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Help trouble shooting 1965 wiper washer system
new purchase of an older frame off car . have had a few minor items that just needed fixing corroded connections to get them working properly. Actually never even turned on wipers . Didn’t want to turn them on , on a dry hot windshield and since most everything else worked I assumed wipers had to
well drove through a little rain today and nothing. Absolutely nothing . I am new to older corvettes. Any advice on how to trouble ahoot this. Everything looks new even pump bottle has windshield fluid in it and all wires and hoses seem to be hooked up. Can’t help but think or hope it’s yet another electrical connection from a car that hasn’t seen many miles at all In Last few years. This forum has been terrific. Where would I start. ? Thanks ! |
Wilcox website (a CF sponsor) has troubleshooting guide for C2 Corvette wipers. Go to their website and have a look. Good information.
Larry EDIT: This is their video, but it also talks about their troubleshooting guide and how to get it. |
I did see this bench test video but was hoping for some more preliminary trouble shooting info. Went to the Wilcox site and they have c-1 and c-3 trouble shooting but just the bench test of the c-2 motor . Not sure I have to take motor out yet. At this point I don’t even know if it’s getting power . Was looking for more initial things to check. How is is it grounded , where do I check for power first etc. thanks |
How about this..................I did a search of the entire C2 Section for you on wiper motor troubleshooting. About 50 or so threads.
Should be something there for you. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...rchid=69839883 Larry Chevrolet Service Manual should also have good info. Section 12 in shop manual. |
3 Attachment(s)
With key on, check for power at the center terminal on the 3 wire connector (brown wire).
Check that the motor is properly grounded. Ground wire runs from wiper motor to heater blower motor and then to starter motor. Some tests: . |
Ok so I made to jumpers and I put power to the center prOng on the three prOne connector and I made another jumper to ground on the outer prong and as soon as I did that the wipers came on and operate fine so what does this mean. I have power on the center terminal when I turn key on is there a way to test ground on the other two sides of that theee side plug with test light maybe ? |
You may have a bad or disconnected dash switch...
You test ground with power off and an ohmmeter.... Test lights don't always tell the story - they might light with 9V when 12V is required to make a device operate... 50 years working on cars and I never used one; never even owned one... |
Cleaned all six connections and applied dielectric and turn ignition on am the wipers parked themselves ( they were in middle of windshield from the direct jump test ) but they won’t turn on from switch. Very hard to get to back of switch I can feel the plug but very little room there afraid to in plug it may never get it back on. Guess I need to take switch out. Any tricks to that ? Take switch out and jump across the plug ? I did run an additional external ground to mounting bolts of wiper motor but didn’t effect anything. Thanks again to everyone |
Originally Posted by hardhattg
(Post 1597003741)
Ok so I made to jumpers and I put power to the center prOng on the three prOne connector and I made another jumper to ground on the outer prong and as soon as I did that the wipers came on and operate fine so what does this mean. I have power on the center terminal when I turn key on is there a way to test ground on the other two sides of that theee side plug with test light maybe ? Known good parts: Wiper arms/under dash rods/wsw motor/wsw gears/at least some parts of the switch. Using a multimeter in "check ohms/resistance" put one probe lead on the ground connector and put the other on any grounded surface - lots of them under the dash. If it reads "infinite" then that proves that the ground is defective. If it reads low resistance, then the ground is good. If the ground is then good, put the multimeter in Volts (the lowest range you have that reads more than 12 volts) and touch one problem to the hot lead of the wiper switch and the other to a good ground. It should read about 12-13 volts. That means your switch is getting power. If the switch is getting power and has a good ground but your wipers won't come on then it's your switch. But I don't think it is. |
I do have a multi meter. Not that familiar with it or any electrical trouble shooting for that matter but learning quickly thanks to the generous and patient people of this forum. When tou say use multi meter to ground plug under dash. Where exactly is that ? Right at back of switch ? I can’t seem to get near that too easy. Dont know if this piece of info helps but when I press washer button I m switch I can hear selenoid clicking ? Does that mean switch is getting power ? I am lost when it comes to properly checking the wiper motor for ground. When I had it running I ran a hot lead to center of the three prong connector and then ran a ground lead to the outside terminal and the wipers ran fine. Did i by pass all other grounds by doing that. I can see ground wire down to starter looks new and tight and clean. . There are three plugs on wiper motor , the three prOng then a two prong and then a one prong are any of them grounds I should be checking ? Thanks again with regard to the switch. When I take set screw off and knob off what happens when I turn that nut with the two recesses the switch goes back behind dash. I just don’t see anyroom behind dash to get at this dam switch. |
IIRC that nut should loosen the switch....I just had the fuel gauge out of my 63 and it helped to take the 5 screws out of the cluster face and gently goose it towards the driver's seat....that gave enough room to just barely work behind it. It may also be possible with that nut removed you can work the switch (still plugged in) below the dash to work with it...
But here is the odd thing, if the wipers parked with the switch after you cleaned things up then you had power to the center connector on the motor and ground to the yellow wire (see diagram above). Apparently you need the switch to ground the blue wire connection on the motor for both LO and HI speeds (again per the diagram above). That seems to be what you're missing... |
Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink
(Post 1597004504)
IIRC that nut should loosen the switch....I just had the fuel gauge out of my 63 and it helped to take the 5 screws out of the cluster face and gently goose it towards the driver's seat....that gave enough room to just barely work behind it. It may also be possible with that nut removed you can work the switch (still plugged in) below the dash to work with it...
But here is the odd thing, if the wipers parked with the switch after you cleaned things up then you had power to the center connector on the motor and ground to the yellow wire (see diagram above). Apparently you need the switch to ground the blue wire connection on the motor for both LO and HI speeds (again per the diagram above). That seems to be what you're missing... so if the ground on the switch was good enough for the yellow wire , then the grounds are probably ok and more likely the switch is defective ? . heading out of town on business for a few days thinking i may go ahead and order a switch and dig into dash as soon as i get back . hate to do that , dash is perfect condition with everything ( except wipers ) working perfectly and looking as new . |
Originally Posted by hardhattg
(Post 1597005137)
so if the ground on the switch was good enough for the yellow wire , then the grounds are probably ok and more likely the switch is defective ? . heading out of town on business for a few days thinking i may go ahead and order a switch and dig into dash as soon as i get back . hate to do that , dash is perfect condition with everything ( except wipers ) working perfectly and looking as new .
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Originally Posted by hardhattg
(Post 1597005137)
so if the ground on the switch was good enough for the yellow wire , then the grounds are probably ok and more likely the switch is defective ? . heading out of town on business for a few days thinking i may go ahead and order a switch and dig into dash as soon as i get back . hate to do that , dash is perfect condition with everything ( except wipers ) working perfectly and looking as new .
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Remove switch and test it..........or test it in place if you can. With some difficulty, I believe originals can be rebuilt. NOS or repos available if you search, but I would try to retain original or GM NOS.
Larry |
Originally Posted by buns
(Post 1597003241)
With key on, check for power at the center terminal on the 3 wire connector (brown wire).
Check that the motor is properly grounded. Ground wire runs from wiper motor to heater blower motor and then to starter motor. Some tests: . should i be checking wiper motor ground between negative battery terminal to wiper motor ground ? then can i check the two outside wires on the three prong connector to see if there is resistance on those two connectors before taking dash apart to get to switch ? how would i do that ? one end of meter on the leg i am testing on the three prong and the other to engine block or battery ground , turn switch on and see if resistance changes at those legs ? then go into switch , did someone say the switch is grounded to the back of radio mount because this car does have a retro radio in it that we are replacing with original which is being refurbished but maybe that ground is not grounding the switch the way it should . desperate not to take dash apart until i know i have to . |
You can check for ground from the negative battery terminal to anywhere else there should be a ground and the resistance should be low. On a 200 ohm scale on a meter 3-4 ohms or thereabouts...
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Originally Posted by hardhattg
(Post 1597002868)
I did see this bench test video but was hoping for some more preliminary trouble shooting info. Went to the Wilcox site and they have c-1 and c-3 trouble shooting but just the bench test of the c-2 motor . Not sure I have to take motor out yet. At this point I don’t even know if it’s getting power . Was looking for more initial things to check. How is is it grounded , where do I check for power first etc. thanks |
Originally Posted by redstar
(Post 1597029116)
I have an extra switch. Has not been used and I can mail it to you. I don't need it and its yours if you need it.
thank you very much but I already did order a switch should be getting it today. Not positive that’s what I need but seems likely. I habe been able to test ground to copper strap on wiper motor and I get the same sort of reading I get when going between negative on battery to engine block so I assume that means wiper motor is properly grounded . When putting ohm meter to the outside prong on the three prong connector I get no reading at all regardless of what position wiper switch is in. Guessing that means switch is not sending anything to wiper motor. But that can still be because switch isn’t grounded properly or switch is bad. Time to take dash apart. Somone had mentioned that wiper switch is grounded to mount on back of radio. Can anyone confirm that. ? I am putting original radio back in anyway so that part of car needs to be taken apart already and may as well start there if accurate Thank you for your offer though much appreciated. |
Please read from this link down in this concurrent thread about a problem similar to yours - it explains the grounding of components, with pictures:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1597023525 |
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