I have a 2004 A4, and last week I got the slow/stuck wipers problem. I followed the "1 hour" guide to fixing the linkage written for 2001 A4, so far it took me "a bit" longer than anticipated and I'm still not done:
Took me over an hour to get the wiper arms off
1 hour to get a T30 torx from nearest Home Depot after realizing that 2004 model has different screw types for ECU cover

Now I'm stuck trying to pull the wiper assembly out, I've tried for hours. It moves around but I can't seem to pull it out. I noticed that the 2004 ECU box looks larger than the 2001, even with the lid off. It seems impossible to get the wiper assembly out without removing the ECU box altogether in 2004 model. At this point I'm debating just taking it to the dealership, even though I already did 90% of the work for them. Did anyone else deal with this on 2004 model? Is there a special trick, do I need to pull something else out first? Thanks.

 

No one else dealt with this?

 

I recently ran into this at the dealership but they were able to lubricate the parts to get it working temporarily. Knowing that I would probably have to fix it myself soon I started looking around and found this DIY. Not sure if it will help or not.


http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?p=20573426

 

I had the same problem, but the wiper motor actually twisted the frozen spindle until it broke off of the support bracket.

So, I bought a new bracket at the dealer - $200 - removed the wiper / motor assembly (note, I used a gear puller to get the wiper arms off of the spindles - loosen the nuts several turns, hook up the puller such that the screw is held in place by the loosened bolt)

My problem now, is how do you separate the ball and socket joint connecting the linkage from the motor to the spindle? Is this pressed in or is there some trick / tool I need?

Thanks for your help. I think this is the last hurdle before I'm done.

 

Hey, you may have completed this already but for what it's worth, I actually completed this on my vehicle yesterday. Take two flathead screwdrivers and put them on either side of the joint then use the arm as leverage and you should be able to pry it right off.

 

noo dont do that. U will crack the windshield. ITs a push and pull type of deal. U gotta grab it right next to where it connects to the wiper arm and push and pull and wiggle.

 

Crack the windshield? Take a look at the pics, he/she has the whole linkage out of the car.

 

Couldnt see pics work blocks em sorry for the confusion. continue

 

Sorry for the delay in replying. I did get the job done.

Couple of updates/tips:
* Getting the linkage off of the spindle ball joint: I actually used a suspension ball joint separator (that I had from when I used to work on old Mopar Muscle cars). Gently place the fork around the connection and give it a light tap - pops right out. Overkill maybe, but it was quick work.

* Getting the wiper assembly out of the car: tricky, but since my driver side spindle was broken, I was able to move things around a bit more. You might try different wiper positions to get it out - manually turn the motor with the gold bolt to see if it gives you more room. Disconnecting the wire may also give you more mobility options.

* My windshield was already broken - when the spindle broke, the wiper promptly crunched into the windshield and cracked it.

* if you have to remove the nut from the motor in the course of the repair, be sure to mark the location of the little arm that drives the linkage to the spindles. At "home", the arm points directly to the passenger side of the car, but, if you move it around while extracting the whole thing, you need to note it's location. I was able to remove the motor from the base bar without disconnecting the linkage from the motor.

* for getting the wipers off of the spindles: I used a small, two arm, gear puller. Loosen the nut but don't remove it (this keeps the wiper from flying off if it's really on tight), place the screw of the puller into the cavity created by the loosened bolt (this keeps the puller aligned), attach the arms and tighten the puller. If you have to apply what seems like too much pressure, it probably is - check occasionally to be sure that the wiper hasn't come off but the puller is holding it in place.

* If you don't have Torx wrenches: I went to Sears and bought a set of them that attach to a 3/8 socket. I opted for the $10 craftsman types that are built in China and have a lifetime warranty only if you keep the receipt. The normal Craftsman ones were over $40.

So, I saved around $300 in dealer labor and spent ~$200 for the new wiper base

Thanks to all who posted and helped me with my problem.

 

okeefe4787 thank you for the link. I gotta say that that DIY helped me big time. Wiper system started acting slow last week but still wiped the window. Yesterday, it completely stopped/seized. Hit this forum, searched for "wiper slow" and linked to the DIY. 2002 B6 A4 exactly the same car in the DIY. After I got the whole wiper assembly out of the car, the driver side spindle was the bad boy. Completely frozen/seized.

I had to put the nut back on the spindle head so I could hit it hard with a hammer to get the spindle out of the control arm. Still would only budge a bit after several hits. Continued slowly (30min) hitting with the hammer and letting it soak a bit with pbblaster. Finally it released.

Quick note: make sure you sand out the inside where the spindle goes in because mine was really gummed up. I used a pencil wrapped with sand paper. All greased up and back together now and running great! No parts, no cost. I'd rather do this drinking a beer and listening to the radio than sitting in the dealership, writing a check! Thanks a bunch!