No High Speed on Wipers

[WahooSteeler]

Installed a new wiper motor and bushings this weekend, old motor could barely move them across the windshield. Anyhoo, not really a big deal but there is no change in speed from low to high. In my 35+ years of driving I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I used the high speed in any vehicle I drove, if it's raining that hard it doesn't matter. But I'm anal enough that since it's a new motor, I want it to work 100% correct. I double checked the connectors and made sure they were fully mated. I have intermittent wipers if that makes a difference. Good news is the intermittent function works and the regular speed works, so at least I have function. Any suggestions on what to troubleshoot?

[87MJTIM]

The Intermittent Wiper Module (IWM) has a low speed/high speed control.  The IWM may be bad.

 

Does the intermittent wiper control work?

 

Does the washer pump work?

[Pete M]

I would try unplugging the intermittent box and bypassing it.  probably not the issue, but it's easy enough to check.   

[WahooSteeler]

1 hour ago, Pete M said:

I would try unplugging the intermittent box and bypassing it.  probably not the issue, but it's easy enough to check.   

Location?

[87MJTIM]

Under the steering column on the valance panel.  Little black box held on by velcro.  Unplug both connectors and connect them together.

[WahooSteeler]

5 hours ago, 87MJTIM said:

The Intermittent Wiper Module (IWM) has a low speed/high speed control.  The IWM may be bad.

 

Does the intermittent wiper control work?

 

Does the washer pump work?

Yes and yes

[Minuit]

Try unplugging the module and see if anything changes. Both of my trucks have original wiper motors and there is not very much difference between low and high speed at all. Is this a new motor or remanufactured? If reman, I wouldn't expect much.

[HOrnbrod]

7 hours ago, WahooSteeler said:

Installed a new wiper motor and bushings this weekend, old motor could barely move them across the windshield. Anyhoo, not really a big deal but there is no change in speed from low to high.

 

Did you have any change of speed at all with the old motor?

[WahooSteeler]

13 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

 

Did you have any change of speed at all with the old motor?

Nope, just assumed it was because the old motor was worn out as it barely moved on low speed. 

[HOrnbrod]

Then I'd suspect a cracked multifunction switch inside the column. You can try plugging in a new el-cheapo $10 Dorman stalk w. intermittent, if no help then the switch (or it's associated wiring) is probably the culprit. PITA to replace.....

[mjeff87]

I agree with everything said above, but if all checks out.......try lubing the bushings on the wiper motor arms.  They are ball/socket bushings, you can pop them apart (carefully) and add some white lithium grease to the sockets.  Also try some Rain-X on the windshield.  Both of these cheats will help the wipers sweep a bit quicker across.

 

 

[WahooSteeler]

Jeff, I replaced the bushings when I pulled the linkage out to replace the motor, and sprayed in some Liquid Wrench White Lithium before I popped the ball joints back in.  

[coolwind57]

I'm a bit late to add to the discussion, but I'd like to add one piece of advice on these wiper motors if I may jump into your thread, WahooSteeler.  Perhaps it'll benefit you or other future readers of your thread.

 

Yesterday, during a heavy downpour of course, my wipers began sweeping erratically.  After screwing with the controls for a minute or two as I was going down the road, it suddenly stopped altogether.    Turns out unbeknownst to me, that two of the three bolts holding the motor onto the wiper arms were loose with the third having popped out.  Upon parking at my wife's work, I checked the wiper motor breaker--all good.  So now, I'm in my wife's work parking lot in the pouring down rain as people walked by and I'm taking my cowl apart to find what the issue was. Scratching my rain-soaked head, I was forced to accept that there was no fixing on the spot.  My wife greeted me this way. 

 

The arms had seized, causing me to drive at half speed for the 25-minute ride home in the pouring rain.  During this scary and stressful ride home, I got to hear my Filipina wife tell me that we had made a mistake in buying this truck because all of the time and money I'd been putting into it.  Good times, man.  

 

Anyhow, I tackled the pulling and reinstalling of the motor and arm assembly today.  I've got a 100K original mile truck, so I'm assuming this area of the truck hadn't been touched since 1989.  Jeep had apparently used no lock washers or any other means of keeping this bolt securely inside the aluminum assembly.  

 

My advice:  Spend a few bucks on lock-tite and/or lock washers.  Believe your poor, beaten-down Comanche brother; it ain't worth having this problem ever again.

 

  

[WahooSteeler]

When I put mine back in I was thinking, I need to put some locktite on these bolts but because I was just trying to get them working to pass state inspection, and worried if they did not work right away, I skipped that step. Fortunately I need to replace the little T connector on the washer tubes so I'll do it then. Thanks for the input!