Automotive- My windshield wipers will not park.

eetech00

Joined Jun 8, 2013
3,856
I have three control switches that gave the same outcome.
Then you need to trace the gray wire and find out how 12v is getting to it. because the only way the wiper will run continuously is if the park switch relay is energized. It will be energized if +voltage is present at point B (the gray wire).

The only other possibility is that the motor assembly is defective.
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
I would bet for some reason the timer is locking up and keeping the relay latched. That would explain why cutting power temporarily allows it to park correctly... the timer gets reset.
Although it's not normal it is possible to get a faulty reman part. As one last test try a ground between the case and the battery along with the one you spliced in already. If that doesn't do it then maybe we have been barking up the wrong tree with the grounds, but that would be the number one reason a timer would lock up.
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
Then you need to trace the gray wire and find out how 12v is getting to it. because the only way the wiper will run continuously is if the park switch relay is energized. It will be energized if +voltage is present at point B (the gray wire).

The only other possibility is that the motor assembly is defective.
That sounds logical. I'll do my best. Thanks
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Where you at? I have some rocker panels I need replaced and you have some electrical gremlins to sort out. I have the parts but not the tools (other than the welder) for the panels, and I have the tools and some parts for the gremlins.
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,284
Usually the self park shorts out the motor to brake it quickly, if its continuously running, then the self parking switch is not connected to ground properly via the casing of the motor.
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
I would bet for some reason the timer is locking up and keeping the relay latched. That would explain why cutting power temporarily allows it to park correctly... the timer gets reset.
Although it's not normal it is possible to get a faulty reman part. As one last test try a ground between the case and the battery along with the one you spliced in already. If that doesn't do it then maybe we have been barking up the wrong tree with the grounds, but that would be the number one reason a timer would lock up.
Ok. Thanks
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
Where you at? I have some rocker panels I need replaced and you have some electrical gremlins to sort out. I have the parts but not the tools (other than the welder) for the panels, and I have the tools and some parts for the gremlins.
I wish I could help you. I live in Maryland. What are you working on? Last summer I molded the rear quarter flares on to the body.
 

Attachments

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
@John La it's a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. I picked it up a few months back. The body is pretty good other than the rockers are junk and the frame looks like it sat in weeds for a fair amount of time. 110,000 on it, but I figure if it lasts as long as my last 4.3 did it still has another 200,000 left in it.

I did find a video on a Suburban with the same problem as you... this is starting to eat at me for some reason. I found https://www.autozone.com/electrical...e-remanufactured-wiper-motor-40-179/39380_0_0 and was wondering if this is what you put in and if there is anything that needed transferred from the original assembly. The Suburban had the park / timer module bolted on the open end and it started to make me wonder if there is something missing on this one. I know they probably aren't the same, but sometimes they do use the same parts across multiple models so I had to ask.
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
@John La it's a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. I picked it up a few months back. The body is pretty good other than the rockers are junk and the frame looks like it sat in weeds for a fair amount of time. 110,000 on it, but I figure if it lasts as long as my last 4.3 did it still has another 200,000 left in it.

I did find a video on a Suburban with the same problem as you... this is starting to eat at me for some reason. I found https://www.autozone.com/electrical...e-remanufactured-wiper-motor-40-179/39380_0_0 and was wondering if this is what you put in and if there is anything that needed transferred from the original assembly. The Suburban had the park / timer module bolted on the open end and it started to make me wonder if there is something missing on this one. I know they probably aren't the same, but sometimes they do use the same parts across multiple models so I had to ask.
I bought my wiper motor from Amazon but other then that same company. Parts transferred are three metal tangs very small pieces of metal slivers that when in place reach up to the cover and make contact with the receiving prongs on the cover. They are about 1/8 wide and 1/2 long. I'll have a look at that video latter but if it's the one that I saw it was about a vehicle that was brought to him from another shop that had tried to fix and maybe new parts were already involved when it came to him?
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
I bought my wiper motor from Amazon but other then that same company. Parts transferred are three metal tangs very small pieces of metal slivers that when in place reach up to the cover and make contact with the receiving prongs on the cover. They are about 1/8 wide and 1/2 long. I'll have a look at that video latter but if it's the one that I saw it was about a vehicle that was brought to him from another shop that had tried to fix and maybe new parts were already involved when it came to him?
Here's the video I was checking out
. Around the five minute mark he gets everything broke down. If I'm understanding it right you pretty much have the same thing going on, but not exactly the same physical part if I am imagining things right.

I kind of feel rude now, but when someone says they changed a wiper motor you would normally expect it to be a complete unit and not 75% of one with the major electronics getting reused. I did a quick look to see if I could find the other part to make sure I'm still thinking right, but didn't find anything so far. Unfortunately being a 30 year old car it may be an obsolete part. Nobody can just reuse parts they already have in production... they always have to redesign everything every couple years. There seems to be a few different boards around for other GM vehicles so maybe with enough searching one will pop up.

Nice car by the way!! I couldn't quite remember what those looked like exactly. I graduated the same year and remember seeing them around, but didn't know anyone who had one.
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
Here's the video I was checking out
. Around the five minute mark he gets everything broke down. If I'm understanding it right you pretty much have the same thing going on, but not exactly the same physical part if I am imagining things right.

I kind of feel rude now, but when someone says they changed a wiper motor you would normally expect it to be a complete unit and not 75% of one with the major electronics getting reused. I did a quick look to see if I could find the other part to make sure I'm still thinking right, but didn't find anything so far. Unfortunately being a 30 year old car it may be an obsolete part. Nobody can just reuse parts they already have in production... they always have to redesign everything every couple years. There seems to be a few different boards around for other GM vehicles so maybe with enough searching one will pop up.

Nice car by the way!! I couldn't quite remember what those looked like exactly. I graduated the same year and remember seeing them around, but didn't know anyone who had one.
Don't feel rude please speak your mind. On a remanufactured motor as shown I believe that the parking switch is new. There isn't much to the cover ( the part that you don't get) such as another board or electronics they are all right there in the picture. These are the three metal contacts I mentioned them and the cover are the transferred parts . The weekend before last I attempted to put a used from e-bay motor on but it's shaft was to large and the linkage would not fit. I am thinking about trying another motor. Thanks, I stand corrected as there are additional electronics in the cover which gives me an ideal to try the cover from this used motor on to the new/reman motor and or my old motor.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
I was quick to jump on the ground theory which in all reality would be the problem 95% of the time. I guess being a Ford guy I didn't realize GM had their delay modules on the wiper motor itself. Ford's where always a module under the dash or in the days before mid 80's part of the wiper switch itself. it's not a Ford vs GM sort of thing... I just started out with Ford and learned how they worked and tried to stick with them in the early days.

At any rate I think we're on the right track and it's just a matter of finding working parts.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
There is a consideration previously not mentioned, which is that intermittent wipe function. Does that work correctly?? That function provides a trigger to run a single stroke, usually, There may also be that wash/wipe function, both of them trigger the wipemotion, and so if either of those were failed then the wiper would not stop. So that gives another area to at least think about for a while.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,218
There is a consideration previously not mentioned, which is that intermittent wipe function. Does that work correctly?? That function provides a trigger to run a single stroke, usually, There may also be that wash/wipe function, both of them trigger the wipemotion, and so if either of those were failed then the wiper would not stop. So that gives another area to at least think about for a while.
Which begs the question, is the wiper's activation switch (usually located at the steering wheel) working properly? Or does it have a short in it somewhere?
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,218
@John La , if (or rather, when) you solve this problem, please let us know what the final cause was ... this thread is becoming like an itch that I can't scratch and wanting to learn its conclusion is making me a bit anxious. :)
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
There is a consideration previously not mentioned, which is that intermittent wipe function. Does that work correctly?? That function provides a trigger to run a single stroke, usually, There may also be that wash/wipe function, both of them trigger the wipemotion, and so if either of those were failed then the wiper would not stop. So that gives another area to at least think about for a while.
The single stroke wipe does work and the higher speed and the wipe/ wash they all work but once turned on they will not stop until the voltage has stopped. And if the control switch isn't set to off and the voltage is returned the motor comes right back on as it should. The whole thing about the energized /voltage not being removed from the park electronics when it should seems like the answer but then again I know next to nothing on this matter. Thanks
@John La , if (or rather, when) you solve this problem, please let us know what the final cause was ... this thread is becoming like an itch that I can't scratch and wanting to learn its conclusion is making me a bit anxious. :)
Will do.
 

Thread Starter

John La

Joined Oct 8, 2022
57
There is a consideration previously not mentioned, which is that intermittent wipe function. Does that work correctly?? That function provides a trigger to run a single stroke, usually, There may also be that wash/wipe function, both of them trigger the wipemotion, and so if either of those were failed then the wiper would not stop. So that gives another area to at least think about for a while.
The single stroke wipe does work and the higher speed and the wipe/ wash they all work but once turned on they will not stop until the voltage has stopped. And if the control switch isn't set to off and the voltage is returned the motor comes right back on as it should. The whole thing about the energized /voltage not being removed from the park electronics when it should seems like the answer but then again I know next to nothing on this matter. Thanks
 
Top