Rear wiper issue

On my 99' XJ the rear wiper switch doesnt work when flipped on, but when you push the button for the washer, the wiper works. I havent looked into it much, but was wondering if these XJs were prone to those switches failing?

I don't know if they're prone to failing, but mine did. It worked just like you describe, and a new switch fixed it.

I have never seen a used jeep that the rear wipers worked on anymore, LOL, including ALL of mine.

I have the same issue . Switched out switch with a doner switch then it wouldn't squirt ! On my 97 cherokee

IIRC one of my rears does squirt, the wiper does not work and squirts outward on cars tail gating me, LOL

Usually the little plastic hose connection breaks off. The was a fix written up using a hobby store fuel fitting. Down my list a little ways.

Check the wiring harness that goes to the rear hatch,
mine has a couple of broken wires...

winterbeater said:

Usually the little plastic hose connection breaks off. The was a fix written up using a hobby store fuel fitting. Down my list a little ways.

Click to expand...

I has been buried at the bottom of my list for 8-10 years

LTRTI

i973eat1 said:

On my 99' XJ the rear wiper switch doesnt work when flipped on, but when you push the button for the washer, the wiper works. I havent looked into it much, but was wondering if these XJs were prone to those switches failing?

Click to expand...

Replaced the rear motor on mine back in July. I'd to see if your getting power at the motor.

The intermittent rear wiper uses different terminals for wash and run, because the intermittent function is built into the motor itself. If it washes, at least the motor is working, but you need to determine whether power is getting to the run terminal on the motor in order to find whether it's the motor or the switch.

Later wipers have a motor that's put together with rivets, making them hard to fix, though not impossible if you can file, drill or mill the rivet heads off. If you're careful, you can do this and put it back together with screws.

If your wiper is getting sluggish and slow, it may be worthwhile trying to open it up and pull and lubricate the wiper shaft before it seizes up and burns out. The shaft is long and corrosion works its way down. Once the motor is apart you can just push it out, clean off the rust, and grease it. Older ones with screws are well worth the effort if they have not stopped altogether. Once the thing gets too stiff it will either burn out the motor or strip the nylon gears.

Note from DJ
I used contact cleaner with lubricant in a spray can from Radio Shack on my 88XJ switch; then exercised it back and forth till the wiper mode started working again.

djgrayxj said:

Note from DJ
I used contact cleaner with lubricant in a spray can from Radio Shack on my 88XJ switch; then exercised it back and forth till the wiper mode started working again.

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If you have an old Renix XJ, you should get a holster belt. In one side goes the vacuum pump to diagnose the dozen different ways the axle disconnect can fail, and in the other the can of tuner cleaner to keep all the electrics going.
:laugh3:

Note from DJ

You are correct about keeping the spray can handy I still have most of the C101 connecter in tack.
But I have NP 242 no Vacuum problems with it.
I don’t beat on my dash in order to keep my instruments working.
I have the cheap cable that operates my blend door.
My front seats are not broken no unwanted recline position.
And the OLD ’88 only has a little over 140,000 thousand on the odometer and I’m 72, odds are it will still be going when I’m not.
Spray can of contact cleaner is very cheap maintains item in my book.
I think the OLD ’88 is a keeper. LOL

djgrayxj said:

Note from DJ

You are correct about keeping the spray can handy I still have most of the C101 connecter in tack.
But I have NP 242 no Vacuum problems with it.
I don’t beat on my dash in order to keep my instruments working.
I have the cheap cable that operates my blend door.
My front seats are not broken no unwanted recline position.
And the OLD ’88 only has a little over 140,000 thousand on the odometer and I’m 72, odds are it will still be going when I’m not.
Spray can of contact cleaner is very cheap maintains item in my book.
I think the OLD ’88 is a keeper. LOL

Click to expand...

Sounds like my 87 Wagoneer.

I did away with mine and sourced out one of the plastic "plugs" that goes over the hole left by the wiper....which is normally for XJ's that didn't come with the rear wiper standard. IMO.....i never understood a rear wiper unless it was to wipe off snow or something, but of course i live in the south so not much of that here