Author Topic: Wiper motor not shutting off, A "Park" issue  (Read 1215 times)

75taguy

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Wiper motor not shutting off, A "Park" issue
« on: June 21, 2021, 10:52:06 AM »
I have a 75 Trans Am with non-pulse wipers. I'm digging into why my wipers aren't working properly and took the motor out and am bench testing it. While on the bench, when I ground to the motor and and provide ground to terminal 1 and power to the middle terminal (I'll call that terminal 2), it should "park" the wipers in the hideaway position, however it keeps running because it's not pushing the arm back far enough to shut it off. If I use a screw driver and push back the tab on the "park" just a little more, it will shut down like it should. Is there any adjustment to this so it pushes the arm back farther to stop the motor. Hope the description my problem makes sense. Thanks for any replies.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2021, 10:56:46 AM by 75taguy »

firebirdparts

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Re: Wiper motor not shutting off, A "Park" issue
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2021, 12:29:08 PM »
I don't think so.  The motor has to know how to park itself, and it's interesting to take one apart and see how it works.  It's quite a rube-goldberg arrangement, and mostly plastic.  Stuff gets worn in there.  One thing that might work is to repack it with grease, if you think maybe lubrication would help it.  After 45 years, one thing you would surely observe is the grease is just wax now.

There are basically three things that have to happen if you have hidden wipers, which might have been optional in 75.
1.  There is a contact that makes up at the bottom of the sweep.
2.  This turns on a solenoid activated latch that grabs the crankshaft and won't let it spin, but the motor keeps running.
3.  After a half a turn on the ring gear, a second set of contacts needs to open so that the motor will stop.

Of all the stuff in there, where that latch grabs is the item most obviously subject to wearing out.  That's a pretty violent operation. 

I've never seen the declutching mechanism that allows the crankshaft to stop spinning, but I've never seen one go bad either on a GM car.
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75taguy

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Re: Wiper motor not shutting off, A "Park" issue
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2021, 10:05:14 AM »
I purchased a re-manufactured one from Napa for $65. I didn't think that was bad and it stops like it should.

Re: Wiper motor not shutting off, A "Park" issue
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2021, 10:05:14 AM »
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