How to Replace Wiper Transmission 1991-2003 Ford Escort
Created on: 2013-06-05
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken, bent, damaged, failing or squeaking windshield wiper transmission on Ford Escort, model years 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, and 03.
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step 1 :Removing the Wiper Arms
- Pry off the wiper arm cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the 13mm nut from the wiper arm
- Press the wiper arm in and out
- Pull the wiper arms up and out
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step 2 :Removing the Cowl Panel
- Pry off the cowl cover trim buttons
- Remove the T15 Torx and Phillips head screws
- Lift the hood
- Remove the cowl panel
- Pry up the four plastic rivets on the panels
- Remove the panel
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step 3 :Removing the Wiper Motor
- Disconnect the negative battery cable with a 10mm socket
- Remove the three 10mm bolts from the wiper motor
- Disconnect the wiper motor connector
- Pry the clip on the transmission from the wiper motor
- Remove the wiper motor
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step 4 :Removing the New Wiper Transmission
- Remove the four T30 Torx screws from the transmission
- Push the transmission linkage down in
- Maneuver the transmission until it can be removed
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step 5 :Installing the New Wiper Transmission
- Insert the transmission linkage into place
- Insert the four T30 Torx screws
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step 6 :Reinstalling the Wiper Motor
- Insert the wiper motor into place
- Insert the three 10mm bolt to the wiper motor
- Connect the motor wiring harness
- Insert the clip to the motor and transmission
- Reconnect the negative battery cable
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step 7 :Reinstalling the Cowl Panel
- Insert the clips to the lower panel
- Insert the cowl panel into place
- Close the hood
- Insert Phillips and T15 Torx screws in place
- Replace the trim pieces
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step 8 :Reinstalling the Wiper Arm
- Insert the wiper arm into the correct position
- Insert the 13mm nut to the wiper arm
- Push on the wiper arm cap
Tools needed
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13mm Socket
Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
T15 Torx Driver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
T30 Driver
10mm Socket
Ratchet
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Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and the next time you need a part for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the wiper transmission or the linkage on this 2001 Ford Escort, pretty much the same for any '98 to '03 Escort. Usually you need to do this if one of your wipers isn't working because the arm got stripped or something like that, it got caught in the ice. It's not a very difficult procedure. You'll need new wiper linkage from 1AAuto.com, 10mm and 13mm sockets with a ratchet and extension, a small flat blade screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, and T15 and T30 Torx drivers.
Take a flat blade screwdriver and pry off the cover of the passenger wiper arm, and you're going to find a 13mm nut. On the driver's side, take the cover off. We'll just speed up as we use a 13mm socket and ratchet to remove the two nuts that hold the wiper arms on. I'm taking off the passenger and driver's side wiper arms. With the hood closed, you're going to see on the top of the cowl here, one big and then a bunch of small covers, and the same thing on the other side.
I'm just going to pry this off with a little pocket screwdriver. You'll see a Phillips head screw on this, and then you'll see on the smaller ones as I pry up here, Torx 15. I'm just going to speed up. Again, you use a Phillips screwdriver on the outer ones and a T15 Torx driver for the other ones and the smaller covers can be difficult to get out. We used a very small screwdriver to pry them up, but one of them didn't want to come out but eventually it did, and you may find that you break one or two of them in getting them out. Not the biggest deal in the world. They're not a crucial part of the system.
If you leave one off or two off when you put it back together, it won't affect anything. I'm going to take the top of the cowl off and put it aside. There are one, two, three, four plastic rivets. Those rivets actually come out. They're pretty straightforward.
Work your screwdriver underneath the panel that the rivet holds in place. Pry up on the panel where the rivet is and the rivet will pop up and out. I'm disconnecting the negative battery terminal to make a little bit more room. It's a 10mm socket. Push that out of the way. I'm going to remove the three 10mm bolts that hold the wiper motor in place. There's two on top and one on the bottom. You might need like a three inch extension to get to that. I'm just going to speed up here as we remove those three bolts that hold the wiper motor to the fire wall.
I'm removing the connector that goes to the wiper motor by pushing in the tab and pulling it off of the motor. With a flat head screwdriver, I'm going to pull up on the clip. I'll pry it off. Using a Torx 30 driver to remove one, two, three, four screws. We'll just speed up here as we take out those four screws. Push the driver's side down in, and then I'm just going to use the arm here and play with it until I can position it to come out.
On the driver's side, however, I'm going to feed it in. You might have to play with the arm here to get it to line them up. Once you can get this one in and you've got a post coming through and secure it so it doesn't come out. Put that in there loosely.
Play with the back side of the driver's side to line up your pin and your holes. I'm just going to speed it up here. Basically, you get the one closest to the passenger side of the car in first, start in one of the bolts. Then get the one closer to the driver's side in. Start the bolts and start all the bolts, and then tighten up those bolts with a T30 Torx driver. Put the motor back in, feed the arm in through the hole. That bolts back in.
I'll fast-forward here as we use a 10mm socket with the ratchet and the extension. Just make sure that you get those bolts started into their holes first. Push the wiper motor firmly into place and then push the bolt in and start turning it. Once you get it going, there shouldn't be a lot of resistance. Make sure it's not cross threaded, and then tighten them up. Put your connector back on. Put the clip back on, sliding it in until it locks. Reconnect your battery.
I'm going to run it and set it. I'm going to put this piece of the cowl back on. Put the lower cowl panel in place. Then go to each side, just kind of lift it up and over the hinge and down into place. We'll fast-forward here. We'll close or put the hood down. Your two Phillips screws go in the outside holes on each side of the windshield and then the other T15 Torx screws go into the other holes, and then just put your little closeouts or trim buttons back into place.
Reinstalling the wiper arms. Okay, we just put these in place, set them to about the right level. What we did before when we ran the motor, that made sure that the motor was in the park position. The wipers should be at their lowest level so put them in place. Thread the 13mm bolts or nuts on, and then tighten them up, and put your trim covers back on.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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