Preventing Windscreen Wiper Wear (Model S)
For those who don’t mind a bit of DIY preventative maintenance on their out-of-warranty Model S then you might be interested to learn that the windscreen wiper mechanism need not be an inevitable, high mileage >50,000 miles replacement. The offside wiper spindle is prone to wearing heavily after a few years which tends not to be noticed until there is so much play in the spindle that the driver’s side wiper arm wears a groove in the bonnet. The cost of the wiper module assembly fitted is approximately £250-£300 (plus new wiper blades if needed) if it is replaced by a Tesla mobile technician.
Once the wiper arms are removed (followed by a circlip, washer and then a rubber ‘O’ ring) the spindle can be lowered slightly to apply some lubricant. Whilst the plastic scuttle cover was off I squirted some lithium grease on the other pivots. There are some videos on YouTube showing how to change the wiper assembly, here is just one: https://youtu.be/h4ICrDADugU
Warning: whenever working on the windscreen area, place a thick coat/old towel/carpet/thick cardboard over the windscreen to prevent accidental breakage.
Here is the link for Tesla’s instructions for the replacement of the wiper motor assembly replacement should you have left lubrication too late! https://service.tesla.com/docs/ModelS/ServiceManual/en-us/GUID-47977C8A-5AB1-447C-8B14-67C94B6111D1.html
