Windshield wipers won't go down and windshield washer won't work

[kevken1959]

I put in a new washer motor and swapped out the wiper motor. I'm about to try swapping out the switch but it's kind of a pain the arsh to get to so I thought I'd ask if anyone had this problem before. When I turn the windshield wiper off it stays up on the windshield, even when I turn the key off with the switch on.

 

[libram]

ok stupid ? is something installed backwards. If it always ends at the final top position when it should end in the bottom it just kinda begs the question.

 

[Don C]

When the key is turned off and the switch is on, they should stay up. When the key is on it provides power to the washer and the park side of the wiper motor. Check your fuses. Check the black/pink dot wire at the wiper motor connector for power with the key on. You can also run a jumper from the battery to the black/pink dot wire to the wiper motor to see if that parks the wipers. If not, your new motor has problems.

 

[kevken1959]

Great Don. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

 

[kevken1959]

ok stupid ? is something installed backwards. If it always ends at the final top position when it should end in the bottom it just kinda begs the question.

Not cool Libram. I already tried that, and don't call me stupid.

 

[midlife]

ok stupid ? is something installed backwards. If it always ends at the final top position when it should end in the bottom it just kinda begs the question.

Not cool Libram. I already tried that, and don't call me stupid.

I think what libram was writing in short hand is this:

OK...here's a stupid question: Is something installed backwards?

I don't think he was calling you stupid.

 

[c9zx]

Wiper "Park" switch in the wiper motor has a problem, stuck most likely. The Ford manual describes check and repair procedures. After 40 years the grease turns to quasi-glue. Chuck

 

[kevken1959]

Wiper "Park" switch in the wiper motor has a problem, stuck most likely. The Ford manual describes check and repair procedures. After 40 years the grease turns to quasi-glue. Chuck

Crap! Here’s the problem. I spent 2 days completely detailing two different wiper motors and installing them and it looks like they were both bad! From now on, I will check the motor before I go through the hassle of detailing and installing one! Anyone want to buy a wiper motor that looks really nice but won’t let the wiper blades go down when the wiper switch is off?

 

[kevken1959]

ok stupid ? is something installed backwards. If it always ends at the final top position when it should end in the bottom it just kinda begs the question.

Not cool Libram. I already tried that, and don't call me stupid.

I think what libram was writing in short hand is this:

OK...here's a stupid question: Is something installed backwards?

I don't think he was calling you stupid.

 

[kevken1959]

Sorry to Libram if I took it the wrong way. I see he did help me with another problem recently. I guess I’m being too sensitive.  Thanks for the feedback Midlife.

 

[libram]

Man I really gotta start re reading my internet shorthand late at night before I post it. Sorry bout that. I really did mean ok so I have a stupid question. Mainly bc it the first thing I would overlook lol, I'd spend 5 hours troubleshooting electrical gremlins and then smack my head when I look back at a drawing and I put the transmission arms on upside down or something.

 

[kevken1959]

Man I really gotta start re reading my internet shorthand late at night before I post it. Sorry bout that. I really did mean ok so I have a stupid question. Mainly bc it the first thing I would overlook lol, I'd spend 5 hours troubleshooting electrical gremlins and then smack my head when I look back at a drawing and I put the transmission arms on upside down or something.

Thanks Libram! I'm glad it was just my misunderstanding. I value the friendships and support I get from this site. The wiper "Gremlins " on this car have been giving me more than the usual amount of trouble. I paid a lot of money paying for a resto on my 72 R-code convertible and have been disappointed at the number of things I have had to go back and redo. It is so hard to find good people to do work. I had to educate them on the particulars of the 71-73 Mustangs but in the end I feel like I have been sold short. It would be different if it had been a budget rebuild. They charged by the hour and the bill skyrocketed really fast. They should have checked everything out before they put the car together. It's so much more difficult to fix problems once the car is together. They told me the wiper motor was bad when I picked up the car. I got it home and found they put the arm on the back of the motor off by 180 degrees. A 50/50 chance it could have been right and, of course, it was wrong. And I paid them a LOT of money to detail that wiper motor. I switched the arm and the motor worked correctly for a short time but eventually the wipers would not go down. I have a box of these motors, grabbed the nicest one, spent a night detailing it, installed it, and it has the same problem. Go figure. I probably grabbed the only one that is broken! As for the washer, I replaced the wiper switch but no luck. I squeezed down on the plug terminals going to the washer pump with vise grips and it works now (I installed a new washer pump by the way), but the water flow at the hose where it connects to the hood is just a trickle. I replaced the hose in the wiring harness myself so I know that's OK. Very frustrating. It looks like I'll be replacing the washer pump and wiper motor AGAIN this weekend, but I will check them before they go in this time!

 

[libram]

feel ya on the resto, not gonna trash talk anyone at all but the original shop working on mine took and took and took until I had to take it somewhere else, think boss 302 concourse prices for a good driver resto that looks new. Funny or not so funny part is I'm still trying to get some misc parts back from them, ya know, lil stuff, like the HOOD! And it kinda goes with the territory that no matter how honest the shop they need some hand holding or at the very least help on these only newly popular (to everyone else) cars.

 

[asusnz]

kevken1959 I had a similar "frustrating" experience restoring my 71 Boss. To a certain extent where "professional" services were used it took away some of the fun and shine from the project. I'm having more fun restoring my 72 vert myself which in many ways I have the previous experience to thank for this! That's been a big positive for the hobby.

I had issues with a 71 where with the wipers running when turning them off the wipers would stop and sit exactly where they were the moment I turned them off. I would have to turn them off when they were closest to the off position - so basically the park feature was not working. I went through three wiper motors (and another wiper switch) before figuring out that the copper strip that attaches to one of the bolts that mounts the wiper motor to the firewall/cowl basically was not making clean electrical contact. If I put a multi-meter on the resistance beep testing the earth it all tested ok so it looked like it was earthing. But eventually I cleaned the copper strip with some copper cleaner from the supermarket and sanded lightly where it made contact the wiper motor. From then on it worked fine. I also rebuilt two wiper motors and recommend the test procedures found in the 71 Ford service manuals that can be done on the bench that way you can eliminate other wiring gremlins in the car. For amusement I retested the other two wiper motors I thought were faulty and making the same check they worked fine.

Also had the wiper washer motor not working on that same car I recall the plug from the wiring loom to the washer pump was touchy. With the battery disconnected I was able to clean the two pins on the wiring loom plug. Probably just had a bit of gunk inside that was stopping the pump from working. Worked after cleaning.

Probably not the same as the issues your having but maybe something as simple as this...

 

[kevken1959]

kevken1959 I had a similar "frustrating" experience restoring my 71 Boss. To a certain extent where "professional" services were used it took away some of the fun and shine from the project. I'm having more fun restoring my 72 vert myself which in many ways I have the previous experience to thank for this! That's been a big positive for the hobby.

I had issues with a 71 where with the wipers running when turning them off the wipers would stop and sit exactly where they were the moment I turned them off. I would have to turn them off when they were closest to the off position - so basically the park feature was not working. I went through three wiper motors (and another wiper switch) before figuring out that the copper strip that attaches to one of the bolts that mounts the wiper motor to the firewall/cowl basically was not making clean electrical contact. If I put a multi-meter on the resistance beep testing the earth it all tested ok so it looked like it was earthing. But eventually I cleaned the copper strip with some copper cleaner from the supermarket and sanded lightly where it made contact the wiper motor. From then on it worked fine. I also rebuilt two wiper motors and recommend the test procedures found in the 71 Ford service manuals that can be done on the bench that way you can eliminate other wiring gremlins in the car. For amusement I retested the other two wiper motors I thought were faulty and making the same check they worked fine.

Also had the wiper washer motor not working on that same car I recall the plug from the wiring loom to the washer pump was touchy. With the battery disconnected I was able to clean the two pins on the wiring loom plug. Probably just had a bit of gunk inside that was stopping the pump from working. Worked after cleaning.

Probably not the same as the issues your having but maybe something as simple as this...

Thanks ! I had the problem with the copper ground before with another car, but I didn't think that would be the problemhere. Now I'm not so sure. I probably clear coated the strip to keep it pretty. I'll check that this weekend. Thanks again!

 

[kevken1959]

Got the auto park working on my windshield wipers! I tried EVERYTHING at first and the wipers would stick wherever I turned off the switch. When the wipers were stuck at the top of the cycle, with the switch off and the key on, I reached over and moved the arm a little back and forth then pushed them down a little. They then went into park and stayed there. I had to do that a few times and now they always go down and auto park when I turn the switch off. Now I still need to get the washer working, but I'm just glad I don't have to detail a third wiper motor!

 

[Stanglover]

Got the auto park working on my windshield wipers! I tried EVERYTHING at first and the wipers would stick wherever I turned off the switch. When the wipers were stuck at the top of the cycle, with the switch off and the key on, I reached over and moved the arm a little back and forth then pushed them down a little. They then went into park and stayed there. I had to do that a few times and now they always go down and auto park when I turn the switch off. Now I still need to get the washer working, but I'm just glad I don't have to detail a third wiper motor!

 Kevin, just a thought on the washers, I too had an issue with little spray and after replacing the pump and hose in the harness. Turned out the brass nozzles were corroded inside. I bought new repop nozzles and problem solved. Also check the T connectors for blockage.