Do It Yourself - Cleaning the Windshield Wiper Shroud

[Junkman2008]

So I've just got my ride back from the shop after having the Tiger Shark front fascia installed and painted. The car is a mess because I told them NOT to wash it. After all the Zaino'ing I've done to this thing, I ain't trying to deal with any swirl marks or scratches.

So I'm standing there in the garage looking at how much work I've got to do and I see something that has been grinding my nerves all year. It's all the tiny leaves and twigs in the shroud that covers the area where the HVAC draws air from. I tried washing them out with a high powered hose and picking them out by hand but I realized that I was going to have to remove that shroud in order to clean it right. Being the shade tree mechanic that I am, I wasn't really wanting to tackle that job because I really didn't know how. Today, I decided to give it a go.

After it was all said an done, it turned out to be quite a simple job. So for all the threads that I saw where guys were trying to figure out how to get their wipers off, this thread is for you.

Tools: You only need a small flat head screw driver, a can of PB Blaster and a 1/2" socket. That's it!

One thing that I read somewhere is that you should turn on your wipers and let them rest at the stopping point, just before they go all the way down. That's kinda stupid to me because you'll never be able to hit that spot once you put the wipers back on (unless you've never washed your windows and you have a nice dirty line to aim at). I just left mine all the way down and worked with them that way. So don't adjust them up and start working on them because you'll end up with the motors all out of whack and your wipers not seating properly.

Okay, here's what was getting on my last nerve:



Step 1. With a small flathead screwdriver, pop these plastic caps off the windshield wipers. This is where the nut that holds the wiper on the car is located.



Step 2: Now take that can of PB Blaster and spray some of it on those rusty nuts that are holding the wipers on their shafts. Let it soak in real good (about 10 minutes, longer if necessary).

Step 3. Remove the push pins. Note: Pay attention to which pins come out of which holes. This way you won't have the experience I had when its time to put them back. Basically, they go back easier if you put them back where they came from.





Step 4. Now you can remove the seats that the push pins were in (note: these things are probably not called push pins or seats but hey, its a shade tree term). Match them up with their pins and put them to the side. Slightly raising the shroud will make the push pin seats pop right out.



Step 5. Unclip the hood release cable and move it out of the way. Be careful not to drop any of the clips into the engine!



Step 6. Now we get to the good stuff. Disconnect the wiper fluid cables. If you grab the tip and twist it back and forth a bunch of times while pulling on it, they will come right off. See the pictures below. You will do this for both wiper cables.





Step 7. Now you're ready for those stubborn wiper arms. By now, the PB Blaster should have soaked through enough for you to get the wiper arms off. After all, PB Blaster has a saying, "Don't bust your knuckles, bust you nuts with PB Blaster!" I always get a kick outta that!

Now here's what you do. Grab the wiper arm and gently begin to wiggle the base up and down. Just wiggle and wiggle and wiggle. Wiggle, wiggle, and wiggle some more. DO NOT wiggle in the direction that the wiper motor turns the blade (that might strip the shaft), wiggle gently up and down. Eventually that puppy will wiggle loose and pop right off. I have always had this kind of luck with PB Blaster so if you're using something else, you'll probably be wiggling for a while.

Once you get the wiper arms off, you can take the shroud completely off the vehicle and give it a good cleaning. After I cleaned mine, I hit it with some Mother's Back to Black. That will shine it up real nice. Only use a little bit as that stuff goes a long way. It's great on the interior also but again, use it sparingly as the instructions state. If you don't, wherever you use it will become a dust magnet.



Here's what my shroud looks like now:



Now put it all back together. Remember to get the pins and seats back into their perspective holes. There really not much to it.

Just a side note. I saw a thread where someone was asking if there was a difference between a HUD windshield and a regular one, and how to tell the difference. Well check this pic out:



Apparently there is. So if your HUD windshield ever needs replacing, you now know how to check it for validity.

The Junkman

[C5-Fanatiker]

Hi Junkman,

great explanation

Very detailed.

[Junkman2008]

Original von C5-Fanatiker
Hi Junkman,

great explanation

Very detailed.

Thanks man!

[AK]

Buddy, you're in luv wit ya car.

[Junkman2008]

Original von Alexander-SZ
Buddy, you're in luv wit ya car.

[AK]