Wipers have been really slow in our recent cold weather

[TowGMC]

This past weekend when temps dropped into the single digits my wipers moved very slowly, barely making a full pass in 20 seconds. Pulled it inside on of my heated loading docks here at my business Monday and after that the wipers worked pretty normally.

Until this morning, now -2 when I got in the Denali. Wipers made it half way up the windshield and stopped. The only way to get them to work was to keep clicking the rotary switch repeatedly, and each time I did the wipers would move a couple inches. Took several minutes to get them to complete a pass and park. Pulled into the heated bay again and 10 minutes later they work but still a bit slow.

Quick google search says the wiper transmission goes bad on the GM SUV's and trucks causing wipers to run slow, but would that explain them quitting entirely?

 

[Erik G]

Wow! Never heard of that

 

[TowGMC]

Apparently very common on the pickups which use the same wiper motor and mechanism.

 

[DjJayFrree]

my drivers side nnozzle wasn't working this am... hope its just cold!

 

[TowGMC]

As a followup-
I replaced the wiper transmission and motor as an assembly from the dealer. Had ordered just the transmission assembly from RockAuto and they sent the wrong part. With a bitter cold weekend approaching I didn't want to risk not having working wipers so bought the full assemble with motor. Paid a bit more but they had it in stock.

When I pulled my old linkage out, both of the pieces at the base of the wipers- the part with the splined end that the wiper attaches to- were almost completely seized. What should have been easy to spin, took a pair of pliers to get them to rotate. And being a sealed piece, no way to take apart and lube. Though I did see one youtube video where a guy with a 2500HD pickup drilled, tapped and installed grease fittings on this part to keep it full of clean grease. May just try that on the old part to see if it does anything. And if that works, I may take the new one back out and put fittings on it for future maintenance. But not when it's 15 degrees outside.

FWIW- the dealer had 6 of these in stock, said it's very common failure point on the trucks and SUVs

 

[Erik G]

Thanks for the follow up!