Citroen Relay Wiper motor replacement CITROËN

Replacing the wiper motor in a Citroën Relay? Oh, the joys of French engineering—sometimes it feels like you need both a spanner and a degree in interpretive dance to get things apart. But don’t worry; nobody’s wiper linkage has defeated me yet (though one did make me question my life choices).

Right, grab your trusty tools (and maybe a biscuit for moral support)—here’s how you do it:

- Pop that bonnet—resist the urge to close it “for now.” Next, take off the wiper arms. There’s usually a plastic cap over the nut; prise it off, then undo the nut (13mm socket usually). Sometimes those arms are stuck tighter than your aunt’s purse—if so, a gentle wiggle or a wiper arm puller does the trick. Bonus tip: mark their position with tape first so your new wipers won’t wave at airplanes.

- Remove the scuttle panel (the plastic grille at the bottom of the windscreen). There are several screws (Phillips or Torx, depending on year), and maybe a weather strip that pulls off. Sometimes this part fights back—if it breaks, just pretend it was always like that.

- You’ll now see the wiper motor and linkage assembly. Unplug the wiring connector (sometimes under a bit of rubber foam). Grab your 10mm socket and remove the mounting bolts. Try not to drop any bolts—whoever finds them with a magnet later will NOT see the funny side.

- Wiper linkage and motor come out together. Lay it on the workbench (or your favorite patch of driveway) and locate the four Torx screws holding the motor to the linkage. Zap those out, swap on your new motor, and reassemble in reverse. If you get stuck, mumbling politely at the mechanism sometimes works—threatening it never helps.

- Reinstall the whole assembly. Don’t forget to connect the wiring, or you'll end up reenacting Titanic on a rainy day.

- Scuttle panel goes back, then wiper arms, nuts, and covers. Remove any tape you added. (If you forget, your next trip through the car wash will be... memorable.)

Test your new wipers—if they work, do a victory jig! If not, first check that everything is plugged in right.

Just remember, on a Citroën Relay, the wiper setup is basically the same as on a Peugeot Boxer or Fiat Ducato, so “van solidarity” applies for any extra reference.

And if all else fails, just tell everyone you upgraded to “manual” wipers for the exercise. Good luck—may your knuckles survive and your wipers never squeak again!