dr bob

dr bob has only used the wipers a few times in 20+ ownership years. I didn't drive it in SoCal if it even threatened rain. That covered maybe three days when I hd to drive something else unplanned. Perhaps the longest rain exposure with wiper use was to/from the 928 OCIC in DFW from SoCal. So... I'm pretty sure I've only ever noticed two wiper speeds.Plus intermittent and park.

I'll have to wander out to the car, crawl under the cover, and find out for sure how many wiper speeds are available. I still need to scrape out the congealed parrafin that was once wiper gearcase grease.

Wisconsin Joe

I don't disagree with that. But he says he only has 2 speeds. The car should have 3. See below.

Don't be too surprised to find that when you click it up from 'low' to 'high' that there's another 'click' available.

I was pretty surprised when I found it. By accident. In the rain.

merchauser

dr bob is now in the third person...….scary....lol

dr bob

Three of me.... damn!

merchauser

but only 2 speeds? c'mon, find that third gear.

bureau13

To be honest, I don't remember a 3rd speed either. Now I gotta go check.

Regarding replacements, I had a bad motor on my 931 (pretty sure this is 2 speeds for real) and replacements for those are also over $600. I found a VW/Audi motor that looked identical save the electrical connector, so I fashioned an adapter, and everything worked...until I bolted it up. The spindle was slightly different diameter and the three mounting bolts put the motor slightly lower than OEM and the result was either the motor turned and slipped without moving the wipers, or (with some washers for shims) the linkage bound up and got stuck. I finally gave up and went with a used one I was able to find. The lesson here is even motors that look like they would work might not, once you get them in hand. I'd go with the used one...

Mrmerlin

my 88 S4 has 3 speeds in the wiper switch quadrant
not including the momentary position

dr bob

Had the car moved out of its storage spot, and, lo and behold, there are actually three distinct wiper motor speeds, plus the intermittent wipe function.

merchauser

first person dr bob is back, and he's got another speed! congrats. now you are ready for storm chasing; find a cloud....lol

dr bob

This car leads a very sheltered life. Virtually no rain, no snow, comes off the road at the first hint of road deicer in the fall and stays off until all that deicer is rain-flushed off the road in the spring. My project schedule usually keeps me busy in the fall and early winter, so it's no problem storing the car. Last year I took a rescue project that kept me busy through August, meaning the car was not used much at all before the fall hibernation season set in again. This spring, I took the car out once to circulate oil and burn some fuel, a little under 100 miles in 2019 so far, after maybe 600 miles total in 2018. I'm officially retired (third time...) and I'm turning down projects that require travel from home. Maybe the car will get some more use this year. Ultimately I need to abandon my phone number and email accounts if I want drive time.

I still don't drive it in the rain on purpose.

dr bob

Just had to share that didn't I...

Decided to uncover the car and take a quick ride up to the north end of town, a quick ordered-item pickup at Home Depot. Clear with a few clouds as I left. By the time I was there, 8 miles or so, it was sprinkling. Drizzling some as I arrived. I carefully backed into a perfect parking spot, and was accosted by a gentleman who wanted to share how he loved the cars, was casually shopping for one, is it for sale, etc. We did a quick car tour between raindrops. By the time I was out 15 mins later, clear again and just a few residual drops on the car. Not enough to really need the wipers, but I ran them one pass slow anyway. They worked!

I'll know better than to brag up my no-rain policy.

A bit of instant detailer and glass cleaner, then the cover back on and plug in the maintainer. Like nothing ever happened. That's my story anyway.

Jonathan R

Somehow the original question on this thread never got answered. Has anyone found an aftermarket new wiper motor that physically fits the 928?

As the supply of used wiper motors dwindles and the price of new 928-specific wiper motors climbs ever higher, a new alternative wiper motor would be welcome. Wiring adapters could simply be made from the original motor wiring and a new plug to match the new motor. The original resistor pack could even be reused to provide the 3 speeds.

Anyone?

Alan

In a 928 you have 3 speeds and intermittent (at least you should).

So you need a motor that has 3 speed windings (there is no resistor pack for this). The motor also needs to have a motor position changeover switch for the park mode, with run-on power in one leg and grounding for motor braking on the other (this is the most common config on wiper motors). yes you'd most likely need to swap plug connections. However IMO 928 wiper motors are very reliable so a used replacement may be a very viable alternative option (and there is not a large demand).

Alan

Jonathan R

Yes of course regarding the 3-speed field windings Alan, I wrote tmy message too quickly! But many people would settle for a 2-speed motor anyway - some on this thread even thought they only had 2 speeds.

In my experience a new wiper motor can last around 15 to 20 years. The main bearing then gets noisy or seizes. A non-refurbished secondhand one may last 2 to 10 years, depending on the age of the car it came from. So a non-refurbished used replacement is not an ideal replacement.

The original question remains: Has anyone found an aftermarket new wiper motor that physically fits the 928?

Best regards,
Jonathan

Alan

Most 928's are/were not daily drivers and many are either nor used in the rain or have lived in climates with very little rain - agreed it can be hit or miss. My motor is now 30 years old and seems to be in perfect working order - it does gets some (but little) use. I know of cars much older than mine with original wiper motors here in Arizona. If you did chose to use a 2 speed motor you'd need to connect 2 of the wiper switch outputs to one of the motor windings (likely the fastest two switch outputs to the fastest winding).

In the UK (& Europe) the usage levels & ambient conditions are certainly much more adverse (I lived there for 29 years!) - so locally sourced used motors may indeed be a much worse idea than from an Arizona, Texas or California dismantler.

Alan