Windshield wipers making a new loud noise.

[saburai]

Hi gang!
I'm pretty deaf or as the PC crowd would say, hearing impaired. We were driving yesterday, and my wife Marketa pointed out that the wipers were making a new sound. After she pointed it out, I was able to pick up what sounds like a groaning noise with every pass of the wipers. Their function as of yet, is not impaired. However, trying to stay on top of things and being proactive, I would like to address this before it gets worse and I lose functionality. The truck is the one in my signature a 1994 F-250 i d i t. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Scotty4]

Mine were squeaking pretty good. I lifted them both away and ran them to make sure it wasn’t wiper noise. I then squirted some oil/lithium grease whatever onto each post holding the wiper and that got rid of the noise. Not sure about a 94 but the 85 is just a bunch of noisy rods that can be oiled/greased. Could be some interference on the cover too. If the sound doesn’t go away I’d start looking at the motor.

 

[saburai]

Mine were squeaking pretty good. I lifted them both away and ran them to make sure it wasn’t wiper noise. I then squirted some oil/lithium grease whatever onto each post holding the wiper and that got rid of the noise. Not sure about a 94 but the 85 is just a bunch of noisy rods that can be oiled/greased. Could be some interference on the cover too. If the sound doesn’t go away I’d start looking at the motor.

Thanks man! I'll give it a squirt when I get a chance.

 

[IDIoit]

mine started makin a weird noise. turns out I had the 2 top bolts missing....

 

[saburai]

mine started makin a weird noise. turns out I had the 2 top bolts missing....

I'll make sure that I take a look!

 

[snicklas]

Double check the blades. It's amazing the funny noises bad blades can make.

For example, on the Infiniti (which I think the shape of the glass also comes into play with wiper noise) when the blades start to get some age, they make a squeak that you would swear was a bearing/bushing getting dry. Slap a new set of blades on and the noise goes away.

On my Fords, old blades start to "chatter", at first not enough to effect the wiping ability, but it introduces a new noise. Let them go so they wear a bit more and the wipe quality starts to show the chatter, that you decide to replace them, the new noise goes away.

But I've also worked on wipers that make just a slight, almost unnoticeable noise, and find that most, it not all the plastic bushings are missing.

One thing to keep in mind though, when it comes to me and noise, I'm in the opposite boat as you. My hearing is SUPER sensitive. I can hear things most people with "perfect hearing" can't hear. Like I can hear the flyback in a tube type TV/Monitor. I can hear medical diagnostic ultrasounds (like the one to check a gall bladder, or a baby).... really low noises..... I made a comment to someone that a U-Joint on their pickup was making noise and needed replaced. At the time, they looked at me like I was NUTS!!!!! However, a few weeks later I saw them again, and they told me that I was right a few weeks ago, and they had just had to replace all the U-Joints in their truck........

 

[saburai]

Thanks man! I'll give it a squirt when I get a chance.

Unfortunately on the 94 when you pull the arms off there is no way to get any lube down onto the shaft...

 

[saburai]

Double check the blades. It's amazing the funny noises bad blades can make.

For example, on the Infiniti (which I think the shape of the glass also comes into play with wiper noise) when the blades start to get some age, they make a squeak that you would swear was a bearing/bushing getting dry. Slap a new set of blades on and the noise goes away.

On my Fords, old blades start to "chatter", at first not enough to effect the wiping ability, but it introduces a new noise. Let them go so they wear a bit more and the wipe quality starts to show the chatter, that you decide to replace them, the new noise goes away.

But I've also worked on wipers that make just a slight, almost unnoticeable noise, and find that most, it not all the plastic bushings are missing.

One thing to keep in mind though, when it comes to me and noise, I'm in the opposite boat as you. My hearing is SUPER sensitive. I can hear things most people with "perfect hearing" can't hear. Like I can hear the flyback in a tube type TV/Monitor. I can hear medical diagnostic ultrasounds (like the one to check a gall bladder, or a baby).... really low noises..... I made a comment to someone that a U-Joint on their pickup was making noise and needed replaced. At the time, they looked at me like I was NUTS!!!!! However, a few weeks later I saw them again, and they told me that I was right a few weeks ago, and they had just had to replace all the U-Joints in their truck........

I am kind of in the same boat as far as low frequencies are concerned. I can identify vehicles by their sound signature long before my wife who has "perfect" hearing can even hear them. My high-frequency hearing, however is shot to hell. In regards to the blades making noise, I am reasonably certain that it is not the blades and is actually coming from the mechanism. The blades are due for replacement anyway so I will do that at my first opportunity. Thanks for the help!

 

[Selahdoor]

Go out there at night with a powerful flashlight.

Run the wipers, and look down into the cowl with the flashlight.

You should be able to actually see the linkages that way, as it operates.

You should also be able to accurately shoot all the linkages with a good lube through a straw spray.

And just taking the arms off, and spraying those shafts with the same lube through a straw... the lube should work it's way down through those shafts one way or another.

 

[saburai]

Go out there at night with a powerful flashlight.

Run the wipers, and look down into the cowl with the flashlight.

You should be able to actually see the linkages that way, as it operates.

You should also be able to accurately shoot all the linkages with a good lube through a straw spray.

And just taking the arms off, and spraying those shafts with the same lube through a straw... the lube should work it's way down through those shafts one way or another.

Thanks! However, on my '94 even with the arms off you can not access the shafts. They are encased by what seems to be a cast housing.