Topic

Following on from the emergency zip tie fix that will get you home safely, I fitted a spring clip.



If you have to fit one of these in the rain, at night, miles from home then these pics and video will probably be a help as it can be a bit tricky. Unless you know how.

Here's the 'get you home' fix that I had to fit when we went on the lakes run. Cheap and nasty. But it works... for a while at least.



The spring clip.



Start up the wipers with the ignition lights on. Then stop them by turning the ignition off. So that they end up pointing upwards like this.



In this position, more access is gained to fit the clip.



Slide the clip on. It will be 'tight' at first.



Push it on securely. However, it will probably spring out slightly when in use.



I found this position to be the most secure after testing.



Here's a video of the clip in use. I tested it out for strength and stability.



'The job's a good un.'

midlife wrote:

I normally take the view if it aint broke dont fix it but I wonder if fitting these clips before the problem occurs it would make the linkage bulletproof ?

Unfortunately, I already had the problem which I discovered months ago by accidentally brushing against the wiper arm causing it to drop off. Seeing how this is a 'general problem' with many of our cars, it might be worth a little test. If your wiper arm pops off with only a small amount of pressure applied to it, then it's not particularly safe, so it would be worth applying this fix for a few quid. Or, at least keeping one handy in the car.

The only guarantee is that it will always happen at the worst possible time. We were heading to our first meet in the Lake district and were literally two minutes from home when this occurred.



Fortunately, I carry some zip ties so I was able to apply the video fix below.



There are some long term fixes - clickety click and some very expensive fixes can be bought, if you wish to go that way. Whichever way you choose. It's best to be prepared.