987.2 Base Cayman wiper linkage broke

I messed up... Today I washed my car. As usual I lifted the wiper arm to clean the blade. Then I moved to the next step to clean the edge of the hood. I forgot to put the wiper arm back when I tried to open the front trunk lid. I only realized this when I heard some click noise and felt some amount of resistance force when I was trying to open the front trunk lid. I tested the wiper and heard nosie under cowl panel. Then I remove the trim panel of this area to check the wiper linkage. I found that the joint in the middle of the linkage seems broke. It released the upper metal piece in higher position which created interference with the cowl panel when movement. Can anyone kindly help to take a picture of this part (driver side) so that I could confirm mine is broken? And could anyone share some experiece about how to fix this issue if you have run into same situation as me... Thanks a lot!

Just a thought: You could remove both wiper arms if you need to for this, (mark their position relative to the spline first if it's not already evident by their fit) and run it with the panel off. You might be able to run it with the wipers folded up too but that will create more risk for damage. Assessment of that joint will be easier in motion and if it is broken the arms are going to have to come off anyway.

Hey, got the same with my hyundai tiburon 2007 i just removed all the wipe system / motor and just invert the piece (side of the piece like the other round thing you know what i mean), is it broken because its too big and now it pop out ? if its that its like me. Dont forget put grease... haha You cant change this piece alone you need to replace all if it dont work. With the wear of the round piece after long time it pop out of the other part...

Update I took another look of the wiper linkage and did some study I am not sure if it is the problem of the joint. It may be just the cowl panel disformed I managed to have a picture of the wiper linkage (same part number) of another car It is the same as mine. The middel area of the black plastic is separate which I thought it was one piece originally Then I re-checked the wiper linkage. It seems no excessive movement of each part. The wiper linkage and arm work fine, smoothly and quietly excpet interfering the cowl panel I took close look at the cowl panel and the trim pieces around it These trim panels are not aligned well. It seems this area of cowl panel is downwards a little bit which causes the interference with the wiper linkage I checked these trim panels but found no sign of damage. I am not sure about what caused the misalignment I can not hear the noise when I am driving the car Since I never tried to have the wiper work when the car is still, engine off (quiet) and I stand outside the car, so maybe the wiper is already in current way when I bought it (used), meaning the noise has nothing to do with I mistakenly opening the front trunk lid when the wiper arm is up. Could any owner of 987/ 986 kindly show me what is this area of your car looks like so that I could compare with mine? Thanks a lot! Youtube video recording the wiper movement and the interference

It looks like the battery cover / cowl union needs to be rearticulated (manipulated and refitted). Maybe it can be repaired by positioning and how the piece fits in the seals. If it's being bowed by fit, that might be why the arm is striking it. If the piece itself is physically bent or compromised (it really doesn't look that way in your video) maybe a new or used cowl? It's good the mechanism wasn't bent or otherwise broken, that would have been a more complex expensive repair so in a way you got off light.

I wouldn't worry too much about the plastic cowls and their alignment - unless they are horribly out of shape or place. they also expand under hot conditions. do check that the cowl is "in place". assuming that everything was ok before the hit, perhaps the wiper arms are a little bent?

That's a good point Tiger makes, perhaps the mechanism bent up slightly with the accident. If you manipulate that make sure you isolate the bend pressure with two sets of vise grips to only where you wish to change the metal angle. If you do this, "less is more, gentle is best". Make the smallest incremental change you can and judge if it improves when actuated. I'd still work the shroud first, it isn't seated correctly in the side photo.

I carefully checked these trim pieces and re-fitted them. They are fitted correctly. I think they are bent but I have no way to measure it. I do not think the wiper linkage is bent. I tried to simulate opening the lid while wiper arm is up, observing the how the force is transmitted to the linkage. I think it is hard to bent the linkage in this way. It needs to go thru 3 pivot joints (see the picture I draw). And the metal pieces feels quit sturdy. Also the wiper works fine. The Cayman is my weekend car and where I live dose not rain that much. So I may leave it as it is for now if only the wiper work fine. Or find something to hold up the cowl panel at this area which is the easiest fix. New linkage costs over $600 which is insane. The used part costs only $100. It not expensive but too much trouble to replace it.

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