Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

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Khmer75
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Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by Khmer75 »

This morning, this happened for the second time: I turned the wipers on intermittent, they went on "low". I turned them to "off" and they stopped mid-windshield. This weirdness continued for only a few minutes, just like the first time. Id like to nip this problem in the bud, before the wipers don't work at all some dark and rainy morning. Any ideas?
Eric
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Post by merk23literturbo »

Something very similar happened to me a while ago. I turned on the intermittent wipers and they went onto the slow setting instead. After about a minute they went into normal intermittent mode. I am sure that it is the delay setting switch since that sets the delay time with a rheostat. After the very old rheostat got warmed up it worked fine. Maybe it just needs cleaning or maybe it is on the way out. Twenty years is a long time for any part to last.
German engineer: We custom fit every part in the Porsche engine.
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John R. Rowlands
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Wipers

Post by John R. Rowlands »

Khmer75,

Pop the wiper delay switch out. Get some contact cleaner spray it in the switch, work it back and forth. Put the switch back in and see if that helps.

John
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
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Post by richardcurtis »

while on the subject of wipers, i've had two XRs with wipers that simply quit working. On both cars, I removed the wiper motor (this works by the way or either front or rear wiper(s)), disassembled the wiper motor, cleaned out all the old grease (which had solidified), regreased and reassembled. Motors then worked like new. Pretty easy repair and cost nothing.
Richard Curtis
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Post by 85merwhat? »

Ive had quite a few instances where the fuse panel cover will fall off and jam the wipers in mid drive. Kinda scary on the expressway. It has happened on 3 of my merkurs. Just make sure its tight or if its broken secure it (100mph tape) or replace it.
Khmer75
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Post by Khmer75 »

The problem has not reappeared since the two occurrences. I did nothing but roll the rheostat to the other extreme. Good diagnosis, looks like.
John: Can you suggest a contact cleaner? I once used a contact cleaner that ate the plastic switch...Does brakleen work okay?
Richard: Maybe I'll try that later. I'm more likely to plunge it into a bucket of gas than disassemble it, though.
85: Um, yup, it's broken. Good guess. It's velcro'd out of harm's way now. Good tip.
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John R. Rowlands
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Post by John R. Rowlands »

Khmer75 wrote:John: Can you suggest a contact cleaner? I once used a contact cleaner that ate the plastic switch...Does brakleen work okay?
NO don't use Brakleen! Go to Radio Shack and get some electrical contact cleaner. SPS also makes electrical contact cleaner.

John
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
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Post by Khmer75 »

10-4!
Eric
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Re: Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by worked_xr »

First, please forgive me reviving a 14 year old thread. Second, forgive my long absence from the forum. Third, was there ever a proper diagnosis and/or solution found for this? Has anyone else had a similar problem with their wipers and found a solution?

My wipers are displaying very similar behavior. This behavior actually started 8 years ago randomly, but then I put the car on hold (i.e. let it sit) for 7 years, and am now back making it right again. Here's the deal:

1) Low and high wiper speeds work perfectly, but neither will park properly when turned off. They either stop where they are, or make a very weak attempt to reach park before stopping wherever they are.

2) Intermittent acts exactly the same as low and the intermittent switch has zero effect. Wipers also don't park properly when switched off from intermittent.

What I've done so far: lubricated all the fulcrums/joints (no change, except they got minutely smoother), removed and cleaned all the grounds (no change), cleaned the intermittent speed rheostat with electrical cleaner (no change), cleaned and tried another intermittent rheostat (no change), tried a third rheostat (no change).

What I haven't done: removed the actual wiper switch assembly from the column, removed the wiper motor, tried hitting it with a hammer.

Suggestions greatly appreciated.
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Re:

Post by worked_xr »

Well, after not getting any replies here or elsewhere, and only finding this and one other thread on TF.org, I've fixed it. And the winner is:
richardcurtis wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:41 pm while on the subject of wipers, i've had two XRs with wipers that simply quit working. On both cars, I removed the wiper motor (this works by the way or either front or rear wiper(s)), disassembled the wiper motor, cleaned out all the old grease (which had solidified), regreased and reassembled. Motors then worked like new. Pretty easy repair and cost nothing.
So thank you Richard for posting this. I mean, it was the last thing to check in diagnosis, so of course it was the solution. But yeah, the hardened grease was exactly the problem. Specifically, while the motor was quiet and operated fine, the grease had hardened in places where it interrupted or prevented the 3 electrical tangs making contact. So, removed the motor, thoroughly cleaned out all of the nasty, thick, hard, sticky, tar-like grease, readjusted the tangs, re-greased with a lithium based grease, put it back together, and reinstalled. Easy, quick (20 minutes) job and it works like a champ, intermittent intermits, and it parks where it should. 8)
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Re: Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by MarkM »

We appreciate you posting what worked for you. Who knows? You might help someone else with the same problem 14 years from now.

Or 14 days. Either way, thanks for adding to the knowledge base.
Mark
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Re: Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by worked_xr »

MarkM wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:16 am We appreciate you posting what worked for you. Who knows? You might help someone else with the same problem 14 years from now.

Or 14 days. Either way, thanks for adding to the knowledge base.
Exactly right. I suspect it just might help someone, because I wasn't the first and I won't be the last to suffer this issue.
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Re: Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by my8950 »

I may have to get into my wiper motor based on the sounds here. Mine seem to go really sloooooowwwww....I wait to have a bit of rain on the glass before I turn them on so they don't drag across, but it's painfully slow.
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Re: Weird windshield wiper behaviour.

Post by my8950 »

my8950 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 2:36 pm I may have to get into my wiper motor based on the sounds here. Mine seem to go really sloooooowwwww....I wait to have a bit of rain on the glass before I turn them on so they don't drag across, but it's painfully slow.
I did mine this past weekend, I had a complete motor and transmission from a car we parted. I took that motor apart and cleaned all the grease, then put new in, put it all in the car and it works great. I didn't have any issue with them parking, they just moved really really slow, and the intermittent moved like a caterpillar. Turned them on Monday, boom, I was so excited, they move fast, not like a new car, but like they should.
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