How to Change 2001 Montana Wiper Motor

General Motors began producing the Montana under its Pontiac brand in 1997. The 2001 Montana is part of the first generation of designs, and can be a three- or four-door minivan. In either case, changing the wiper motor will be a similar sequence of tasks. You'll have to take off the wiper arms and the intake grating to reach the wiper motor, which is mounted to the firewall, the safety barrier between the engine compartment and the passenger cabin. Though there's a few components to remove to change a wiper motor, the whole job should take no longer than a solid hour of work.

Things You'll Need

• Socket wrench set with extension
• Pick
• Flat head screwdriver
• Phillips head screwdriver

Instructions

Instructions

1. Pop off the rubber stoppers protecting the mounting hardware for the wiper arms by inserting the tip of a flat head screwdriver below the shoulder of the rubber stopper and pulling upward.

2. Loosen the nut holding the rubber arm to the Montana using the socket wrench. Grab hold of the wiper arm and rock it back and forth, pulling upward until the arm dislodges from the bolt. Repeat this process for the other arm.

3. Insert the sharp end of a pick underneath the plastic cover pins protecting the Phillips head screws of the intake grating and pull upward, popping off the cover pins. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screws.

4. Open and prop up the hood. Depress the tabs keeping the intake grating attached to the bulkhead and pull off the intake grating, laying it on the ground or the windshield. Lay a blanket underneath the intake grating if you're worried about scratching it.

5. Disconnect the power cable to the wiper motor.

6. Remove the mounting bolts holding the wiper motor to the firewall and use a long extension with the socket wrench to reach the lower mounting bolts.

7. Pull the wiper motor off the firewall and compare it to the new motor, checking for any differences in size, girth, and the position of the bolts.

8. Prep the new motor for installation by inserting the old bolts into the rubber sleeves of the new motor, which dampen the effect of the motor's vibrating. Line up the bolts with the bolt holes on the firewall, and begin tightening them using your hand.

9. Finish tightening the bolts using the socket wrench. Connect the power cable to the wiper motor, and replace the intake grating and wiper arms.

References

• "Haynes Repair Manual: Chevrolet Venture Oldsmobile Silhouette Pontiac Trans Sport and Montana: Automotive Repair Manual 1997 thru 2001"; Haynes, John; 2001