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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    colorado
    Posts
    3

    Default headlight wipers

    I recently bought an 04 XC 70. The passenger side headlight wiper stops in a vertical position, covering the center of the lens. Anyone know how to adjust this wayward wiper? Thanks in advance, michael

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Western Head, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    3,089

    Default

    So it is still working right? If it is parking in the wrong spot, simply take a 8mm (I think) wrench, undo the nut and pull the arm forward on the shaft just enough to free it from the splines. Then move it where you want it and tighten the nut. Run the wipers as a test and re-adjust if necessary making sure that it isn't doing something crazy like trying to go the wrong way and digging into your bumper.

    Have fun,

    Bill
    Western Head, NS CDN

    '08 BMW 750i (Black Sapphire)-204K kms to-date
    '05 XC70 (Lava Sand)-296K kms to-date
    '02 V70XC-gone @393K kms
    '05 V70R (Magic Blue)-120K mi to-date - gone
    '96 854R (Red)-real CDN-spec 5-speed R - gone @270k kms
    And other Volvos and misc. Euro stuff

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Nebraska
    Posts
    1,442

    Default

    Mine seems to do that randomly, sometimes it stops where it should, sometimes it's pointing at the sky. Funny thing is I never, ever see the wipers running nor do I seem to be able to make them run on demand. Guess they just have a mind of their own.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Western Head, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    3,089

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sjonnie View Post
    Mine seems to do that randomly, sometimes it stops where it should, sometimes it's pointing at the sky. Funny thing is I never, ever see the wipers running nor do I seem to be able to make them run on demand. Guess they just have a mind of their own.
    Usually when that happens, the big bearing/gear in the motor unit is seizing up. Over time the grease they use stiffens up and the big nylon bearing/gear hangs on the metal plate. When that happens it bends the metal limiter arms. I wrote up a repair piece in the Resources section with pics that show what they look like inside. I've repaired 3 or 4 of these now and keep a set as spares so when I have to change one out I have one ready to go so that the entire repair procedure, including pulling the bumper, is reasonable quick. From experience, it seems that the worse thing you can do with these things is not freeing them up when they are frozen to the glass or have a heavy weight of snow/ice/slush on them and then hitting the wipers. It doesn't burn out the motors (have only ever found one that had a motor that didn't work), but screws up the limiters or jams the gears.

    One of the things I like about the post face-lifted P2s is that they use high-pressure headlamp washers rather than the wipers. The wipers worked OK on my '02 XC in the winter because the heat of the lamps would free the wipers and/or melt the slop that was on them. On my R which retained the wipers, the HIDs don't put out enough heat to warm the glass lens enough to do that; so I've replaced the headlamp wipers units a couple of times at this point. Generally they are a PITA although I do like the look.

    Cheers,

    Bill
    Western Head, NS CDN

    '08 BMW 750i (Black Sapphire)-204K kms to-date
    '05 XC70 (Lava Sand)-296K kms to-date
    '02 V70XC-gone @393K kms
    '05 V70R (Magic Blue)-120K mi to-date - gone
    '96 854R (Red)-real CDN-spec 5-speed R - gone @270k kms
    And other Volvos and misc. Euro stuff

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    colorado
    Posts
    3

    Default

    Hi Bill, and thanks for the advise. I can't locate any nut,(or set screw for that matter), on the headlight wiper arm. It occurred to me to do what you suggested, but I can't figure out how. As someone else said, I don't even know how to turn them on! Can't find anything in the owner's manual, but I should be receiving a repair manual soon. I think I might be able to live without it altogether. I've been driving for over fifty years without that luxury thanks again, michael

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Northeast
    Posts
    584

    Default

    On my 02, the headlight washers only came on when I squirted washer fluid on my front windshield. When you wash your windshield, the headlights also go thru a wash cycle.

    As for the nut on the headlight wiper arm, if you look at the bottom of the metal arm you should see a little metal flap/cover that lifts up to access the nut. Once you remove the nut, you can use needle-nose pliers to pop the wiper arm loose from the bolt and re position the arm.

    This might be a recurring problem. I didn't realize Bill had a repair procedure in the Resources section. My 07 doesn't have the headlight washers but I'm leaking wiper fluid from the reservoir onto the driveway. Something to look into when the weather gets warmer!
    2007 XC70, 206,000 miles
    2002 V70XC, 130,000 miles, parts car

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Western Head, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    3,089

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Xfingers View Post
    My 07 doesn't have the headlight washers but I'm leaking wiper fluid from the reservoir onto the driveway. Something to look into when the weather gets warmer!
    You have to pull the nose off the car but what you will probably find is that either the washer pump (separate from the windscreen one and more expensive too) is seized or the pump-to-tank seal is perished. The tank is located on the passenger side just forward of the wheel. You might be able to see the tank and pump from underneath if you pull off the small undertray there, but it is too tight a fit to do anything about it. You can't pull the pump as there just isn't enough room. Anyway, once the nose is off everything is right there and easy to deal with. Apparently it is fairly common for the pump to seize or split if the fluid freezes. I had mine go a couple of years ago.

    Cheers,

    Bill
    Western Head, NS CDN

    '08 BMW 750i (Black Sapphire)-204K kms to-date
    '05 XC70 (Lava Sand)-296K kms to-date
    '02 V70XC-gone @393K kms
    '05 V70R (Magic Blue)-120K mi to-date - gone
    '96 854R (Red)-real CDN-spec 5-speed R - gone @270k kms
    And other Volvos and misc. Euro stuff

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    colorado
    Posts
    3

    Default

    thankyou, I'm all set,(until next time I use my washers!). michael

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Northeast
    Posts
    584

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by billr99 View Post
    You have to pull the nose off the car but what you will probably find is that either the washer pump (separate from the windscreen one and more expensive too) is seized or the pump-to-tank seal is perished. The tank is located on the passenger side just forward of the wheel. You might be able to see the tank and pump from underneath if you pull off the small undertray there, but it is too tight a fit to do anything about it. You can't pull the pump as there just isn't enough room. Anyway, once the nose is off everything is right there and easy to deal with. Apparently it is fairly common for the pump to seize or split if the fluid freezes. I had mine go a couple of years ago.

    Cheers,

    Bill
    Thanks, Bill. I did pull off the undertray from below but couldn't really see anything. The reservoir had fluid but I couldn't tell where the leak was. I've taken the nose off the '02 several times so that hopefully shouldn't be a problem.
    2007 XC70, 206,000 miles
    2002 V70XC, 130,000 miles, parts car

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