Windshield wiper

[Bart Geerts]

I have a problem with one of the Windshield wipers. It's the left one. (Driver side)
The top half of the wiping blade isn't touching the screen anymore, possibly because of a week spring that pushes the wiper to the windshield. (1991 NSX; so a 13 year old spring)
In my parts catalogue I looked up the wipers to order a set of new ones. (I'm not talking about the blades)
The right one I would change also because a new left and right with paint of old one looks bad.
Passengers side costs 97 euro. (130$)
Drivers side 511 euro (690$)



The driver side is called a variable type, and has an electric connection to it

What is all this about?? Help, Anyone?

(To make sure I don't get responses I don't need, I just did change the blades)

 

[nsxtasy]

Bart,

Look at the parts diagram here, which shows part numbers with prices in USD.

As you can see, the driver's side wiper arm (part number 3 in the diagram) should cost the same as the passenger side wiper arm (also number 3).

It appears that you were given a price, not for the wiper arm, but for the entire wiper link assembly (all the parts included as assembly number 4).

I believe the springs which hold the wiper blade against the glass are part of the wiper arm, not the wiper link assembly.

Note that the wiper arm (number 3) does not include the blade assembly (number 1), which is the part that holds the rubber blade insert (number 2). If you're concerned about matching the finish, you might need to buy the blade assemblies as well as the wiper arms. But you shouldn't need to buy the wiper link assembly.

 

[Bart Geerts]

Bart,

Look at the parts diagram here, which shows part numbers with prices in USD.

As you can see, the driver's side wiper arm should cost the same as the passenger side wiper arm.

It appears that you were given a price, not for the wiper arm, but for the entire wiper link assembly.

I believe the springs which hold the wiper blade against the glass are part of the wiper arm, not the wiper link assembly.

I wans't given a price I have my own EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue, don't ask how I get that ) I don't have a scanner to scan in the print-out and post it here, but if you would pm me a faxnummer I would fax this page. I'm sure it's a europeen thing. there is a clear electric connection to tha wiper arm, and the detail says : variable type....


EDIT : I have a diffrent P/N for the drivers side.
The P/N 76600-SL0-G01
can anyone check that in a US Parts catalogue?
The P/N for the passenger side is the same europe vs US

 

[nsxtasy]

The wiper arm on the U.S. market NSX has no electrical connection or components. It is attached to the car using a black 17 mm acorn nut (a nut with a spherical shaped top).

I don't know why there would be an electrical connection to the European market NSX wiper arm. Any idea?

 

[Bart Geerts]

The wiper arm on the U.S. market NSX has no electrical connection or components. It is attached to the car using a black 17 mm acorn nut (a nut with a spherical shaped top).

I don't know why there would be an electrical connection to the European market NSX wiper arm. Any idea?

I guess I found yet another difference in the HONDA vs ACURA NSX... It might be a fun thing to do here on PRIME to make a list with differences. I'm not talking about badges offcourse, but real technical differences.

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Bart is right,

In another thread a while back, where we discussed the modification of the NSX wipers, to a stealth look, we found that the european wiper-arm has an electrical device in it.
Looking at the type of wire' and electronical device, i assumed it is some sort of heating element.

Therefore, i was NOT supprised by the price bart quoted.....



Mich

 

[DonDavis]

Good Grief! For that kind of price, I'd take it off and tweak it a little myself. Sounds like you could just give it a good cleaning, lube the spring underneath the arm, and then bend the actual wiper arm GENTLY downward so that it exerts a little more pressure against the windshield once it's mounted again.

I've been around European spec cars for a total of 20 years, and have never heard of any kind of electrical device on the wiper arm itself... Wonder what it could be?

Don

 

[Bart Geerts]

Good Grief! For that kind of price, I'd take it off and tweak it a little myself. Sounds like you could just give it a good cleaning, lube the spring underneath the arm, and then bend the actual wiper arm GENTLY downward so that it exerts a little more pressure against the windshield once it's mounted again.

I've been around European spec cars for a total of 20 years, and have never heard of any kind of electrical device on the wiper arm itself... Wonder what it could be?

Don

That's exactly what I'll do, take it off; try to look for a spring somewhere, clean and paint both wipers...
I'll try to find out what it does, folow the wires !
I have so many things to do in the future, I already bought that many parts that I possibly could make me a second NSX

 

[DonDavis]

Man, I know the feeling... I'm about to get the leather and a custom sub box, and that will be the 3rd time I've had the interior out... I feel like I should moonlight at a Honda dealership or something sometimes!

I'd be VERY interested in finding out what that wire is for... Can't be heating. Motion sensor? I can't figure it out without seeing it.

Don

 

[nsxtasy]

Sounds like you could just give it a good cleaning, lube the spring underneath the arm, and then bend the actual wiper arm GENTLY downward so that it exerts a little more pressure against the windshield once it's mounted again.

I would NOT do it this way. Wiper arms aren't designed to bend, and if you do so, it will probably turn out looking like cr*p.

As an alternative suggestion, you might try removing the arm and seeing if you can access the spring that exerts the pressure. If so, perhaps you can replace the spring part only. A good hardware store sells a wide variety of springs in various sizes, and maybe you can find one that would do the job.

 

[DonDavis]

wipers

That's why I stress the GENTLY portion... Nothing wrong with giving the arm a gentle tweak where it exits the rubber boot so that it bends just a LITTLE more towards the windshield...

Bart, so you know, I wasn't advocating an actual bend to change the shape of the wiper arm, just gently bending it downwards to put a LITTLE more tension on the spring once you remount it on the car... I agree with NSXTASY, if it's overdone it'll look like an old coat hanger! If done properly, you won't see a difference in it.

Don

 

[Bart Geerts]

I did my homework...

This is what it looks like to me. If you think I'm using to much immagination feel free to tell me what you think it is.

I looks like there is a position sensor on the wiperarm, communicating with a box in the wiperarm. The sensor senses the position of the arm, and then the box will put a variable strength on the spring to get an even pressure on the wiperblade at all angles!

Let's see now how to put pictures here... never done that before.

 

[Bart Geerts]

another one : The part where the wire is going into is turning, and in my opinion sensing the position of the wiperarm.

 

[Bart Geerts]

last one

 

[DonDavis]

Bart, very cool!! I still can't figure out what it might be though. I wouldn't be able to resist opening it up to see what it does!

Do the wires pass through that insert, or do they terminate there? I don't believe it could be an issue of being able to exert more pressure, though. More likely there are contacts in there. Do the wires go back to the actual motor/parallelogram assembly?

Wait, I just looked at them again, it looks like the wires pass through and that you have some kind of mechanism in the housing of the arm itself that gets activated. Nifty! You could always have someone turn on the wipers and turn the insert manually to see what happens! Do you have the original owners manual?
Don

 

[Bart Geerts]

Bart, very cool!! I still can't figure out what it might be though. I wouldn't be able to resist opening it up to see what it does!

Do the wires pass through that insert, or do they terminate there? I don't believe it could be an issue of being able to exert more pressure, though. More likely there are contacts in there. Do the wires go back to the actual motor/parallelogram assembly?

Don

I tried opening the box in the wiper-unit, in the picture you can see 3 of the six bolts removed, I don't have to good size of srewdriver here at home, have to do the rest tomorrow at the hangar. If I want to follow the wires away from the blade I have to open up all the covers over the wiper-motor. There is one bunch of wires going to the box and one comming from the box going to the round part visible in picture 1. That round part is turning freely and in my opinion sensing the angle of the wiperblade.

 

[DonDavis]

Bart, well, keep us posted. I can't believe this has never been discussed before! Interesting, at any rate! Maybe in the meantime somone else will see this and know what it's for.

Good luck!
Don

 

[DutchBlackNsx]

Havin a closer look at this, i'm really wondering wot it's for now.
Maybe a contact, so the wipers can't be operated when the hood is open? Or maybe............

nah.....



We'll find out soon

 

[DocL]

Maybe you have rain sensors in the wipers. If so we can knock that feature off the wish list for HSC/NSX.

 

[V12NSX]

One thing I'm wondering.... Is the wing missing for your driver's side wiper arm? I replaced mine years ago and found that without the wing, the wiper would lift off the windshield above 50 mph or so. I put the OEM blade back on.

S.L.

 

[j14nsx]

The turning part, might be a wiper and track system, so the wire is not being twisted and bent with the action of the wiper arms.

Cut the wire and see what happens!

Is there nothing in your owners manual?

 

[Bart Geerts]

And again I did my homework. I promissed to keep you posted. My immagination on what the part was for wasn't really that far from the truth.
The angle of the wiper isn't measured, but the box will pull a variabel force on the spring depending on the speed of the car. So at higher speeds the wiper is pushed harder on the windscreen.

 

[MJK]

I've spend a fair amount of time travelling - in Europe, North America and Asia. I have noticed no discernable difference in the rain in the continents. I therefore suspect that as USDM car would probably be able to safely navigate in Euro rain with USDM wipers (sans electronics). Given the exchange rate and cost of the Euro wipers, I would probably choose USDM wipers.


If you want me to pick up a set for you, drop me a PM.

Mark

 

[Aurora]

I once opened the spare wiper arm (drivers side). Inside is an electric motor and some gears and a worm wheel/axle. At higher speeds this device will pull on the wiper arm spring. This has the effect of having a more powerful wiper arm spring which helps in addition to the wiper blade spoiler at higher speeds in the rain.

I tested it with a battery, it seem it's a slow working system so it doesn't adjust during the stroke itself i.e. not designed to adjust pressure depending on where the wiper arm is relative to position to the windshield. The rotaional play at the base is there for leaving some room for the wireloom to combat metal fatigue. There is no angle position sensor inside.

You can actually hear the wiper blade "scrape" harder agains the windshield at about 80-85 km/h. However I don't know if this is a on/off system or a lineair one (gradually increasing the spring pre-tension as the speed goes up).

 

[UnhuZ]

Hi,

i'm refinishing my wiper arms, the paint was flocking off, i opened the little box to take some photos of the electrical device beneath.

Here they are:



It seems like a motor to work the spring to get the wiper tighter to the glass as the car speed increases.

Nuno