Wiper motor damage happens over time, especially in harsher weather. Long stretches of heavy snow forces the wiper motor to work harder to clear the windshield, creating strain on the wiper motor. Damage to the wiper motor often comes without warning. It can work fine one day and then the next day the windshield wipers stop in the middle of the windshield. Replacing the failed wiper motor on an Oldsmobile Silhouette should take 40 to 60 minutes.
Raise the hood and remove the negative battery cable from its post with a socket wrench. Place a shop rag around the metal terminal on the cable and then position it away from the battery entirely.
Remove the rubber seal at the rear of the engine compartment on the passenger side. The seal stretches across the rear of the engine compartment right where the windshield wipers rest when they’re turned off. You only have to remove a 3-ft. section of the seal on the passenger side, just enough to access the screws in the cover just below it.
Remove the two screws from the top of the cover. Remove the two screws from the left side of the cover with a hex head screwdriver. Take the cover off and place it along with its four screws to the side of your work area.
Loosen one of the two screws securing the windshield wiper’s drive arm to the wiper motor’s crank arm and then pop the drive arm off the crank arm.
Pop off the plastic cover on the crank arm. Note the exact position of the crank arm and then remove the hex head screw holding the crank arm in place on the wiper motor. If you can’t remove the plastic cover by hand, use a flathead screwdriver. Once you remove the screw, lift the crank arm away from the wiper motor vertically. Do not lose the cover and screw for the crank arm. Place the crank arm, cover and screw in a safe location to the side of your work area.
Disconnect the wiring harness on the right side of the wiper motor. If the wiper fluid hose is in the way, disconnect it and move it away from the wiper motor.
Remove the three hex head screws securing the wiper motor in place. Remove the wiper motor from your Silhouette.
Install the new wiper motor by simply reversing the removal steps. Secure the three wiper motor securing screws to 62 inch-lbs. using the drive torque wrench.
Tighten the wiper’s crank arm screw to 12 inch-lbs. and 44 inch-lbs. for the drive arm screw. Hand tighten the cover’s screws. Don’t overtighten the cover’s screws, which could crack the cover.
