Wiper motor is dead

[r00b]

My wiper motor died today, can I get a replacement locally or will I have to order this one?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Make sure it is not some other electrical problem first. I've heard to replace the wiper motor is a pain.

[DMCMW Dave]

Make sure it is not some other electrical problem first. I've heard to replace the wiper motor is a pain.

And failure is VERY rare. Try this first. Find the delay module, it's mounted above the steering column next to the key buzzer. You'll see two sets of wires plugged into it. Pull them both from the module and plug them together, bypassing the delay module. 99% of the time, this will fix the problem.

I've never seen an original wiper motor fail, and only heard of two in the wild. And yes, they pretty much build the entire dash assembly around it.

[David T]

And failure is VERY rare. Try this first. Find the delay module, it's mounted above the steering column next to the key buzzer. You'll see two sets of wires plugged into it. Pull them both from the module and plug them together, bypassing the delay module. 99% of the time, this will fix the problem.

I've never seen an original wiper motor fail, and only heard of two in the wild. And yes, they pretty much build the entire dash assembly around it.

It is also possible you have a problem with the switch but that is also rare. Try the washer pump. If it runs it means fuse #3 which also powers the wiper motor is good and you have power at the wiper switch. It can also be the ground connection, does the wiring look like anyone has been messing with it? Is the delay module and flasher plate in place? If not then thing shave been touched.

[sdg3205]

I am one of the rare ones.

You can see if you're getting 12v at the harness. Make sure the ground didn't break off of the housing.

If you have to replace it, $120 from DMC isn't bad. Installation is. I had to pull the entire pedal box.

[r00b]

The fuse is blown :)

[sdg3205]

The fuse is blown :)

34362

[Rich]

And now the question is "why".

Blown fuses typically are symptoms or hints of other troubles, not root causes.

Wishing you luck with the replacement fuse.


The fuse is blown :)

[DMCMW Dave]

Usually because the wipers were turned on while obstructed. For example by a car cover.


Sent from phone

[David T]

Usually because the wipers were turned on while obstructed. For example by a car cover.


Sent from phone

Or the wrong size fuse or it was swapped out with another that blew and didn't have any spares. Could be a couple of reasons, the simple thing to do is try another of the correct size. Maybe the bucket is full of water and the washer pump is at the bottom! On most cars they do not fuse the headlights or the wiper, they use a breaker so that you can still have a little use of it even if the circuit is bad. Circuit breakers can handle a momentary overload, fuses cannot. Circuit breakers can reset, fuses, once blown, are done.

[DMCVegas]

Maybe the bucket is full of water and the washer pump is at the bottom!

That would be for a bad washer fluid pump though, and doesn't affect wiper action. Not that I've seen though.

As a quick aside, taking a knife and boring out the drain holes on the bucket will remedy that issue and ensure you never have a seized pump again.

[DMCMW Dave]

That would be for a bad washer fluid pump though, and doesn't affect wiper action. Not that I've seen though.

As a quick aside, taking a knife and boring out the drain holes on the bucket will remedy that issue and ensure you never have a seized pump again.

Same fuse though. It's possible, although I can't say I've seen it, that a dead short pump would kill the fuse that runs the wipers. Should be pretty obvious as the symptom would that, with the wipers working, you hit the sprayer and the wipers stop.

Agreed on the aside - we routinely drill the drain holes out much larger when replacing the pump.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

The Delorean wiper fuse is underrated considering the amperage demand of the wiper motor. I learned the first winter the cars were sold in 1981 that a half inch or more of accumulated snow would impose enough load on the 10 Amp fuse to blow it. From that year on I've been sustituting a 15 Amp fuse in that position (#3) with no ill effects and much fewer blown fuses. If it blows a 15 Amp fuse only then would I start to worry about the root cause. An oversized bird turd is enough to blow the stock 10 Amp fuse IMHO!
Rob



And now the question is "why".

Blown fuses typically are symptoms or hints of other troubles, not root causes.

Wishing you luck with the replacement fuse.

[r00b]

It was hailing out, I cleaned the hail off the windshield. By the time I got in the car the hail started collecting on the windshield again, hit the wipers and the slushy mess brought the wipers to a halt. I thought it was the motor because I've been hearing it some times make a worrr worr worr, and the day before it started making a scweeka scweeka at the top of the wipers travel.

[Bitsyncmaster]

The Delorean wiper fuse is underrated considering the amperage demand of the wiper motor. I learned the first winter the cars were sold in 1981 that a half inch or more of accumulated snow would impose enough load on the 10 Amp fuse to blow it. From that year on I've been sustituting a 15 Amp fuse in that position (#3) with no ill effects and much fewer blown fuses. If it blows a 15 Amp fuse only then would I start to worry about the root cause. An oversized bird turd is enough to blow the stock 10 Amp fuse IMHO!
Rob

I just measured the current of the wiper running on high speed and it was 6 to 7 amps with a dry window. Low speed was about 5 amps. I would guess if your clearing snow or ice that current could easily go above 10 amps. So I agree with you Rob, put a 15 amp fuse in #3. Of course if you run the washer with the wipers that current will really get to close to 10 amps.

[David T]

Probably the best thing to do is to replace the fuse with a self-resetting circuit breaker with a 15 amp capacity. I wouldn't care if I melted the wiring harness if I really needed those wipers to keep running in a rainstorm so I wouldn't go off the road. You would want those wipers to work long enough so you could stop the car safely. Same problem for the headlights.