WIper Motor Servicing...DIY

When my wife informed me that the wipers wouldn't work on the '90 I procrastinated pulling the motor and linkage until this afternoon. I checked the switch, breaker, module, before giving in and ordering a new motor. Perhaps it is common knowledge, but the seized front wiper motor can actually be quite easy to fix yourself. I simply pulled the rubber boot back, removed the two small bolts, and pulled off the cap. Inside was a mess...bits and chunks of magnet had broken off and seized the motor. I simply removed all these and it works like new. And I was just about to shell out $128 for new motor...now I can afford that ball joing press.

I didn't think these were serviceable based on the number of people buying new and used ones. Hope this helps out someone else.

BTW It's also important to check your 4.8a breaker in the fuse panel...mine had become permanently closed from the heat (that was serviceable too, which is a good thing cause DC didn't show a single one in stock anywhere in Canada).

Ball joint press?

Autozone has free tool rental w/ deposit refunded when it's returned...save some more $$$!

Teron

Thanks for the heads up on the rental option; although it does me no good. I'm an hour away from the nearest city, and all the parts stores I've checked don't offer a press for rent (Canadian Tire...Auto Value). Great Falls, MT (3hrs away) may have one but with most stores if the tool breaks you bought it and I've heard of a lot of cheap presses bending/breaking. I got one on sale at Napa today for $149.99 CDN ($112USD).

LynchMob said:

Thanks for the heads up on the rental option; although it does me no good. I'm an hour away from the nearest city, and all the parts stores I've checked don't offer a press for rent (Canadian Tire...Auto Value). Great Falls, MT (3hrs away) may have one but with most stores if the tool breaks you bought it and I've heard of a lot of cheap presses bending/breaking. I got one on sale at Napa today for $149.99 CDN ($112USD).

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Once you've found out how handy a ball joint press is for universal joints, you'll wonder how you lived so long without it!

The SEV wiper motors on the older XJ's seem to like to seize or wear out at the output shaft bearing. It's good practice to open it up every once in a decade or so and regrease its innards.

I carry my ball joint press with me on the trail. I figure what good is a tool rental at autozone going to do when I bust a U-joint in mud up to my door handles.