Wipers Stopped Mid Swipe
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 408
From: Kentucky
Wipers Stopped Mid Swipe
It is raining in South Central Kentucky today and my wipers on automatic made half a swipe up and stopped mid stroke. Auto light is still lit and turns on and off with the button but no function. I turned off the auto feature and they would not rehome. Pushing up to get a mist stroke did nothing. Pulling down did nothing, pulling all the way down produced high speed full time wiping. Pushing up stops them mid stroke. Most annoying.
I continued to fiddle with them and it eventually started working on high and low full time wiping but auto and mist still did not function.
By the time I arrived at work it was all working again, including auto and mist.
Anyone seen anything like this? Any idea where I should start my trouble shooting?
My first thought is to find the connectors for the wiper motor itself and remove, clean, grease and reseat them.
I continued to fiddle with them and it eventually started working on high and low full time wiping but auto and mist still did not function.
By the time I arrived at work it was all working again, including auto and mist.
Anyone seen anything like this? Any idea where I should start my trouble shooting?
My first thought is to find the connectors for the wiper motor itself and remove, clean, grease and reseat them.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,733
Likes: 383
From: Philadelphia
I have a theory, something I have seen on three wiper motors.
The lubrication inside the motor and gear housing sometimes ends up on the tracks with the electric contacts that tell the motor what position the wipers are in.
I have three times fixed a wiper assembly by removing the gear housing cover and cleaning the conductive tracks on the primary gear.
The behavior you're describing is consistent with that issue.
The lubrication inside the motor and gear housing sometimes ends up on the tracks with the electric contacts that tell the motor what position the wipers are in.
I have three times fixed a wiper assembly by removing the gear housing cover and cleaning the conductive tracks on the primary gear.
The behavior you're describing is consistent with that issue.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 13,614
Likes: 2,914
From: Texas
It is always difficult to troubleshoot a problem when the problem happens intermittently, and even more difficult when the problem happens only once and goes back to working normally as it should again.
I have a theory, something I have seen on three wiper motors.
The lubrication inside the motor and gear housing sometimes ends up on the tracks with the electric contacts that tell the motor what position the wipers are in.
I have three times fixed a wiper assembly by removing the gear housing cover and cleaning the conductive tracks on the primary gear.
The behavior you're describing is consistent with that issue.
The lubrication inside the motor and gear housing sometimes ends up on the tracks with the electric contacts that tell the motor what position the wipers are in.
I have three times fixed a wiper assembly by removing the gear housing cover and cleaning the conductive tracks on the primary gear.
The behavior you're describing is consistent with that issue.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,733
Likes: 383
From: Philadelphia
I have never had the problem reappear after cleaning the tracks. It may be because cleaning the tracks removes excess lubrication, which lowers the chances of it happening again.
Here's a pic from my QX60 motor:
The contacts are on the underside of the pink disc, and they were covered in the white lubricant. My GS430 has the same issue as well as my wife's old TrailBlazer. The problem would come and go until I took things apart and cleaned it up.
Here's a pic of a GS350 assembly:
The gearing, lubricant, and contacts are beneath the black cover.
You can also find the entire assembly on ebay for $50-100, so depending on how valuable your time is, that might make more sense.
Here's a pic from my QX60 motor:
The contacts are on the underside of the pink disc, and they were covered in the white lubricant. My GS430 has the same issue as well as my wife's old TrailBlazer. The problem would come and go until I took things apart and cleaned it up.
Here's a pic of a GS350 assembly:
The gearing, lubricant, and contacts are beneath the black cover.
You can also find the entire assembly on ebay for $50-100, so depending on how valuable your time is, that might make more sense.
Last edited by jonathancl; Nov 1, 2018 at 10:48 AM.
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 278
Likes: 14
From: TN
Same exact thing recently happened with me. I took a video and sent it to my service advisor. It’s embarrasing and pissed me off because it was mid downpour in rush hour with my 2 year old in the car.
They replaced 2 relays and all is good. It was covered under warranty. If you can’t get a video of it, show them this YouTube clip of an IS doing the same thing.
They replaced 2 relays and all is good. It was covered under warranty. If you can’t get a video of it, show them this YouTube clip of an IS doing the same thing.
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From: Gauteng
guys. it is likely the relay.
there are two relays in the fusebox for the wipers. ones does auto/intermittent and one does the normal wiper function. swap them around and see if the issue goes away. There was service bulilten on the relays. there were a bad batch. Apparently the gent that had assembles these was also working on another assembly line at the time where silicone was used. Some of the silicone residue got to the relay poles and causes issues after a while. Had my relay replaced and issue gone...
there are two relays in the fusebox for the wipers. ones does auto/intermittent and one does the normal wiper function. swap them around and see if the issue goes away. There was service bulilten on the relays. there were a bad batch. Apparently the gent that had assembles these was also working on another assembly line at the time where silicone was used. Some of the silicone residue got to the relay poles and causes issues after a while. Had my relay replaced and issue gone...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 408
From: Kentucky
guys. it is likely the relay.
there are two relays in the fusebox for the wipers. ones does auto/intermittent and one does the normal wiper function. swap them around and see if the issue goes away. There was service bulilten on the relays. there were a bad batch. Apparently the gent that had assembles these was also working on another assembly line at the time where silicone was used. Some of the silicone residue got to the relay poles and causes issues after a while. Had my relay replaced and issue gone...
there are two relays in the fusebox for the wipers. ones does auto/intermittent and one does the normal wiper function. swap them around and see if the issue goes away. There was service bulilten on the relays. there were a bad batch. Apparently the gent that had assembles these was also working on another assembly line at the time where silicone was used. Some of the silicone residue got to the relay poles and causes issues after a while. Had my relay replaced and issue gone...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 408
From: Kentucky
Interesting development. I swapped the two relays and it changed the failure slightly or it might just be less of a failure regardless of relays.
1) The auto wipe will make half a swipe but pushing up to mist makes it move until I let go. If I let go before parking, it will stop wherever.
2) Low and high wiper speeds work just fine now.
That would seem to eliminate the relay(s) as the issue. I'm going to pop the cover off the wiper motor to see if cleaning the contacts improves it.
1) The auto wipe will make half a swipe but pushing up to mist makes it move until I let go. If I let go before parking, it will stop wherever.
2) Low and high wiper speeds work just fine now.
That would seem to eliminate the relay(s) as the issue. I'm going to pop the cover off the wiper motor to see if cleaning the contacts improves it.
Rookie
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 90
Likes: 7
From: Gauteng
Interesting development. I swapped the two relays and it changed the failure slightly or it might just be less of a failure regardless of relays.
1) The auto wipe will make half a swipe but pushing up to mist makes it move until I let go. If I let go before parking, it will stop wherever.
2) Low and high wiper speeds work just fine now.
That would seem to eliminate the relay(s) as the issue. I'm going to pop the cover off the wiper motor to see if cleaning the contacts improves it.
1) The auto wipe will make half a swipe but pushing up to mist makes it move until I let go. If I let go before parking, it will stop wherever.
2) Low and high wiper speeds work just fine now.
That would seem to eliminate the relay(s) as the issue. I'm going to pop the cover off the wiper motor to see if cleaning the contacts improves it.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 408
From: Kentucky
Oddly, it only seems to happen in the rain. Testing with the washers in dry weather works just fine.
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