Wipers run no-stop. Switch has no effect
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,075
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From: in the woods looking for my 270+ yard drive
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Wipers run no-stop. Switch has no effect
After washing my 02 Z I took it to the store. Without hitting anything the wipers just came on out of nowhere. 
I figured I hit the lever so I tried turning them off. No workie.
I then went home (looking like a dufus with my wipers going during a nice sunny day) and disconnected the battery for 5 minutes.
Re-connected and they still were running.
I finally yanked the fuse.
Thoughts?
I figured I hit the lever so I tried turning them off. No workie.
I then went home (looking like a dufus with my wipers going during a nice sunny day) and disconnected the battery for 5 minutes.
Re-connected and they still were running.
I finally yanked the fuse.
Thoughts?
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
Originally Posted by patton
reach under wipermotor clean,drain but donot remove 3 utters. youre wiper module has water in it . it may dry out
`It is making contact due to the water inside! You might have to also remove the cover of the wiper motor and take your air compressor nozzle and blow her dry! Just be careful when you do it and all should be well!Let us know how it goes!
Thanks,Matt
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 869
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From: Jacksonville FL
St. Jude Contributor
I, or rather the car, had clean udders and I was having the same problem. Since I have GMPP, the dealer replaced the wiper switch assembly and that took care of it.
There have been other threads on this problem and others have had good luck trying some other things. Try a search. Good luck!!
Edit: Matt beat me to it.
There have been other threads on this problem and others have had good luck trying some other things. Try a search. Good luck!!
Edit: Matt beat me to it.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,075
Likes: 0
From: in the woods looking for my 270+ yard drive
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Thanks folks! Going out to the garage and starting on this right now. I will let you know how it goes. 
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 174
Likes: 4
From: West Palm Beach Fl
I am having the same problem today. I took off the udders and they were stuffed with leaves and fallout. I cleaned them out real real good and stuck my fingers in there and cleaned out the motor housing as best as I could. I pulled the fuse and waited a few minutes and I'm still having the same problem.
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 174
Likes: 4
From: West Palm Beach Fl
I haven't check yet today but this whole week has been raining horribley so I guess as long as the rain comes the damn thing can never dry out as best as it could.
I'm not so convinced that it's the stalk only because it was working fine up until Friday. It hasn't stopped raining since Tuesday and yes, when I checked those utters on Saturday they were stuffed with leaves and fallout to the point that the housing was as well. Like I said before I cleaned them out as best as I could and I did pull out the fuse. I remember it started Friday night in which they wouldn't turn on with the switch on.
Then out of nowhere they turned on and stayed on pretty much the whole time. Sometimes it gave the feeling they were going to turn off because they would just stop. A minute later they would kick back on again. The high works fine but the other settings are all the same. Seems like today it may stop raining. We'll see.
I'm not so convinced that it's the stalk only because it was working fine up until Friday. It hasn't stopped raining since Tuesday and yes, when I checked those utters on Saturday they were stuffed with leaves and fallout to the point that the housing was as well. Like I said before I cleaned them out as best as I could and I did pull out the fuse. I remember it started Friday night in which they wouldn't turn on with the switch on.
Then out of nowhere they turned on and stayed on pretty much the whole time. Sometimes it gave the feeling they were going to turn off because they would just stop. A minute later they would kick back on again. The high works fine but the other settings are all the same. Seems like today it may stop raining. We'll see.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 174
Likes: 4
From: West Palm Beach Fl
Ok, I have an update and I'm asking for some opinions. It's been almost a week and I finally was able to get to this with a little bit of a drizzle today.
I've kept the car under a cover all week so the rain wouldn't get to the wiper motor. Keep in mind the udders are 100% clean and the fuse has been out for nearly a week. I popped the fuse back in, hit the motor with some compressed air, and started the car. Friggin' wonderful, the wipers are still going.
The only thing I noticed now is that it appears that the wipers appear to turn off for about a minute then they kick back on again. The turn off or maybe it's more like they get stuck. They never return to the cowel though but stop anywhere on the glass for about a minute. High works fine, low works fine, intermittent works in low and off is running in low. This is pissing me off. Considering what the wipers are currently doing, do you guys think the motor is shot or that the stalk is messed up? Please help since we got a long weekend I have a little more time to work.
Thanks guys, I appreciate everything I can get.
I've kept the car under a cover all week so the rain wouldn't get to the wiper motor. Keep in mind the udders are 100% clean and the fuse has been out for nearly a week. I popped the fuse back in, hit the motor with some compressed air, and started the car. Friggin' wonderful, the wipers are still going.
The only thing I noticed now is that it appears that the wipers appear to turn off for about a minute then they kick back on again. The turn off or maybe it's more like they get stuck. They never return to the cowel though but stop anywhere on the glass for about a minute. High works fine, low works fine, intermittent works in low and off is running in low. This is pissing me off. Considering what the wipers are currently doing, do you guys think the motor is shot or that the stalk is messed up? Please help since we got a long weekend I have a little more time to work.
Thanks guys, I appreciate everything I can get.
Last edited by Guro305; Sep 3, 2006 at 09:33 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Lewiston Idaho
Mine's doing the same thing
Hey guys,
My first post here I just bought my C5 last Monday washed it day before yesterday and the wipers started twitching just above the cowl every once in a while especially while accelerating it would make a swipe all the way across then start twitching again. Last night it started running nonstop. High works fine low works fine and intermittent seems to work too but when it is in the off position it wants to run on either low or a fast intermittent speed. It would be wonderful if GM did a recall on these but I can just about guarantee it won't happen until a few people get killed, I'm battling with them about fixing my non working parking brake in my 03 Avalanche. The NHTSA has had 181 claims filed about the brake and they basically said since nobody has gotten killed yet because of this reason they will not force GM to recall.
Going out right now to work on my Vette and see if I can make the wipers work correctly maybe even find a permanant fix for it.
Thanks guys this is a great forum and I look forward to many more posts from you.
Sinister C5
My first post here I just bought my C5 last Monday washed it day before yesterday and the wipers started twitching just above the cowl every once in a while especially while accelerating it would make a swipe all the way across then start twitching again. Last night it started running nonstop. High works fine low works fine and intermittent seems to work too but when it is in the off position it wants to run on either low or a fast intermittent speed. It would be wonderful if GM did a recall on these but I can just about guarantee it won't happen until a few people get killed, I'm battling with them about fixing my non working parking brake in my 03 Avalanche. The NHTSA has had 181 claims filed about the brake and they basically said since nobody has gotten killed yet because of this reason they will not force GM to recall.
Going out right now to work on my Vette and see if I can make the wipers work correctly maybe even find a permanant fix for it.
Thanks guys this is a great forum and I look forward to many more posts from you.
Sinister C5
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Lewiston Idaho
Hey it works!!!
Hey guys,
I pulled the motor out and took the 3 screws out that holds the back cover/electronics and about a tablespoon of water ran out of the motor. I sprayed the inside with some wd-40 to displace the water and dried it with the wife's hair dryer. These motors are sealed with a gooey anaerobic sealant that doesn't work for crap so I scraped all that out and got some black silicone RTV and sealed it up. I also noticed that where the inside socket for the electrical plug is has a gap all the way around it so I put some sealer on it too.
Plugged it in and checked it now it works perfectly! The real test is the next time I wash it. Oh yeah I checked the udders and they were clean of all debris too.
GURO 305-- I had trouble getting my wipers off too, I sprayed them with wd-40 and tapped on the side of the wiper housing with the side of a screwdriver to activate the penetrating action let it sit for about an hour and they pulled right off. Hope this helps.
Sinister C5
I pulled the motor out and took the 3 screws out that holds the back cover/electronics and about a tablespoon of water ran out of the motor. I sprayed the inside with some wd-40 to displace the water and dried it with the wife's hair dryer. These motors are sealed with a gooey anaerobic sealant that doesn't work for crap so I scraped all that out and got some black silicone RTV and sealed it up. I also noticed that where the inside socket for the electrical plug is has a gap all the way around it so I put some sealer on it too.
Plugged it in and checked it now it works perfectly! The real test is the next time I wash it. Oh yeah I checked the udders and they were clean of all debris too.
GURO 305-- I had trouble getting my wipers off too, I sprayed them with wd-40 and tapped on the side of the wiper housing with the side of a screwdriver to activate the penetrating action let it sit for about an hour and they pulled right off. Hope this helps.
Sinister C5
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 174
Likes: 4
From: West Palm Beach Fl
Thanks for the input. I had no trouble getting the wipers off because I have a wiper arm puller. They work like a charm.
The problem I'm having is getting off the screw that holds the motor to the assembley. Not the three that hold it to the mount but the one that holds it to the turning mechanism. It wouldn't come out for anything. After penetrating oil and brake fluid nothing. The torx ended up rounding it. I've tried a blow torch, drilling it, easy-outs(why do they call them easy-outs when they almost always easily break!) and nothing. Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!
I am beyond anger at this point. I'm pretty much giving up on it and looking for a whole new assembley on Ebay because I don't have anymore patience and time left for it. It has been a nigthmare over one lousy screw!!!!!!! Unless anyone has any other suggestions left to give, I'm taking back the new motor and getting my money back and waiting for the new assembley to ship.
The problem I'm having is getting off the screw that holds the motor to the assembley. Not the three that hold it to the mount but the one that holds it to the turning mechanism. It wouldn't come out for anything. After penetrating oil and brake fluid nothing. The torx ended up rounding it. I've tried a blow torch, drilling it, easy-outs(why do they call them easy-outs when they almost always easily break!) and nothing. Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!
I am beyond anger at this point. I'm pretty much giving up on it and looking for a whole new assembley on Ebay because I don't have anymore patience and time left for it. It has been a nigthmare over one lousy screw!!!!!!! Unless anyone has any other suggestions left to give, I'm taking back the new motor and getting my money back and waiting for the new assembley to ship.