Changing the wiper Park Switch.......

[mikeb]

The wipers are very temperemental, the intermitent stops and parks all over the place, the main wipe is slightly better and the whole shooting match is not the best.

I was gonna change the wiper motor park switch and have a general clean up of all the connectors etc.

Anybody done this or changed the park switch?? Is it an easy job or have i got to 'take the dash off' which seems to be the usual fix for Griff electrics???

Any help appreciated.

MikeyB

[Reeso]

Hi, If you are just going to change the park switch, it's easy. EVEN I CAN DO IT, and have done!
Under the bonnet, top near side near the bonnet hinge you will find the motor with the switch easily accessable. Unscrew the clamp that holds the motor, move slightly and hay presto, access to the park switch.

With the new one, once you have incerted it and it works, coat it in a think grease or vasalein to make it as waterproof as poss. The reason why they fail so regulary is because where they sit, is where the water sits when it rains or when driving in rain.

Once done, no more probs.

Good luck.

Edited by Reeso on Friday 22 June 15:30

[ATG]

Reeso is on the money. I took the old knackered switch along to a motor factor who looked at it and immediately recognised it as something fitted to a load of aged UK cars, and he managed to find one floating around his workshop. Think it cost me a fiver. Rather better service than you get at Halfords. IIRC, pulling the loom's connector out of the switch was a pain in the arse as the corrosion had bound the whole thing solid, but other than that, the job was dead easy.

[K4000JB]

you can also get them from mini spares they are very simular to the mini one i think from memory they are just over a tenner the part no.can be found on the griffith pages IIRC

[mikeb]

Guys, I have had a look at the motor etc and it seems easy enough but my motor is held on by what looks like 10mm bolts either side of the motor strap.

If I go undoing them how can I get them done up again (unless they are captive ones of course)??

Had a look at the underside of the dash and the whole area is obscured by what looks lik an air box for the ventilation system.

MikeyB

[Adrian@]

mikeb said:

Guys, I have had a look at the motor etc and it seems easy enough but my motor is held on by what looks like 10mm bolts either side of the motor strap.

If I go undoing them how can I get them done up again (unless they are captive ones of course)??

Had a look at the underside of the dash and the whole area is obscured by what looks lik an air box for the ventilation system.

MikeyB

The threads that these bolts go into are called clinch nuts and as such are alloy pop rivets with an internal thread. Unless they strip or spin as you remove them there should not be an issue.
Adrian@

[mikeb]

Job done.

Took a bit of fiddling as the metal spring clip from the old switch was still on the bottom of the motor housing! Got it off and the new one clipped into place along with loads of sealing tape to stop any water wrecking this one.

Thanks for your help on this one.

MikeyB

[Adrian@]

mikeb said:

Job done.

Took a bit of fiddling as the metal spring clip from the old switch was still on the bottom of the motor housing! Got it off and the new one clipped into place along with loads of sealing tape to stop any water wrecking this one.

Thanks for your help on this one.

MikeyB

Hi Mikey
The water ingress to the switch is not the whole problem, the motor getting hot and cold and condensation then getting into the motor unit, rusting the internals, rust then causing the amature to sieze, LOADING the park switch beyond the design spec. is the root cause. Once the amature seizes or the drive allows the wipers to sit upright whilst driving (live power to the motor and stuck) the internals over heat, the plastic parts then melt, one scrap motor.IF you have to replace the park switch again, look at the root cause rather than the symptom. I have had the OE manufacturer make the internal parts for these motors as the item is obsolete, they will not remake the gearbox casing/cover or conrod to allow new builds of the unit.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Sunday 24th June 13:38

[Pasco]

Guys slightly off topic but has anyone had problems with slow wipers and if so any idea how to sort it ?

Pasco

[Adrian@]

Pasco said:

Guys slightly off topic but has anyone had problems with slow wipers and if so any idea how to sort it ?

Pasco

Hi Pasco, my previous post pretty much says it all, the rust inside the motor causes the unit to seize, but there are other thing to check, ensure that the pinions are not seizing by removing the wiper rack, removing the wiper arms and ensuring that they are spining freely, then servicing the unit would be the way to go, if at that point you need parts I can help as I now have all the parts for these units, caught early enough then an amature and none of the internal plastic parts will be needed.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Sunday 24th June 13:37

[Pasco]

Adrian@ said:

Pasco said:

Guys slightly off topic but has anyone had problems with slow wipers and if so any idea how to sort it ?

Pasco

Hi Pasco, my previous post pretty much says it all, the rust inside the motor causes the unit to seize, but there are other thing to check, ensure that the pinions are not seizing by removing the wiper rack, removing the wiper arms and ensuring that they are spining freely, then servicing the unit would be the way to go, if at that point you need parts I can help as I now have all the parts for these units, caught early enough then an amature and none of the internal plastic parts will be needed.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Sunday 24th June 13:37

Cheers Adrian and thanks for the prompt responce i will have a go and see if it improves the situation

[Adrian@]

Pasco
Cheers Adrian and thanks for the prompt responce i will have a go and see if it improves the situation
If your up for this type of servicing...Armature winding are copper colour and the isolator cards that protect the windings from the shaft green/grey. Over-heated amatures are burnt copper in colour and the card isolator is blackened and broken bits of card (which also cause seizing) will have fallen into the main mangnet casing. (if you have access to a 'growler' to test the amature then even better.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Sunday 24th June 14:30