I was driving my '98 Rodeo down the street today when a HUGE chunk of really wet snow slid forward off the roof, down the windshield, then met the wipers as they swept upward. They stopped immediately and there was a sound like a rifle shot. After that, the wipers went slack and would not work.

I've not yet had a chance to investigate what that noise might have been. Any ideas? There must be some sort of shaft that comes out of the wiper motor and moves the arms, right? Is it possible that shaft broke because of the weight of the snow? Or is it more likely that the whole wiper motor is toast? Where should I start looking? I know that the wiper motor is up against the firewall and sort of under the cowl, but beyond that, I know nothing about this problem.

The sound leads me to believe that it was a piece breaking, not a motor going south. However, my mechanic-ing skills are minimal at best, so this may be the product of wishful thinking.

As always, thanks for the help and suggestions. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />