FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

The windscreen wipers on my FC Holden have stopped operating.
I can't see any obvious reason for them doing so, and as a result, I am unable to drive when it is raining. When I turn them on, you can see them trying to move, but they never proceed more than 10cm up the window.
Is this a simple thing to repair?
What could be the cause to the problem?
Where do I take the car to get them fixed asap? (Adelaide)

Thankyou for anyone that has some advice, or hopefully the answer.  :)

If your car is running the original vacuum wipers, the fault is most likely with the vacuum pump (located at the bottom of the fuel pump. If it has been fitted with electric wipers then it is most likely a faulty wiper motor, so you will either need to replace it  or see an auto electrician.
Cheers
Jock

You should also check the hose between the wiper motor and the petrol pump to ensure it's not blocked or kinked.

You can't buy kits for vacuum wipers any more, but there are a few guys around who know how to service them.  Don't know any in Adelaide tho  :-/

If originality isn't important to you, send a PM to mcl1959.  He makes an excellent 2 speed electric wiper kit for FE/FC.  Even if originality is important to you I really reckon it's worth considering if you're using your car as a daily driver.  It's a bolt-on/bolt-off proposition - no drilling or other mods required.

cheers
RET

in the meantime treat your glass with RAIN-X...

you can drive without wipers (*disclaimer*  possible but not normally recommended).

Cheers
Ed

Ed,

You're right when you recommend Rain-X. This DOES work, as proven early last year when we went on a club run to Mudgee in the pouring rain, and my wipers failed about 20 minutes after we left. The Rain-X kept the screen clear when the car was travelling above around 30 miles an hour. The water just slides off. They also make a product for the inside of the window that prevents fogging of the inside, handy when the passengers start heavy breathing!!

The wipers had always been sluggish on my car and when I restored it I found that the wiper shafts that comes through the cowl were VERY stiff. Cleaned and oiled this and the whole mechanism and now I get good wiper speed, even up hills.

Like RET says, with the car running remove the hose the comes from the vacuum pump at the wiper motor end and feel for vacuum. While partially covering the hose outlet (or preferably using a vacuum guage) rev the engine and check that the vacuum is maintained. If it is, the problem is in the wiper motor or mechanism, if there's very little or no vacuum the problem is in the pump. The pump is designed to supplement the engine vacuum when the engine is under load or at wider throttle openings, so if you've got good vacuum at idle and none at full throttle, then the pump is buggered. Most likely a cracked or broken diaphragm.

I've had a look on the Rare Spares website and they don't list a vacuum pump kit anymore  :(
About a year ago it was there, about $60.00 or so.

Good Luck.

Cheers,

Craig.

Also, check the little air valve thing on top of the wiper motor ( the bit that connects to the cable).  I found mine was blocked up with oil and dust and rubbish and the wipers did not work properly. Once that was all cleaned up, they worked good as new.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Tony

Word of warning,
Rain X antifog product is good but dont forget to buff it off after initial application.
Cheers BRAD