wipers are working...thats the problem
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Porters Lake Nova Scotia
wipers are working...thats the problem
hi there, i have a 1970 350 and my problem is, axactly as the title says. I have the wiper override switch unplugged, and the main power to the motor is unplugged, and the wipers still work. I dont understand how the wiper motor is getting power. With the key on, the wiper switch is getting power on the dbl and 2 lbl wires, but not the black that goes to the relay. This is causing the wiper solenoid to be energized on both terminals when the switch is off, and only the yellow terminal when the switch is on. I have tried to follow the schematic, but i am no doctor. Please help, i dont understand why the wiper motor is working???
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 330
From: Indy Indiana
yes you probably have power on your ground wire.. do DC motors care about polarity? probably not if they are insulated from ground..
the wipers work by completing the circuit to ground on 2 wires at the switch, one for low speed and another for high speed... get a wiring diagram and start chasing it down.. check out the wilcox web site, they have an excellent writeup..
the wipers work by completing the circuit to ground on 2 wires at the switch, one for low speed and another for high speed... get a wiring diagram and start chasing it down.. check out the wilcox web site, they have an excellent writeup..
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Porters Lake Nova Scotia
i checked the ground that goes from the wiper motor to ground, no power there. Also, i have the wiring schematics, i am just not good at looking at those. Is the solenoid supposed to operate as i described above?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 153
just a thought,if the wire that sends your wipers in to park position is disconected your wipers won't shut off.I don't think they will fully cyle though,they'll go up a little and come back down continuly.
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Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
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From: Dayton, Ohio
If you do have a 73 wiper motor and the door is fast enough then your only draw back will be not being able to stop the wipers at mid windshield to change blades,but you can always just pull the 3 wire plug on the motor.(you can pull the ground but it will not always guarantee stopping the motor)
edit -- Your power to the motor is the yellow wire by the way.
edit -- Your power to the motor is the yellow wire by the way.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
The yellow wire is now your main power supply to this motor.
If you want to interupt it to stop the wiper arms in motion, you might splice it to the over-ride switch. Do you have a wiper door?
Here is the wiring for the 1973 - 1976 motor.
Here is what the car should have.
Willcox
If you want to interupt it to stop the wiper arms in motion, you might splice it to the over-ride switch. Do you have a wiper door?
Here is the wiring for the 1973 - 1976 motor.
Here is what the car should have.
Willcox
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Porters Lake Nova Scotia
yeah as soon as you guys mentioned it, i looked at the motor, and i did splice the yellow over into the override switch then back into the motor. The 18 yellow wire comes right off the fuse panel so it still works as it should.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
The yellow wire is switched voltage. So with the key off it should kill power.
E
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Aug 8, 2009 at 10:11 AM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Porters Lake Nova Scotia
so now that i have made it so the yellow power wire has to go through the override switch, now the wipers wont turn off, they still keep going. If i disconnect the 3 prong plug, then reconeect it, the wipers will park, then start on a slow speed, and wont shut off. I have also concluded that the wiper motor i am using is not from a 68-72, becuase there is a fourth prong above the yellow power. Is something grounding when it shouldnt, or not grounding when it should?
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
so now that i have made it so the yellow power wire has to go through the override switch, now the wipers wont turn off, they still keep going. If i disconnect the 3 prong plug, then reconeect it, the wipers will park, then start on a slow speed, and wont shut off. I have also concluded that the wiper motor i am using is not from a 68-72, becuase there is a fourth prong above the yellow power. Is something grounding when it shouldnt, or not grounding when it should?
Can you post a picture of this wiper motor and the connetion at the motor. The over-ride switch should only serve as a power interrupt only and if hard wired should stop the current.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Aug 7, 2009 at 10:42 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
The function of the solenoid is to interrupt vacuum from reaching the wiper arm relay valve on 1969-1972 cars and to interrupt vacuum from reaching the wiper door actuator relay on 1968 cars. This is solenoid is powered up at all times by the yellow wire and actually controlled when ground is completed by the light blue wire at the wiper switch.
Willcox
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Porters Lake Nova Scotia
Above the 3 prong connector, there is a fourth prong, it is under the cover right now, but it is getting power when the yellow has power on it. I did the motor test on the Wilcox website, and it seems to all chec out. Is the high suppose to turn on when i jump from #1 to #3 when there isnt a ground on #3?
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Ok, now we are getting somewhere. The yellow wire that you have spliced to the motor. Is this wire spliced to the red with a white strip wire? (see blue arrow). If so, cut this loose and tape the end up. Then move the yellow power feed to the switched voltage yellow wire right below it. (Yellow with red arrow).
It's hard to tell if this is what is done to the car but if you are using the red/white wire it is hot at all times. But you need to wire the car up as in the diagram listed 1973-1977 above.
This then creates another issued and that would be breaking the power with the switch inside. This switch will have red with a white stripe wire on both sides from the factory. If you spliced the yellow circuit to this and did not connect to yellow on the motor side this would explain why it is not stoping the motor.
To make the over-ride function you'll need to route the yellow wire to both sides of the switch before it makes it to the wiper motor (and have the yellow wire as the power feed to the motor). Make sense?
I'm going to take a motor home with me and I'll post back later.
Willcox
It's hard to tell if this is what is done to the car but if you are using the red/white wire it is hot at all times. But you need to wire the car up as in the diagram listed 1973-1977 above.
This then creates another issued and that would be breaking the power with the switch inside. This switch will have red with a white stripe wire on both sides from the factory. If you spliced the yellow circuit to this and did not connect to yellow on the motor side this would explain why it is not stoping the motor.
To make the over-ride function you'll need to route the yellow wire to both sides of the switch before it makes it to the wiper motor (and have the yellow wire as the power feed to the motor). Make sense?
I'm going to take a motor home with me and I'll post back later.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Aug 8, 2009 at 10:27 AM.