Kia Sportage contains wipers on the rear side to clean the dust, snow, and water splashes that usually come from the road because of aerodynamics. These are helpful to keep your SUV neat and clean to give it an appealing appearance.
Kia Sportage rear wiper not working can be due to a broken button, dead or dirty motor, blown out fuse, broken arm, obstructive material, worn-out wipers, and broken connecting wires.
The rear wipers are comparatively smaller than those mounted on the front windshield. It reduces the driver’s effort because they do not have to come out of the vehicle for cleaning purposes. In addition, it is highly risky to drive on highways with dirty rear mirrors.
Causes | Solutions |
Broken button | Replace broken button or lever |
Dead or dirty motor | Change wiper motor |
Blown out fuse | Add a new fuse that is compatible with the wiper motor |
Broken arm | Replace wiper arm |
Obstructive material | Pour warm water to remove snow |
Loose nuts of gears | Tighten the screw |
Worn-out wiper blade | Replace cracked or damaged blade |
Broken connecting wires | Ensure the connection of electric wires with the wiper motor |
Broken button
The rear wiper in your SUV stops working because of a faulty button and lever used for activation.
You have to use the steering wheel controls to activate the feature in your Kia Sportage. Use the steering wheel button located on the right side to activate the infotainment screen, and you can see the convenience option on the display.
Click on the convenience, and you can see several options there, including an auto rear wiper in reverse. Active the feature by selecting the respective option.
They automatically activate when you use the lever to clear the front windshield. Sometimes steering control buttons or activating lever become faulty, and you cannot use this feature for cleaning the backside glass screen.
These electronic components become faulty because of their frequent and daily uses. In addition, the risk of breaking these parts also depends on driving conditions and the areas in which you live.
These also become bad because of mishandling and incorrect usage. The issue also comes from water exposure, which can damage their internal electric connections.
You have to replace the lever or buttons when rear wipers become irresponsive for safe driving. Avoid moving the lever hard because it is a delicate component and becomes faulty when you pull them by applying pressure.
Dead or dirty motor
Wipers that are present on the rear side glass windows are operated by the small motor that is present beneath them. The motor is electronically controlled and allows the movement of the arm to remove dust, snow, and water from the glass material.
Moreover, rear wipers contain separate motors for their functioning. Arms cannot move back and forth because of the dead motor, and you cannot keep the windows clean.
My friend also experienced the slow back-and-forth movement of the wiper blades because of the weak and dirty motor. Dust accumulates in the motor’s internal components over time and hinders their functioning.
These small motors contain faulty electric connections, which restrict the power supply. The wiper motors also become defective because of regular exposure to water and excessive heat.
These stop functioning because of their loose electric connections. It is better to replace the motor to restore their normal functioning. These motors are smaller, and dead ones are non-repairable because of their non-functional parts.
Blown out fuse
Wipers that are present on the rear and front sides of the vehicle contain 15A fuses because these are electrically operated components.
Fuses are helpful to complete the electric circuit and change the pathway of current to protect the wiper motor from damage. It detects the power surges in the electric system and blows out to alter the current and protect the motor from burnt-out.
It is less costly to replace the fuse than to change the brunt-out motors. Fuses are safety devices that hinder the current supply toward electric components after detecting unusual changes.
They stop moving because of the lack of power supply to their motors. You have to replace the fuses to restore the standard current supply.
Check the power supply components so new fuses cannot blow out after installation. I prefer to check the amperage of old fuses while adding new ones.
It is necessary to install the ones with specific amperages corresponding to the previous ones because they are compatible and designed according to the respective component. You can read the manual of your Kia Sportage for details.
Broken arm
Rear side wipers contain arms on the rear end that support the movement of the plastic blades. In addition, it ensures their smooth back-and-forth movement without any obstructions.
These also transfer the motor-generated power to the blades for their movement. They stop functioning if a single arm of your Kia Sportage is broken.
These are made of metal material, and corrosion comes on them because of water and snow exposure. Corrosion weakens the metal material and leads to its breakage.
In addition, the issue also comes because of the hard and obstructive material presence of glass material which is not allowing smooth movement of the blade.
Stuck and frozen blades exert pressure on the arm, increasing their breaking risk. The issue also comes because of rear-end collisions with other vehicles.
You cannot repair the broken wiper arms with tape or screws. You have to replace them with new ones by removing their screws and installing new ones of appropriate size and color.
Obstructive material
The working efficiency of rear wipers in your SUVs decreases because of obstructive material on the glass.
These cannot move back and forth when dried mud splashes are on the glass. The issue also comes during winter conditions because of frozen and stuck wipers.
Plastic blades work hard to remove the obstructions from the glass, which can also impact the arm and increase their breakage chances.
Sometimes they also stop functioning because of the accumulation of snow on the glass material and the side of the wipers. You have to pour slightly warm water for snow removal instead of de-icing solutions because these can increase the risk of corrosion.
Loose nuts of gears
Many people complain that the wipers on the rear end are not moving when moving a lever. The issue comes because of the loose nuts of the gears. Wiper arms are attached to the body of the Kia Sportage with nuts.
These screws become loose because of their age and frequent use. Loose nuts do not allow the movement of wipers on the mirror.
Nuts become loose because of the presence of corrosion on them. In addition, the cleaning solutions can also come on them, which can make them loose.
Remove the plastic cover that is present on these gears, and you can see the round nut there. Move the nut in a counterclockwise direction with your hand and remove it.
Use the wrench to tighten the screw and install the nuts again after ensuring the tightening of the screw.
Worn-out rear wiper blade
Wiper arms are connected to the plastic blades to clean glass materials properly. They cannot function if the blades are broken and not properly attached to the arms.
Many people fasten them properly while replacing them with new ones, hindering their movement. In addition, issues also come when you use blades of incorrect size that are not compatible with a specific model of your vehicle.
These plastic blades can also wear out because of environmental exposure, extreme temperatures, and age-related deterioration.
Replace the damaged or cracked wipers with new one to protect the glass material from chips and crack that look awkward. I do not prefer to clean the front, and back mirrors with broken blades because these produce marks on glass, hindering visibility on my Kia Sportage.
Broken connecting wires
Wipers on the rear and front sides of your Kia Sportage contain several electric connections to receive power. They have small electric motors that receive power from the batteries through electric wires.
Sometimes these electric wires can get damaged, and motors are not capable of receiving enough power from batteries.
The issue also comes because of loose connections of wires that are attached to the motor. Inspect the wires and secure their connection with the motor to ensure the power supply.
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