Replacing wiper motors can be a daunting task when working under the hood or in the rear door panel of modern vehicles. The typical vehicle now has two of these motors with the increase in SUV registrations and rear window wiper systems. The grit and grime that is attracted to the rear window causes failures that require motor replacement.

The amount of labor involved in these replacements and those under the hood should only result in one job, not two. Quality of the replacement motor is paramount, as it is in many replacements in modern vehicles. No technician wants to do the job twice due to poor quality in a replacement unit.

The complexity that is built into today’s wiper motors includes rain sensors, pulse boards and more communication with the vehicle’s computer control units.  That complexity is something that requires the manufacturer to understand how remote mechanisms, such as a wiper motor, communicate with the ECM. 

The keys to sourcing good replacements should surround the experience of the manufacturer and their ability to understand the dynamics of the pulse boards and other methods of control within the motor.  Matching the OE design and the functionality that it requires is critical to avoiding failures and having to perform the replacement twice.

Wiper motors will continue to become more complex and OE design is moving toward two units in the windshield to eliminate linkage as additional points of failure. So the future for replacements looks like you could be dealing with an average of three units per vehicle. More opportunities for replacement and more complexity in design mean this category of product will continue to grow and be a source of income for distributors and installers. Choosing the right product replacement will make it a profitable category for many years ahead.

This article was sponsored by WAIglobal. For more information, please visit our website at www.waiglobal.com