I've been reading various posts and articles about wiper issues with the New Beetle and I'm still stuck on exactly which part of the wiper system my issue could be.
I have a 2007 2.5 engine New Beetle. I've had a total of three problems. Unfortunately, I didn't realize one might lead to a worse one. I'm wondering if that's the case here, and whether I have to replace everything. I'm an amateur when it comes to DIY but I love to save money. I've pulled my dash apart to fix buttons, the aux, and have replaced my MAF sensor, etc, but I've heard some wiper work can damage the windshield so I'm nervous to try. But if there is something DIY that isn't risky I can try, I'd love to hear it.
I've had the passenger wiper drooping for a long time (it basically hits just under the edge of the hood). I never realized this was an issue, but it did seem like my wipers weren't super great, even when I got new blades.
Meanwhile, my wipers (both) would stop working intermittently. I've read of several different renditions of this behavior, but in my case they would be fine for long stretches of time (I think during drier times), and then have a few months of inconsistent function. They would either not start at all, or would more usually not start up again once I turned them off. They have never been stuck halfway, they only get stuck down in the "off position", between wipes. When they aren't working, I hear a "click" sound in or near the dash each time they usually would have wiped. It's my understanding this is the sound of the relay. Does that mean the relay is working? When the wipers would stop working, I would have to get out and nudge them, and then they would start working. Sometimes, I had to turn my car off. But I was always back on the road.
Now, I live in the PNW and winter has hit. With the increased rains, (and recently it snowed quite a bit), they have stopped working completely. I still hear the click or "tick" sound when they are activated, but they will not move at all, and they are not "loose" when I move them. This is bad news for me because I have a commute and today I drove without wipers because I have to get to work.
I have a lot of different theories by now, but someone said a clogged sunroof can short out the motor making it not work intermittently, which might explain why when I nudged it, it would work again. I have never declogged my sun roof. Does this hold any merit?
Any ideas or ways I could investigate? My goal is to get it taken care of this weekend. Could the drooping wiper have caused this? Obviously a dead motor would happen all at once. Maybe the intermittent issue caused a dead motor? Thanks.
