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My windscreen wipers have gone from slow to a grinding halt. Have been told by my local friendly Audi Approved Dealer it's probably a linkages / motor failure. About £380 to replace. Have searched previous posts and can see no indication that this is a typical RS4 problem. Anyone with experience or tips to offer before I bite the bullet?

certainly not one I ave heard of, and been around for the life of the cars.........

i bet u were around when they fitted the 1st wiper system on the 1st horse and cart.. mr audi only had 1 ring and that was his teething ring...

Think the company was called Auto Union when I first set out And Mr Audi was actually called Ferdinad Peache

Same problem here. Seems common in newer Audis, supposedly it is the linkages that is the problem. It needs to be dismantled and lubricated -I'm told. If the motor has been burned, then that is needed as well.

Many of the early Passats, Audi 80s and 90s suffered with motor failures.
You may find the motor is common to most VAG cars, as suggested a strip, grease and replace the motor may be all thats needed. Timing the replacement motor needs some thought though!!

once when i was skint i had a knackered old rover 820 vitesse, the wiper linkage on that broke straight through, problem was it was raining cats and dogs at the time. i tried putting a bit of string on each wiper and pulling it from the drivers seat and that didnt work - in the end i got the long rubber coin mat off the dashboard and stuck it out of the drivers window and wiped it up and down the windscreen (seriously) - on the motorway.

probably not useful advice for you since RS4's don't have coin mats.

Continuing the theme of possible "workarounds" (martinhans).... why not use a magnetic fish tank glass cleaner - cost about 2 quid. That way you don't have to lean out of the window.

Mine did that a while back. Take off the arms and the robber boots from the point the arms attach and spray some WD40 on the pivots followed by some spray grease. That should sort it.

" Take off the arms and the robber boots from the point the arms attach"

Sounds like something that should be done to audi dealers. I'm sure they all wear "robber" boots.

It happened to me last summer Bowes Moor (A66). Thought the motor had packed in. Took it to Bradford Audi they diagnosed seized spindle boxes and replaced wiper linkage under warranty. Motor seems fine. Part was in stock! indicating that it must be a common failure.
Part £63.91 Total bill £147.74 only warranty claim last year 01 RS4

It will be the linkage that has sized.

Quite common on the face lift A4's

Had to do mine last year, got mine from a breakers then greased it up as my old one was beyond repair.

Did mine last year also....

My wipers have just done the identical thing. It ended up being the linkage, easily fixed by Caffyns in Brighton for £301. Blinking nuisance really...

£301!!!!

Cost me total £60 plus my time.