My Rear Wiper is totally out of control!

[JJ.Rep]

So I currently have an Audi A3 (8P) 2010. I've only had it for 3-4 months but recently my rear wiper has been totally out of control. It would start to turn on even when I have it on the 'off' position and start behaving erratically. Recently it's been getting stuck halfway up the rear windscreen (pointing upwards). And it won't move even when I turn my dial to the 'on' position or keep switching between on and off. I've had to get out of the car and readjust my rear wiper manually by moving it inches left or right and then turning off and turning on the car again for it to work. Just yesterday, I had to readjust my rear wiper to make it move for it to then continuously work non-stop for 5 minutes and the only way for me to turn it off was for me to turn the ignition off. Currently it's stuck halfway up the rear windscreen again and every time now I turn the car on it's making a really loud whirring noise as if the thing is about to blow up. 

From looking at forums it looks like an issue with the rear wiper motor but how can I be so sure that this is the issue?

I called up two different mechanics to get a quote to fix this. One mechanic told me straightaway that the issue is with the rear wiper motor and quoted me £300 for the job (£185 for the rear wiper motor and £115 for the labour). Another mechanic told me he's not sure what the issue is and quoted me £70 just for the diagnostic charge.

Do you think it's better to just go to Audi themselves since £300 sounds about the same price they would charge as well unless I am wrong? 

[Stevey Y]

6 minutes ago, JJ.Rep said:

So I currently have an Audi A3 (8P) 2010. I've only had it for 3-4 months but recently my rear wiper has been totally out of control. It would start to turn on even when I have it on the 'off' position and start behaving erratically. Recently it's been getting stuck halfway up the rear windscreen (pointing upwards). And it won't move even when I turn my dial to the 'on' position or keep switching between on and off. I've had to get out of the car and readjust my rear wiper manually by moving it inches left or right and then turning off and turning on the car again for it to work. Just yesterday, I had to readjust my rear wiper to make it move for it to then continuously work non-stop for 5 minutes and the only way for me to turn it off was for me to turn the ignition off. Currently it's stuck halfway up the rear windscreen again and every time now I turn the car on it's making a really loud whirring noise as if the thing is about to blow up. 

From looking at forums it looks like an issue with the rear wiper motor but how can I be so sure that this is the issue?

I called up two different mechanics to get a quote to fix this. One mechanic told me straightaway that the issue is with the rear wiper motor and quoted me £300 for the job (£185 for the rear wiper motor and £115 for the labour). Another mechanic told me he's not sure what the issue is and quoted me £70 just for the diagnostic charge.

Do you think it's better to just go to Audi themselves since £300 sounds about the same price they would charge as well unless I am wrong? 

Hi it is the motor and if you think £300 is what Audi would charge dream on, they charged one guy on here about the same just to take the rear panel off and refit the feed for the washer pipe, I think the motor from them is about £200 and then labour at over £100 per hour plus VAT, find a more sensible garage, the part is probably £60 on eBay.

Steve.

[JJ.Rep]

8 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi it is the motor and if you think £300 is what Audi would charge dream on, they charged one guy on here about the same just to take the rear panel off and refit the feed for the washer pipe, I think the motor from them is about £200 and then labour at over £100 per hour plus VAT, find a more sensible garage, the part is probably £60 on eBay.

Steve.

Thanks for your reply Steve.

Really? How much would you say Audi would charge? I'm seeing from Audi Parts Direct that the rear wiper motor is £129.95 so I don't know why one mechanic quoted me £185 for one. I've seen those prices on eBay as well but are those parts reliable?

Do you think the other mechanic who's charging me £70 for a diagnostic charge are ripping me off? 

[Stevey Y]

26 minutes ago, JJ.Rep said:

Thanks for your reply Steve.

Really? How much would you say Audi would charge? I'm seeing from Audi Parts Direct that the rear wiper motor is £129.95 so I don't know why one mechanic quoted me £185 for one. I've seen those prices on eBay as well but are those parts reliable?

Do you think the other mechanic who's charging me £70 for a diagnostic charge are ripping me off? 

Hi the diagnostic charge is a total fraud, the prices for the eBay units are cheaper and probably as reliable as the design is flawed anyway having the water for the washer run through the drive spindle, the O.E. units are made by Valeo/Marelli who are well known for producing crap.

Steve.

[cliffcoggin]

I'm with Steve on this. Get a new wiper motor.

[JJ.Rep]

1 hour ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi the diagnostic charge is a total fraud, the prices for the eBay units are cheaper and probably as reliable as the design is flawed anyway having the water for the washer run through the drive spindle, the O.E. units are made by Valeo/Marelli who are well known for producing crap.

Steve.

So I've heard about this design flaw as well. So should I just avoid using the windscreen washer jets on my rear wiper after I find some way to replace the rear wiper motor.

[cliffcoggin]

I wouldn't call it a flawed design, in fact I'd say it is rather clever, however no machine lasts for ever. Yours has lasted 13 years so if you use rear screen wash normally through the new motor it will likely outlast the rest of the car.

[gromlog]

Had similar behavior when I've just bought my car with a problematic car battery, it would turn on itself out of the blue for a single random or non-stop wiping, replaced battery never seen it again.

But I assume in your case it's not that.

[JJ.Rep]

20 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

I wouldn't call it a flawed design, in fact I'd say it is rather clever, however no machine lasts for ever. Yours has lasted 13 years so if you use rear screen wash normally through the new motor it will likely outlast the rest of the car.

I haven't got full service history of the car (only part) so I'm not sure if the rear motor has ever been replaced before. It's funny because I saw another Audi A3 8P parked on the street today and that car has it's rear wiper stuck halfway up the windscreen as well.

[JJ.Rep]

1 hour ago, gromlog said:

Had similar behavior when I've just bought my car with a problematic car battery, it would turn on itself out of the blue for a single random or non-stop wiping, replaced battery never seen it again.

But I assume in your case it's not that.

Hmm I've never had a problem with my battery so far (touch wood). I've heard from another owner that they're on their 3rd motor within 2 years but that's because they keep using cheap ones and not the Valeo ones. 

[Stevey Y]

21 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

I wouldn't call it a flawed design, in fact I'd say it is rather clever, however no machine lasts for ever. Yours has lasted 13 years so if you use rear screen wash normally through the new motor it will likely outlast the rest of the car.

Hi Clifford why do you think most motor manufacturers use a separate washer nozzle mounted above or by the side of the wiper arm, you don't get this problem, my last Mondeo went to its new owner having never had a rear motor and with 270k on the clock, how can something that saturates itself in a mixture of corrosive screen wash and water and then lets it back into the motor gearbox to rot that out be a clever idea, thats built in obsolescence at its finest.

Steve.

[cliffcoggin]

I said the design was clever, I did not say it was good. Nevertheless it lasted 13 years which is considerably longer than many of the more essential components of a motor car.

[Stevey Y]

20 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

I said the design was clever, I did not say it was good. Nevertheless it lasted 13 years which is considerably longer than many of the more essential components of a motor car.

Hi Clifford that was exactly my point how can something that is doomed to fail at some point in its life at an indiscriminent time or milage be clever in its design, as you state you never said it was good which proves the point I bought my last one O.E. Valeo two years ago and that ones on its way out, keeps sticking and parking half way across the glass, they are a rubbish design with built in failure points, I can see why wiper delete kits sell well.

Steve.

[JJ.Rep]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:50 PM, Stevey Y said:

Hi it is the motor and if you think £300 is what Audi would charge dream on, they charged one guy on here about the same just to take the rear panel off and refit the feed for the washer pipe, I think the motor from them is about £200 and then labour at over £100 per hour plus VAT, find a more sensible garage, the part is probably £60 on eBay.

Steve.

Just called Audi out of curiosity to see how much they would charge me and they sent they would charge me a £140 diagnostic charge first just to check what's wrong with it! Dream on.  

[hellsfire]

I was gonna get a new one (£35 on ebay) in the end i took it off completely and now no longer have one,i can easily bang one on if i change my mind.....super easy to do........evidently the design for these left a bit to be desired and it is a common fault....same one on VWs.....look out for loads with the wiper pointing down to the road😄......