Rear Wiper Not Working (yes I searched, but n00b to car repairs and need help :-( )

[gijoecam]

Glad it's back up and running! Happy to help! I'd honestly never heard of this problem... Do you have any pics of the troble spot? I'd be curious to see it just for future reference... Yours is the first one I've heard of doing that, and you're probably right in that it was an assembly fluke, but you never know... someone else might have the same issue and find the same problem.

-Joe

 

[idgaf52]

wiper motor removal

I still haven't heard how to remove the wiper motor from the liftgate to replace it. My motor turns but doesn't move the wiper arm.

 

[Mbrooks420]

You have to remove the plastic on the hatch. The motor comes out with a few bolts.

 

[BruceGunn]

Hi
I have a year 2000 explorer 4.0.

Last year the rear wiper stopped working so I took it apart cleaned everything and put it back together. It ran for a month and then stopped again. I ignored it for a year and now I am trying to fix it again and I think I have the real reason it fails.

Today I stripped out the trim so that I could see the motor, started the engine, then switched the rear wiper on. Nothing - as expected, BUT then I crawled it the back of the car, leaving everything running. To my surprise the wiper assembly was making a slow clicking sound, about every 3 seconds or so. When I held the motor it was warm ! So something was going on, not just no volts as I thought (remember the rear glass has to be shut or you get no volts to the motor).

So I stripped everything out again and I found the gear assembly jammed against it's end stop. Looking at the way the contacts operate in the gear box leads me to this conclusion...
At the end of each wiper stroke a signal is sent to a solenoid/relay or something telling the motor to reverse. This must happen at both ends of each stroke. In my case something has gone wrong with this circuit so the poor motor is just trying its best to do 360's in one direction !

But the end stop, stops this (the clue's in the name!), and the clicking is the worm screw clicking over the plastic gear in the box.
So how to fix this ?

Well I'm working on it ! It's either an issue with the contacts in the gearbox (unlikely in my case as they look good). OR a problem with the wiring or the relays or whatever it is that tells the wiper motor to stop and go the other way.

This explains why fitting a whole new wiper motor assembly does not necessarily fix the problem.

If anyone out there has a wiper circuit diagram for a Ford Explorer of this year it would speed up the end of this fix. I’m in the UK so it’s difficult getting manuals etc.
Can anyone help locate which relays to look at ?

All the best, and don't pay people to fix something that you can yourself with a little time and HELP.
Bruce

 

[firefighter3230]

Mine went out about a year ago and never realy cared untill this year and the road salt and crap has been realy bad but when it started going out I had to slap it to get it going and it would run for about a day then Id have to slap it agen to adjust its aditude but now its completely out of wack and Iam thinking about canableiseing one from the junk yard that just got a 98 in last week so we will se how that works out

 

[Mbrooks420]

Welcome to the site. Swapping in a new motor is pretty easy. Usually the toughest part is getting the wiper arm off of the motor shaft. I'd remove the wiper arm before going to the scrap yard, just in case it breaks and you need a replacement.

 

[firefighter3230]

thanks but it was the wrong type but it did have the same dash peice so i ended up just geting the trim peice that goes around the radio ( the 12v jack has broken the ring that holds it in place and now there is nothing there to hole it in) so just got another dash peice it was only $25.00 comes with all the witches and stuff almost had the after market bloepunk cd head unit too but the dude realised that it wasnt the factory one just before i put it in my truck lol man wouldnt that have been a steel

 

[cyress]

Hey Guys, I have an issue regarding my rear wiper motor being constantly on. I turn it off and it continues to keep going. I pull my fuse under the dash and it still continues to go.....very weird. So I went to the front of my 2004 Explorer Limited 4x4 4.6L and removed the high current fuse for the rear wiper. I have to take it out for a couple days and then put it back in, and sometimes its still on. What you think the problem is?

 

[gijoecam]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm working from memory) but your rear wiper switch on an '04 is on the stalk, correct?

I'll have to check the schematics, but I suspect either a bad switch or a stuck relay (but I need to dig into the schematics to know for sure). I'm not entirely sure if your '04 uses a separate up and down relay or if it's one for up/down and one for on/off.... I'll have to check (unless someone beats me to it)

-Joe

 

[cyress]

hey Joe,

Yes it is on the stalk. Its one switch, from low to high and the washer juice holding it up or down. I just tried putting it back in and its still on....I have taken it out a couple days ago. This is weird. Joe, i also appreciate what you are doing for me, thanks a lot.

 

[gijoecam]

Which fuse are you pulling out? Fuse # 15 (5A) or fuse # 30 (20A)? It may help with the troubleshooting... (I'm guessing it's the 20A because the 5A fuse is on a switched power source)

Try this... with the key off, install both fuses. It will start running. Pull fuse #15. If my hunch is correct, it will keep running. Reinstall fuse 15, and remove fuse 30. The motor stops, right?

If removing fuse 15 causes the motor to stop, it could be either the microprocessor that controls the wiper, or the switch on the wiper stalk. It's a 50/50 shot without doing some more troubleshooting.

If it's only fuse 30 that stops it, that would lead me to believe that the rear wiper relay is sticking... Unfortunately that relay is a part of the rear wiper motor assembly. Simple enough job though..... Flip up the plastic piece over the wiper arm nut, remove the nut, remove the cover on the inside of the tailgate (held on with spring clips.... just pull), disconnect the electrical connector, and remove the screws holding the motor to the window... Looks pretty simple and straightforward.

Good luck!

 

[KuglerKustom]

no pictures??? come on guys! i love pictures!!! so the rear plastic is easy to get off to acceess the motor??
-Kug
*formerly FishinFord*

 

[ITBEBOB]

I have a '93 with a rear wiper that turns on, wipes to the far side and stops there. When I turn wiper off and then turn the ignition off then on again the blade returns to the off position. It does this every time I turn the rear wiper on. Any ideas?

 

[EdselMaven]

I have a '93 with a rear wiper that turns on, wipes to the far side and stops there. When I turn wiper off and then turn the ignition off then on again the blade returns to the off position. It does this every time I turn the rear wiper on. Any ideas?

I have the same problem with my '94. Anyone have any ideas?