Followed wiper motor DIY, but.....?

[MJRemi]

A few days ago there was morning dew on my windshield so I activated the wipers to clear it. They worked for about 2 seconds, then stopped dead in their tracks. Other than the typical " not quite all the way down " position in OFF, I'd never had a problem. Recalling a DIY thread regarding the motor and bushings, I bought a wiper motor and bushing pack from Autozone and comenced to going through the project. BTW, connect the motor wiring harness BEFORE fastening any mount screws :wall: . When everything was hooked up (minus the wiper arms) I tested the system and got about 2 or 3 seconds of movement and then nothing. Soooo.. I wonder if (A) it wasn't the motor or (B) could I have tightened the nut to the motors center bolt too much. I do recall thinking the assembly seemed very stiff but figured loosening the nut would cause trouble down the road. I know some of you have performed this operation on your own patients and any input will be appreciated. :help:

[ratrapp]

check your wiper module under the dash below the steering column.if it's not plugged in all the way it'll act funny or it may just be bad.also did you bolt the motor completly down?thats where i think it grounds itself.

[watchamakalit]

dumb question: do you have intermittent wipers?

[MJRemi]

I did bolt everything down and I don't know what the wiper module looks like but I will check for "anything" loose under the dash. I don't have intermittents but wish I did. Could the column wiper control be the culprit? There is some play in it but as stated earlier, I did get some action from the wipers before they stopped :dunno: .

OK, I just took the assembly out again and with great effort was able to work the arms manually. I can't believe there should be so much resistance in the movement. I double checked the configuration of the whole thing and all is proper. It seems to me the bushings are VERY snug and the cause of the friction. Was I supposed to lube the bushings before pressing them onto the ball? If I do need to remove the (brand new) bushings to lube, I shall use my tears of frustration :grrrr: .

[HOrnbrod]

The bushings are meant to be snug, and are meant to be lubed before assembly (I use lithium chassis grease). Your wiper motor bearings may be shot. If so you'll have to pull the motor again and bench test it with a battery charger and see how many amps it draws. My HO motor has a thermister inside (or some other protective device) that shuts them down in case of excess current. I just replaced it with one from a late model XJ. :cheers:

[ratrapp]

if you don't have intermittent wipers then i don't think you have a wiper module.so probably not that.

[MJRemi]

The bushings are meant to be snug, and are meant to be lubed before assembly (I use lithium chassis grease). Your wiper motor bearings may be shot. If so you'll have to pull the motor again and bench test it with a battery charger and see how many amps it draws. My HO motor has a thermister inside (or some other protective device) that shuts them down in case of excess current. I just replaced it with one from a late model XJ. :cheers:

 

This is a "new" reconditioned motor from Autozone and I just used up all of my curse words in three languages putting the assembly back in for the 3rd time, so I hope it isn't the motor bearings. As far as testing the motor, I will need to buy a charger and even then won't know what I'm doing or what I'm looking for :???: . I'll keep trying and worst case scenario is I live in San Diego and we're lucky if we get rain 30 days out of a whole year. Thanks for the input and wish me luck.

[vaquaro]

It's a long shot considering you live in sunny California but if the wiper assembly is cracked (or rusted ) usually where the motor bracket joins the top horizontal bar it could stress the the assembly causing it to bind . I replaced my wiper motor not long ago and noticed this defect (put on my get around to it later list :doh: ) 2 weeks later the motor quit -burned out the bearings :wall: So I ended up buying a complete assembly (with new motor ) brand new . Problem solved , lesson learned . I had also previously replaced the wiper switch / staulk assembly on the steering column (now there's a nasty job ) Have another look at your wiper drive system before going that route .Good luck :wavey:

[Bounty Hunter]

if you don't have intermittent wipers then i don't think you have a wiper module.so probably not that.

Where is this 'module'?

 

I just swapped in a tilt column with intermittent wipers for my non-tilt standard wipers column. I don't have any intermittent control but hi and low work, what do I need to add?

[HOrnbrod]

HERE

 

It plugs in at the connector at the base of the steering column. Just unplug the connector, and plug both ends into the module. Of course you need the wiper delay feature on the mulitfunction switch on the column too. :cheers: