Wipers

[gruffalo]

Driving home last night my wipers decided first of all to get a bit juddery and then stop momentarily half way across the screen and then pack up all together.

Washer still works but wipers now very iffy.

Any one had this before and if so what was it.

Any help much appreciated.

[DCerebrate]

My guesses would be one of
1 ribbon cables (if old better to change them all in one go)
2 corroded broken or dry connection
3 wiper motor itself
Just going from experience of the car, not technical sophistry!
Good luck with it, and RainX might do the job for now if you need to keep it running.

[Penelope Stopit]

As long as the wiper system isn't tight due to lack of lubrication................

Wipers stop during a wipe due to a worn out motor brush or bad connection to it

[Byker28i]

Pull the wipers away from the screen and test, see if it moves ok then. If so it could just be a tired motor.
Best thing I ever did was to fit an uprated wiper motor, I have no issues now.

[gruffalo]

Byker28i said:

Pull the wipers away from the screen and test, see if it moves ok then. If so it could just be a tired motor.
Best thing I ever did was to fit an uprated wiper motor, I have no issues now.

Yep tried this roadside last night, totally dead but strong enough to wipe a dry screen when working.

I am thinking ribbon cable or control box in passenger foot well, I have a spare box so will try that.

Once the wipers are on is the ribbon cable even in the circuit, I would think not thus pointing to box or motor/park switch?

Edited by gruffalo on Sunday 26th July 10:03

[Penelope Stopit]

gruffalo said:

Yep tried this roadside last night, totally dead but strong enough to wipe a dry screen when working.

I am thinking ribbon cable or control box in passenger foot well, I have a spare box so will try that.

Once the wipers are on is the ribbon cable even in the circuit, I would think not thus pointing to box or motor/park switch?

Box???? pehaps

Once the wipers are on there is nothing being controlled by a switch

Park switch only comes into play when switching off but there could be a problem at its terminals or internal links

When the blades stop on the screen, switching off should bring in the park circuit and the blades should go into the park position

[gruffalo]

Penelope Stopit said:

gruffalo said:

Yep tried this roadside last night, totally dead but strong enough to wipe a dry screen when working.

I am thinking ribbon cable or control box in passenger foot well, I have a spare box so will try that.

Once the wipers are on is the ribbon cable even in the circuit, I would think not thus pointing to box or motor/park switch?

Box???? pehaps

Once the wipers are on there is nothing being controlled by a switch

Park switch only comes into play when switching off but there could be a problem at its terminals or internal links

When the blades stop on the screen, switching off should bring in the park circuit and the blades should go into the park position

Yep, there is a relay box in the passenger foot well.

I have just taken it out and tried the spare, both click through the wiper speeds with each press of the wiper button so proving the ribbon cable is OK.

I am now thinking motor, probably seized as I can't budge the wiper arms.

[Penelope Stopit]

Wiper arms won't move due the gearing

Seized would burn out the motor or blow a fuse, they do have a habit of burning out the motor rather than blowing the fuse, burning motors can't be missed as they stink

[gruffalo]

Penelope Stopit said:

Wiper arms won't move due the gearing

Seized would burn out the motor or blow a fuse, they do have a habit of burning out the motor rather than blowing the fuse, burning motors can't be missed as they stink

No stink and I thought the gears may make the wipers immovable.

Will try and find the pin out on the control box and check voltages but I still have a niggle in my brain that a quirk of the Cerbera is that if the park switch fails the whole motor is disabled, not normal I know but it is a Cerbera;-)

Thanks for your help, much appreciated!

[Penelope Stopit]

Glad to possibly be of some help

Looking at the below diagram



1) It can be seen that the wiper motor earth brush (number 2) is permanently earthed (it doesn't go through the wiper control ECU)

2) It can be seen that the wiper control ECU has a fused ignition supply at Green cable Pin A4

3) The diagram also shows that wiper speed 1 Blue/Green cable Pin A3 at wiper control ECU connects directly to the wiper motor 1st speed brush (number 1), the connection being made at the park switch terminal 5

Now knowing the above......

By disconnecting the wiper control ECU it can be left alone safe for a quick motor test.........

Test.....

Check fused ignition supply at Green cable Pin A4 (mentioned above) is ok

Using a short link lead, connect Green cable Pin A4 to Blue/Green cable Pin A3 at the rear of the wiper control ECU plug

The above should give 1st speed continuous while linked out

XXX Linking to the back of the plug terminals is ok, linking to the front of the terminals that connect to the ECU terminals will arc them up and possibly give a future bad connection XXX

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Sunday 26th July 12:42

[notaping]

Check the connector to the motor. Mine suffered the same thing a few years ago. Wipers stopped half way. The result was a melted connector.

[gruffalo]

Thanks both, looks like motor is to blame.

Connector is fine, and when I link pins A4 and A3 I get 12v at the motor but no movement.

This motor is around 10years old and I drive the car in all weathers so probably just worn bushes as no sign of having got overly hot.

[Penelope Stopit]

Getting there then

Best to pull out the rack and coat it with graphite grease after the motor has been removed, also check the wheel-boxes aren't tight before pushing the rack back in

Wiper arms need to be removed if pulling rack out

Here's a brush plate if you need one https://www.s-v-c.co.uk/product/wiper-motor-14w-br...

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Sunday 26th July 18:41

[Mr Cerbera]

Just my Tupennyworth

BUT

Thw 2 probs I've had with intermittent Windscreen wipers were caused by

1) A faulty Return switch (x3)

2) The Steering Wheel button cables, which are trapped between the Wheel and the Steering Boss when the car is constructed

Best o'

[gruffalo]

Just reporting back, wiper motor refurbished and all now refitted and working as it should.

Took about an hour to get the motor off and about the same to put it back together, really nice quick and effective job.

Thanks for all those who assisted with ideas and advice.

[Penelope Stopit]

Nice job then

[gruffalo]

Penelope Stopit said:

Nice job then

Yes very good job.

There was much wrong Thoth the old motor, brushes and commutator very worn and super tight bearing at the bottom of the armature.

24 hours turn around for basically a new unit including the gearbox cleaned and repackaged with grease.

It now wipes a dry windscreen smoothly and really quite strongly!

[FarmyardPants]

Sounds like a handy person to know. Was it that chap Adrian?

[gruffalo]

FarmyardPants said:

Sounds like a handy person to know. Was it that chap Adrian?

Yep:-)