Highly recommended rear wiper motor

[Phil G Watson]

I've had a 2006 TFSI 2.0 litre Quattro A4 Avant since last august, great car but last week I flipped the rear wiper on, it moved 30 degrees and stopped.
Fuses ok, fronts and all washers work, a quick search revealed it's a common problem. The rear wiper always did sound like a cement mixer and it appears the shaft had seized solid . A poor design as we know
with the washer feed running through the spindle.

The Audi part is well over £100 so a search on e bay located this 1x VALEO REAR WIPER MOTOR 12V LHD RHD AUDI A4 AVANT ESTATE 8E B6 B7 01-08 | eBay
It is a genuine Valeo unit which is what was currently fitted with matching part numbers but for only £59.90 delivered. It arrived in only three days from Germany.

A few tips from my experience of fitting.

- Although the 13mm rear arm retaining nut came off ok, the aluminium arm had welded itself to the steel spindle spline due to all that water causing electrolytic reaction.
- I removed the trim panel, two Philips screws in the hand hold, two in the warning triangle well. A series of spring steel clips then hold the trim panel on.
- First pull the trim away at the lower edge of the tailgate. Some people then choose to remove the motor through the limited access they have created. Unless you are a budding gynaecologist, remove the whole panel, it's much easier!
- Unplug the water feed pipe from the motor, disconnect the power feed to the courtesy light, or leave it hooked up and pop the light unit out on the inside.
- You can now gently pull down to release the remaining trim spring clips.
- Disconnect the power feed plug to the motor.
- At this point I removed the 3 x 10mm nuts securing the motor from its rubber mounts. The spindle was seized solid in the wiper arm. As it passes through glass there is no way to used impact to remove it, I had only one choice, junior hacksawed through the spindle..carefully!
- Even in the vice I had to drift the seized shaft out with considerable welly! I cleaned up all the white fur corrosion from the alloy wiper arm boss.
- The new motor was fitted in minutes.I used copper grease on the spindle to help discourage more reaction, it really is a rubbish design. I hooked up the power to check where it parked before refitting the arm.
- Washer connected, trim back on, the new motor is whisper quiet.

To reduce the risk of future seizure I'll be periodically squirting 3 in 1 PTFE down the spindle!

Not all e bay products are good value, this one was exceptional

[Gazwould]

I wouldn't of bought oem Valeo , it's the ones that go wrong in the first place .

[Phil G Watson]

So what would you recommend?

[Gazwould]

Bosch


NEW VW GOLF MK4 VW PASSAT ESTATE SKODA FABIA REAR WIPER MOTOR BOSCH 0390201592 | eBay

[Phil G Watson]

Cheers, although I suspect the issue is the design rather than materials. The original one on my previous A4 2.5tdi failed for a similar reason.