Intermittent Wipers Not Working

[NissanSilvia]

Low speed works, high speed works, but when on intermittent it acts as if it is on low speed. I have checked the two wiper relays and one wiper fuse in the engine bay fuse box, pulled the wiper switch out (which seemed to be ok), opened it up, cleaned it and put it back but it is still doing the same thing. I have also checked other fuses in the engine bay fuse box and the rear battery fuse box and they all seem ok.

Any ideas?

 

[NissanSilvia]

Also, occasionally when the wipers are engaged the headlights turn on for a few seconds then turn off...if that adds any clues as to what it could be.

 

[Aussie Willy]

have you been messing around with **** you shouldn't be?
like trying to install led's or doof doof speakers which draw 90KVA from the imaginary power supply under your hood?

 

[NissanSilvia]

have you been messing around with **** you shouldn't be?
like trying to install led's or doof doof speakers which draw 90KVA from the imaginary power supply under your hood?

Nope not at all, stock standard.

 

[NissanSilvia]

I've checked the relays, fuses, switch, I'm now going to replace the wiper motor and see if that fixes it. Failing that it's the BCM or wiring (like a spliced wire or something). The only reference to the type of problem I'm having is below

I found a related but kind of unrelated problem with my VR, the intermittent function was playing up, u`d tap to get one sweep and it would get half way then cut out (wipers arms at 90 degrees to the bonnet) then u`d tap it again and they would fold away??? I tested the switch (mine is an Equip with the mid series BCM and doesn’t have the variable function) and it tested fine, all contacts made and broke when it was moved. So next I went chasing the control side,.. This led me to the BCM where the timing for this function is calculated. I found that the wires in question plug in on the big fat connector to the left (well these are the ones that go to the wiper motor, the control ones are in the far right little plug) so turned the car on to “reds” and pushed the leaver 2 functions down to the variable function and away she went,… half way,.. stop,… wait 10 secs then fold away and so on. I noticed that the box was clicking more than once per stoke of the wiper motor so I un plugged the big fat connector half way through a sweep and the wiper arms stopped of course but the relay inside the box stated clicking once per stroke now! Well if all this is good up till here there is only one thing left,.. the motor and arm assembly under the windscreen on the firewall. So off to the commodore shop (a wreckers near me) and got a new motor and wiper assembly changed it out and the problem was solved. Being an electronics tech I was dreaming of some complex problem with the BCM and all it was the whole time a simple triggering fault in the wiper motor (I think the motor has a microswitch in the gearbox drive to detect the “zero point – rest position” like the “dogga” brand ones we fit to our equipment at work) all is working sweet now! I don’t dread driving in light rain anymore! [I post my findings to help ppl that help me with my commodore dramas, plz do the same] ONLY SUCKERS OWN FORDS!

from http://forums.justcommodores.com.au...-1988-1993/18098-windscreen-wiper-switch.html

 

[Roota355]

Have you had a windscreen replaced lately?

 

[NissanSilvia]

Have you had a windscreen replaced lately?

No, haven't had one replaced.

 

[lmoengnr]

Is the car still under warranty?

 

[kwaka738]

I messed around with building my own intermittent wiper circuit years ago for my Datsun 180B (way, way back in time).

Back then the wiper motor circuity of cars was fairly simple. There would be basically four connections to the wiper motor.

1. This connection would be to the +12V normally via a fuse and would be present all the time the car was on or at least when the key was turned to accessories.
2. This connection would be the LOW speed connection and when you wanted the wipers on LOW speed you would provide an earth connection via the LOW speed connection on your wiper switch. (So just to be clear one side of the motor was connected to +12V and the other side of the motor was connected to earth via the LOW speed connection of the wiper switch).
3. This connection would be the HIGH speed connection and when you wanted the wipers on HIGH speed you would provide an earth connection via the HIGH speed connection on your wiper switch.
4. An earth connection (or it could be just earthed via the metal chassis of the wiper motor to the metal of the car but my guess would be for separate earth connection).

When you had your wipers on LOW or HIGH speed and turned them off and the wipers were still sweeping the windscreen the wipers would continue their sweep until they parked. Why did they continue until there were parked? The reason they did this as once the wipers had moved from their park position there was a mechanical cam built into the wiper motor that provided an earth (the same as the wiper switch was providing when the wipers were on) and this earth would be present until the wipers had reached the parked position and which point they would stop.

So your problem probably shows that the OFF position is working, the LOW speed is working and the HIGH speed is working. That only leaves the intermittent part that is an issue. I would be surprised if was anthing to do with a fuse. I reckon checking out the switch was a worthwhile thing to do as if the switch was providing the same sort of connection (probably an earth) as the LOW speed was doing then that could have been an issue. Whatever the mechanism is in the wiper switch that provides the timing for the delay before it wipes would be something I would suspect. If this part of the switch is faulty it could cause the problem but I am guessing as I have never seen a wiring diagram for a modern Holen. For example if the delay mechanism was short, it may be providing no delay making it appear to do the same as the LOW speed position.

You really want someone to provide you with some wiring information about how the VE wipers are wired. There could be a some sort of computer involved in working out this in the modern car. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[NissanSilvia]

Is the car still under warranty?

Most definitely not. 390,000kms and a 2006 model.
I replaced the wiper motor today which is a pain in the a**.
The wipers have to come off, disconnect the horn, remove the plastic shrouding (3 parts in total) and all it's plastic grommets, remove the wiper mechanism, then finally remove the wiper motor.

Replacing the wiper motor fixed the problem, but the only issue I have with it now is as the wipers move, the motor itself physically moves. It's not touching anything as it moves but I'm not sure if it's normal. I'm not sure if it's the way I've installed it or if that's normal.