C3 Stroker

Well, I installed a new (console) wiper switch.........the old one failed the "Willcox continuity tests". Also installed a new (tested good) wiper relay. Turned them on and now they somewhat work. I have high speed only, regardless of low or high switch position. And when you return to the off position, the "run on" continues. I have to use the bypass switch to shut them off. I'm thinking, maybe the motor itself? Well, next step I'll jumper the motor directly to test it. If it fails, then I'll know. If it passes, I'll have to jumper around the bad wires. Anyway, I've had enough fun for today. A big shout-out to Willcox.....Thanks for your effort and contributions.

theandies

Make sure you plugged the connector in correctly. It's easy to plug it in backwards and that causes all kinds of strange issues. You'll notice a tab on the connector and a post on the back of the switch. This setup is suppose to index the connector properly but its very easy to plug it in backwards.......don't ask me how I know this. LoL

C3 Stroker

Noted....I followed the Willcox illustration. Facing the switch, the connector outside tab goes on the right......it should not line up with the post on the switch (which is supposed to stop the connector, but it doesn't).

Correct way.......

C3 Stroker

More progress (?) today. It seems I have at least one missing ground (at the switch).....no continuity where there should be. I jumpered one ground and got the wipers to turn on using the switch. I still only have one speed, but now they will return to park, and I could use the bypass to stop the wipers in the up position to access the blades (couldn't before). I could also access the wiper door relay and installed the new one from Lectric Limited. The old one failed miserably, would not hold vacuum at all. At least now the wiper door does not pop up when the car turns off, and it allows the wipers to fully park before crushing them. I'll have to continue searching the ground problem, and rerun grounds as needed........I suspect some ground wires got pulled loose when the new engine and new voltage gauge were installed.......hadn't tried the wipers since then.....

0Willcox Corvette

Stroker, If your center dash bezel is broken at the thin part (the tiny area where the wiper switch plate goes) then jumper a ground from the switch to one of the four screws that hold the center gauges in place... Or replace the dash bezel. The only way for this to fail is if you have a broken center dash bezel which supplies the ground to the switch. The only solution if you don't wish to replace the bezel is to jumper a ground to the gauge housing. The gauge housing supplies all the ground for the circuit of the switch through the temperature gauge ground.

Willcox

0Willcox Corvette

Andies... .

It's not frustrating as much as it is time consuming (which I have very little these days). You have to get a mental grasp of what the issue is and then think it through with each customer.

The frustration comes from taking the time to do the videos and the PDF and (I'm not implying the OP didn't but most do not) and then the customer not taking the time to read the info and digest it so they can solve the issue. Most find it easier to just message me... but they don't realize the time it takes to get it in your head and then translate it to common thinking. There are other mitigating factors that play a roll in my diminished replies on the forum the last year. I'm not knocking the forum, but one being that if I reply I bump my sale threads downward due to new rules on the forum. I can only bump my own thread one time every other day so this is why Tommy post a plea to say "If you like this thread please bump it"... but sadly it happens rarely. We can't bump the threads more often than every other day..... but you guys can and It's just a change that the forum put in place a year ago and something we have to deal with. Honestly, I don't blame them when you looked at the c4 and c5 threads where one company would start 10 threads a day... it flooded these forums with basically "spam" from these vendors and was ruining it for everyone else that needed help... Who wants to look through 20 sale thread on the C4 general thread to find one good post about something... No one... On the vendor thread that only vendors can see... they blasted a few of them and honestly they deserved it.... So I don't blame the forum.... I'm just trying to play by the rules and be smart with my post in the mean time but it makes my job here a bit unusual.

I said above, people email me constantly (today 2 emails on corvette wiper motors and even 1 on a chevelle.) with issues but they won' t take the time to read or watch the information or try to solve the issue on their own, it's easier to send a message than to engage brain.... And in most cases if they do with the info available they will solve the issue. (Again, Not saying the OP didn't read or watch, from what I've read he did).... I'm just stating why I'm a bit frustrated from the entire wiper motor, gauge (temp, fuel, oil pressure, temp sender and oil temp gauge) of which I've published so many documents on it's crazy.

It's the same with fuel gauges... lol.. But for now I'm not going anywhere, I still get a jolt out of trying to solve issues and problems. Okay.. .back to my square corner of my round room...

E

C3 Stroker

Thanks for your continued aid. The center dash bezel is new and not broken. The gauge housing is grounded OK. And for my tests I'm running a seperate ground to the switch so I don't have to keep it bolted in place, and for easy jumpering. I jumpered a ground wire from the support brace to #8 of your schematic (middle switch terminal)........now I have one speed (low?, can't tell), and park, and wipers turn off and on fine. Now in search of 2 speed action.......

0Willcox Corvette

okay.. in the next few days I'll put my empty head into this and see if I can figure it out... I'm actually out of town for the next month so my free time will be dictated by the real boss.... I'm sorry but happy wife happy life prevails. But maybe she'll fall asleep early in the next few days and I can put my thinking cap on... E... I have to ask again because I'm a bit old... did you review the wire video of what can happen in what circumstance? This video usually nails all issues and if not it tells you where the issue is. I'll check back in two days... post your reply and hopefully I'll be able to check it.

e

D_Williams

If you connect a constant ground to #8, then you will never get high speed. When the switch is set to OFF, then #8 should be grounded and #18 should be an open circuit. For LOW, both #8 and #18 should be grounded, and for HIGH, #18 is grounded and #8 is an open circuit. Because your new(?) switch is not grounding #8 for LOW and OFF (which would cause the run on) it may be bad.

C3 Stroker

I'll recheck later this week and retest. The new switch passes all continuity tests and is good. The run on issue has stopped. The switch may not have been truly grounded as I thought. I found a ground (?) wire attached to the switch that went to nowhere (open). I'll now make sure the bezel is screw contact is good and retest everything.......

C3 Stroker

Yep, watched the videos........I'll eventually get it all figured out......

128racecar

Okay, I've watched all the videos. But how do I get the plastic cover off the wiper motor so I can try a bench test while on the car? I'm leery of breaking it.

Marc in Indy

C3 Stroker

You don't have to take the cover off....just pull off 1-2-3 connector to the motor and apply your grounds (from the engine or other ground source) to the wiper motor terminals. Run your 12v source from the alternator stud to the yellow #2 terminal.

C3 Stroker

Well, after double checking the switch (in case I got a dud), and the relay (tested OK), and replacing the faulty wiper door relay (the door now works as intended and no longer smashes the wipers before they're parked), and after removing various test grounds, I bench tested the motor itself (in the car). It failed the test. I have low speed only, regardless of high or low setting. I have backfeed voltage on the #3 wiper motor connector terminal, indicating a motor ground problem. Well, if I remove the motor, a new one will take its place (a project for another day and time), and until then if necessary I at least have low speed to help me see in the rain.......

Thanks, all, for your helpful suggestions and input.

Dirty Dalton

I'm a big fan of Rain-X. Haven't used wipers in years, other than to pass inspection.

C3 Stroker

At the risk of buying a dud, is there a "preferred" supplier of wiper motors? Everyone seems to have one.....even O'Reilly's around the corner. And prices are all over the map.

theandies

I'm scared to buy another one so I don't know where/who to get one that will last. I'm looking into other options/upgrades. There are a few found here but I don't know how much modifications I want to do at this point.