I am unable to wipe

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josefk

New Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
12
Location
North East
Car
W211 E270 CDI
Long time lurker, first time poster...

I've searched around but nothing quite specifically matches my problem. Maybe it's my search terms not bringing results but I've tried reading everything even after searching for just 'wiper'.

Nutshell:

The wipers only seem to work when I indicate.

Specifically:

I've had this car since December. It's an '03 E270 CDI and I didn't have this problem until two or three weeks ago. When I drive around in the rain, I like to have my wipers clearing the screen so I can see. :) However, no amount of twisting the stalk from off to fastest wipe will make a difference. (Disclaimer: I did not break the stalk in the first place by twisting it repeatedly from off to fastest wipe.) If I put the stalk on intermittent (I have rain sensors) before I switch off the engine, the next day no amount of finger crossing helps to make the setting 'stick'. Additionally, I get nothing from the washers. The headlamp flasher and full beam positions both work as expected.

The process: I panic when it rains, decide to pull into a side road to park up and swear, indicate, the wipers wipe after indicating, I continue on my way, I annoy other drivers by doing so. Soon after, maybe thirty seconds or so later, the wipers blow a raspberry at me and just sit there taunting me again through my blurry windscreen.

I've booked the car into MB Newcastle (Friday is the earliest, though they say I can turn up before that and just wait). My questions are:

Could there be something simple that I could do? Bear in mind I only know how to make cars go and stop and, previously, how to clear rain off the windscreen, so anything too technical will make me cry. I'll have a hunt around for these fuse thingies I hear so much about but have no idea what I'm looking for, really.

Since I've found the early W211 E Class had electrical problems, do I have a case to put to MB saying it's a safety issue/manufacturing fault and they could see their way to helping me out in exchange for a lollipop for each and every one of the little blighters?

Should I knock off the main bank branch or just a little post office to pay for the fix? What's the worst I could look at paying?

I appreciate any replies. Apologies for being a technical noob.
 
Hello and welcome. 95% of these faults is the stalk itself and they cost up to !!!! I have gone blank ,£87 or £135 sorry its gone blank plus fitting, a good indie is much cheaper
 
Thanks for the welcome.

I read somewhere (on this forum) of something in the region of £400... That would make it a very big region for such a small, plastic fiddlestick.

However, I was also (since this would be my first visit to an MB establishment) hoping to get myself into the inner circle and find out more. I already knew MB servicing was not the cheapest so I wanted to ask them what I could do to minimise any impact (Service Plus or the like). Also I fully intend to drain them of the promised complementary coffee and make a subsequent lavatorial inspection. I'm hoping they also have Hobnobs.
 
I'm guessing the £400 would mainly be from labour. Find a good indie and avoid the stealerships £100+ labour p/hour.

On the case of hobnobs, they have custard creams usually and other varieties such as ginger crunch! Make full use of the tea/coffee and complimentary Top Gear magazines :devil:
 
Luckily there's a section here to help me find one but I think there are only two (at last read through/search) in the North East that were recommended.

I'm guessing that it's probably better on my penny jar to avoid using MB at all when the previous owner (whom henceforthwith I shall name 'Donderlinger') used MB for all services but one. Speaking to the nice lady at MB (promiser of free coffee), I found that I no longer had access to Mobilo when I brought this up. Though I mentioned that I remember reading of others being welcomed back into the fold, she told me that she'd tried to do that before but it was not possible. Therefore there is no real reason to go to MB other than for main services. Even then I will never have FMBSH. Pfft!
 
Oh, to have a clue on how to fit parts myself. £59 for an indicator stalk (albeit one with frills) and £100 p/h to attach it. Some people think I charge a lot for my services - I think I'm in the wrong business...

When I originally called MB they told me I would be booked in for a half hour on STAR. That's presumably with little human intervention, although I appreciate it will take knowledge and experience to interpret the results. However, £55.81 for thirty minutes of diagnostics when, in my business, I can diagnose most things over the phone, give a quote, then just go and do the job. This problem must be common enough for them to 'just know' and to remedy it.

Oh, on the fuse front. Presumably there's no point in looking to see if there's a problem there? After all - if a fuse has blown then there would be nothing at all happening. None of this occasionally working malarkey. Even if a fuse was loose, it wouldn't explain why the wipers work when I indicate.
 
Through one of my trawls through here, I remembered reading of someone who recommended giving a thorough blast with an air duster. Since I have a ton of those laying around I thought I might as well give it a try.

Semi success! I'll nip down to the shops in a little while for a five minute test run to see if they keep working but so far all positions appear to work at the correct speeds and also when I decide they should and not the car. All it took was a bit of chuff from a tin can. It puts in perspective the cost difference between DIY and MB and also the fact I couldn't go out and do any jobs while it is raining to earn money to pay for it all. It was Catch 22.

Hopefully this is now sorted. Thanks for the replies - you at least will have given me an idea of how much money I might have saved myself.
 
Oh, to have a clue on how to fit parts myself. £59 for an indicator stalk (albeit one with frills) and £100 p/h to attach it. Some people think I charge a lot for my services - I think I'm in the wrong business...

I did not check but I thought changing the stalk would ask for removal of the steering wheel first. Considering that it has the air bag an some sensitive parts, one cannot expect anything close to free installation from a dealer, not even from an independent.

When I originally called MB they told me I would be booked in for a half hour on STAR. That's presumably with little human intervention, although I appreciate it will take knowledge and experience to interpret the results. However, £55.81 for thirty minutes of diagnostics when, in my business, I can diagnose most things over the phone, give a quote, then just go and do the job. This problem must be common enough for them to 'just know' and to remedy it.

I guess reading the error codes is something pretty basic from a dealer, specifically if there are some electronics related issues. Doing this over a phone for an MB isn't quite simple. The tools for this are pretty expensive too, it isn't only the salary cost. A different thing if you accept the work done without diagnosis but then the shop would not take the responsibility of the fix, if it turned out to be something different.

I don't even remember how much you were quoted for the job, just wanted to "explain" that even a reasonable workshop bill may actually be quite high. And in your case the diagnosis probably isn't needed.
 
I was told by Mrs. Mercedes woman that it would be put on STAR.

Anyway, hrumph! I went for some shopping and they worked all the way there (the rain stopped so I had to squirt and wipe manually) and half the way back. Then it stopped again. After stopping and indicating right to blow underneath the stalk did not solve it again. Indicating left and blowing from the gap in the top has helped it to work but I wonder for how long. Maybe I need a stronger air duster as indicating all the time may be lodging and/or dislodging whatever might be causing this, assuming it's dust or fluff or something. Actually, I wonder if condensation may be building up due to these changeable temperatures.

I'll have to call my customer and go do this job I've promised I'd go to and hope the rain keeps off long enough. If you don't hear another word from me, read the news for an overturned, burnt out E270 with a charred driver.

P.S. What is a 'good non drying switch cleaner' - which brand and where from? Apologies for what must seem a simple question but I'm in headless chicken mode and I've never had a problem like this to have to fix before.
 
There are no error codes for the stalk and STAR is not needed

Yes I agree (of course), but my point was that an official shop would usually still read the codes. One might be able to "convince" them not to read the codes but my shop at least would not take the responsibility about the correct part being fixed. Like if it was the driver side SAM after all (theoretically).
 
.





P.S. What is a 'good non drying switch cleaner' - which brand and where from? Apologies for what must seem a simple question but I'm in headless chicken mode and I've never had a problem like this to have to fix before.


Maplins are the only retail shop that sell it, the brand is not so important as long as its non drying
 
Maplins are the only retail shop that sell it, the brand is not so important as long as its non drying

Gosh, Maplin is awash (geddit?) with cleaning products. However I found http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=27515&doy=10m3 which doesn't state non drying and the FAQs state that power should be turned off. Presumably, since you mentioned others use this type of thing on stalks, that nothing in there could get shorted, even with the key out? I know that there must be current running through certain things even while it appears to be turned off so I'm eager to not blow it up.

I'm also curious as to what this stuff actually does. If it's some sort of cleaning solution that stays gooey, wouldn't that just collect up any dust and fluff, potentially causing more problems?

Maybe I should just use it and cross my fingers. Either way I could be needing a new stalk anyway but the fact that it worked for a time after giving it a good blast of air makes me think it could simply be a tad mucky. I did notice while I was out (after leaving the wipers on intermittent) that every time I indicated, they would wipe once or twice.
 
Strewth... just give it a good spray... stop worrying.:eek:
If that doesnt do the job permanently replace the assembly.

Better still bring around here and Ill dissassemble for you ;)

Bazzle
 
As Bazzle just do it :D:D



Switch cleaner non drying stop or reduce the arcing that takes place when any inductive circuit is broken. It is the little burns on the contacts that the eventually make the contact surface so rough that a good contact can no longer be made,, the switch cleaner washes off the carbon deposits
 
Better still bring around here and Ill dissassemble for you ;)

I know your type: You can take it apart but not be able to put it back together again. I'm glad you're thousands of miles away. :p

P.S. Bah! You're right next to the race this weekend.

Alright, my final offer is that I'll go get some of this stuff when I get a moment and give it a good squirt and see how I go. Unfortunately I'm travelling south today and Maplin is north. Hopefully it will just work and then I can cancel the MB visit.

Thanks for all the replies but before I did anything I wanted a bit of an expert opinion on the best method to get this sorted so I do it right the first time.
 

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