The windshield wipers on a Dodge Van help to improve visibility in foul weather. Most vehicles offer just front wiper blades, but the Dodge Van offers a rear blade for improved rear visibility due to the angle of the rear hatch glass on the van. Even though rear wiper blades are used infrequently, they can still malfunction. When that happens, you may want to know how to fix a rear wiper on your Dodge Van.
Check the wiper motor fuse on your Dodge Van. If the wiper is not moving, and there are no other sounds coming from the wiper motor, the van may have blown a fuse. Check the fuse panel under the dash. Locate the fuse for the rear wiper and pull it out. If the fuse is blown, replace it.
Check the tension on the wiper blades. If your Dodge Van's wiper blades streak or don't clear away water and debris like they should, it may need new wiper blades. Not all blades distribute pressure from the wiper arm assembly across the entire blade. This can cause a blade to streak and otherwise under-perform for you while you are driving.
Check the wiper blade motor. If the fuse is not blown, and you are still having problems with the wiper motor, you may have a wiper motor failure. You'll need to replace the motor on your Dodge Van. To do this, pull the wiper arm away from the windshield until it locks into a vertical position. Take off the nut holding the wiper arm on with a socket wrench. Open the rear hatch and remove the bolts holding the wiper motor in place and pull the wiper motor out. Unplug the wiring harness from the motor and install a new one.
Check for frayed or damaged wiring. If the new wiper motor will not work when you turn on the wiper blades, the van may have faulty wiring. Repeat the process in Step 3 to access the wiper motor, but do not unplug the motor. Check the wiring harness for pinched, exposed, burnt or otherwise damaged wiring. If you discover damaged wiring, you need to take the Dodge Van to a qualified mechanic to have it serviced.
