planned for Memorial Day and don't need any problems that can be prevented.

Dave... pull one side and see if the splines are the same. A little PMSC goes along ways...

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by ctpres

Thor having what looks like a potential recall. This problem has been going on for about two years now. Temp solution for us was to remove passenger wiper and later clean and coat glass with Rainx. That allowed us to finish our trip. Ours failed during heavy rain in middle of long mountain decent. All I could do was follow tail lights of truck in front hoping he stayed on the road.

The really should have a recall. Very dangerous and scary when the wipers decide to go hay wire... I still only have one wiper for right now but this next trip I will have rainx on before we leave home....

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by mustang94@hot.rr.com

Dave... pull one side and see if the splines are the same. A little PMSC goes along ways...

If I get a break in the rain I may go out and do that today. I looked at the extended forecast for the upcoming trip and it looks like rain so I will definitely pull the wipers and check.

If I find any problems with them maybe I'll have enough time to get things corrected before heading out.

[ctpres]

Even if you are not having problems - Rainx on windshield is a good thing to do. Amazing how water runs off. While we were traveling to factory with only one wiper I was able to drive in the rain most of the time with no wiper!

[EA37TS]

Went out to the coach and pulled the passenger's side wiper and although every thing looks clean and there is no evidence of wear, the gearing between the motor shaft and the arm are different.

Doing some research I found that the wipers are made by a manufacturer specializing in bus parts (Dyna). I also found that this is not just a Thor issue and that it extends to the automobile industry as well. There is a very interesting thread on the Jeep forum about folks having the issue and some of the home grown remedies.

Now the questions I have are who is the manufacturer of the wiper motor itself? The second question is does the manufacturer of the wiper motor have arms designed for their splined shafts or do they have a recommended wiper arm manufacturer.

As a note, here is a link for the Wexco Heavy Duty catalog which lists a tone of different wiper arms, blades etc... The catalog is too large to attach to the post.

http://www.partdeal.com/downloads/dl...talog_2015.pdf

[EA37TS]

Went to my local O'Reilly Auto Parts this evening with wiper arm in hand. According to them it is the correct arm for the motor shaft. The parts guy told me that just as the splined gear on the shaft is cone shaped so is the interior part of the arm. Apparently over time the nut holding the arm to the shaft will loosen and the arm will work itself loose thereby creating slop and eventually grind away the splines in the arm or on the shaft.

Is he right or wrong, I don't know at this time.

I do know when I adjusted the positioning of my wipers before our first trip the nuts were loose to the point one was not making contact with the arm. After I re-positioned the wipers I tightened the nuts. We have had rain on every trip we took last year and I did not have an issue with the wipers.

I am going to continue doing some research.

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by ctpres

Even if you are not having problems - Rainx on windshield is a good thing to do. Amazing how water runs off. While we were traveling to factory with only one wiper I was able to drive in the rain most of the time with no wiper!

I did this yesterday... what a big pain that was with such a big wind shield...

[mustang94]

Originally Posted by dstankov

Went out to the coach and pulled the passenger's side wiper and although every thing looks clean and there is no evidence of wear, the gearing between the motor shaft and the arm are different.

Doing some research I found that the wipers are made by a manufacturer specializing in bus parts (Dyna). I also found that this is not just a Thor issue and that it extends to the automobile industry as well. There is a very interesting thread on the Jeep forum about folks having the issue and some of the home grown remedies.

Now the questions I have are who is the manufacturer of the wiper motor itself? The second question is does the manufacturer of the wiper motor have arms designed for their splined shafts or do they have a recommended wiper arm manufacturer.

As a note, here is a link for the Wexco Heavy Duty catalog which lists a tone of different wiper arms, blades etc... The catalog is too large to attach to the post.

http://www.partdeal.com/downloads/dl...talog_2015.pdf

Well if my local ever gets in the hole new assy. I will see if the both match or the same as what we have now.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by ctpres

Even if you are not having problems - Rainx on windshield is a good thing to do. Amazing how water runs off. While we were traveling to factory with only one wiper I was able to drive in the rain most of the time with no wiper!

Many years ago I used RainX on a car windshield. The problem I had was although RainX does repel rain, when the wipers swipe up or down it leaves a film which takes a few seconds to clear. The film was similar to that caused after driving a car through a car wash using spray wax. I found this extremely annoying and on dark nights in a moderate to heavy rain somewhat unsafe because it would drastically reduce visibility.

Is this still the case or have they changed their formula to where it no longer leaves that film when the wipers are used?