I have a 99 Forester and the rear wiper motor after years of slow noisy operation has finally packed it in. How difficult is it to remove the panel from the back lift gate. It appears that there are only 4 Plastic clips running across the bottom. Are these clips that are actualy holding the panel on or are the just caps covering up screws? It is -25 C this am so am worried about snapping the clips..Any suggestions would be appreciated..Thanks

Warm the vehicle with the heater or use a hair dryer to warm the panel thoroughly. Then pry the panel off.

 

Good luck.

You got good advice about getting the car somewhere where you can get its temperature up to 70 degrees. It'll be a lot less liable to break any plastic plugs or panels at that temperature. Pull the plugs that you see along the bottom, then with a flat bladed screwdriver taped up so it won't scratch panels or paint, run it along the seam between the panel and the tailgate metal until you can pry up the panel with your fingers. You will find that there are about 8 plastic plugs you can't see that easily pop out of the tailgate, staying attached to the back panel, as you pull the panel away carefully from the tailgate. Its easy to remove the wiring harness from the motor, its mounting bolts, and remove the unit from the tailgate at that point.

I have a 99 Forester and the rear wiper motor after years of slow noisy operation has finally packed it in. How difficult is it to remove the panel from the back lift gate. It appears that there are only 4 Plastic clips running across the bottom. Are these clips that are actualy holding the panel on or are the just caps covering up screws? It is -25 C this am so am worried about snapping the clips..Any suggestions would be appreciated..Thanks

 

 

I took my rear panel off in the Summer, but it was easy. I removed the the holding clips, and poof it was off. I insulated the door, and putting it back together was as easy as taking it apart.

I took my rear panel off in the Summer, but it was easy. I removed the the holding clips, and poof it was off. I insulated the door, and putting it back together was as easy as taking it apart.

 

 

Ive got a 2000 legacy that had the same symptoms, before sinking any cash into a new motor i would disassemble the old unit, taking off the windshield wiper arm, and lubing the shaft that runs from the motor to the wiper arm, that should solve your problem and at virtually no cost and an hour or two of labor. Any good parts store will have a special tool that removes the arm from its mounting shaft. After seizing up a couple times now ive become a pro at taking everything apart and putting it all back together again, now if I can just keep water from getting in there and rusting the shaft ill be in business.

My Impreza did the same thing. Swapped the motor with one from my 'parts' car, and it still did it (!). Found worn/broken wires at the hatchback hinge flex point. Repaired the wires. Check for 12vdc at motor.

Just to echo what TIMINTC said, if your car is reasonably late model (1999 and newer) the rear wiper motor is probably not the culprit...it has a sensor in it to shut off if it feels too much resistance. So the motor rarely burns out. And the gears rarely strip. You will probably find what timintc and I did that the shaft itself is corroded/frozen. Remove the back gate plastic trim panel...some big phil-head screws, bunch of plastic pop out tabs. Take the motor backing plate off being careful not to strip the 6 small phil-head retaining screws...and get ready to catch the white nylon gears that might fall out. BTW, my wiper arm was corrosion welded onto the drive shaft, and I sheared the retaining nut and end of shaft off as I tried to remove it...turns out you don't REALLY need to separate the two pieces anyway. Then spend 30 mins spraying WD40 and or lith grease up and down the wiper shaft from both inside and out and slowly work the wiper arm back and forth and it will free up. I sprayed white lith grease on all of the plastic panel tabs b4 I put it back in place figuring that this wiper motor grease job will prob become a yearly maint chore. timintc, have you tried gooping some silicone onto the ouside of shaft to prevent water from running down it? I might try this.

My Impreza did the same thing....... Found worn/broken wires at the hatchback hinge flex point.

same here and i still haven't fixed that yet. need to get on that.

my wagon rear wiper got enough rust build up it slowed it down, then one day no workie. took the arm off, sprayed wd-40 in ther, switch on, it finally came to life.