Stumped on wipers

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Aaron65

Aaron65

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Please bear with me here. I think I'm dealing with a cobbled up car...OK, I know I am.

I asked a few weeks ago about getting the wipers to park down by the windshield, and many helpful posters mentioned that there's an adjustment with three screws. Well, on my motor, on the back, there is a plate that moves, but the screws don't hold it.

I tried moving that plate, and now the switch won't turn the wiper motor off. When I switch to "Off," the motor goes into hyper drive. So that's a problem.

Additionally, I think the switch in my dash is for a car with intermittent wipers. I have off, on, and then this long "third speed" sweep on the switch. There is no intermittent action for my wipers, so my motor is probably not an intermittent wiper motor.

So, my question...Is there any way to tell what wiper motor my car has? Secondly, will the incorrect switch cause incorrect wiper parking? I'm kind of at a loss here, because I think I'm dealing with a cobbled up car. Thanks if you can help...

Aaron
 
Thanks for the above links...I'll go through them tonight...

I took apart the switch today and found it is definitely a variable switch. I cleaned it all up with no change. According to my manual, the motor is a variable, but it is missing a part of the parking cam, which is probably why the wipers wouldn't park right.

I checked the 4 wires coming from the switch to the motor. The red wire never has voltage, the yellow wire has voltage with the switch off OR on. The blue wire has voltage with the switch off but not on, and the black wire has voltage with the switch on.

The motor is now spinning with the switch off, so there's got to be a short in the switch or the motor now. I have two motors lying around, and they both behave the same, so the switch is certainly more likely. Sigh...
 
At least one of the wiper wires is powered all the time except with the ignition off (for park to work), and I've seen the insulation missing inside the motor itself.
Point is, it could easily be shorted inside the motor also.

Wiper electrics are a PIA.
 
Hyper drive? Ground to the switch. Run an extra lead from the switch to say the door jamb or somewhere you have good ground and try the motor again. More often than not the issue when a motor is in hyperdrive is a bad ground to the switch.

Not parking in the correct position? Check to see where the switch plate/gear housing cover is clocked at. If you have any other problems or continued problem, shoot me an email or pick up the phone...I'd be happy to help you through this.
 

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Passion4Mopars said:
Hyper drive? Ground to the switch. Run an extra lead from the switch to say the door jamb or somewhere you have good ground and try the motor again. More often than not the issue when a motor is in hyperdrive is a bad ground to the switch.

Not parking in the correct position? Check to see where the switch plate/gear housing cover is clocked at. If you have any other problems or continued problem, shoot me an email or pick up the phone...I'd be happy to help you through this.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'll likely be giving you a call soon...The motor is a Prestolite, and when I moved that plate on the back (which wasn't held in place by any screws...it just moves!) was when my problems REALLY began. I'll try grounding the switch to see if that helps...
 
Well, I got the wipers working well enough for my usage (I don't really drive in the rain). I think the switch is not only for the wrong car, but not exactly working as it should. I tested for continuity at all points, and figured out which one was hot with the switch off, and hooked the parking circuit up to that. So they work and park correctly, but I only have high speed. The variable part has never worked. It's better than nothing...on to the next thing!
 
Speed is regulated by motor field current. Mopar made a few variations in motors. Field coil motors, have a coil on each side of the stator. Energizing the second field will give slow speed. Variable speed, used a reostat to vary the field current. If you have spare wires, that are unused and have a few Ohms of resistance, and inductance, energizing in correct polarity should reduce speed.
 
Little old lady came in for state inspection and said that she did not need headlights because she never drives at night. Do not be this person. It will rain on you sometime.

variable speed switch for 66 Barracuda is 2770377. Should be what you have or need.
 
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