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Wiper motor quit during last run

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CraigCootsona

CraigCootsona

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Hello all,

Was just browsing the postings and I remembered that last time I drove my sprite in the rain, the wipers worked for about 5 min, then slowed down, and eventually stopped. They worked again after "resting" for a bit. Is this due to lack of grease or some other issue?

Thanks,
Craig
 
Very well could be lubrication, in my opinion. Grease gets old and sticky, and things like that could happen. Could be electrical, but probably not.

We can speculate forever, but it won't do any good. In the end, the only solution is to take it out, pull it apart, and see what the problem is.
 
Mine worked the opposite last week when I got caught by a shower. Really really slow at first and then grease must have started lubricating. After a few minutes they were actually coping with a fairly heavy downpour.
 
If the problem really is old, stiff grease, you really should fix it before trying to use the wipers again. Stalling any motor can burn it out.
 
I had the same problem. I got my wiper motor to work, but it got worse and worse to the point it froze. After listening to other forum members, I finally took off the "can". When I tried to move the gear shaft by hand, it would not move. I found that the grease had hardened and sort of glued the shaft in place. I know it sounds simple, but when I took out the gear shaft, cleaned it, and put in new white lithium grease, my wipers worked great for the first time since I owned it. If I can do it, anyone can. Just take pics as you take things apart. I think you will be happy with the results.
Kevin
 
We all relube the wheel bearings and ball joints periodically, but who checks things like the wiper motor? It's a safe bet that a lot of those motors still have their original grease in them, and it probably has the consistency of chewing gum. If the wipers work, it might be because all the hard grease has been pushed out of the way, not because it's there.

I come across this in the bicycles I restore. You really need to replace the grease in the bearings for the hubs, steering, and crank every few years, but in many bikes, those are never touched. It's especially important if the bike is stored in a hot garage in the summer. It's amazing how bad the grease can get, sometimes in just a couple of years.
 
Looks like the problem is solved. There was grease in the housing but it looked pretty old. I added fresh grease to the gears and other moving surfaces and the motor ran fine. A tip for those who have bugeye bonnets. . . . the wiper blades must be against the windshield if you run them with the bonnet open. . . glad I checked clearance before trying it!
 
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