General wiperless in Wales!!

[toecutter]

Finished work, jumped in car, rain slashing down...no wiper! Drove home with no wiper. Before I start investigating the cause, what is ussually the cause of non working front wiper? Fuse has been checked.
Justin

 

[sammiboo]

if the fuse has been checked then it could be the motor thats gone

I have a bling* bling* shiny blue thing

 

[rrockettman]

Hi Toecutter.
It could be:
A broken wire somewhere, connection, or, most likely, the steering wheel stalk switch.
You've probably noticed this only happens when it rains!...Most of the time west of Hereford!


Russ

 

[John H]

Can we do a bit of detective work before I try and sell you the wiper motor off the old CL [?]

Does the heater blower still work, if NOT:
it shares the earth lead (black wire) back to the nasty spade connector nest of vipers behind the front (UK) passenger headlight.

Does the front screen wash and rear wiper still work, if NOT:
they are both powered from fuse 14.
If rear wipe and wash work, but not the front wash or wipe you're looking at the column switch.

Other suspects are:
the delay unit (integral with the fuse box)
the self parking mechanism on the wiper motor gearbox end.


Keep us posted in<s> sunny </s> rainy Birmingham..

You could have kept the rain - I wouldn't have minded at all

 

[pandafan]

Hi, when mine went it was the splines inside the wiper arm, where it fits on the shaft,that had worn away. I put a replacement arm and blade on and all was well.

HHmmmmmmm

 

[toecutter]

All- thanks for your help so far, but I'm not out of the woods, or the rainy season yet!

Detective work:
rear wiper works, have never figured out how to maker the rear wash work. The front wash works. I could have sworn the blower was working, but sitting with the ignition on, but engine not running, heard nothing. Therefore it must be the earth shared by the blower and wiper motor. Rather than chasing the grounds back, can't I just ground them to the body with a ring connection and self tapping screw?

Justin

 

[John H]

OK.

Rear wash works by pushing the rear wiper button a bit firmer than usual, and keeping it pushed in until you've had enough

There isn't much chasing of grounds to do:
put ignition "on", fan "on", under the bonnet/hood poke* the push fit/spade connectors which are behind the (UK) passenger headlight one at a time, until you get some sparks and the fan starts up.

QED

Then all you have to do is clean the blighter up.

There is a little tab behind the connector which needs to be squeezed in for the connector to pull off, otherwise it's a bit of a fight, and the connector gets damaged.

Clean the spade with a bit of wet and dry and apply some "petroleum jelly" to keep the moisture (and screen washer spillage) off.

Or twist the connector a half turn and put it back on, or put it on an empty spade.

Take your pick.


Regards

John H.

* with a small screwdriver or similar tool.


P.S. I've still got the wiper motor, column switch assembly, and all the "relays" from the fusebox, if push comes to shove

 

[pandafan]

Hi Toecutter......
No problem whatsoever in earthing every-damn-thing to the bodyshell!
I had to do it on my last 4x4 because it wouldn't go unless it was wet!

HHmmmmmmm

 

[toecutter]

Hi again-
I tried the connectors behind the headlight, and didn't get any joy, so I'm wondering if I have a break in the black earth line before it gets to the spade connector...hence my idea to ground it immediately, rather than trail it around the car.
Justing

 

[toecutter]

Rocketman- quite true, only when it rains- the twice it has happened.

 

[toecutter]

I can hear a light thunk or click when the wiper switch is on intermittent.
There is a connector that leads off to the blower, 2 blk, a light blue and black, and a red on one side, blk, lght bl and red on the other. When my test light is earthed to the body, ALL show as live. Shouldn't one be the earth for the blower? I was hoping to find that earth, and earth it to the body to get power to the blower, and by the common earth to the wiper motor, have that earther too.
Justin

 

[toecutter]

Just done something I've always sworn never to do...tapped into an unknown circuit. It was a yellow wire professionally wrapped in black tape that just sort of ended near the wiper motor, came out from behind the dash. When I connected my test light to it and the bat pos terminal, it glowed, but only with the ignition on. When I grounded it to the body, the wipers, blower didn't work, but when grounded to the casing of the wiper motor, it sparked then the wiper/blower did work! WEIRD!! Exposed more wire, made a ring, and stuck it under one of the wiper motor mounting bolts. Still no idea what the wire was for...and the wipers/blower had been working perfectly for 4 months without it...
Justin

 

[John H]

That's very brave!

If I get a chance I'll have a look at the loom out of the old CL and see if it had anything like the yellow you describe.

According to Haynes, the fan wiring is supposed to be brown, red, and two blacks for the loop.

 

[John H]

OK.

The rain you sent us has finally eased off a bit

I cast the CLs intestines on the drive and had a look at the forecast [xx(]

The bit which is relevant for the fan and wiper is this bit:

Not a solid yellow only wire to be seen - most odd.


However I did a continuity test back to the various earthing points, and discovered a "topographical"* error in Haynes:
it shows all the earths coming back to the point I described earlier.
In reality there is another block of earths on the front suspension turret on the opposite side of the car - and that's where that joint earth for the wiper and blower goes.

No wonder it didn't help prodding the other block.

Apologies.


John H

* I'd always understood the relative positions on their diagram to approximate to physical position on the car.

 

[toecutter]

Cast the intestines on the ground?! Are the omens good, oh high priest of Mars? Will I win?

Justin

 

[John H]

LOL

I think you win a clear view of the way home (next time it rains..)

 

[rrockettman]

Don't say that....His windscreen will pop out![:0]

Russ

 

[John H]

Me and my mouth :I