Replacing Rear Windshield Wiper Motor on a ‘99

[aldive]

I hope that this is in the correct place ( I hate the new catagories ).

The rear windshield wiper on my ’99 has a devious mind of its own; it functions only when it wants to. I have long suspected poltergeist infestation and even considered an exorcism.

The rear wiper has been an adversary the entire life of my truck. First it had the infamous wipe pattern problem ( but after researching I found …TSB 15406 BACK GLASS WIPER SKIPS GLASS
APR 17, 2002 and ordered the new arm – see http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1164355#post1164355 post # 6 ) and it has had the non-functioning wiper motor issue ( a common Explorer issue ).

I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a new rear wiper motor ( F87Z17508AD ). I ordered the motor from one of our sponsors, Ford Parts Network ( http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/ ). The price was $117.31 with a refundable core charge of $35.00 ( minus return shipping ).

To access the wiper motor the liftgate door trim panel must be removed. To accomplish this remove the two screws under the lift handle and then with a panel removal tool, unsnap the trim and lift it up and out of the way. Prior to removing the motor, the pivot arm must be removed. This is accomplished by lifting the cover on the arm and removing the 14 mm nut and pulling the arm off.

I found than closing the liftgate and opening the rear window made it very easy to access the motor.

To remove the motor, first move the black plastic water shield out of the way to access the wiper motor, then take out the three 8 mm attaching bolts and disconnect the electrical connector.

The motor has a "made in Mexico" sticker on it ( both the new as well as the original ).

Installation is simply the reverse of the above procedure.

The total time for this project was about 30 minutes, with the removal/replacement of the liftgate trim panel was the most difficult part; those snap connectors are tougher than they look.

After buttoning up the liftgate, the wiper was checked; alas, a functioning ( at least for now ) rear wiper.

 

[aldive]

After using the wiper in a heavy rain today, I can truly;y say my rear wiper troubles are over.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Odd to have a core charge on a "new" part.... Never seen that before.

 

[SplashMan]

Great writeup, I could have used that 2 months ago. Wierd on the core refund thing. I got my new motor and arm from the dealer for $78 total, no core refund or anything.

 

[spta97]

Did you notice how much stronger the wipe is with the new motor? I had mine replaced after it would do the "work when it wants to" thing and I could tell that the old motor didn't work well at all even when it would wipe. The new one wipes with authority! Although I wish it had a more refined "intermittent" mode. Rain on the rear window does not collect as fast as on the front.

 

[gijoecam]

I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a new rear wiper motor ( F87Z17508AD ). I ordered the motor from one of our sponsors, Ford Parts Network ( http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/ ). The price was $117.31 with a refundable core charge of $35.00 ( minus return shipping ).

You got bent over. I got a re-manned motor at Advance Auto for $40. AutoZone sold them for $35, but it was special order and would have taken a day to get.

I thought all my worries were over until last week.... it never missed a beat until last Tuesday.... flipped the switch and nothing. Had to do the old "wiggle the arm" trick to get it working again. I'm hoping this was a one-time occurrence.

-Joe

 

[aldive]

You got bent over. I got a re-manned motor at Advance Auto for $40. AutoZone sold them for $35, but it was special order and would have taken a day to get.

I thought all my worries were over until last week.... it never missed a beat until last Tuesday.... flipped the switch and nothing. Had to do the old "wiggle the arm" trick to get it working again. I'm hoping this was a one-time occurrence.

-Joe

No, I purchased what I wanted; I did not want a parts houst rebuild.

Guess you got what you paid for .........

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Guess you got what you paid for .........

ouch

 

[IAmTodd]

Guess you got what you paid for .........

I think he got 0wn3d

I've been having this trouble as well. Although I don't use my wiper much in fear of scratching it like the old Expo got.

 

[gijoecam]

Indeed, I got what I paid for: a $40 motor with a lifetime guarantee that I can change out in 15 minutes. The same can't be had from the OEM Motorcraft part, new or rebuilt.

 

[aldive]

Indeed, I got what I paid for: a $40 motor with a lifetime guarantee that I can change out in 15 minutes. The same can't be had from the OEM Motorcraft part, new or rebuilt.

I am happy for you.

 

[aldive]

The new wiper motor has performed flawlessly; very happy with the performance.

If you are experiencing rear wiper problems, this is your answer. Just bite the bullet and get a new wiper motor.

 

[spta97]

The new wiper motor has performed flawlessly; very happy with the performance.

If you are experiencing rear wiper problems, this is your answer. Just bite the bullet and get a new wiper motor.

Yes, slamming the hatch only works for so long.

 

[sl33p3r]

Apparently I have to replace my wiper motor also. Been wiggling, bending, twisting, slamming, etc. for a while now and now it only clicks when turned on. In the repair manuals is says you have to disconnect the negative cable from the battery to do this job. Is this necessary?
Just wondering cause in one of the manuals on one page is says to lift the arm off the window, grasp the base of the wiper and pull it off the the motor spindle. And on the next page it says on 1998 and later models, lift the pivot cover to expose the mounting nut, then remove the nut and arm. Which is what I thought was the right way of getting the thing off.

 

[aldive]

Your '99 will have a nit under the lift up cover.

I just ran outside and took a pic of the cover ( lifted ) and the bolt, Yes, its been raining.

 

[df_EB2000]

I am in the process of getting this rear wiper sorted out now. Can anyone tell me how many "Snaps" there are on the rear panel? I unsnapped the four along the top but not sure about the sides. It is still cold here and the plastic is a bit brittle and I don't want to force anything and break it...

 

[gijoecam]

IIRC, there were either one or two down each side pillar, but not below the window line. Once the clips are loose around the top and sides of the window, pull/push the entire thing UP towards the roof. There are no clips on the lower half of the door, just a few (I think 4??) hooks that hook into openings in the gate.

-Joe

 

[df_EB2000]

Thanks,

Got it loose. There is one clip on each side about half way down the window. Lift and as before "watch out".

 

[torrid]

Glad I found this thread. My Explorer is on its third rear wiper motor and I've made numerous "adjustments" to the wiper arm, yet it still doesn't make a clean sweep.

I appear to have one of the old wiper arms, so I plan on replacing it. However, I do have a question on the motor itself. My motor is functional, but it looks to be slightly off-center. This keeps the wiper arm from resting in the cradle properly, which I think contributes to the skipping behavior.

I tried re-seating the motor, but it's still off-center. Since I've already taken everything apart, should I go ahead and replace the motor?

 

[gijoecam]

Flip the arm up off the window. Then, using a dremel, file, or some other type of metal removel tool, shorten the two little fingers underneath it that stop the arm from moving far enough to meet the window. I removed about 1/8" of material.

I did it to mine four years ago. Hasn't missed a single swipe since!! (well, except for the time the motor burnt out)

-Joe