Rotating Rear Wiper Nozzle (VW Golf 4)

The windshield washer nozzle on a Golf 4 is normally fixed in a certain position. However, due to its somewhat unusual design, it can sometimes suddenly rotate.
That's a real defect then.
If you have a Valeo windshield wiper motor, you've already won and don't need to read any further. There's a suitable repair kit available for it.
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 for this component is over 100 euros.

What happened?
Okay, this is quite simple. The washer nozzle (which can be obtained as a replacement part if necessary) 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 end, there's a bushing through which the brass tube passes. Over time, the brass tube corrodes and seizes within this guide bushing, causing it to break. Now, the washer nozzle moves along with it. The critical aspect of this defect is that, over time, the entire 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 washer 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 should now come out. You may need to pull on it firmly.
After that, you need to drill out the remaining portion of the brass tube that is seated 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. Another piece of brass tubing, 4.5mm in diameter (with a 0.5mm wall thickness), is slid over it. On the other side, the remaining piece of the broken brass tubing, which has been cut to the appropriate length, is inserted.
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 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.

Ah, very interesting, Bertil! I haven't looked into this construction 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.

Besagter Variant hatte etwa 2 cm unterhalb des Wischerarms eine geschraubte Leitungsdurchfuehrung ins Blech gesetzt bekommen, auf die ein schwarzer Schlauch gesteckt war. Dieser wurde in einem grosszuegigeren Bogen bis an den Wischerarm gefuehrt und dort mit schwarzen Kabelbindern befestigt. Etwa dort, wo das Wischerblatt beginnt, dort endete der Schlauch und war mit einer Duese versehen. Diese Loesung duerfte durch das Mitfuehren der Duese durch den Wischerarm auch nicht schlecht arbeiten. Optisch vielleicht nicht gerade die eleganteste Loesung, aber die Westfalen (ich weile bis Weihnachten zu Studienzwecken in Muenster) sind da offenbar recht kreative Koepfe, die sich lieber eine nicht ganz so elegante Loesung ausdenken als den Teilelieferanten auch nur einen ueberfluessigen Euro in den gierigen Rachen zu werfen.

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.

"Couldn't you also modify the Valeo replacement version so that it fits in the Bosch unit, or doesn't the Bosch have a correspondingly large hole?"
I once repaired the Valeo headlight using a replacement nozzle kit.

teileklaus wrote:

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

Maybe.

You'll typically need to replace the wiper arm as well, because when you remove the motor, there's a 95% chance the wiper arm will break. This brings the material cost to around 150 Euros. The labor time is usually about the same. If there were a repair kit available (including one for Bosch motors), it 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.
Some rally drivers even do that on their windshield wipers.

Quote:

"Couldn't you also modify the Valeo replacement version so that it fits in the Bosch unit, or doesn't the Bosch have a correspondingly large hole?" I once repaired the Valeo

with a nozzle tube kit.

Yes, that might be possible.
The brass tube is also a 3.5mm tube. However, I cannot say whether the corresponding part on the wiper linkage will fit.

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, regarding the calculations, that's a tricky thing. I only remember that the process of getting the replacement part 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 about how to align my rotating nozzle... In the end, I bought a used motor for 5€, took it apart, and used 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 isn't supposed to rotate, because it always sprayed nicely in front of the wipers.

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

This topic 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 notice for a long time that the nozzle isn't supposed to rotate, because it always sprayed nicely in front of the wiper.

Therefore, models from sister companies within the group 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 undefined jerking movements. Then it was already too late. -> Buy a new one.

It went wrong. That was the worst-case scenario.

In the case of the Variant, the trunk lock is also affected. If water leaks out of the windshield wiper motor, it can drip directly into the lock located underneath. Over time, the microswitch inside the lock can fail, and it is even possible to purchase a complete replacement trunk lock.

Quote:

This topic would actually be more suitable for a specialized article.

Okay!

EDIT:
... can be found here: https://community.dieselschrauber.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=19713

@Rainer:

Yes, I'm having the same problem. Mine is also 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 break down, I'm keeping it in there, 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 understand it, the part 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).

"For me, it only lasted a short time back then 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). This ultimately caused the plastic gearbox to fail."

The second Valeo motor failed again after about 4 years (the shaft was stuck again). That was very frustrating. However, a repair kit is available for the Valeo motor.

Was für eine Scheiß Lösung von VW. Und diese wird immernoch in die aktuellen Modelle eingebaut. Was hat man gegenüber einer separat montierten Düsen gewonnen? NichIt's frustrating.

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 durable 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). For me, it only lasted a short time back then, because I had forgotten the O-ring at the end of the shaft. This seals the gap between the brass pipe and the axis from the outside. As a result, water/wash water entered and dissolved the grease in the motor's gearbox

.

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 them from 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 properly .

Loosen the adjustable wrench slightly until the jaws are parallel to the nozzle.
pack
rotate back and forth while pulling straight along the axis.
zoooong