Rear wiper motor blowing fuses

The obvious question: Is it the right size fuse?

Now that that's out of the way, do you knw if it works fine (not laboring) and then - poof! - the fuse blows (like a wire intermitently shorting)?

Measure the current draw and compare against the specified fuse size - current draw should be much less. When it's running, does motor speed seem OK? If not, is it mechanically binding - most likely at a rusting motor or wiper shaft bearing/bushing? If the latter, you can usually salvage the situation by putting a little oil in the right place to slick it up and hopefully prevent further corrosion. Or it could simply be the motor windings starting to short, in which case, time for a new motor (probably the case if it's not mechanically binding up and excess current draw is what's blowing the fuse).

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

replacement.

This was replaced free in my 95 under a recall that I believe covered the 93 as well. It entailed replacing the motor and a wire harness in the driver front area some where.

Same here on my '95. The recall took place because the rear wiper motor was on the same circuit as the air bag system. So when the wiper went out, the resulting blown fuse would also kill the airbags.

If the recall has already been performed, sorry, I don't believe they'll repair the motor for free. The only condition under which they would replace the wiper motor is if it was bad at the time the recall was performed. A good way to check (other than calling the dealer or visiting Chrysler's web site with your VIN handy) is to see if the air bag light comes on when the fuse blows (assuming that it lights up in test mode when you start the vehicle). If it glows continuously, you might be eligible for the recall.

The replacement wiper motor on mine didn't last too long before it started making awful noises, by the way. I disassembled it myself and repaired it--the bolts that held the motor to the wiper drivetrain worked loose. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the Mopar replacement part. If you try removing it on your own, be advised that the wiper arm will typically be siezed onto the drive spline in climates that see road salt in the winter; figure on replacing the arm as well if this happens because you'll likely have to resort to drastic measures to get it off. (Careful, don't break the glass!)

--Geoff

Thanks for all the suggestions. I checked to ensure that the correct

-Kirk Matheson

I am now ready to remove the wiper arm. Do I push down on the clip to release the wiper arm from the shaft? The arm slides on the shaft a little, so I am hoping that it is now seized.

-Kirk Matheson

If it slides, it is not seized. IIRC (it's been about three or four months, and I've sold the vehicle since then) you take a pair of needle nose pliers and pull the 'clip' away from the wiper shaft (all it does is ride in a groove on the shaft--it's a retainer.) Then wiggle-wobble the arm off the shaft. You'll have to disconnect the hose for the sprayer while you're at it.

Next, open the rear liftgate and remove the trim from the interior, which I'm pretty sure means you have to remove the lights and some circular caps to access hidden screws. There's also a row of screws near the top of the trim that is hard to see. Once you have all the screws removed, there are spring clips retaining the trim to the liftgate, same as you would find on a regular interior door panel. They're concentrated on the lower half of the door. Pry gently with a wide, flat-blade screwdriver or with a 1.5" putty knife.

Once everything's loose, remove the trim panel carefully. It's all one piece, it's a bit unwieldy (not heavy, though) and prone to breaking if you let it 'twist' too much. (You'll know what I mean when you get to this point.) You'll likely have to go through some gentle twists and turns to circumnavigate the hatch support struts.

Dismounting the wiper motor is fairly straightforward. I think I recall removing an access plate secured by a bunch of 10mm bolts, and then there were three actual mounting bolts securing the motor. Once you have the motor dismounted, you can remove the access cover over the drive mechanism and figure out what's wrong. The motor worm drive turns a plastic gear which in turn drives an arm connected to the motor shaft. Assuming the motor windings aren't shorted out, something is probably wrong with the drive mechanism; you might find broken plastic gears, for example. If you can't find something wrong with the motor (you can operate it dismounted from the vehicle by connecting its supply wire's plug and a short ground jumper between the motor case and the liftgate) and the drive mechanism seems intact, you may have a wiring issue.

Good luck!

--Geoff

by any chance do you have a airbag if you do it might be covered under a recall

call your local dealer

Kirk Mathes> The rear wiper motor on my 1993 Voyager blows fuses soon after replacement. >

Geoff, thanks for the very useful info. I now feel better about proceeding.

You are absolutely right about the plastic panels. Several cracks have developed over the years just from ordinary movement and heat/cold cycles. I went to the salvage yard to try to find replacement pieces, and everything was in worse condition than mine. I guess that I cannot expect too much after almost 12 years.

-Kirk

Just let us know what you find when you get it apart.

The liftgate area of a minivan takes its fair share of abuse from the cargo whacking it when you accelerate.

--Geoff