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Wiper motor keeps going, and going, and.....

bugedd

Jedi Knight
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So I decided to get the wiper motor hooked up, now that I have a switch. After getting it wired up, it turns on, and won't turn off. The switch appears to be working properly, completing the circuit when pulled, and has no continuity when pushed. The black and the black with green stripe are hooked up to it, so that's correct.
At the motor, the three wires and hooked up properly, but what I find odd is that the green (hot) and the black with green stripe that leads to the switch is hot as well. Is that correct? It seems to me that the black/green is a switchable ground, so why would it be hot? As I took the internals out there is continuity between the two terminals, as well as the wires leading to the motor coils. So its all on the same circuit, which seems wrong. Any thoughts on this, what may be wrong, and how to fix it?
Thanks!
Rookie :wink:
 
Welcome!

you are correct, black/green should not be hot.

green is hot.

according to my diagram, green is hooked up to terminal #2
Black/Green hooked up to #1

and either nothing or ground (Black) to number 3.
 
Ahhh, and todays question is why is black/green hot.
 
Yes indeed. It is hooked up correctly. So looking at the internals, the large wire that goes to the coil as well as one that is on the same terminal goes to the exterior of the motor and to the "hat" on top of the gears "should" be a ground side, I would assume. Any thoughts on that?

Also, I just took that "hat" and gear cover off to see why the ground at that hat isn't working, but ground it to the screw for the cover and it grounds fine. Looking at the inside of the hat or cap, it has PARTIAL bronze or some conductive material, that has continuity to the place where the wire attaches. Nowhere else is it conductive. Looking that that bronze material I see where something was once rubbing against it. At the top of the screw that holds the arm onto the gear, there is a large slot, like something may have sat in it, contacted the bronze material, completing the ground. As it is now, there is no way it could have ever touched that material. Also, that bronze material is only on 3/4 of the top, and was designed that way. What the heck???

Maybe I should just buy a known good wiper assembly.
 
after I posted early, I got wondering about the black green wire. you may have a short in that wire. If it is hooked up to the wiper, it will be hot as the switch to turn it "off" is further down the line. Try this. disconnect the black/green wire. take another piece of wire, plug it in to the spot where the black green goes. then try. It should run if you touch the wire to a ground (engine) and stop when you lift it off. If that is the case, you have a short somewhere in the black green wire.
 
I am thinking it something internal. If I disconnect the black/green, leave the hot on, and test both mounting tabs they are both hot. And there is continuity between the two tabs, which should not occur. I am taking it apart AGAIN today to see why there is continuity.
 
They are supposed to be hot.
They are grounding field coils, which have battery voltage on the other end.
Without a ground, you will read battery voltage, as there is no load (coils) to drop the voltage.

Now, not sure about both, as you should have 2 for a 2-speed motor, or one for a one speed and one for "park" ground.
 
Okay, I assume its a one speed motor on these cars, as there is no way to select for speeds on the switch. What is the "park" ground you mention? the grounds are one on the motor body which comes out of the harness with the hot and the black/green to the switch, then off the ground side of the coil there is a ground to the gear body. It will not work with that ground disconnected.
So if this seems all correct, why won't the switch turn it off?
 
Okay, I found what is perhaps "the" issue. The brass wiper that goes to the park switch is gone. So thats gotta be a major part of if not the actual problem. Anyone out there have a a spare wiper from a fried wiper assembly?
 
BTW Darwin, nice links, especially that last one.
 
I thought you had two wires to the switch?
That makes the type a hot unit, grounding through the switch.
If you have 4-5 wires at the switch, it's a cold motor.

If I recall, mine is hot, grounds through the switch (3 wire, ground, high and low).
NOT a bugeye, but Lucas.

And it isn't the right one......
 
Hey bugedd,
When I replaced the wiring harness on my Bugeye my wiper motor--which had not been run in years and years--wouldn't turn off either. It turned out that the shaft that holds the knob onto the push-pull switch wasn't going all the way in. I removed the knob, trimmed a little off, stuck it back on, and the problem was solved.

You might check that.

Charlie
 
How available are motors for frogs?
Do an internet search you find "all restored, needs wiper motor"?
 
My goodness, I am so glad I found this website. You guys are FAR more helpful than other sites, including the only one that supports my daily driver, galantvr4.org.
I just emailed him for the part, when I get it hopefully it will take care of my issues. I don't know why I am so heck bent on fixing this, not like I'm going to ever use them :smile:
 
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