Help needed with windshield wiper repair

[Hill Bullock]

I never did get around to fixing my ww since they cut out on me driving in the rain last Feb going to the Annual TCC gathering in Austin. After it had been drizzling a while, they stopped working. Perfect! Even though we weren't getting wet (on the highway), we couldn't see! Anyway, I checked the fuse, and sure enough, it was blown. I stopped at a gas station, bought some more fuses, but ever time I started the ww again, they would go for maybe a second and then stop; the fuse would be blown again.

A few folks suggested it might be a water induced short, which would go away when things dried out. Well, last night I replaced the fuse and tried to fire them up...nothing. I went to remove the motor unit and noticed one of the 3 leads looked like it might have been off already. So I plugged it back in and tried it again. The ww tried to move, but were at the bottom of their travel (at the bottom of the windshield), so they could not...but the fuse was not blown. Hmmm. I forced them up a little and tried again..they tried to work but got stuck again. The fuse still wasn't blown though. I forced them higher and turned them on...they twitched and stopped. Blown fuse. Tried again...blown fuse.

1) How do you adjust the ww, in terms of where their height with respect to the windshield. Forcing them can't be a good thing.

2) This doesn't seem to be water related now, does it? Any hints from the behavior what might be going on? If forcing the arms has placed the mechanical "drive train" in a way which over stresses the motor, would this cause the fuse to blow like I am seeing?

FYI, the motor is a Lucas (oh no!) and it drives the wipers via a coiled wire, sort of like the kind used for clearing out a clogged drain.

Any advice or info would be aprpeciated.

Thanks

PS I am going to post this on the general HELP board, too.

[renaissance man]

Hey,

Who needs windshield wipers when you don't even have a roof??? Another goofy law to raise some revenue!!!!

[Hill Bullock]

When it rained on us going to Austin, we were fairly dry because we were on the highway and the rain was going over us. But when the ww stopped, we couldn't see anything and things got more uncomfortable.

So if someone is foolish enough to get caught in the rain like I did, the ww definitely come in handy.

[Ed Csoltko]

Who drives in the rain?

[JRoss]

Hill,

Your Lucas ww motor has 5 pins on it. one at the top and 2 rows on the side. the one at the top is ground. make sure you have a good ground. the ones on the side are high and low (left and right side are the same). If your hot (pulgged into one of the side pins) Is touching anything - blown fuse. You may want to get an insulated connector for this wire as there is not a lot of room for it.

As far as your wipers not moving they are gear driven and should not be able to slip. However it is possible for the whole wiper motor to have moved in its bracket. Make sure the wiper motor is secured. The drive arm from the wiper motor to the wipers should be running in an piece of aluminum tubing, make sure this does not have any kinks in it.

If this does not help send me an email and we will set up some time on the weekend to look at it.

John