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Wiper problem

Hope someone can help...A friend just purchased a used 2003 focus, if she presses the button for a "one time wipe" of the wiper blades, the blades will stop at the point where they are pointing straight up (1/2 cycle) unless she holds the "one time wipe" button on thru the whole cycle. Ford dealer is claiming that it is how it is suppose to work on the focus, but I find it hard to believe. I would think you should only have to press it and release it one quick time and it would run the complete cycle itself (like every other car I have ever owned). Can anyone please let me know if theirs works the same way or if the dealer is feeding her a line. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Runner
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Who were you talking to at the Ford dealer? The janitor? Of course wipers are supposed to park at the bottom of the screen. All cars have been made that way for decades. The parking switch (located under the windshield wiper) is faulty and needs replacing. Not a big deal.

Reply to
Dave Gower

Dave, That was about the same response I had when friend told me what dealer said.....they park at bottom with all the wiper positions (i.e. high, low, intermittent)...BUT they do not park on the "mist" or one time wipe switch unless the switch is held down thru entire whip cycle (not the wash, but the one swipe mist). That is what is throwing me off...if the parking switch was bad, why do they park in all the other settings?

Reply to
Runner

The switch is able to make a contact after a certain period of time and wiper movement, but not fast enough to "grab" after a brief application of electrical power. Electrical contacts are sometimes like that when they start to fail. The parking switch is the mechanism and the only mechanism that positions the wiper blades after use, and if you have a problem of this nature it's got to be the culprit. The circuit sounds complex, but is really quite simple after you've worked though an electrical diagram.

I hope you don't think I was being snarky at you, what annoys me is when some egohead who happens to work at a dealer (and obviously doesn't understand the electrics at work here) brushes off customers with this kind of insulting crap. Good luck.

Reply to
Dave Gower

Dave, I didn't take it that way at all...and thank you very much for the information. I am going to take the vehicle in for her and see if they feed me the same line of crap.

Thanks again, Paul

Reply to
Runner

had the same problem last week on my 2003 ZTW

dealer changed a wiper motor relay

works fine now

Runner wrote:

Reply to
JJ

The dealer is full of beans and he knows it. I wouldn't do business with such a disreputable dealer again. Ford has released two Technical Service Bulletins on this issue. It is a defective wiper relay causing the problem. The fault is clearly Ford's. Go back to your dealer's Service Manager and ask to see TSB 04-15-2. Don't leave until they replace it for free. Good luck.

Reply to
rufus20

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