Wiper issues

[leapin]

So on my sisters festiva only the high wiper function works. I replaced the module to a variable and got nothing. Ive tested continuity on the wires from the switch to the motor and they are good. I tested the switch as well its good. I suppose the motor is shot. Ive never seen it were some works and others wont. I even applied direct 12v power to the motor and only the high function works. Also wont return to rest position after turning them off. Anybody had this before?

[GenevaDirt]

not on a Festy but on another car...I have. The motor ended up being bad....replaced and all was fine.

[WmWatt]

You can dismantle the motor. I took mine apart looking for a problem which turned out to be in the switch. Just be carefull not to pull the shaft out because it's tricky and can take quite a few tries to get it back in because of the spring loaded graphite brushes.

[gdawgs]

Mine has been this way for years. I have never got around to checking into it. However, every once in a while(once every several months) the wiper will run on the slow setting(I always leave the switch in the low position when I'm not using it) for a few minutes, then it quits working. My guess is that it's in the switch. The biggest pain is that the you don't have the "auto home" feature when you turn the wipers off. When you take the switch out of the high position, the wipers stop wherever they are. So you have to time when you shut off the wipers so they stop when they are down. I'm so used to it I do it without thinking.

[geezerstiva]

our ford ranger does this... only works on high. its extremely annoying.

[FB71]

usually a bad park switch inside the motor. It's tied into the low speed brush (separate brush for high speed), which is why the wipers don't park AND the low speed doesn't work, but high does.

[leapin]

usually a bad park switch inside the motor. It's tied into the low speed brush (separate brush for high speed), which is why the wipers don't park AND the low speed doesn't work, but high does.

right on the money! A new(used) motor did the trick!

[Pocket_Rocket]

You can dismantle the motor. I took mine apart looking for a problem which turned out to be in the switch. Just be carefull not to pull the shaft out because it's tricky and can take quite a few tries to get it back in because of the spring loaded graphite brushes.

I know what you mean about those darn brushes; happened to me when I took apart my rear wiper motor. But I found the trick to do it right: on the brush spring housings, there are small hooks; so put in the spring and brush all the way in the housing, then put the brush's wire in the hook while making sure there's no slack in the wire and it'll stay in place as long as you want, freeing your hand to easily put the shaft back in.