1. Home
  2. General Motors Forum
  3. 98 olds van - wipers cut out intermittantly

98 olds van - wipers cut out intermittantly

My subject van is driving me nuts, the wipers work 50% of the time great, but after some use, typically using delay, they will stop down and then won't work again unless I switch to "HIGH" on the stalk. Even "LO" won't work. If it was the motor, I wouldn't think it would work intermittantly. It could be stalk but has anyone had this happen and fixed it? I have the service manuals and it give a long process of tracing the power through the cramped confines which I started doing but had trouble getting reliable readings and ran out of time, so I'm hoping someone has a bright idea to save me some effort. My only plan now is to hook a battery charger to the van, run a hose to the roof so I can operate the wipers and wait for it fail, then try to figure out where the problem is....

Thanks in advance

Reply to
scott
Loading thread data ...

I have the same problem with my '87 DeVille. I 'think' the problem is with the PCB in the motor. Here is why I think that: when I first got the car the motor quit during a heavy rain storm on a crowded interstate. Somehow I got from the speed lane to the shoulder without running over any of the 18-wheelers I was travelling with. I replaced the motor but the PCB in the replacement was different, so I used the PCB in the OEM motor. Since then I've had that problem you describe. It doesn't rain much here so I never had any great need to deal with it. It works well 90% of the time. I rain-x'ed the windshield which helps.

The trouble has the earmarks of a ground problem.

Hope someone can help.

Dave S(Texas)

Reply to
putt

it sounds like the board not the moter the circuit board behind the black plastic cover on the wiper moter if i remember wright there should be 3-4 #15 torks screws you take out of the cover take and unplug the wires and i think there is some screws in the board you take out. i could be wrong it has ben a long time since i changed my board it is not hard at all to change. my truck had a problem where they would work some times or they would stop at any time in any position you can only get the circuit board from a dealer only i think it was around 50-60 bucks hope this helps

Reply to
rick505

PCB=Printed Circuit Board

Reply to
putt

in 97 blazer, I have very similar problem. There is a pair of brush in the wiper motor. you open the PCB and bend them alittle furhther and it works fine. it worth tring.

Reply to
uccoskun

Thanks all -

I did exhaustive diagnotics, removed the stalk per the book and tested, decided as everyone suggested that it was the motor controller. Geeze, after I tore apart the van... Ordered one at parts store, will see if that fixes it.

Scott

Reply to
scott

The the motor out, try to find two brushes. It is not as ugly as we sound. you can put it back if you donot liek what you see but it is pretty straight forward.

Reply to
uccoskun

Well, we're going on a long trip soon and the reman'd one was cheap so I'll replace and send the core back to them to fool with. I think it was electrical not brushes, but then I guess I'll never know...

Thanks for help.

Reply to
scott

I installed the new pcb/motor in the van, it works now! Sweet. Been a pain in the rear for some time now. The book indicated you should install the thing with it indexed between delay strokes, but we found it easier (after a failed attempt) to just let the motor park position, then attach the wiper linkage. Here in Houston we get some regular rainfall and the fix will be nice to have done. The parts store took the old one as a core.

Reply to
scott

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.