I have a 2002 Blazer. My passenger side wiper is not working. The wiper motor turns but the blade wont seem to catch. Is this a problem I can fix myself? I can't figure out how to take the wiper apart to see what the problem is. Help please

 

Most likely the linkage under the air inlet grille has come apart. It has a ball/socket connection with the wiper arm stud (what the wiper arm mounts to). You'll have to remove the wiper arms, then remove the cowl (air inlet) grille and from there you should see the linkage. If everything looks ok on the passenger side, then it'll probably be a problem inside the wiper transmission (yup, they've got one too).

Get it apart and let us know what you find inside.

 

To add to this, awhile back I had a guy come in the shop for an estimate on an accident which involved his 98 Jimmy. While the damage was in the front of the vehicle, it was no where near the wiper assembly. This was another one of those guys trying to claim everything wrong with their car on a simple accident and pointed out his wipers "no longer" work.

I told him I'd "check it out" then added it's not liekly the accident had anything to do with them not functioning properly. I actually did check them out. Turned out his wiper's retaining nut was loose enough to let the shaft pivot in the wiper arm. I'm sure the accident loosened it. He sure looked disappointed he didn't get a whole new assembly though.

 

Ha, yeah, I over looked the simple thing! I have never had a wiper arm off a newer GM vehicle so I didn't realize they were held on with a nut. On a lot of other vehicles, it is a spline shaft with a retainer ring. Good call Rod

 

In my opinion, one of GMs better ideas.

 

how do I remove the wiper arm?

 

From the wiper shaft end of the wiper arm, pull off the plastic cover to expose the nut that hold the arm on. The cover just snaps on, no real worry about breaking any plastic tabs though.

 

I'm glad to hear the GM wiper is better designed than some other vehicles.

On my Nissan Sentra, the drivers side wiper stopped working when I was driving in a heavy rain. Scary! The linkage had come apart. I got in there and figured out how to snap it back together, and it was more like the spline shaft with retainer ring, as mentioned above. But I never again felt secure driving it in the rain, could never be sure it wouldn't do it again. I kept the wipers on "intermittent" as much as possible, and never again put them on high speed, as they were when it happened.

I'm hoping my '91 Blazer has the better design with the nut that can be tightened, and I'll get in there and check it as soon as possible.

 

When you go to tighten it down, just make sure that the wipers are at the same spot (ie. both at their park position).

 

As far as the wiper assembly goes, linkage, motor, pivot joints etc. The first Gen is the same as the second gen Blazer and pretty much all other GM vehicles. The difference in your Blazer as oppsed to the 2nd generation is that your wiper has a splined shaft that it snaps on to, where as teh 2nd generation Blazers have a splined shaft, followed by a threaded stud so that a nut hold the wiper securely on the splined shaft.

I wouldn't be worried about your wiper coming loose on your 91 Blazer. They are just a litle harder to remove should you need to.