Ok, wipers parked fine before. But after I’ve gone and cleaned up the wiring within the dash, they park as:
I’ve tried playing with the knob on the bulkhead, but no change. Did I inadvertently disconnect something?
The parking switch wire came off. Little copper thing that tells the wiper motor to stop running. The knob on the scuttle tells it where to stop; the switch where to stop.
I don’t have my computer with me to show a pic, but you can go to SNGB and see one by searching for it.
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Thanks Scott. Figured it had to be something like that. I checked the grounds and they seemed fine. I’ll look at SNG and see what they look like. The wire is approximately where?
The whole parking affair is managed at the center drive link behind the electric panel. There are two points of adjustment, an odd shaped copper contact that can be rotated after loosening a pinch screw, and by means of that adjuster nut on the bulkhead. They basically make the same adjustment in different ways, and the nut doesn’t require opening the dash.
This doesn’t account for how it could have changed suddenly. I’d check the 5 way wiring plug on the bulkhead to make sure you didn’t knock the parking wire loose. Also check the wires to the switch if they were disturbed. Be careful that the motor doesn’t inadvertently drive the wiper arms down into your paint.
Thanks Erica. With what you and Scott have given me, I’ll track this down. Could be either. I had my forearm inside the bulkhead tightening up one of the washer nozzles, and I also was working on the throttle grommet near the wiper motor, both during this winter’s work. I could’ve knock something ajar.
Might have accidentally ripped loose the contactor wire. I forget how it’s attached, whether soldered or crimped but there should be a single wire connected to that center contact switch.
Do you mean on the center drive?
Yes that weird mechanical switch is attached to the center drive, and it’s connected by one wire which I think goes to the switch but it might go to the motor, can’t recall.
Ok. Fortunately I haven’t replaced the tranny cover and console so it’ll be easy to check
Sorry Larry, we’re in a rental cabin and the internet went down…the post to you was my last until this morning. Erica’s got you though. That parking switch is really hokey; on mine, even though not running yet, the bullet connector fell out of it but it can come loose at the other end too. I had just ordered one from SNGB and haven’t even installed it yet. I said it wrong at first too: one tells where the other says when.
I understand internet issues on the road. Hopefully you’re skiing or snowmobiling at the cabin. I’m going to take a look this afternoon after getting out on the snow myself. Between you and Erica I now know where to look. Just hoping I didn’t break off a connector on the center.
Thanks for taking the time to help me!
Larry
Larry,
If you look into the hole behind your central panel you’ll see this contraption. The red wire runs through the firewall and connects to another wire from the harness near the fuses. Look for a loose red wire.
Ahh yes, my old nemesis. Again we meet.
Not you John, that crazy switch.
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John,
Thanks for the picture. Gonna head down in a minute and see if I see it
Ok, I looked at the center mechanism and the red wire is there and attaches to the RLG with on the other side of the bulkhead. Looked ant the 5way connector at the motor and they look ok there. I’ll try adjusting the switch a bit and see it it makes a difference. Is just weird that it changed all at once and by so much. The shop manual also says that there is a park adjustment at the motor. Not sure if this is actually correct. Wondering if the the center mounted switch superseded that.
For it to be that far off, just like that, doesn’t it suggest that the copper track along the semi-circle is rubbed out or disconnecting from the earthing wire? You can test that by manually moving the wipers over a bit and letting it complete the earth circuit to park.
kind regards
Marek
Marek,
Help me to understand. When you say move the wipers a bit, do you mean physically apply pressure to them? And the ground wire, I’m confused about. The red wire should be 12V. In the wiring diagram I see where there is a path after the switch to ground, but I don’t see any actual wire for that.
Larry
When the parking circuit is engaged the motor spins backwards until that copper contactor opens. There are two pieces of copper there. The one closet to you moves relative to the other one. It folds over and there is a cup shaped end not visible in the above photo which rides on the fixed contact. When it falls off the edge of the fixed contact it falls onto an insulator and the circuit breaks. It’s kind of Flintstones.
That visible set screw, allows you to adjust the breaking point by manually rotating the moving contact. Since this all started when you had your arm up in there, you might have moved that contact. You might also have bent that contact. If it’s bent away from the other contact, the circuit would never be complete.
You can remove that screw and that contact with the parts in place to see what’s going on. Just don’t drop it. Put a rag under to catch it, just in case. You ca also use a meter and check for continuity between the wire and the moving contact.
ok I understand better now how it works. The picture SNG has shows the one part with the cup. And I assume the the ground is made though the body of the mechanism and not through another wire.
It’s funny, when I assembled everything 20 some years ago, everything just worked! Sometimes ignorance works 