Re: Windshield Wiper Fix

This sounds funny, The board is conformal coated, usually a pinkish red color. That should keep the grease form interfering. There are contacts on the back side of the board that tells the controller where the wiper is. Also, moving the connector around will and can make it look like the problem has been fixed. The hair line cracks are very easy to miss.

Best repair to do, with out a replacement, is to clean the solder from the connector pins. Bend the pins onto the circuit board lands. Then resolder.

Cheers

Pete, How many screws were there holding the wiper module cover in place? Most people say there are 3 screws. I have a 1998 Blazer with the same problem but my cover has 4 torx screws and one of them is inaccessible. Thanks for a reply.

-AJ

"George24" wrote > I had the dreaded windshield wiper problem on my 97 Z71 > (Erratic, wont work at all, etc,,) and fixed it without any > soldering or replacement parts and it took about 5 minutes. I > took off the windshield wiper cover on the firewall and > discovered grease smeared everywhere on the inside. I simply > cleaned all of the excess grease up except for what was on the > gears and now my wipers work perfectly. I had looked at the > circuit board solders thinking that would be the problem, but > they were all in good shape. A friend had told me about the > excess grease issue and sure enough it worked. Hopefully I > can save somebody else some time and stress?.I would examine > the solder to make sure that they are solid, but if they don?t > look bad, it might only be a grease issue?

AJ,

Not 100% sure about the Blazer but think you will only have to remove the 3 screws. I believe mine has 4, but removing 3 of them takes it off..

I had the dreaded windshield wiper problem on my 97 Z71 (Erratic, wont work at all, etc,,) and fixed it without any soldering or replacement parts and it took about 5 minutes. I took off the windshield wiper cover on the firewall and discovered grease smeared everywhere on the inside. I simply cleaned all of the excess grease up except for what was on the gears and now my wipers work perfectly. I had looked at the circuit board solders thinking that would be the problem, but they were all in good shape. A friend had told me about the excess grease issue and sure enough it worked. Hopefully I can save somebody else some time and stress=85.I would examine the solder to make sure that they are solid, but if they don't look bad, it might only be a grease issue=85=85 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Hi George, I had the same issue with my owned since new 1997 Tahoe LT.

And the fix I did was exactly identical to yours. After removing the cover, and inspecting everthing as well as I could, I also had noticed an over abundance of grease in what I thought were all the wrong places.

If I can recall, there were two steel sensor prongs as I believe this is what they are, and they come in contact with a metal/steel disc.

They were loaded with a red grease, so all I did, was redistributed this grease back to the worm gear with a finger, and only left just an ever so slight coat of this grease to the disc/prongs. After re-assembly, everything worked just fine again, and this fix I has been about 9 months ago, and all still works perfectly.

I understand that Chevy will after some persuasion re-imburse faulty Boards for owners of these model years if you contact GM Customer Assistance, and discuss the problem with them first. Then take it to the dealer, pay them for the work, and send the bill off to Customer Assitance with proof of payment, the invoice. Mark

"" wrote: > I had the dreaded windshield wiper problem on my 97 Z71 > (Erratic, wont > work at all, etc,,) and fixed it without any soldering or > replacement > parts and it took about 5 minutes. I took off the windshield > wiper cover > on the firewall and discovered grease smeared everywhere on > the inside. > I simply cleaned all of the excess grease up except for what > was on the > gears and now my wipers work perfectly. I had looked at the > circuit > board solders thinking that would be the problem, but they > were all in > good shape. A friend had told me about the excess grease issue > and sure > enough it worked. Hopefully I can save somebody else some time > and > stress?.I would examine the solder to make sure that they are > solid, > but if they don't look bad, it might only be a grease issue?? > ====================================== > > Hi George, I had the same issue with my owned since new 1997 > Tahoe LT. > > And the fix I did was exactly identical to yours. > After removing the cover, and inspecting everthing as well as > I could, I > also had noticed an over abundance of grease in what I > thought were all > the wrong places. > > If I can recall, there were two steel sensor prongs as I > believe this is > what they are, and they come in contact with a metal/steel > disc. > > They were loaded with a red grease, so all I did, was > redistributed this > grease back to the worm gear with a finger, and only left just > an ever > so slight coat of this grease to the disc/prongs. After > re-assembly, > everything worked just fine again, and this fix I has been > about 9 > months ago, and all still works perfectly. > > I understand that Chevy will after some persuasion re-imburse > faulty > Boards for owners of these model years if you contact GM > Customer > Assistance, and discuss the problem with them first. Then > take it to > the dealer, pay them for the work, and send the bill off to > Customer > Assitance with proof of payment, the invoice. Mark

Mark, Glad someone else had an easy fix. I laugh now when I think about how long I suffered over those wipers. I had the problem for years and just assumed it was something I could not fix. I need to bill GM for all of the RainX I bought! I even called my local GM dealer last year and after giving them my Serial #, they said it was not covered in the recall. (of course) An old boss told me about the grease issue several months ago, and sure enough that?s all it was. Good luck with the Tahoe?. George

The wipers on my 95 Silverado work fine but when I turn them off the wipers bounce back up 2 or 3 inches from the bottom of the windsheild where they should stop.Is this problem related to problems with the circuit board as well???

Thanks.. Earl

Your wipers will likely screw up again. You most likely just moved the plug around making the connection on the bad solder joints. Just for info, you can remove the cover and the board without removing the whole thing on most trucks to re-solder the bad joints on the plug.

Your wipers will likely screw up again. You most likely just moved the plug around making the connection on the bad solder joints. Just for info, you can remove the cover and the board without removing the whole thing on most trucks to re-solder the bad joints on the plug. ======================================

Howdy Shoe, Agreed, Your point is well taken, and yes, I suppose there is this possibility, but after close inspection of my board, everything looked just fine. All solder joints were solid, and coated with varnish. I do understand though that a cold solder joint usually cannot be visually seen.

The only thing I saw out of order, was much grease in the wrong places. I have no idea if this grease was there from day one from the factory, or somehow migrated all over due to heat, or usage of the wipers?

None the less, it's been a good 9 months since the repair of mine, and all still works fine, so I kinda doubt there was any cold solder joints, as the problem probably would've re-surfaced by now.

Sure, like anything else, they can possibly go bad again in the future (just like everything will in time on a Chevy truck!), but I'll count my blessings (and money savings) for now I guess. :-) Mark

Before I pulled out the wiper circuit board in my Tahoe, I would regularly disco/reconnect the plug and it would be good for a while, but would screw up again, usually during a downpour (there are two kinds of luck...).

When I finally pulled the circuit board, there was no way I could tell just by looking at it if the solder joints (top/bottom) were good or bad. Cleaned the grease off the solder joint areas, heated them long enough to remelt/add a bit of new solder, recovered with grease and nary a problem since. 20 minutes, cost nothing, worth every second in peace-of-mind.

just moved the

joints. Just for

removing the whole

plug.

suppose there

board, everything

with varnish.

cannot be

wrong places.

the factory,

wipers?

of mine, and

solder joints,

in the future

I'll count my

Franko,

Were there three or four screws in the module/circuit board cover?

-AJ

Hello AJ,

GM #15153552

Three (3) torx screws facing front of vehicle: upper RH corner, lower RH corner, middle LH edge. There is a fourth torx screw facing passenger side fender - no need to remove this one. Careful prying out the circuit board -- use a couple of tiny flathead screwdrivers to evenly pry it out of the housing. The resistance is from the contacts and detent. Piece of cake.

Regards, Franko

board cover?

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 05:53:37 GMT, "Franko" wrote: Thanks a million Franko, that was the information I needed. Have a great day.

-AJ

You are welcome but credit should go to Jonathan Race for the detailed information he posted before. Good luck.

Regards, Franko

needed.

fourth

remove

of

I would definately take the cover off and have a look at the circuit board. Wipe off all the excess grease and check the solder points....