X7 intermittent wipers - fixed - I hope.

[Peter.N.]

Took the motors out today, not to bad a job compared to the thermostat. Both motors and the connectors looked OK with only slight corrosion, the connectors looked good but I WD40'd them to be on the safe side and waxoiled any joins in the casing just to be sure.

Both scuttle drains seemed reasonably clear, a little debris but not enough to block them, but when I was getting the drivers side motor out I noticed a secondary drain just above the motor on the top edge of the scuttle, I had to remove it to get the motor out. It collects water from the windscreen and sends it down a pipe into the main scuttle drain, when I removed it I found the pipe almost completely blocked. I put a high pressure water jet through it and it cleared nicely.

The wipers now seem fine but its not raining today, but the secondary drain being blocked would have directed water over the connectors. The symptoms were that the wipers packed up after heavy rain, so here's hoping.

Peter

[lexi]

You are getting to know your way round these now Peter

[white exec]

Fingers crossed, Peter. Comes to something when you need to avoid using wipers in the wet!

[Peter.N.]

Remember the old Ford vacuum ones?

Peter

[Stickyfinger]

I remember my Morris ones, string and a passenger with good rhythm

[white exec]

Remember the wiper motor in our original 1935 Rover Ten - top of windscreen, on the inside (!), and directly above the driver's hands. Operated for long enough, it got very warm, the grease in it melted, and dripped brown-black into the driver's lap, where it solidified again. Joy!

[Paul-R]

Remember the old Ford vacuum ones?

Indeed I do. Prior to his 101 Victor my father had a Ford Consul. Just when you needed them the most struggling up a hill they would slow down almost to a halt. Terrible idea.

[Peter.N.]

The '50s Vauxhall Cresta's and Velox's had the best idea, they had a mechanical drive from the back of the camshaft, the faster you went the faster the wipers went.

I fitted a Perkins 4/99 engine to one in '59, they were a complete kit and even had the wiper drive fitted.

Peter

[Peter.N.]

Wrong!! Went out in it yesterday, wipers wouldn't work - in the evening they did! Obviously in intermittent power supply, not having a circuit doesn't help. I'm pleased they did when I took it for MOT.

Is there a relay in the circuit, if so where?

Thanks

Peter

[GiveMeABreak]

I was going to mention that I thought that might only be a temporary solution - once water has got in they are generally shot Peter.

No user replaceable relay. The relays are R4 & R5 in the engine Fusebox - but these are sealed. Fuse F12 (30A) might be worth checking as the integrity of the internal fuse wire can be questionable. As I mentioned these have a master / slave relationship. Once the ECU inside the wipers get water in then they can play silly bu**ers.

You should have a fault code in Diagbox - if you put that up, I can advise. Is it both wipers, or the left, or right?

For info:

"a" Windscreen wiper motor.
"b" Windscreen wipers ECU.
"c" 5-way yellow connector.

The windscreen wiper ECU "b" interprets the wiping speed requests from the built-in systems interface (BSI).
The windscreen wiper motor "a" applies the wiping speeds indicated by the windscreen wiper ECU.

Functions of the driver’s windscreen wiper ECU (master):

• To receive the wiping speed reference values from the BSI1 on the LIN, via the engine compartment fuse board-fuse box (PSF1)
• To control the driver’s side windscreen wiper motor
• To control the passenger’s windscreen wiper ECU (slave) via the connection between the windscreen wiper motors

The passenger’s side windscreen wiper ECU controls the passenger’s side windscreen wiper motor.
The windscreen wiper motor transmits the rotation movement to the windscreen wiper blade via an internal mechanism.

Each windscreen wiper blade has its own motor and its own ECU.


Here's the Electrical Pin outs:

5-way yellow connector (Left Hand)
Channel n°	Designation
1	Supply
2	Earth
3	Motor control via relay
4	Communication between windscreen wiper motors
5	LIN

5-way yellow connector (Right Hand)
Channel n°	Designation
1	LIN
2	Communication between windscreen wiper motors
3	Motor control via relay
4	Earth
5	Supply

[Peter.N.]

Thanks for the info Marc Next time it doesn't work I will check for power on the fuse. There was no evidence of corrosion on the connectors although there was a little on the case. When they work they work perfectly and don't miss a beat, then suddenly they are completely dead, no amount of stopping and restarting makes any difference but I can use it a couple of hours later and they work perfectly.

All the other information I have found on the net relates to one side not working or only a small amount of movement, never had that and neither has anyone else apparently but mine either work on don't. Do you think its worth trying a reset?

I must get my Lexia fixed.

Peter

[GiveMeABreak]

A reset won’t fix it Peter. When this happened to me, my driver side wiper was stopping at odd places on the screen, then going mad, then stuck vertical. It was going haywire with the left one staying grounded (probably to stop collision).

Had the whole thing replaced under warranty.

[Peter.N.]

All the other cases I have read have done something like that Marc but no one seems to have had the intermittent effect that I am having. Won't bother to do a reset then. I'm just waiting for them to fail again at a convenient time.

Peter

[Paul-R]

I'm just waiting for them to fail again at a convenient time.

Now that will never happen. Pitch black, pi$$ing rain, outer lane of the M25 more likely.

[GiveMeABreak]

^ That was me on the way to work except rush hour & traffic jam on the coast road, so into the local Halfrauds to pick up some RainX for the return journey home - and of course not a spot of rain on the way back...