amanda

hi. my dad was driving my 2000 es300 and erroneously engaged the wiper instead of the turn signal last week. it was a blistery cold day (not sure it's relevant) and he pushed it all the way down to the fastest speed.

from what i understand, it kind of went berserk and just got stuck in the upright position and stopped working.

he forced it back down to the resting position, but now the wipers are dead and will not engage. there are no noises and the wiper fluid still sprays. it's like the car just does not know that i am trying to turn on the wipers.

the car only has 65K miles on it and never had any wipers problems before. i am not sure the motor is it. but my dad can't seem to find the fuses or the switches that link it.

any suggestions?

thank you.

Choas

First off WELCOME TO CL!!!! Second yea it sound's like the motor to me. Most likely wouldn't be a fuse. If you want to check the fuse look in your manual at the fuse diagram and it should tell you.

amanda

thank you. i checked the manual and it shows the driver's side instrument panel fuse box to be near the fender. but i can't seem to find it anywhere.

do you have any idea how i might locate it?

also, if it is the motor, do you know if it's a pretty simple operation? some references on the web say so, but they didn't relate directly to lexus.

and last, do you recommend remanufactured motor, used motor (off junked vehicles) or take to dealer? the last is the easiest, but i am sure pretty pricey.

thanks for your help.

EJC

The manual should show you where the fuse box is.
If I recall it should be one of the black boxes on the drivers side under the hood.

EJC

It's amazing what you can find with google:

"It's located on either the right or left side of the engine.

At least in the 2002 ES 300, there are two fuse boxes. One is under the hood, a long black box with a removable lid on the driver's side, above the wheel well. The second is also on the driver's side, inside the car, close to the door; it is behind a pocket door that comes out if you open it up and pull gently up and out "

amanda

thanks, ejc. the manual actually shows four fuse boxes. all three under the hood are very easy to spot. it's the one in the cabin that's hard to find. i am still not sure where it could be because i did look around pretty thoroughly for a pocket door etc. but as a bonus, i did find out after all these years that i had a loose-change compartment.

i will look around again tomorrow, but if anyone personally knows where that fourth box inside the cabin is, i would appreciate your letting me know.

thank you.

amanda

also, do you have any opinions on the sata fe versus a mini van? i am in the market for one (suv) or the other.

also, also, i wonder why i got the "driver school candidate" as my default description.

Choas

Its above the pedals and to the left. Just ran out in the snow lol and checked.

To that NO and NO. As far as driver school candidate everyone gets it. It will change as you post more. So back to the you being in the suv market. I hate to be stereotypical but everyone I see in a santa fe just can't drive PERIOD. Now as far a vans for the most part no they can't handle don't have awd and really are not needed unless you have more than three kids. Now there are exceptions to that rule with crossovers like the Chrysler Pacifica. If you like me and don't have three or more kids buy a subi like I did. They are great on gas, handle good, and can take on almost anything. Good luck with your wipers and car search tho.

amanda

i hope that'll do it. i'm kind of curious to see how they hid the thing. thank you.

EJC

Not sure of the '00

But in my '02 the coin box (below and to the left of the Steering wheel) pulls out and there is another fuse box there.

Where abouts in CT are you, I'm up in W. Hartford.

As to the SantaFe. I put both my kids in used SantaFes. We have have an '05(owned for 2 yrs) and an '06 (owned 1yr). We've been very happy with both cars. They've been dependable, plenty of room for hauling stuff, safe vehicles, AWD, ABS and NO PROBLEMS with either. Alot of car for the $$$$.

amanda

oh, man. i wish i had logged on before trying to find the fuse box. yes, it is under the coin box. had to dig around, though. but thank you!

now, i know it's not the fuse, so should i attempt to replace the motor myself? ebay has refurbished and used ones (from wrecked cars). i am gathering from some websites that replacement isn't too difficult, but i would like to hear from someone here.

i live in southern connecticut near stamford. it's a small state, but still pretty big, isn't it?

thanks again.

amanda

you own a lot of cars, elliot. we have two kids and just getting around to the second one. but my husband commutes into nyc by train so it hasn't been completely urgent. i'll have to look into the santa fe. but a lot of minivan guys swear up and down that i'll be glad to own one after getting over the initial fuddy-dud factor.