Windshield wipers

[blakevan]

Not sure this belongs here but here goes.

The wipers work occasionally so I took them apart. All the mechanical links work and are free of binding but I cannot get the motor to run. There are three pairs of wires that go to the motor and one pair seem to always have ~ 12v but cannot get any power on the other two regardless of the switch position.

1) Should one pair always have power?

2) Which other pair should have power when switched on?

3) Doesn't seem like a breaker since they work intermittently but I guess it could be corroded.

I really don't want to spend $200 on a new motor only to find a wiring/switch issue to be the root cause. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[vandor]

Yes, one wire is always hot, so the wipers can go back to the 'park' position regardless of where you turn them off. Of course this is the first feature that usually stops working.

On the wiring diagram follow the wires from the column switch to the motor, that is the one that powers it when it's on.

Check and clean the fuse, they can corrode at the ends. Good idea to just replace them every few years and clean the fusebox contacts.

[blakevan]

As always, thanks Vandor!

[Piccola]

you can check also the relay module under the glove box. On my '81 is at the end of the steel plate under the dashboard

[4uall]

[toplessexpat]

I don't know about everyone else, but "Warning Chimes" in the above diagram is a VERY ambitious description of the tones emitted by my wee beastie!

A

[blakevan]

I've never heard any chimes so another thing on the list all be it at the bottom.