Intermittent Wiper Problem

Intermittent Wiper Problem

Author
Discussion

Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
quotequote all
As per my long thread, my intermittent wipers are not working. When you select intermittent, nothing happens, and if the wipers are moving, the stop dead.

I have so far, due to various other issues, replaced the motor, the park switch and the intermittent relay (with this one - https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Everything else now works fine, park and speeds 1 & 2 are no problem (the new motor has made the wipers much more efficient). If you select park/off from intermittent, they park correctly. Wash/wipe also works fine.

I’ve checked the fuse in the board, that is fine and I can hear the relay clicking when moving the stalk to intermittent.

The potentiometer seems fine, but I am unsure. I took a video of the resistance on it (with the cowl off and it unplugged so just testing that) - https://imgur.com/a/rOIeTya it is not smooth at all. However, I used a little spade connector into the female side of the connector to short it to see if that made any difference, and it did not. I could hear the relay clicking but the wipers still didn’t respond.

Is this likely to be an earth issue or the main fuse? One other thing is my rev counter bounces around when changing up and I have changed (and rerouted) all the HT leads (I do not have magnecor ones), and replaced the coil etc.

Re the earths in the car on the transmission tunnel, how do you get to them without cutting into the carpet? Is there an easy way to get the carpet back to access?

I have hurt my back as well at the moment so crawling around will have to wait, hence the questions! Once I’m better I will look at the main fuse under the car as well, I do have a replacement in a better, watertight case to replace it with.

Is there anything else to check?

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
quotequote all
Had a similar problem with my wife’s Saab. When my Saab died, I robbed the wiper stalk off it and swapped it over with the one on my wife’s car. Bingo, working intermittent.

The problem was a broken wire in the stalk itself.

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
quotequote all
Monsterlime said:
............I’ve checked the fuse in the board, that is fine ............
Can't be sure if the circuits are the same but a 97 Chim has 3 different fuses for the wipers.

F15 supplies direct to the relay so difficult to say what functions it controls.
F17 supplies the stalk and from there to slow and fast so this has to be OK.
F18 goes to the park switch (green wire) but you say park works elsewhere.

My money is on a defective relay.

Steve

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

108 months

Monday 24th February 2020
quotequote all
Mmmmm wonder if this is ok or not

Links broken in OP, fixed link is https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253581106247?ul_noapp=t...


Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Monday 24th February 2020
quotequote all
Ah foo, I did it from my phone so it must have messed up the link. The relay appeared to match the specifications (and definitely fits), I never really trust the ebay car compatibility thing.

Is the relay supposed to keep clicking when selected for intermittent, or just once?

I will try another one (from Racetech this time, I want the alloy knob for the dial anyway).

Steve_D - I definitely checked all three fuses. Will see what a different relay gives.

If the relay doesn't work, I'll see if I can find a replacement stalk (Vauxhall?).

Cheers chaps.

Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Wednesday 26th February 2020
quotequote all
Back is fixed enough that I could crawl into the passenger footwell and tried the new relay from Racetech, but as I kind of expected, it didn't make any difference.

Is it supposed to keep clicking or just click once when you select intermittent?

Will source a replacement wiper stalk from ebay, they aren't expensive.

It is just annoying really, I try not to use the car in the rain and it isn't a huge problem but the fact it doesn't work is really bothering me!

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Wednesday 26th February 2020
quotequote all
They should keep clicking.
For intermittent they click on to start the slow speed wipe then quickly off again leaving the park circuit & switch to complete the sweep. Then they wait for the delay time and do it all again.
As your slow speed works and your park works I deduced the relay being the issue. If you have replaced this then perhaps there are wiring issues or the delay potentiometer. I've never tried to see if the relay uses a default time delay in the absence of the potentiometer or just fails to work.

Steve

rigga

8,727 posts

200 months

Wednesday 26th February 2020
quotequote all
Wire came off my potentiometer, and the delay function failed to work, realised as I'd just had the cowlings off, re attached the wire, and delay wipe worked.

Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Wednesday 26th February 2020
quotequote all
I've checked the potentiometer, and it definitely changes resistance when I had my mutlimeter connected (although it isn't smooth). The relay doesn't click at all if it isn't connected. I did just put a little spade connector, like this -



across the connector ports once the potentiometer was disconnected as well, and it made the relay click, but still nothing happened.

Steve_D, I suspect you are right that there is a wiring issue elsewhere. Looking forwards to that fun!

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Wednesday 26th February 2020
quotequote all
Monsterlime said:
.................Steve_D, I suspect you are right that there is a wiring issue elsewhere. Looking forwards to that fun!
Let me know if you want a wiring diagram.

Steve

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
QBee said:
Had a similar problem with my wife’s Saab. When my Saab died, I robbed the wiper stalk off it and swapped it over with the one on my wife’s car. Bingo, working intermittent.

The problem was a broken wire in the stalk itself.
That's where I would start looking - the constant twisting on operating the wiper stalk was what had caused it.
I had no trouble getting the Saab one off, and i could see the broken wire as soon as I did, as the twisting point is of course right next to where the stalk is fixed to the steering column.

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

148 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
In my case I took the chance and just replacing the stalk worked for me too.
About £30 from a Vaux parts supplier Astra from memory.

Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
I have a stalk on its way, hopefully it is just that. Won't be here until next week, the waiting kills me!

If the stalk doesn't cure it, I'll be back for a wiring diagram! wink

Monsterlime

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

165 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Fixed! The replacement stalk sorted it. I suspect I still need to replace the potentiometer, as adjusting it doesn't seem to change the delay time, but otherwise they now work.

I also used the old stalk as a sacrificial lamb to test fitting my alloy stalks, so that is all done as well.

Thanks all, especially QBee for the genius suggestion!