Rotating nozzle rear wiper (e.g., Golf 4)

The windshield washer nozzle on a Golf 4 is normally fixed in a certain position. However, due to its somewhat unusual design, the windshield washer nozzle may suddenly rotate.
That's a real defect.
If you already have a Valeo windshield wiper motor, you've won and don't need to read any further. There is a suitable repair kit for that.
However, if you have a Bosch windshield wiper motor, you're in a difficult situation. This motor must be replaced because the defective part is not available as a spare part. The cost of the item is over 100 Euros.

What happened?
Okay, this is quite simple. The washer nozzle (which can be obtained as a replacement part if needed) is attached to a 3.5mm thick brass tube with a wall thickness of 0.5mm. This brass tube is guided through the hollow shaft of the rear wiper motor. At the top, there's a bushing through which the brass tube passes. Over time, the brass tube corrodes and becomes stuck in this guide bushing, eventually breaking off. Now, the washer nozzle moves along with it. The critical issue with this defect is that, over time, the windshield wiper motor becomes completely submerged in washer fluid.

What can I do now?
In the case of the Bosch wiper motor, normally, the only option is the expensive replacement. I did not want to settle for that. So, I started disassembling the entire mechanism. The nozzle can be easily pulled out of the brass tube.

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Subsequently, the inner side of the rear cover of the transmission unit is unscrewed.


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The brass tube is now coming out. Possibly pull it firmly.
After that, you need to drill out the rest of the brass tube, which is located in the guide bushing, using a 3.5mm drill bit.


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Then, a piece of 3.5mm brass tubing, 32mm long, is cut. Over this, another piece of brass tubing, 4.5mm in diameter (with a 0.5mm wall thickness), is slid. From the other side, insert the remaining piece of the broken and appropriately cut brass tube.
The length must be chosen so that the brass tube fits flush with the wiper shaft.
After that, everything will be soldered together using a small flame.

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Assemble everything together and reattach the washing nozzle.
After that, the nozzle returns to its designated position.


By the way, the Lupo, Polo, and other vehicles from the same group also have the same problem.

Well described.

I replaced that part in my Golf about six months ago. The brass tube wasn't completely corroded, but my wiper motor wasn't able to find the end position anymore.

I wasn't sure about the structure, as there were no visible connections in the mechanics.

Aha, very interesting, Bertil! I haven't looked into the construction of this thing in detail before, but it suddenly makes sense, which explains what I saw on a Golf 4 Variant in a supermarket parking lot in Muenster-Coerde last week.

The aforementioned variant had a threaded fitting installed in the metal sheet, approximately 2 cm below the wiper arm. A black hose was attached to this fitting. The hose was routed in a wider arc to the wiper arm and secured there with black zip ties. The hose ended approximately where the wiper blade begins, and it was fitted with a nozzle. This solution should also work well, as the nozzle is routed through the wiper arm. Visually, it might not be the most elegant solution, but the people in Westphalia (I'm in Münster until Christmas for study purposes) seem to be quite creative. They'd rather come up with a slightly less elegant solution than give the parts supplier even one unnecessary euro.

Originally, I wondered about the purpose of this renovation, but I suspect that the reason for installing this solution was exactly your problem, Bertil!

Well done, Bertil, but it's too expensive (for the customer), but good for you.

The solution mentioned by "Hutfahrer" is available for the Sprinter series, and there are also suitable clips for the hose that connect to the wiper arm and the nozzle.

"Wouldn't it be possible to modify the Valeo replacement version so that it fits in the Bosch unit, or does the Bosch unit not have a sufficiently large hole?"
I once repaired the Valeo using a nozzle holder kit.

teileklaus wrote:

... but too expensive - (for the customer)

"It depends..." or "Maybe..."

You'll need to factor in the wiper arm as well, as it usually breaks in 95% of cases when it's removed. This brings the material cost to around 150 euros. The labor time is usually about the same. If a replacement part were available (including for Bosch), then that wouldn't be a problem.

Quote:

The solution mentioned by "Hutfahrer" is available for the Sprinter series, and there are also suitable clips for the hose that connect to the wiper arm and the nozzle.

Yes, I know it.
Some rally drivers even do that on their windshield wipers.

Quote:

"Wouldn't it be possible to modify the Valeo replacement version so that it fits in the Bosch unit, or does the Bosch unit not have a sufficiently large hole?" I once repaired the Valeo

with a nozzle tube kit.

Yes, that might be possible.
At the very least, the brass tube is also a 3.5mm tube. However, I cannot say whether the counterpart fits the wiper linkage.

Hi.
I think every Volkswagen driver has experienced this problem at some point.
I did it very simply using an empty ballpoint pen refill.

Regards,
Sascha.

@ Bertil, yes, about the calculations, that's a tricky thing. I only remember that the repair process took longer than disassembling the engine, and soldering and finding a suitable tube – if you have one on hand (I don't) – also takes time the first time around.

The Sprinter comes with the other version as standard equipment, but it's installed in the front, not the rear.

bakkano wrote:

Hi. I think every Volkswagen driver has experienced this problem at some point. I did it very simply using an empty ballpoint pen refill. Regards, Sascha

Oh man, that tip came too late. I've been racking my brains for weeks trying to figure out how to align my rotating nozzle... Ultimately, I bought a used motor for 5€, took it apart, and salvaged the tube from it.

Good tip, I'll remember that. You're also getting a "+" in the karma rating for it, because the idea is really good.

The A3 8L also has this problem. Unfortunately, I didn't realize for a long time that the nozzle wasn't supposed to rotate, because it always sprayed so nicely in front of the wiper.

At some point, the electronics in the wiper motor corroded, and the motor started making erratic movements. Then it was already too late. -> Buy new.

The topic here would actually be more suitable for a specialized article.

Best regards, Rainer.

Rainer K. wrote:

The A3 8L also has this problem. Unfortunately, I didn't realize for a long time that the nozzle wasn't supposed to rotate, because it always sprayed so nicely in front of the wiper.

So, the models from the parent company are also affected.

The engine is also used in the Passat, as well as in various Seat and Skoda models.

Quote:

At some point, the electronics in the wiper motor corroded, and the motor started making erratic movements. Then it was already too late. -> Buy new.

It went wrong. That was the ultimate disaster.

In the case of the Variant model, the trunk lock is also affected. If water leaks out of the windshield wiper motor, it can directly drip into the lock located underneath. After some time, the microswitch may fail, and you can even purchase a complete trunk lock replacement.

Quote:

The topic here would actually be more suitable for a specialized article.

Okay!

EDIT:
... can be found here: /viewtopic.php?t=19713

@Rainer:

Yes, it's happened to me too, mine is just twitching now... but at least it's still wiping. It just pauses 3-4 times per half rotation. As long as it doesn't completely fail, I'll keep it installed, because unfortunately, you can only get it directly from SEAT, and otherwise it would cost me almost 100€.

"For an A3, it's still okay, as I believe the one from a Golf IV also fits... and those are generally much cheaper!"

Well done, Bertil.

I already tried repairing the Bosch motor many years ago, but not in a very professional way.
I completely replaced the brass tube back then (mine was also completely broken).

"However, in my case, it only lasted a short time because I forgot to install the O-ring at the end of the shaft. This O-ring seals the gap between the brass tube and the shaft from the outside. As a result, water/wash water entered and dissolved the grease in the motor's gearbox (probably in combination with antifreeze)." That's when the plastic gears failed.

The second Valeo motor failed again after about 4 years (the shaft was stuck again). That really frustrated me. However, with the Valeo, you receive the repair kit.

What a piece of crap solution from VW. And they're still installing this in current models. What advantage does it offer compared to separately mounted nozzles? Nothing but trouble.

By the way, there's an interesting repair method online that is definitely the cheapest: "Chubba Chups" - those are the lollipops with a plastic stick. This stick is hollow, so it's a tube that can be used as a replacement for the brass tube. They cost €0.10. I can't say how long-lasting this method is...

Thank you to Bertil for the great instructions!

Holger247 wrote:

I already tried repairing the Bosch motor many years ago, but not in a very professional way. I completely replaced the brass tube back then (mine was also completely broken). However, in my case, it only lasted a short time because I had forgotten to install the O-ring at the end of the shaft. This O-ring seals the gap between the brass tube and the shaft from the outside. As a result, water/cleaning fluid entered and dissolved the grease in the motor's transmission

.

same here

Bertil wrote:

The washer nozzle can be easily pulled out of the brass tube.

Although I lubricate the swivel joints between the wiper axis and the nozzle on our cars (Polo 9N and Ibiza 6K GP01) every few months to prevent the problem of seizing, I would still like to pull out the nozzles for safety and take a look behind them.
Before I accidentally damage something with this "very simple pulling" method, I wanted to ask, what tools and movements (rotating, pulling, etc.) are needed to do it safely ?

Open the water pump pliers slightly to the desired size, ensuring that the jaws are parallel to the nozzle.
packen
rotate back and forth while pulling straight along the axis.
zoooong