windscreen wiper wows

windscreen wiper wows

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Discussion

newvxr8rcy

Original Poster:

8 posts

114 months

Saturday 2nd May 2015
quotequote all
my wipers have just stopped working, I have checked the fuse its not that.
Any clues as to what it might be.

M I Crazy

42 posts

164 months

Saturday 2nd May 2015
quotequote all
If the fuse is okay and they don't work in any speed or in intermittant.

Could be a bad earth from the wiper motor back to the negative of the battery.
Could be bad motor brush or brushes.
The parking switch is wired back to the BCM (Body Control Module ) and would cause
problems if there was a fault in that circuit. Although I would have thought that would
cause the wipers to stop where ever you turned them off or not stop at all. Or at least that's
how they used to work before fancy BCM's.

That's how the wiring diagram for a Monaro shows it. I assume it's the same for VXR's or very similar.

ARAF

20,759 posts

223 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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I wonder if it could be the switch stalk causing the problem? Do the washers work, as they wouldn't rely on the wiper motor?

M I Crazy

42 posts

164 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
I did think that as a possibility but the Monaro diagram shows one common positive supply feeding all
the switch assembly functions including the washer motor.

There are 3 groups of switches on the Monaro diagram. One pair for intermittant. One pair for
low and high speed and a bank of 3 swiches for the washer motor.

The only two things I can see that are common are the positive feed and the BCM.
If none of these things work then there is either no power getting to the switch bank,
the switch is faulty (as Araf replied) where it's common to all functions or the BCM or where the wiring connections are made to it. Although I would think you would have a lot more problems if you had BCM faults.

Again this is for a Monaro, but I would assume it would be similar for VR8's

snowwolf

11,503 posts

175 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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If you can get to the motor easy enough run a pair of wires from the battery to the motor just to eliminate the motor

ARAF

20,759 posts

223 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
M I Crazy said:
I did think that as a possibility but the Monaro diagram shows one common positive supply feeding all
the switch assembly functions including the washer motor.

There are 3 groups of switches on the Monaro diagram. One pair for intermittant. One pair for
low and high speed and a bank of 3 swiches for the washer motor.

The only two things I can see that are common are the positive feed and the BCM.
If none of these things work then there is either no power getting to the switch bank,
the switch is faulty (as Araf replied) where it's common to all functions or the BCM or where the wiring connections are made to it. Although I would think you would have a lot more problems if you had BCM faults.

Again this is for a Monaro, but I would assume it would be similar for VR8's
Talking of which, are there any other functions on the steering wheel that aren't working, cruise control as an example, as the clock springs under the steering wheel are a known fault on the cars.

kaw

1,081 posts

184 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
There was a post about this on a r8 some time back might have been hear or vxr online guy tracked the problem to a bad connection in the motor ,striped it cleaned and working again ,it was a easy job

newvxr8rcy

Original Poster:

8 posts

114 months

Monday 4th May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the help guys, the washers are still working.
As it is may bank holiday its raining so I cant drive the car.
I can only do the most basic mechanicals so will persevere to sort it.

M I Crazy

42 posts

164 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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If the washer still works it would probably mean there is power getting to the switch stalk.
If neither high, low or intermittant work it's still possibly a switch problem but it appears more likely to be a problem with the motor.

If it's like a Monaro it will have two windings one for high and one for low. Unless there isn't
power getting to any speed setting the only thing common to all speeds would either be the brushes or the earth connection.

You will need to get at the motor conections and check if there is fairly low resistance to earth
on both the high and low speed connection. If not you may have a faulty brush or winding. Also
make sure the motor connection to earth is good or that would stop the motor from running.

On the Holden Commodore VY & VZ which I belive is a Monaro. High speed connection is on ZR. Low and Int is connected to SR. Earth is connected to BW or BY and the park switch is connected to Y and NW.

I don't know if this is the same for VXR8's but I doubt if the wiper motor design would have changed between models much.

M I Crazy

42 posts

164 months

Monday 4th May 2015
quotequote all
I've just had a look in my Haynes manual and they show the wire colours as follows.
Earth - Black, Park - Yellow, Low - Red, High - Green and Positive - Brown.

I believe the Brown wire should always be live even if you have selected the wipers off.
So make sure that's live as well if you have a multi-meter. If not you could use a 12v light.

They also say to make sure your motor has a good earth if the fuse is okay by connecting a jumper wire from the motor and earth and trying the wiper.

If everything electrically sems okay they ssy it may be mechanically binding and to remove the motor and try it without being connectecd to the wipers.

L2VXR

975 posts

213 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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If you google VE Commadore wipers there seems to be recalls in Aus on some models/years for wiper motor issues.

newvxr8rcy

Original Poster:

8 posts

114 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
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Thanks for your help Rick, I will take the car in to work they are more hands on than me.
If they cant fix it I will take it to monkfish, thanks again Terry.