wiper motor troubles

[timetraveller]

hi all
it started raining on the way home from work tonight so i flipped the wiper switch as you do
there was a very sluggish single wipe and then nothing so i pulled over and had a tinkle with the terminals...no joy
so out with the voltage tester....getting power no problem but still no joy
the wiper motor casing was very hot so im assuming the motor is burnt out
which part burns out,which part do i need to replace or do i have to replace the whole unit ??
ive heard a very rainy bank holiday weekend is coming so i need to know where i can get the part(s) double quick
thanks
Neil

[simmitc]

The quickest and simplest thing is to just buy a reconditioned unit from any of the normal Minor parts suppliers. Could well be an exchange unit - you will need to swap the gear wheel from your existing motor. You could also get lucky with a second hand unit, but no guarantee - parts places can do next day delivery.

Also check whether the rack and blades are free to move. Possibly thoroughly cleaning the screen (toothpaste on a dry rag, then wash copiously with water) and lubrication of the rack may restore normal operation. Do NOT use any proprietary anti-rain muck on the screen.

[minor_hickup]

Wiper motors are very reliable but unfortunately 40+ year old lubricants are not. Quite often the rod that operates the wiper rack seizes on the large gear. Just by greasing this up you can usually get them going again. Is it a good idea to take them apart, clean out the gunky grease and repack it all, making sure you lubricate the bush at the bottom of the motor. Unfortunately they are a pain to remove from the inner wing!

[timetraveller]

so is there a possibility its not burnt out ?? as its not making a noise but drawing a lot of current according to the voltage gauge

[bmcecosse]

'Voltage gauge' doesn't measure current...... but I agree with the others - this is likely to be more of a mechanical problem than an electrical one. Or at least - it may have started ascmechanical, which in turn may now have led to an electrical (burned out) problem.......

[Alec]

Hello TT,

there is a chance it has not burnt out because if it had the fuse would likely have blown. It's likely to have been hot, as mentioned earlier, due to mechanical load as much as an electrical fault.

Alec

[minor65]

When I purchased the Dove Grey the wiper motor was very lazy, until they didn't hardly work at all. I removed the crank cover, scraped out all the old hardened grease, cleaned thoroughly with petrol then oiled and regreased. Has worked prefect now for 5 years without any work. I'd try that first.

[bmcecosse]

Running some 3 in 1 down the spindles of the wiper boxes often helps too.....

[brixtonmorris]

Armature in the motor is not held straight in the body, between the magnets. Try loosening the 2 screws (a 1/4 turn)that hold the ali cover on, where the wires connect. Try and dislodge the cover slightly. Then switch on and see if they have speeded up. Then try and do up the screws hoping that the speed stays faster. This is a sign of worn bearings inside the motor. If it is new it has not been assembled properly. The motor draws about2 -- 2.5 amps when working correctly.