hardtop wiper noise, etc.

Dec 07, 2003 15 Replies
T

Ok, here's a weird one. I have an 03 Wrangler with a hardtop, got it new 3 months ago. During that time, I have noticed something odd about the rear wiper on the hardtop. Sometimes after parking several hours or (most often) overnight, when I fire up the Jeep, there is pulsing noise coming from the wiper motor assembly on the hardtop - this is without me touching the on/off switch for it. It sounds like I imagine it would if someone had grabbed the wiper while it was on and the motor was fighting the resistance or something. But, it is unhindered, and - more importantly - nobody has turned it on.



What I usually do is to go ahead and spray the back window and run the wiper for a few seconds, which seems to shut the thing up.



Anybody else have this happen to them? What are your guesses as to what is happening and what I should do to fix?


- thanks!



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M

I don't think it's your hardtop. My 03 does the same thing on start up, that pulsing noise, with the soft top on and the hard top on, it seems to be louder when it is warmer out.

anybody have an idea what the noise is?

matt

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M

That is a strange one all right.

Maybe it isn't going all the way off when it parks? Likely you have two

12V power wires going to it, one for run and one that shunts over to a ring plate so when the arm moves to park, the plate falls off the contact and it parks. This line has 12 volts in it with the switch off.

Is the blade touching the window frame or anything when it stops? Thinking that might be holding it almost contacting so it gives some surges like it is trying to park.

Could also be that the motor wasn't put together right too. Maybe the park ring is just too close to the contact.

Just a couple guesses.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

thomas wrote:

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M

The fuel pump can make a pulsing noise at start up....

The one in my Cherokee uses a ballast resistor when running to lower the noise from the pump. I don't know if the TJ drops the pump voltage or not.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Matt wrote:

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M

Hey Thomas. I can't help you with your problem, but I wonder if you can tell me if the '03 rear wiper has a delay setting?? My '98 does not, but I am hoping they changed that. Thanks and good luck with your diagnosis.

Jay

thomas wrote:

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M

Nope. No delay. Maybe somebody knows how to do it?

-- Matt '03 TJ Sport

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M

If it happens when your soft top is on, then it's not your rear wiper, since soft tops don't have rear wipers.

Do you have ABS? If so, it may be the ABS system pulsing on startup.

Tom

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T

It probably isn't your wiper. I have an '03 with both tops and I hear a noise like that no matter which top is on it.

I th>

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C

I Think Tom is right.ABS does that on start up.The vibration should be in sync.with the pulse you feel on your brake pedal,no?-Hank.

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T

I only have a hardtop, and it is definitely coming from the back , notthe engine compartment.

- tom

mabar wrote:

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T

Glad I'm not the only one, but:

I do not have a soft top.

And, it definitely seems to be coming from the rear, seemingly the hard top. Next time, I'll step outside and lean my ear to make sure of my diagnosis - but for now, I am pretty sure of my analysis.

- tom

Matt wrote:

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C

I'm adding my vote to the fuel pump theory.............

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H

It is the fuel pump this is nor normal some noisier than others.

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