Help me remember - wiper question

[JPSmit]

so friends, I need your help.

Saturday I went for a drive and found the wipers don't work. Today I started investigating. So, first of all I turned the key and turned on the wipers - initially heard a bit of an hum but then nothing.

Checked the fuses - they all have continuity.
Cleaned the green wire connections.

Finally started removing the wiper motor to check if there is power to the motor.

So, questions.

1. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this? (BTW the manual doesn't seem to show which fuse covers the wipers)

2. When removing the motor - does the "pipe" to the actual wipers slide out or do I have to undo the cover and lift it out?

3. Anyone know where these things are grounded?

4. Any other thoughts?

thanks all

 

[nomad]

If the wipers work the same as the early ones the removal of the nut is all that is necessary to remove the pipe but to remove the wiper rack one has to remove the cover. Don't have the later car or anything about it. Did it get the two speed wiper?

I'd suspect electrical connections. The wires to the early wiper are always hot with the ground being through the switch.

Kurt

 

[nomad]

BTW if you remove the nut that holds the pipe and remove the wipers the rack should slide out. Doing that will let you know if you have a wiper shaft that is bound up. Don't have a book handy but I'm not sure the wiper motor is fused.

 

[David_Doan]

The wiper wiring is weird. The positive is hot all the time (terminal 1). The body of the motor should be grounded. The wiper switch also supplies ground to terminal 2.

Turning the switch on forces the motor to run by completing the circuit. When the switch is turned off, the motor will run until the wipers reach the home position.

I can’t help with wire colors or fuses, my car is not stock.

 

[David_Doan]

Here's a pic showing the 3 connections.

1 - always hot
2 - switched ground
E - always grounded

 

[nomad]

What do you use to take such great pictures, David!

David is right about the wiring one doesn't expect. Be careful since an incorrect connection will easily fry the irreplaceable parking contact inside the cover. DPO of my BE did just that. If you remove the cover you can separate the whole mechanism and relube the gears. I'm still suspecting the switch but the sound you heard might be more ominous.

Kurt

 

[JPSmit]

quick question - any great ideas to hold the brushes back as I reassemble the wiper motor?