Wipers go same speed from slow to high setting

1993 Sport, Auto, 113K on the clock, inline six, and full intermittent settings.

So, last time it rained hard enough for me to turn my wipers from slow to hi, nothing changed. just kept the same standard slow pace.

i have already done some searching and really need to change the bushings on the linkage b/c the passenger wiper is hitting the bottom of the windshield moulding (will do this wkend).

but i don't think that will make the high setting work all of a sudden. So i bring this quandry to my friends at Naxja. is my 16 year old wiper motor going out? what else could it be?

cheers!

it's probably the switch on the stalk

is this a pull and replace. or a pull and clean out type job?

BTW - followed your 'beater build' and your rig looks awesome. Very cool that you were able to perform that kind of restore on your XJ.

thanks.

Replace the stalk.
Just from designing and building circuits like this im guessing its a bad variable resistance resistor.

yeah, I'd bet on the variable resistor in the control stalk, mine went bad also. Ten to twenty bucks at the local junkyard should get you one that is in better shape (I looked for one that had most of the markings still on it, got lucky, it worked), you'll need a long torx driver (T20 I think) and a phillips head to remove the plastic steering column shroud. I believe you need a smallish nutdriver to undo the wire connector on the stalk housing, and you will need a tamperproof (!) torx driver, either T15 or T20, to unbolt the stalk from the steering column.

EDIT: if it's not the stalk, it's the intermittent wiper control module, hidden somewhere in your dashboard. I'd go for the stalk first personally.

EDIT2: this applies to 94-96 models, sorry - not sure what tools you will need

The variable resistor does not control wiper speed, only delay. Speeds are selected by the switch on the stalk, but if the motor works at all on both speeds, the switch is working, since the speed is controlled by selecting different motor windings.

I differ from others here, and would look first at the motor, particularly the output shaft bearing. When it starts to bind, it will tend to slow down, more on the high speed than the low, and seem to be going the same speed.

Might be able to check voltage at the motor at different switch positions and see...

ehall said:

Might be able to check voltage at the motor at different switch positions and see...

Click to expand...

Yes. I don't have the diagram in front of me here, but I believe the plug at the motor will have four terminals. One of those is ground. Of the other three, one is the park circuit, which should be +12 volts whenever the ignition is on, regardless of wiper switch position. Each of the other two should be +12 volts on one and only one of the switch "on" positions.

You can test switch function easily with just a test light.