Winscreen wiper failure mystery query

[JohnF]

Recently had to drive to Scotland in the rain - front wipers working ok
Stopped for a coffee break and on return to the car the front wipers would not work, though the rear one did. Had to call out Green Flag.

Their action was as follows:
1) Took off the fuse box cover and tested he appropriate fuse - it was ok
2) tried and failed to get access to the wiper motor to check
3) Had a closer look at the area around the fuses, and while generally poking about the wipers started working again.

He never really did anything to rectify the problem so the cause remains a mystery, however - there is a small white object, which he described as a relay just behind the fuses which he may have touched while he was poking about. His best opinion was that this component had a bad electrical connection thus causing the failure. The wipers have worked ok since.

I guess I really should have the main dealer check this out, though I wonder if they would find anything? so in the meantime I am left with a nagging worry that it would accur again.

Has anyoine had this problem?

[RUM4MO]

I do admire your need to want to find out what the root cause for this problem was, I also tend to work that way, others might consider that they remain lucky in the future - ie plenty time to worry about that when it happens again!

I'd hate to cause you any more worry, but I'd think that there will not be a discrete relay for the wipers in that fuse box area, I'd think that the wipers are being controlled, power feed wise, from the BCM and it will be where the switching relay will be located, and that is probably somewhere behind and slightly above the steering column. Maybe more than one function had lost its power feed and while poking around in there, your breakdown support "improved" a loose connection - just speculation really, sorry.

I'd be handing it in to your VW dealer for a check over and a report back from them after outlining what has happened etc.

[Blackpug]

Could have been the relay not fully pushed into base. He could have pushed it in while he was checking.


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[OomStu_ZA]

I also found my wipers acting up a few days back.

Basically, with the wiper stalk set to auto enable the wipers when it starts to rain, all good. The problem was when I came to a stop the start/stop kicks in and the vehicle turns off but the wipers continue to work intermittently. When I release the brake peddle the car starts again but if the wipers freeze mid-cycle completely in whatever position they were at the time of the car restarting. The only way to make them work again is to fiddle with the intermittent buttons on the stalk.

As I said it happened only once (a few trips on the same day) and when I approached VW they were stumped. Hasnt happened again thanlfully but am just waiting for the day I see a Blue Screen of Death

[stevereeves]

It can happen, a mate's car (a Vauxhall 4x4, SUV I forget which exactly), would randomly misfire. He did a full service inc plugs, air filter, etc but it still misfired from time to time, once it went into 'superslow limp mode' and was undrivable, had to call out recovery. Long story short: after almost tearing his hair out someone told him it would likely be some relay under the bonnet. £4ish later, problem solved....