Update on the wiper:
Turns out, the wiper switch has two spade connectors that are connected
together, one of which is used to supply power to the switch and wiper. The
other one is unused, bot hot.
My switch was rotated in such a way as to bring that unused hot spade lug
close to the headlight switch next door (actually, "above" in the picture
below--the photo site turned the picture sideways). When I turned off the
wiper at a rest stop, the whole switch rotated slightly, and it made
contact. That dead short caused the thermal breaker to break.
Ken saw the issue looking through the windshield when I was fiddling with
it in the driver's seat. He crimped a cord in a spade connector "so you
don't lose it WHEN you drop it" to cover and protect that unused lug. It's
the one buried on the right, which is now at the bottom of the switch. I
pulled the switch and reoriented it in addition to installing the
protector.
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/misc/p63111-electric-wiper-switch.html
I also enlarged the hole around the knob using a Dremel, which removes the
recessed section and allows me to install the knob firmly without
interference from the plastic instrument panel. I did the same with the
headlight switch, so I can remove the panel without removing those knobs.
Motor was fine, switch was fine, and the intermittent function of the
push-to-wash was also resolved.
By the way, only O'Reilly's and Carquest list the motor--Advance and
Autozone no longer do. I did not check NAPA.
Rick "works like a charm now" Denney
> ...
> And I think my Rock Auto wiper motor has fried--dead short to ground. Had
> to cut the wire--the bits on the thermal breaker are rusted in place and
> eventually that breaker was going to give up the ghost, testing that
> circuit every ten or fifteen seconds as it was doing. Gotta find some
> RainX.
>
>
> --
'73 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
rick at rickdenney dot com
Turns out, the wiper switch has two spade connectors that are connected
together, one of which is used to supply power to the switch and wiper. The
other one is unused, bot hot.
My switch was rotated in such a way as to bring that unused hot spade lug
close to the headlight switch next door (actually, "above" in the picture
below--the photo site turned the picture sideways). When I turned off the
wiper at a rest stop, the whole switch rotated slightly, and it made
contact. That dead short caused the thermal breaker to break.
Ken saw the issue looking through the windshield when I was fiddling with
it in the driver's seat. He crimped a cord in a spade connector "so you
don't lose it WHEN you drop it" to cover and protect that unused lug. It's
the one buried on the right, which is now at the bottom of the switch. I
pulled the switch and reoriented it in addition to installing the
protector.
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/misc/p63111-electric-wiper-switch.html
I also enlarged the hole around the knob using a Dremel, which removes the
recessed section and allows me to install the knob firmly without
interference from the plastic instrument panel. I did the same with the
headlight switch, so I can remove the panel without removing those knobs.
Motor was fine, switch was fine, and the intermittent function of the
push-to-wash was also resolved.
By the way, only O'Reilly's and Carquest list the motor--Advance and
Autozone no longer do. I did not check NAPA.
Rick "works like a charm now" Denney
> ...
> And I think my Rock Auto wiper motor has fried--dead short to ground. Had
> to cut the wire--the bits on the thermal breaker are rusted in place and
> eventually that breaker was going to give up the ghost, testing that
> circuit every ten or fifteen seconds as it was doing. Gotta find some
> RainX.
>
>
> --
'73 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
rick at rickdenney dot com
