It may be due to a broken linkage.
a blown fuse.
Check linkage first and stripped or loose wiper arm on spindle.
There are several things that can cause your windshield wipers not to work. The most common cause is a malfunctioning windshield wiper motor.
a bad fuse, control module (that little thing you use to turn on your wipers), or the windshield wiper motor is bad.
Bad switch? stalk bad wiper motor? bad low speed winding
A bad fuse may be the cause of windshield wipers not working on a 1998 Lumina. The switch that activates the wiper motor is another possible cause for the wipers not working.
Your wiper arms that run from the wiper motor to the windshield wipers may be binding and need to be replaced
A cars windshield wipers should work either way. They should word with or without wiper fluid.
Check your wiper linkage under the hood and/or the tightness of the wiper arm on the wiper spindle.
There is a recall on this, if you have not already, take it to a dealer and they will check it out and fix for free because there is a recall on something with the wipers (thats what I did cause would not work).
it is only the drivers side wiper that is having the problem it works randomly but does not go all the way across the windshiled when it does work. The passenger side windshield wiper works fine.
Assuming they did not work with the old wiper motor, check the fuse, check the switch.