Hello all,

Here's my issue:

For the past month or so my windshield wipers have been kind of doing their own thing. In the adjustable intermittent setting, it doesn't matter what "click" they're on, they usually just go full speed. If I turn them off and back on a few times they'll sometimes just go on the slowest intermittent setting. If I move the stalk up to the second position it sometimes works as it should, and sometimes goes full speed. Again, if I turn it off and back on again it will sometimes snap out of its issue.

Then today...

it snowed about 4 inches, I scrape off most of the snow, get in the car to brush the remaining (heavy) snow off the windshield by pressing the stalk down to do a single swipe. It brushes the snow off...and then keeps on going even though the stalk is in the off position. I move the stalk all around and click the intermittent switch up and down and that doesn't seem to do anything until it finally stops after about 15 cycles. Then they stayed off until I tested it again and once again, they stayed on even though the stalk was in the "off" position.

I searched but couldn't come up with any definitive answers. Help?

 

Definitely something goofy there. Most likely its the switch itself; probably bad contacts or a short or something like that. I can't say for sure, I have next to no experience with electrical- rightfully so because its a pain in the a$$ and I avoid dealing with it at all costs if I can. I was going to guess maybe the rain sensor might have something to do with it at first, but I'm not even sure if you've got that as your sig lists that you're in a B5 S4, but you've posted to the B7 section so I don't know. If you do have the rain sensor though, I would still doubt that's it though because it sounds like the system wigs out pretty much wherever you put the arm so I'd put my money on it just being the switch- which as far as I know is not an all that expensive part.

 

I haven't updated my sig in a while, current car is an 06 A4.

So you think it's the switch and not the stalk?

 

Ah I see. That makes more sense. Either way, yes I think it's the switch/stalk (I was under the impression they were the same thing lol) because if it were isolated to the rain sensor (if you even have that) then it would be weird only when you have the stalk in the position that activates the sensor- being that as I understand it, it only senses the rain if you turn that switch on to tell the sensor to sense. But I've seen weird things in the world of electrical goodies on these German cars so anything is possible. The stalk/switch inside of it is probably the cheapest thing to replace, so I'd start there and see if it helps. If not, it'll likely come down to a shorted wire somewhere between the stalk and wiper motor I would guess. You could start with trying to trace the wires first anyway, but I would imagine you'll have to pull apart the steering column to do so which is exactly what you'd have to do to replace the stalk/switch so probably be wisest to kill both birds with one stone if you can. Good luck!