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Electrical troubleshooting wipers on 86 Ramcharger

My wipers stopped the other day. I started at the switch and worked my way up to the motor, I am pretty sure the problem is in the motor itself, but it might be the intermittent control module. I don't know how to test that, though, and hoping one of you might have some insight.

This is why I think the switch is OK:

- The switch still works for the washer pump (press down on this switch from any position).

- When moving the switch into any of the on positions, I can hear the intermittent controller click.

I think the control arms and linkages are OK because the arms can't be moved.

If the intermittent controller can be called good because it clicks (can it? that's one question) then the problem is likely at the motor or between the IC and the motor.

What I could use here are the electrical test procedures for the intermittent controller and the wiper motor harness.

I'd love to get lucky and find out it's just brushes :)

R(k)

Reply to
grimisme
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Might be helpful if you included pertinent details on the truck you're talking about...

Reply to
curmudgeon

Yes, you're right ;)

86 Dodge Ramcharger SE, 360 4x4.

R(k)

Reply to
grimisme

Reply to
Dimbo Spams

Is the power fuse to the wipers still good? Could be control power is from a different source. wag

Reply to
samstone

Fuse is good. Power is def being sent through the switch to the intermittent controller, so I think the switch is ok too. The intermittent is clicking when powered, so it MAY be good but I don't have the test procedures to verify.

R(k)

Reply to
grimisme

I see you have yet provided the answer yourself.

Reply to
Roy

Flames aside, anyone have ideas?

Reply to
grimisme

Geta friend and a meter, have the friend hit the switch, see if there is anything going on between the controler and the motor with the meter.

Reply to
Roy

break out your test light and connected it to ground then probe the "hot" wire going to the motor. unplug it if you need to. with the light connected between the power and ground when you cycle your wiper switch you should see your test light "light up" should blink as the intermittent wiper controller does its thing and should burn steady on low/high.

consult your wiring diagram if in doubt what wires are the "hot" and "ground"....best i can do for you as i dont have a wiring diagram or a 86 ram charger to look at.

Reply to
Christopher D. Thompson

Update:

I pulled the motor off the truck last night. I test for voltage at the harness with the switch on, and I got a reading. On this wiper motor is a little module with 5 spade slots that plug into the motor just above where the harness connects. I took that off, and plugged the motor back in and the motor works if I manually ground one of the spades.

On the motor body, there are 4 spades for the harness, lined up like this: | | | | and checking continuity against a 5th spade the module plugs into, the outer two have continuity with the 5th one, and the inner two with each other only. Since the module snaps onto all 5, I imagine it is acting kind of like a bus and distributing power to the other connections. Testing continuity on this module fails, none of the slots have continuity with each other which I would expect if that's what it is doing.

I think this may be a noise suppression module, inside are what look like cylindrical capacitors, the only marking I can make out on one is

250v and MAC.

Anyway, heading to the wrecking yard in a bit as the module is not available without a new motor. And I'm too cheap for that, especially since the motor works ;)

Reply to
grimisme

Update 2:

Not going to the wrecking yard. After my last post, I thought about what was actually happening. I went back out and plugged that module in then ran a jumper from the motor mount plate to ground. The motor does exactly what it should at all switch positions.

Take the jumper off, the motor stops. Looks like I have a bad ground somewhere.

Will post back with conclusion.

Reply to
grimisme

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