br1anstorm
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- United Kingdom
The rear wiper on my 1993 XJ has started misbehaving.
The wash/wipe function continues to work as normal. So the wiper-motor is obviously working (as is the pump for the fluid).
In the past, when I switch it to wipe only, the rear wiper makes two or three sweeps of the glass, then parks itself back in the horizontal position..... then after a short interval, it wipes the same way again. This is the normal operation. It always works on an intermittent setting.
Now, on wipe only, it maybe gets half-way, or does one sweep, then stops (often vertically!). It does not park itself back down. After a short interval, it moves again, but still only half a sweep or so, and doesn't park horizontally.
Now..... I'm reckoning that there is a relay somewhere which controls the intermittent wipe-frequency; and that is still working. But I guess there must be something else - is it in the wiper-motor? - that should ensure that it automatically "parks" horizontally at the end of its wipe.
Am I right? If so, what might be causing the wiper not to return to its 'park' position but stop part way? Where do I look, and how do I fix it? I have read in the forum (and seen a youtube clip) which suggests that water/corrosion down the shaft tends to make the wiper movement stiff and can eventually strip the gears.
But if the wiper motor shaft or gears were rusting, or the grease had dried out, making the wiper stop instead of returning to its park position, then why does it work perfectly normally when in the wash/wipe mode?
I haven't yet tried to remove and strip down the motor, because I'm not yet sure whether I should be looking there or at something electrical elsewhere.
Any ideas?
The wash/wipe function continues to work as normal. So the wiper-motor is obviously working (as is the pump for the fluid).
In the past, when I switch it to wipe only, the rear wiper makes two or three sweeps of the glass, then parks itself back in the horizontal position..... then after a short interval, it wipes the same way again. This is the normal operation. It always works on an intermittent setting.
Now, on wipe only, it maybe gets half-way, or does one sweep, then stops (often vertically!). It does not park itself back down. After a short interval, it moves again, but still only half a sweep or so, and doesn't park horizontally.
Now..... I'm reckoning that there is a relay somewhere which controls the intermittent wipe-frequency; and that is still working. But I guess there must be something else - is it in the wiper-motor? - that should ensure that it automatically "parks" horizontally at the end of its wipe.
Am I right? If so, what might be causing the wiper not to return to its 'park' position but stop part way? Where do I look, and how do I fix it? I have read in the forum (and seen a youtube clip) which suggests that water/corrosion down the shaft tends to make the wiper movement stiff and can eventually strip the gears.
But if the wiper motor shaft or gears were rusting, or the grease had dried out, making the wiper stop instead of returning to its park position, then why does it work perfectly normally when in the wash/wipe mode?
I haven't yet tried to remove and strip down the motor, because I'm not yet sure whether I should be looking there or at something electrical elsewhere.
Any ideas?