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Winshield Wiper problems

posted by  someone claiming to be Jack Wiater on  Wed May 30 13:37 CST 2001 [RELATED]

I have this problem I've been living with for years and I'm thinking of fixing it. Here we go...

Windshield wiper motor:

about 5 years ago my wiper motor quit (Grind, grind, grind...halt!!!)

I put in a new (rebuilt motor) and thats when these problems started...

(1) does not shut off corrctly with the switch

sometimes I have to feather the switch to get it to shut off.

(2) Intermittents do not work.

I replaced the switch and it did not make a difference. (Brand new switch)

I replaced the motor with one from a junkyard (had the exact same problems)

Could I have been unlucky and got a motor from the boneyard with the exact same problems? (I kinda doubt it...then again, could just be my luck)

The dealer diagnosed it as needing a new wiper moter (about 3 years ago)

I couldn't afford their prices so I never persued fixing the problem...

plus I really don't trust the dealer.

What do you guys think...Possibly some common easy fix ???

I hate to buy a part from the boneyard (no returns on electrical parts)

Just junkyard credit.

Your help with this will be grately appreciated...I miss my interrmittents

after all these years.

Thanks,

Jack W.







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    Re: Winshield Wiper problems

    posted by  someone claiming to be Don Foster on  Wed May 30 13:51 CST 2001 [RELATED]

    240? Wiper relay. The intermittent relay has an intermittent.

    You know where the relay hides?

    If it's the relay, you can re-you-know-what-it.







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      Re: Winshield Wiper problems

      posted by  someone claiming to be Jack Wiater on  Wed May 30 14:00 CST 2001 [RELATED]

      Don...give me a clue. I just did my first soldering job on my boat trailer lights a couple of weeks ago. It would give me grat satisfaction to fix this problem myself.

      Thanks,

      Jack W







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        Re: Winshield Wiper problems

        posted by  someone claiming to be Don Foster on  Wed May 30 14:15 CST 2001 [RELATED]

        "...give me a clue..."

        Jack, I need a clue from you. A 240?

        If so, the wiper relay is tucked behind a metal panel that's located at the extreme left of the driver's floor, about where the hi-lo button was on your cherry '55 Chevy.

        If you peel down the top of the carpet and look, you'll see several harnesses coming down from under the dash and disappearing behind this 5" wide sheet metal panel. Grab them and pull up -- the relay (or relays if a wagon) are plugged into the harness and they're tucked behind this panel. The front wiper intermittent relay is black, and it's wrapped in plastic foam. (Rear wiper relay is white if a DL and blue if the int wiper on a GL.)

        The way these relays are normally oriented, any leakage through the firewall or around the windshield can dribble down the harness and into the relay. A flooded relay will totally misbehave (hell, the wipers might run continuously). However, the relay can be opened, cleaned, dried, resoldered, and reinstalled.

        Every 240 (at least past 1980) has a front wiper relay, so if yours is toast, get one from a boneyard for $1.

        Tuck the relay up under the dash so water can't drip into it. Avoid the wiper linkage.

        Soldering tutorial (click here).







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          Re: Winshield Wiper problems

          posted by  someone claiming to be Jack Wiater on  Wed May 30 15:43 CST 2001 [RELATED]

          Don,

          86 240DL 4DR. Sedan. (214,600mi.)

          Thanks, I think I've got enough info to work with...I'm sure my independent

          Volvo mechanic could sell me one of the relays off his parts cars...More leagal tender for him...I'll try the soldering techniques first. I'll post may results in the next couple of days.

          Thanks,

          Jack W. (Holland, MA)on the CT line...Near sturbridge MA.







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            Re: Winshield Wiper problems

            posted by  someone claiming to be Don Foster on  Wed May 30 23:01 CST 2001 [RELATED]

            Before laying out legal tender, no matter how much you like your mechanic, take a careful look at your relay. If you're committed to buying a replacement relay, then at least make an attempt to resolder yours first.

            Holland -- is that near Dudley, where I won the speeding ticket from under the nose of a statie? The sneaky devil was parked alongside the pike, raking 'em in left 'n right..... And all the time HE was breaking the law!







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              Re: Winshield Wiper problems 200 86

              posted by  someone claiming to be Jack Wiater on  Thu May 31 11:37 CST 2001 [RELATED]

              Dudley...about 15min. away...I beat one from the MA Pike too about 5 years ago...

              Now back to the wiper relay...

              This is what I found...

              I opened up the case and pulled the relay out and the whole bottom of the printed circuit board had corrosion. The case had a goodly amount of microscopic brown powdered rust...didn't seem like dirt. I sprayed the circuit board with WD40 and took a soft toothbrush to remove as much of the brown corrosion as possible. I broke out one of my kids magnifying glasses and could still see brown in between the pathways so I suspected some bridging of the circuits. I went out into the sunlight where I could see better and took an exacto blade knife and started working on removing the rust between the pathways. After a few minutes of this I decided to take a ride to the local Radio Shack and get some electrical cleaner and see if it would remove the corrosion without manually scraping it off. Got home and cleaned the relay with the electrical cleaner (I also removed some of the corrosion by lightly brushing it with a brass wire brush) I didn't go nuts beacuase I wasn't sure if I'd mess up the pathways by doing so). I inspected all the solder connections with the mag. glass and did not see any signs of broken connections. I really did not want to attempt to solder, unless I could see something obvious.

              BTW new part form the dealer is over $60.00. I found that out just in case I messed the old one up.

              I took my electrical meter and checked all the components to see if any of them was messed up. All components had resistance. Nothing looks burnt.

              The bottom line...The wiper system is still disfunctional as originally described.

              Now I have a question...WHEN YOU RESOLDER A RELAY DO YOU RESOLDER ALL THE CONNECTIONS ??? or do you just do the obvious.

              Thanks for your help !!!

              Jack W.







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                Re: Winshield Wiper problems 200 86

                posted by  someone claiming to be Don Foster on  Thu May 31 11:52 CST 2001 [RELATED]

                "...I beat one from the MA Pike too about 5 years ago..."

                Probably the same cop. Was he a golfing partner of the Clerk?

                I was very disappointed when I learned they were buddies, but then it turned out the judge had no tolerance for cops who don't know the law -- and thus break it.

                Anyway.

                The corrosion indicates that the relay got wet some time in the past. My experience with wet wiper relays is that the wipers run continuously.

                The relay is very easy to swap. If you can find a friend with a 240, ask to borrow his relay -- conversely, try your relay in his (or her) 240. The intermittent function is controlled strictly by the relay and the switch. The motor is not involved, other than to run once it receives power. If you're convinced the relay's not failing, try the switch.

                To answer your question, I resolder the heavy connections (to the relay and the lugs) using a solder gun -- 150-200 Watts -- and a small iron to resolder the rest. Rather than solder only "the obvious" I do 'em all. That way I know they're all done, and it only takes an extra few minutes.

                Your original post casts doubt on the switch. It switches power to the motro, so may affect parking, and it separately switches power to the intermittent relay.

                Want me to dig through my junk box for a switch and relay?







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                  Re: Winshield Wiper problems 200 86

                  posted by  someone claiming to be Jack Wiater on  Thu May 31 12:32 CST 2001 [RELATED]

                  Hey, If you got one I could try just to check it out, I'd gladly pay to have it shipped back + forth. I do have a spare switch...brand new...didn't make a difference when I first had the problem. I thought about changing it out since it's been a few years since I messed with it. Let me know what your parts box turns up...I'm going to keep my eye out for a 86 240 parts car and at the right price I think I'll buy one and canabalize it, because may car is getting to that age...Thanks for your help and responses.

                  Gratefully,

                  Jack W.







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                    Re: Winshield Wiper problems 200 86

                    posted by  someone claiming to be Don Foster on  Thu May 31 13:31 CST 2001 [RELATED]

                    Sure -- email me your address and I'll drop one in the mail. I'll be outta touch from 6/5 to 6/13, more or less, so I'll try to get one out soon.






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