Complete Windshield Wiper Mechanism Lubrication + Upgrade

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. HOW- TO: Complete windshield wiper mechanism lubrication + upgrade

• Thread starter Thread starter JC220
• Start date Start date May 1, 2017

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JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member This DIY will cover my rebuilding & upgrading of the wiper in my 1992 500E. The removal of the wiper itself is not included as this information is widely available – I prefer to concentrate on the wiper mechanism itself for purposes of this DIY - which involves full disassembly of the wiper mechanism in order to fully lubricate all of the moving components. This is essential maintenance of the wiper unit to keep it operating smoothly. Also note that the internal ‘gearbox’ is made of plastic a plastic cog & gear. As the original 1992 grease ages it dries up & becomes hardened / sticky providing very little lubrication qualities. Left unattended this can lead to destruction of the plastic gears. There are 2x variants of the w124 Wiper which are easily identified. The early versions have an aluminium cover to the outer part of the wiper. In order to get access to the sliding part of the mechanism the wiper must be completely removed from the vehicle & disassembled to access the 3x cover securing screws as circled in red below. In the above picture the right unit is the later w124 version wiper assembly. This is easily identified by feeling the outer cover again. The later units have a plastic cover which can be easily unclipped to expose the sliding part of the inner wiper mechanism. This IMO is the only identifiable ‘enhancement’ of the later version w124 wipers. Please note that the early VS late w124 wipers employ different window sealing setups. Ie- the plastic strips which deflect water from the windshield into the gutters. Late version wipers have a 1 piece rubber strip which also requires a plastic strip on the windshield itself for correct installation. So in this instance I had both the original 1992 early unit & a 1995 later W124 unit available to me. I disassembled & compared both units. I discovered that the later w124 wiper arm (With the easily removable plastic cover) is 100% compatible with the early wiper bracket / gearbox assembly. This means I can upgrade the wiper whilst it is apart in order to have easier maintenance access in the future. This DIY will cover both how to lubricate the wiper AND how to upgrade to the later plastic cover if you’re car currently has the early version wiper with metal cover. So here are pictures & step by step details; 1; Before removing the wiper mechanism ensure it is in the ‘Park’ position with the ignition key off. With the assembly removed the first thing to do is carefully mark the position of the motor linkage to the bracket. So you know where the park position is. Next make more marks with a sharpie and / or take pictures so you know where the wiper arm park position is also. These are pictures for reference of what Park should look like. 2; Loosen the 17mm nut to the rear of the mechanism. Then pull the bracket from the spindle. This can take quite alot of force so a puller is usually required. 3; Remove the circlip & washers from the top of the spindle. Take careful note of all the shims / washer positions as you disassemble the motor – they must go back in the correct order. 4; Now you must orientate the outer wiper arm so as it is halfway across it’s swept path = pointing directly vertical with the spindle fully retracted. This is because there is one slot for the inner Nylon gear to exist the housing. Now use a rubber mallet to tap on the spindle & withdraw the outer arm mechanism from the wiper bracket / gearbox. 5; If you have an early wiper mechanism you can now remove the 3x screws & check inside of the sliding part of the mechanism. (The later wiper plastic cover can be removed anytime) 6; This is where you can see the condition of the plastic gears and most likely the original 25+ year old grease. ALL old grease must be removed first – because it will be old & hardened. I used Hot water, dishwashing soap & a paint brush to clean all parts of the wiper then blow dry with a compressed air gun. (Be careful what you use to clean the old grease so you do not damage or soften the Nylon gears) 7; With all parts fully dried what I did next was use a high quality non evaporating oil to lubricate all pins / joints of the entire mechanism. This was oil designed for cycle chains so it will not fling off & is water resistant also. I used this oil first so it would get right inside the joints before applying the grease. Indeed the oil made a huge difference to the feel of the entire mechanism. 8; Now you can now grease the inner part of the ‘gearbox’ first. Don’t go crazy with the grease – just apply it where the gears will mesh. I used Synthetic grease throughout the wiper. (NOTE- If you have the early wiper – proceed to step 13 now – as you will need to screw the metal outer cover back on before re-fitting) 9; Grease the Nylon Gear & spindle as pictured. Be sure to place the shims & O ring as they were before removal. Align the outer sliding mechanism so it is at bottom centre – as pictured. View attachment 62652 10; Then re-insert into the gearbox housing facing upwards / half sweep as before. 11; Lubricate & re-fit the outer shims + retaining circlip. 12; Then align the ‘Park’ markings as made on step one before re-attaching the motor arm. Apply a little removable threadlock & tighten the 17mm nut. 13; Now grease the sliding part of the mechanism. Again no need to go crazy here – just be sure to apply grease evenly to the areas of contact + the moving joints. Refit the – plastic cover (Where applicable) I did also bench test the wiper at this stage which helped to apply grease through the entire sliding part of the mechanism. Should you wish to do this the pins are- 2- Ground 3- High Speed 5- Normal Speed It is HIGHLY advisable to test the wiper before re-installing into the car. At least test it in the car before re-fitting all of the plastic gutters / trims. One final note is there is a difference in early VS late W124 wiper arm. That is the spring arm which holds the rubber wiper blade & is secured with a 5mm Hex key. Early version wipers with the Aluminium cover have a Bosch Arm. Later units with the plastic cover have a SWF Arm – so make sure & change this part too if upgrading. Done! Enjoy a smooth working wiper. This is essential maintenance of the Wiper – as they age the grease gets like Tar which left unattended WILL destroy the wiper mechanism. Not many car's will ever have seen fresh grease in there since they left the factory. Comments, feedback & questions welcome! MARCH 2021 EDIT: I do this now when working at wipers on all benzes:

1. Take photos with your phone of the wiper blade park position before taking any parts off.
2. Take more park reference photos (+ a dimension if you like) with trims off.
3. Once wiper is out mark all connection points as accurately as you can with a fine tip sharpie. I also use a Dremel and cut a fine line where possible. This means that through washing you won't inadvertently remove the reference lines.
4. Test fit the assembly in the car - no trims or anything yet.
5. Power up wiper and allow to park itself. Compare actual park position with your photos. In the case of my S280 this took about 5 goes to get back perfect the way I wanted it. Partly because I fitted a replacement motor whilst in there and therefore had no reference points. So remove, adjust and re-park until it's sitting correctly the way it was before.
6. When satisfied with the park position only then proceed to re-fit all trims and gutters etc.

Last edited: Mar 30, 2021

nocfn

E500E Guru

Member This is a very detailed, Honcho-esque HOW-TO. Not a bad Idea to grab one at a yard to tear down and prep so that when she fails (not if) one can be 3 bolts and a plug done!

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

nocfn said: This is a very detailed, Honcho-esque HOW-TO. Not a bad Idea to grab one at a yard to tear down and prep so that when she fails (not if) one can be 3 bolts and a plug done! Click to expand...

Thanks! The photos aren't great as I snapped them whilst working but should give a good idea of what was going on hopefully. It is a GREAT idea to get a spare used wiper- preferably from a facelift so you can swap on the arm (w/ plastic cover) as I did above. This also means you have a spare 'gearbox / bracket' to keep for a rainy day (Pardon the pun!) Used wipers are plentiful now but this supply will dry up in the coming years. I would hate to price a new wiper Mech from MB!

nocfn

E500E Guru

Member Luckily the plenty of w124 of any style are in favor. W126 had the same pleasure but are more difficult to obtain these days.

jhodg5ck

"Nit-Picky and, Bitter Mechanic"

Member nicely written up Sir! jono

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

jhodg5ck said: nicely written up Sir! jono Click to expand...

Thanks Jono! I have since driven my 500E and the wiper is eerily silent! In fact- 100% whisper quiet. Usually I hear soft clunks whilst it's operating. I will now prep the spare wiper for installing into my 300E-24 also. I need to grab a few more late wiper arms me thinks

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member OK so I have been asked an interesting question by PM which I would like to address here also. I have both RHD & LHD w124’s. The Wiper refurb above is from my LHD 500E. This used a later type wiper arm from a RHD w124. So the question was – are LHD & RHD w124 wipers compatible – since the park positions are clearly different between LHD & RHD vehicles? Refer to my picture below of my 500E VS 300E-24. The wipers are indeed parked at different locations. So the pictures below are a factory RHD w124 wiper mech. Compare these to the pictures above in the refurb instructions. You will note they are one & the same. The Wiper motor only turns in one direction at all times. And the Motor itself will always find a preset ‘Park’ position. The specific clocking / fitment of the articulating linkage to the motor is what changes the park position. In effect this can be set by the user before install. As an example this is the RHD motor set to LH wiper park – And the exact same RHD Wiper mech set to RH wiper park- (NB - this was a unit I tore down before for parts so the motor - linkage clocking might be a little off vs Factory) So there is NO difference in any part of the Wiper mechanism between RHD vs LHD models. There is a way to set / adjust the park position if for example fitting a used RHD wiper mech into a LHD 500E;

• First remove the motor linkage arm from the wiper mech. When plugged into the car the Wiper Motor will always find it’s own pre-set ‘Park’ position. So temporarily plug the motor in & use the intermittent setting on the wiper stalk switch to Park the motor / back to Off position.
• Remove the wiper unit again from the car now that the Motor has been ‘parked’.
• Then with the linkage still disconnected turn the wiper arm manually until it reaches full stop in the desired location (RH or LH wiper park). Then re-connect the linkage. This will now be the Wiper’s Park setting whether for a RHD or LHD vehicle.

It would be advisable to set the linkage at the Arm end as per this picture-in the LH position first for reference. - Then turn the arm manually before hooking the other side back onto the motor. Again - always test the motor + alignment by connecting the plug, setting it into the car & use the stalk switch a few times so ensure all is well before re-fitting all of the pastic trim around the wiper. This is also a good reference video on the W124 Wiper articulation; [video=youtube;HGO8B86PZDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGO8B86PZDg&list=PLEzcKgmmFe5Y3146Gf05NxcW PYcVRnbek[/video] Last edited: May 3, 2017

500AMM

500E explorer

Member Good write up Joe, many thanks! And it came in a convenient moment since the wiper on my '92 is slow and highly due for first aid now. Interesting news about LHD vs. RHD, good to have in mind regarding spare parts. The MB mono wiper is pretty unique and works extremely well, so I searched around and came across some "nice-to-knows". I hope you don't mind I'm posting it in this thread. Single arm, controlled came up as a common name as well, and the wiper area is as much as 86% of the windshield. And for curiosity - we have a share in the supercar game, guys! Königsegg has used our mono wiper all the time back from their first production car in 2000: http://koenigsegg.com/koenigsegg-history/

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• Königsegg mono wiper[1].jpg 272.4 KB · Views: 60
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Last edited: May 4, 2017

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member This is officially the best and most detailed HOW-TO thread on the entire forum. Thank you, kind Sir. A thread for me to aspire to in my future HOW-TOs... R

r44raven

E500E Guru

Member

gerryvz said: This is officially the best and most detailed HOW-TO thread on the entire forum. Click to expand...

Wow, JC220, what an accolade - and from the site Honcho, too! Well done, Joe! You've arrived! F

FU2

E500E Resto God

Member very nice write up mister Definetly a must doing it this way if the cars a keeper

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

500AMM said: Good write up Joe, many thanks! And it came in a convenient moment since the wiper on my '92 is slow and highly due for first aid now. Interesting news about LHD vs. RHD, good to have in mind regarding spare parts. The MB mono wiper is pretty unique and works extremely well, so I searched around and came across some "nice-to-knows". I hope you don't mind I'm posting it in this thread. Single arm, controlled came up as a common name as well, and the wiper area is as much as 86% of the windshield. And for curiosity - we have a share in the supercar game, guys! Königsegg has used our mono wiper all the time back from their first production car in 2000: http://koenigsegg.com/koenigsegg-history/ Click to expand...

No problem Arnt – and that’s cool to know re Koenigsegg! I wonder what other Mercedes bits lurk in there eh?

gerryvz said: This is officially the best and most detailed HOW-TO thread on the entire forum. Thank you, kind Sir. A thread for me to aspire to in my future HOW-TOs... Click to expand...

Thanks Gerry – 500E board has a top quality w124 DIY section created by yourself & other members so let’s keep adding to it!

lowman said: very nice write up mister Definitely a must doing it this way if the cars a keeper Click to expand...

Thanks Lowman – yes this is a great task for a car you intend to keep. Indeed this full ‘wiper gearbox’ strip down really should only need done every 10 - 15 years. (Especially with modern Synthetic greases being used). This is a nice Saturday morning DIY really so I’ll likely do mine again much sooner than that though. Having the later wiper Plastic Cover retrofit sure will help with ease of maintenance also. I intend to pop the cover off at each Service to give it a quick go with fresh grease. I just noticed one headlamp wiper has suddenly & inexplicably died so that’s my next task to strip down & repair it. Could be another DIY brewing

gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG

Staff member

JC220 said: I just noticed one headlamp wiper has suddenly & inexplicably died so that’s my next task to strip down & repair it. Could be another DIY brewing Click to expand...

Check the forum first - there is a very good DIY on testing & repairing the headlight wiper motors.

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

gsxr said: Check the forum first - there is a very good DIY on testing & repairing the headlight wiper motors. Click to expand...

Thanks Dave I did see that DIY. I'll maybe get a spare motor first then test / re-grease it before swapping the other one out. But before I order another used motor I will do a few tests to be sure it's not something simple (Wishful thinking eh!)

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member Neeeeeed URL!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

gerryvz said: Neeeeeed URL!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Click to expand...

I think it's this one- http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3262 F

FU2

E500E Resto God

Member hey there Just wanted to put this video of mine out there as a little video addition.This is on my w201 [video=youtube;oYDKodI-I-w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYDKodI-I-w[/video]

Christian_K

I do believe...!

Member Very very very good folks. I did the same on my W210 last year as well, because it was so slow that it almost stopped. After treatment its very quick again. While on it, i sanded and painted it in RAL 9011 Matte Finish. Will paint my 500E ones in DB199 though high-gloss like i did with the little Headlight wipers

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member Good stuff Lowman! Ive since picked up a couple more late style w124 Wiper mechs so I'm also going to do my E36 & 300E-24 in the same way as detailed in the DIY above. I bet my other car's wipers have never seen maintenance either! I know the E36 (200 now 3.6 AMG converted) hasn't since our family owned it from new since May 1987! M

M104-AMG

E500E Guru

Member

JC220 said: <Big SNIP> One final note is there is a difference in early VS late W124 wiper arm. That is the spring arm which holds the rubber wiper blade & is secured with a 5mm Hex key. Early version wipers with the Aluminium cover have a Bosch Arm. Later units with the plastic cover have a SWF Arm – so make sure & change this part too if upgrading. Click to expand...

Will the "late" mechanism with plastic cover take a Bosch wiper arm ? Or does the late mechanism ONLY take the SWF wiper arm ? I'm in the middle of conversion to a "late" mechanism, but I want to use the Bosch wiper arm . . . TIA, neil

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

M104-AMG said: Will the "late" mechanism with plastic cover take a Bosch wiper arm ? Or does the late mechanism ONLY take the SWF wiper arm ? I'm in the middle of conversion to a "late" mechanism, but I want to use the Bosch wiper arm . . . TIA, neil Click to expand...

Hi Neil, I have not tried to fit a Bosch arm into a later wiper. That’s not to say it wouldn’t work though! I am abroad currently and returning home in a few days. I have plenty of spare wipers to check that for you - I’ll report back if they are interchangeable

IslandMon

E500E Guru

Member Thank you very much for the detailed how-to. I did this service on my 92 500E last weekend as part of an hvac blower replacement project. I’ve included a few pics of what the inside of the mechanism looked like when I took it apart. I’m pretty sure it had never been opened. It was not having any issues or making any noises prior to this service, which was a little surprising after seeing the lack of grease. After cleaning the old grease with hot soapy water, as suggested by the OP, I regreased with some Dow Corning Molycote 33 grease (safe for plastic, recommended for wiper mechanisms, and a very wide operating temp range). When I removed the mechanism, I found that the foam gasket that sits beneath the lower edge of the windshield and the wiper mechanism was missing its center section. This was definitely letting water into the blower area, and probably what caused my blower motor to start squealing at low speeds. There was some slight corrosion and rust on the blower motor. I went on the EPC and ordered the less expensive of the two parts that looked like it was the gasket, and received the silver metal piece in the attached photo (pn 124-62800-97 - $20). Im guessing the other part ($50) is the foam gasket. Can anyone confirm that? Also, is the metal piece supposed to be installed underneath the gasket, as shown in the photo below? Green arrow is pointing to the metal piece, red arrow is pointing to torn gasket. I’m fairly certain the foam gasket was torn when Safelite replaced the windshield years ago. Since I’m going to be going back in there to replace it, I bought a new rubber bushing for the lower wiper mechanism support, and 2 new clips that secure the plastic gutters together, since they were missing. I’ll need to use something to seal that channel between the gutter pieces, because whats currently there is hard as a rock and likely not stopping any water from getting through. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sheward

E500E **Meister**

Member I cannot confirm the part no. but yes the rubber/foam piece goes on top of the metal piece. Here is a picture of my 92. Thanks for the rubber isolator no. I need one, and thanks to Joe as well for the tutorial. drew

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IslandMon

E500E Guru

Member

sheward said: I cannot confirm the part no. but yes the rubber/foam piece goes on top of the metal piece. Click to expand...

Thanks Drew. I checked the EPC - 1246284498 is the part number for the rubber pad. Hopefully it is still available. I'm guessing I'm going to need to cut away some of the excess windshield goop so that the edge of the pad can slide underneath the windshield. With the intact pad in place, it looks like any water that gets past the gasket of the wiper will run down the pad, and into the area of the blower box that is unharmed by water.

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gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG

Staff member If a replacement gear is needed, see attached photos of the Dorman replacement (courtesy of speedy300Dturbo). I believe it's available for under $50 USD, so avoid paying $100+ from other sources for what may be the same item. I've never had a wiper mech open, nor have I purchased the Dorman gear, just sharing the info in case it might help someone...

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gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member I found in the recent very cold weather (low teens, F) that we had here in the Mid-Atlantic region, that my E500's wiper was working slowly. I am going to remove and re-lubricate it with new Gleitpaste, as I've never maintained it in the 16 years I've owned my car. Probably need to do the same thing with my C126 dual-wiper setup, as well.

gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG

Staff member

gerryvz said: I found in the recent very cold weather (low teens, F) that we had here in the Mid-Atlantic region, that my E500's wiper was working slowly. I am going to remove and re-lubricate it with new Gleitpaste, as I've never maintained it in the 16 years I've owned my car. Probably need to do the same thing with my C126 dual-wiper setup, as well. Click to expand...

Tip on the slow wiper movement: One of my 400E's had a wiper that would barely move. I thought it was toast. I needed to drive it for a few days with rain in the forecast, and in desperation I tried squirting some lube (WD-40, please don't shoot me) on the round shaft visible with the wiper fully extended. To my complete surprise, the wiper performance & speed went from almost-dead to like-new. Even more surprising is a year later, it was still working fine. Definitely try this first, before tearing open the gearbox!

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member WD-40? May as well use brake cleaner (the stuff that is only going to be legal in Spudland for a short while longer, given all of the Californians moving there along with their regulations) !! Didn't your Uncle teach you anything ?!? Thanks for the tip. I'll try lubing it with some proper lube...

nocfn

E500E Guru

Member Along those lines - I saw a meme that said: welcome to Florida- leave your politics in New York.

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member It is amazing, the number of Florida license plates I see driving around here in Maryland. It’s obvious that a lot of folks who live here own other properties in the much lower taxes state of Florida and go back and forth.

LWB250

"He'll see everything. He'll see the big board!"

Member

gerryvz said: It is amazing, the number of Florida license plates I see driving around here in Maryland. It’s obvious that a lot of folks who live here own other properties in the much lower taxes state of Florida and go back and forth. Click to expand...

"Snowbirds". Are they driving Lincoln Town Cars or Cadillacs with the blinker running continuously? No taxes here, at least not income taxes. Dan

Bogeyman

E500E **Meister**

Member Reminds me of the old joke when John Glenn (RIP) was flying the space shuttle while in his late 70s. Q: How do you know which space shuttle John Glenn is flying? A: It's the one with the turn signals left on...

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member

LWB250 said: "Snowbirds". Are they driving Lincoln Town Cars or Cadillacs with the blinker running continuously? No taxes here, at least not income taxes. Dan Click to expand...

Actually, a lot of them are younger folks, believe it or not. Marylanders seem to like living either in Delaware or Florida; those seem to be the tax-haven states they gravitate toward. Delaware, of course, being much closer. The fact that I live literally a few miles from the west end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge means I see probably more Delaware & MD Eastern Shore residents than most.

Melville

E500E **Meister**

Member I purchased the replacement gear referenced in Dave’s post 25 (for clarity, in this post I’ll call it the Dorman gear). I also purchased one of these wiper motor gears (which I’ll call the eBay gear): https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-1995-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 However, the eBay gear’s teeth are too small to synch with the Dorman gear. And they look smaller than the teeth of the gear in item 9 of post 1. All of the eBay and Amazon postings have pictures that match what I got, but that appears to be the wrong part. So I’m hoping that the equivalent of the eBay gear in my wiper assembly is fine and it’s only the Dorman gear which needs replacing. I’ll report back when I have more info, but for now, I suggest people do not buy the eBay gear. And if anyone can direct me to the correct gear with bigger teeth, I’m all ears.

Melville

E500E **Meister**

Member Following up on post 34, my mechanic confirmed that the "eBay gear" I bought has the wrong sized teeth. And he confirmed that the gear already in the wiper was fine and of clearly higher quality. So my advice is not to bother getting that gear. He said that the replacement "Dorman gear" I got was a good match and is of good quality relative to the one in the car.

Christian_K

I do believe...!

Member

gsxr said: If a replacement gear is needed, see attached photos of the Dorman replacement (courtesy of speedy300Dturbo). I believe it's available for under $50 USD, so avoid paying $100+ from other sources for what may be the same item. I've never had a wiper mech open, nor have I purchased the Dorman gear, just sharing the info in case it might help someone... Click to expand...

37$ on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-924-389-Windshield-Wiper-Gear/dp/B00NF1QZXC

nehuge

E500E Enthusiast

Member

JC220 said: This DIY will cover my rebuilding & upgrading of the wiper in my 1992 500E. The removal of the wiper itself is not included as this information is widely available – I prefer to concentrate on the wiper mechanism itself for purposes of this DIY - which involves full disassembly of the wiper mechanism in order to fully lubricate all of the moving components. This is essential maintenance of the wiper unit to keep it operating smoothly. Also note that the internal ‘gearbox’ is made of plastic a plastic cog & gear. As the original 1992 grease ages it dries up & becomes hardened / sticky providing very little lubrication qualities. Left unattended this can lead to destruction of the plastic gears. There are 2x variants of the w124 Wiper which are easily identified. The early versions have an aluminium cover to the outer part of the wiper. In order to get access to the sliding part of the mechanism the wiper must be completely removed from the vehicle & disassembled to access the 3x cover securing screws as circled in red below. View attachment 55918 In the above picture the right unit is the later w124 version wiper assembly. This is easily identified by feeling the outer cover again. The later units have a plastic cover which can be easily unclipped to expose the sliding part of the inner wiper mechanism. This IMO is the only identifiable ‘enhancement’ of the later version w124 wipers. Please note that the early VS late w124 wipers employ different window sealing setups. Ie- the plastic strips which deflect water from the windshield into the gutters. Late version wipers have a 1 piece rubber strip which also requires a plastic strip on the windshield itself for correct installation. So in this instance I had both the original 1992 early unit & a 1995 later W124 unit available to me. I disassembled & compared both units. I discovered that the later w124 wiper arm (With the easily removable plastic cover) is 100% compatible with the early wiper bracket / gearbox assembly. View attachment 55916 View attachment 55914 This means I can upgrade the wiper whilst it is apart in order to have easier maintenance access in the future. This DIY will cover both how to lubricate the wiper AND how to upgrade to the later plastic cover if you’re car currently has the early version wiper with metal cover. So here are pictures & step by step details; 1; Before removing the wiper mechanism ensure it is in the ‘Park’ position with the ignition key off. With the assembly removed the first thing to do is carefully mark the position of the motor linkage to the bracket. So you know where the park position is. Next make more marks with a sharpie and / or take pictures so you know where the wiper arm park position is also. These are pictures for reference of what Park should look like. View attachment 55907 View attachment 55949 2; Loosen the 17mm nut to the rear of the mechanism. Then pull the bracket from the spindle. This can take quite alot of force so a puller is usually required. View attachment 55910 3; Remove the circlip & washers from the top of the spindle. Take careful note of all the shims / washer positions as you disassemble the motor – they must go back in the correct order. View attachment 55947 4; Now you must orientate the outer wiper arm so as it is halfway across it’s swept path = pointing directly vertical with the spindle fully retracted. This is because there is one slot for the inner Nylon gear to exist the housing. View attachment 55954 Now use a rubber mallet to tap on the spindle & withdraw the outer arm mechanism from the wiper bracket / gearbox. 5; If you have an early wiper mechanism you can now remove the 3x screws & check inside of the sliding part of the mechanism. (The later wiper plastic cover can be removed anytime) 6; This is where you can see the condition of the plastic gears and most likely the original 25+ year old grease. ALL old grease must be removed first – because it will be old & hardened. I used Hot water, dishwashing soap & a paint brush to clean all parts of the wiper then blow dry with a compressed air gun. (Be careful what you use to clean the old grease so you do not damage or soften the Nylon gears) View attachment 55912 View attachment 55922 View attachment 55920 View attachment 55924 7; With all parts fully dried what I did next was use a high quality non evaporating oil to lubricate all pins / joints of the entire mechanism. This was oil designed for cycle chains so it will not fling off & is water resistant also. I used this oil first so it would get right inside the joints before applying the grease. Indeed the oil made a huge difference to the feel of the entire mechanism. View attachment 55938 View attachment 55936 View attachment 55934 View attachment 55930 View attachment 55928 8; Now you can now grease the inner part of the ‘gearbox’ first. Don’t go crazy with the grease – just apply it where the gears will mesh. I used Synthetic grease throughout the wiper. (NOTE- If you have the early wiper – proceed to step 13 now – as you will need to screw the metal outer cover back on before re-fitting) View attachment 55931 9; Grease the Nylon Gear & spindle as pictured. Be sure to place the shims & O ring as they were before removal. View attachment 55941 View attachment 55955 Align the outer sliding mechanism so it is at bottom centre – as pictured. View attachment 62652 10; Then re-insert into the gearbox housing facing upwards / half sweep as before. 11; Lubricate & re-fit the outer shims + retaining circlip. View attachment 55943 View attachment 55945 View attachment 55947 12; Then align the ‘Park’ markings as made on step one before re-attaching the motor arm. Apply a little removable threadlock & tighten the 17mm nut. 13; Now grease the sliding part of the mechanism. Again no need to go crazy here – just be sure to apply grease evenly to the areas of contact + the moving joints. View attachment 55953 Refit the – plastic cover (Where applicable) I did also bench test the wiper at this stage which helped to apply grease through the entire sliding part of the mechanism. Should you wish to do this the pins are- 2- Ground 3- High Speed 5- Normal Speed View attachment 55951 It is HIGHLY advisable to test the wiper before re-installing into the car. At least test it in the car before re-fitting all of the plastic gutters / trims. One final note is there is a difference in early VS late W124 wiper arm. That is the spring arm which holds the rubber wiper blade & is secured with a 5mm Hex key. Early version wipers with the Aluminium cover have a Bosch Arm. Later units with the plastic cover have a SWF Arm – so make sure & change this part too if upgrading. Done! Enjoy a smooth working wiper. This is essential maintenance of the Wiper – as they age the grease gets like Tar which left unattended WILL destroy the wiper mechanism. Not many car's will ever have seen fresh grease in there since they left the factory. Comments, feedback & questions welcome! Click to expand...

The gear in your step 9 (not post 9, but step nine in the instructions)......mine has a tooth that is questionable. How does that little tiny gear come out to replace it? See what I mean in this video.... any help would be appreciated.

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

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nehuge said: The gear in your step 9 (not post 9, but step nine in the instructions)......mine has a tooth that is questionable. How does that little tiny gear come out to replace it? See what I mean in this video.... any help would be appreciated. Click to expand...

Inspect both sides against the housing carefully for any small circlips. These may be very thin and hard to spot. If there are none or you have them removed then proceed with a gear puller to remove the metal arm first then It looks like the plastic gear with axle will withdraw from the other side. Sorry I can't be more specific I have not had to remove that gear myself as yet

nehuge

E500E Enthusiast

Member

JC220 said: Inspect both sides against the housing carefully for any small circlips. These may be very thin and hard to spot. If there are none or you have them removed then proceed with a gear puller to remove the metal arm first then It looks like the plastic gear with axle will withdraw from the other side. Sorry I can't be more specific I have not had to remove that gear myself as yet Click to expand...

Ok, I can look, hope a puller would not damage the toothed gear more....

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member This is the first time I have encountered this so thought I would add to this thread. My 46k mile 1997 S280 always had a very slow windscreen wiper in the couple of years I've owned it. Whilst taking apart the whole thing to lubricate it I tested the motor bare in the car. It seemed slow still..... Turns out the motor really benefited from stripping it down, cleaning and fresh grease. There was a startling lack of grease in the bushings! Like none. There was galling on the shaft which cleaned up with 1200grit WD40 then scotchbrite: Testing the motor after this (with phone video taken before) the motor turns nearly twice as fast now. So when I am tackling the wiper refurbs on my cars from now on I will be taking the motors apart to lubricate also. Last edited: Feb 20, 2021

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member My wiper on my E500 was getting noticeably slow in recent years. So, when I did my top-end job, I tore down the mechanism (although not the motor itself) and cleaned and re-lubricated everything. I was happy to see since I finished the job, that it is operating in a lickedy-split fashion again in the rain, and in the colder ambient air temps. Specific post is here. M

mikeym

E500E Guru

Member I need to tackle this job but ran into a new issue yesterday when driving the car in rain. Now, the wiper won’t turn off or change speed no matter what. Is this likely a switch gone bad?

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

mikeym said: I need to tackle this job but ran into a new issue yesterday when driving the car in rain. Now, the wiper won’t turn off or change speed no matter what. Is this likely a switch gone bad? Click to expand...

Possibly the wiper switch or the wiper relay has went out

Kyiv

1993 400E | Azov мой кумир!

Member

JC220 said: ; Now you can now grease the inner part of the ‘gearbox’ first. Don’t go crazy with the grease – just apply it where the gears will mesh. I used Synthetic grease throughout the wiper. Click to expand...

gerryvz said: I found in the recent very cold weather (low teens, F) that we had here in the Mid-Atlantic region, that my E500's wiper was working slowly. I am going to remove and re-lubricate it with new Gleitpaste Click to expand...

I have extra MB neon green bearing grease. And I do have some Gleitpaste coming in. Would Gleitpaste be superior for lubricating wiper's innards vs MB bearing grease?

gerryvz

Site Honcho

Staff member I would not use wheel bearing grease for this application. I would use Gleitpaste or a silicone grease or an all-purpose grease like NAPA Syl-Glide.

Kyiv

1993 400E | Azov мой кумир!

Member Apologies for the [very] low grade question, but how do I remove this cover? I see on another forum that I should just pry out at the back (closer to the passenger side) and then, once freed, slide the cover forward (towards the driver side) and off. In afraid too pry too hard, as it's not freeing up easily for fear of breaking something. Feels like I might uproot the whole thing... need some guidance/reassurance. Thanks Car is 1993, manufactured in April, 93

gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG

Staff member You probably have the early-style aluminum cover, used through mid-1993 production. Can't remove that without fully disassembling the wiper transmission. See post #1, paragraph #3 (quoted below). From the photo, you appear to have the hybrid setup which was used during the transition... you have the late-style 1-piece seal, but the early-style non-easily-removable cover. "There are 2x variants of the w124 Wiper which are easily identified. The early versions have an aluminium cover to the outer part of the wiper. In order to get access to the sliding part of the mechanism the wiper must be completely removed from the vehicle & disassembled to access the 3x cover securing screws as circled in red below."​​Bummer. I've never taken apart the early style as Master @JC220 depicts.

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

kiev said: Apologies for the [very] low grade question, but how do I remove this cover? I see on another forum that I should just pry out at the back (closer to the passenger side) and then, once freed, slide the cover forward (towards the driver side) and off. In afraid too pry too hard, as it's not freeing up easily for fear of breaking something. Feels like I might uproot the whole thing... need some guidance/reassurance. Thanks Car is 1993, manufactured in April, 93 View attachment 128840 Click to expand...

I don't know the changeover dates for early VS late wiper unfortunately. But feel the cover, press it with oyur hand and see is is hard aluminium or plastic? If it is hard aluminium then check for the lower screw in photo by feel or small mirror: The screws on left item in photo secure the aluminium cover on early units. In that case the whole wiper needs to come part to access all 3x screws! If it is a "late" plastic cover you will be able to unclip it from above it's fairly easy. I also hoard these wipers (12 or 15?) for spares. Including the ability to swap in a late arm with easily removable plastic cover to any car that still carries the original screw on cover.

gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG

Staff member The latest date I confirmed has the hybrid crossover setup (aluminum cover, but 1-piece rubber seal) is July 9, 1993. So MB was using these at least into summer 1993. The late-style with plastic cover won't work on early cars with the 2 separate weatherstrips, unless you also swap the rubber gasket and some other parts, which get complicated quickly.

JC220

🇮🇪 Resto Jedi 🔧OCD Zinc Plating Type

Member

gsxr said: The latest date I confirmed has the hybrid crossover setup (aluminum cover, but 1-piece rubber seal) is July 9, 1993. So MB was using these at least into summer 1993. The late-style with plastic cover won't work on early cars with the 2 separate weatherstrips, unless you also swap the rubber gasket and some other parts, which get complicated quickly. Click to expand...

Thanks Dave, I mean that I swap only the inner mech / arm with the cover! Which is what I did in post #1. Yes you need to retain the whole wiper cast body - but the actual arms in the photo below are 100% interchangable. Hence I recommend hoarding spares to scavange the late innards and cover from

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• Hello Guest !

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