Windscreen wipers packed up help and experience required.

RustyRuss

RustyRuss

Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Posts
1,110
Likes collected
2,436
Location
Runcorn
Funster No
63,956
MH
Autotrail Apache 632
Exp
Since Sept 2019
We were just about to leave Ile de Re yesterday morning, I had re-washed the windscreen to remove all the dust and debris from the campsite, flicked the washer jets function, and, no wipers! Found the fuse box under the steering wheel and pulled F43, still intact. Back in, still no wipers. I thought “Sod it it’s not going to rain today or tomorrow and I can wash the screen with the big brush I have if needs be.” Climbed into the MH, and, the bloody things are working! WTF?! All seemed to be fine, half way through the journey I flicked the washers again, the wipers worked for 1.5 sweeps and then stopped in the vertical position. About 2 minutes later they mysteriously finished their wipe. I chanced fate with another wash-wipe, working perfectly! They’ve worked again perfectly this morning.
What are people’s experiences? The MH is 2013 Ducato with 62K miles. Is it a duff wiper motor? Have the brushes worn out? Is it a wiring fault in the switch? All thoughts appreciated. I’m perfectly capable of taking it all to bits but want to avoid trying to dig the wiper motor out from behind the scuttle just to discover there’s nothing wrong with it.

TIA!

Russ
 
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As Dodgey has said, check drivers side spindle, these have habit of rusting up if water gets to stand in them causing too much resistance and the motors start to give.
If all is OK with links it could be the switch stalk but less likely.
 
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I think this is probably an electrical problem. Next time it stops, try pushing on the stalk in different directions.
In mine, it moves up and down to activate. If it fails I push it backwards towards the dash to get it to work.
Try pushing and pulling the stalk.

This is only a temporary fix but will confirm or rule out if it is the stalk/switch.

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I had a bit of a nightmare in the rain travelling through France. 2006 Ducato, wheel off, cluster off and strip down and clean contacts. Total nightmare it was because it was so fiddly with springs and tiny contacts. The third time back in the U.K. I bought a second hand unit. Your 2014 moho I’m not sure it would be the same fault but who knows 🤷‍♂️
Good luck
 
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Here you go…..

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Done in a lay-by somewhere in France.
 
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You may find on a 2013 van that they are controlled by canbus, and if resistance is too high, it may cut the power to them. The same way that if you have a short in the wiring to a light on the van it will cut power to that circuit.

Do they move at an ok speed when they do operate?
Same lack of movement in all switch positions and during squirt?

Just a thought.
 
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Wipers certainly can get stiff and seize up, but usually you will hear them struggling and maybe running slowly, since you say they are still occasionally working.
This sounds much more like an electric fault to me, although intermittent faults are always the hardest to pin down.
That fact they stopped mid stroke suggests the self parking mechanism could be faulty.
I don’t know your mechanical knowledge, so apologies if you already know this, but there is a C shaped copper contact on the wiper gear with a sprung loaded contact running against this.
When the contact reaches the gap in the C the circuit is broken so the wipers always stop in the parked position. Could be the sprung contact is not pressing against the C constant firmly enough?
It’s not clear whether the wipers run OK when set on continuous? If so, then it can’t just be the parking mechanism. Make sure the earthing is OK.
If the fault is just when you use the screen wash then there is probably a PCB somewhere controlling this, to give a timed run of a few seconds, often followed by a single wipe a few seconds later to clear any dribbles. If so this could be faulty?
Can you get to the wiring harness to check if you are getting 12v to the motor OK?
Edit: posted before I saw the last couple of posts
 
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Hi guys, thanks for all your replies so far. To confirm… the wipers work at all normal speeds, park normally and work with wash-wipe, then a last wipe to get rid of dribbles. They wouldn’t work with the washers when on Ile de Re, but then slipped back in to action when they’d been left on intermittent for about 10 minutes, then worked normally. Conked out again briefly after a wash-wipe on the motorway, then 2-3 minutes later activated and parked properly. They ALWAYS park properly and seem to run at the right speed settings. I absolutely hate diagnosing random faults so your suggestions so far have been very useful…. If anybody else has thoughts or experience please let me know. In the mean time Thanks all!!

Russ

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We had a very similar problem and was solved by checking the power supply connection to the wiper motor.
Visually, it appeared intact. I put a little pressure on the plug and heard a click. As to whether it was a mechanical or electrical click, I'm not sure but the wipers have worked fine since then.
 
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RustyRuss said:
We were just about to leave Ile de Re yesterday morning, I had re-washed the windscreen to remove all the dust and debris from the campsite, flicked the washer jets function, and, no wipers! Found the fuse box under the steering wheel and pulled F43, still intact. Back in, still no wipers. I thought “Sod it it’s not going to rain today or tomorrow and I can wash the screen with the big brush I have if needs be.” Climbed into the MH, and, the bloody things are working! WTF?! All seemed to be fine, half way through the journey I flicked the washers again, the wipers worked for 1.5 sweeps and then stopped in the vertical position. About 2 minutes later they mysteriously finished their wipe. I chanced fate with another wash-wipe, working perfectly! They’ve worked again perfectly this morning.
What are people’s experiences? The MH is 2013 Ducato with 62K miles. Is it a duff wiper motor? Have the brushes worn out? Is it a wiring fault in the switch? All thoughts appreciated. I’m perfectly capable of taking it all to bits but want to avoid trying to dig the wiper motor out from behind the scuttle just to discover there’s nothing wrong with it.

TIA!

Russ
Click to expand...
I had similar erratic wipers. Ended up buying new stalk controls from coastal motorhomes. Wipers now good.
 
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Baggydave said:
I had similar erratic wipers. Ended up buying new stalk controls from coastal motorhomes. Wipers now good.
Click to expand...
Make sure you diagnose before buying these expensive bits. We had a wiper problem on our Hymer; I couldn't find a fault in the wiring so the garage assumed it was a stalk problem and replaced it only to find out it was the controller pcb and the wiper motor pcb so we have a spare stalk now.
 
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Start with the easiest and cheapest first....Just change the fuse.
Looking is no good.
It could be broken but as it cools remakes contact, then as it gets warm breaks contact again.
Or maybe just a poor contact in the fuse holder.
 
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Up date on my windscreen wiper woes! Didn’t have the time or the inclination to fix the motor, and then an impromptu trip took place down to Ludlow last weekend. Weather forecast predicted that we’d travel there and back with little chance of rain. The wipers were working again after I’d nearly broken my wrist disconnecting, cleaning with contact cleaner, and reconnecting the multi plug on the wiper motor. Job jobbed I thought. Before setting off back to Runcorn I checked the wipers, not working, then miraculously working! I phoned the RAC who I have European breakdown cover with, “Where are you?” “Ludlow” “Not in Europe then?” “No” “Sorry but you’re only covered in Europe” WTF!!! I f***ing HATE Brexit!!! I phoned the MoHo insurers, I realised I had breakdown cover with them, they asked me if it was raining, “Not yet” I said, “Can’t do anything for you until it’s raining.” I quoted Mr. McEnroe. “There’s no need to shout sir” I put the phone down. I cleaned the windscreen with Rainex, fabulous stuff that makes the rain bead on the windscreen and zoom off in all directions with the wind. Predictably it rained, heavily, on the way back! Predictably the wipers conked out after about 2 miles of leaving the campsite. The aerodynamics of a coach built Mo Ho mean that the windscreen doesn’t actually get a lot of free flowing air on to it, so the rainwater beaded up but didn’t really flow off all that well. Suffice to say I got home with the wipers working very occasionally, I just left them on fast setting and they would sweep 2-3 times every minute or so then stop anywhere on the windscreen.
Bought a new motor on the Amazonian for £20, it turned up on Tuesday morning. Fitting was reasonably PITA, breaking those silly little push in clips that secure plastic body panels, luckily I have a big bag of them from previous vehicle dismantling escapades, going to Screwfix to get a windscreen wiper puller-offer after futile attempts with a pry bar and hammer, (why oh why do they make wipers from aluminium and then bolt them to a steel axle? Have they never heard of oxidation/electrolytic action?), loosing all the screws and nuts for holding the wipers to their axles and the body panel, scuttle etc. to the lower windscreen because a freak gust of wind blew them all off the window ledge and underneath the car, the MoHo and down a drain. LOTS of swearing after that!!
Anyway after two hours of swearing under my breath about how incompetent Fiat Ducato designers were when they designed the wiper mechanism I finally had it fitted, and the bloody thing works! Hurrah!

I just wanted to say a big THANKYOU! to all who contributed their thoughts and helpfulness to this thread, MUCH APPRECIATED!! I got inspiration on how to remove the wiper mech from YouTube, what a fantastic resource! Which we’d had it back in the day when taking various budget vehicles to bits to try and get them roadworthy again!

I also wanted to say that I try and practice what I preach by closing off threads with an explanation of how the problem was resolved, I watched this and other YouTube videos….



Cheers!

Russ
 
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Upvote 0
RustyRuss said:
Up date on my windscreen wiper woes! Didn’t have the time or the inclination to fix the motor, and then an impromptu trip took place down to Ludlow last weekend. Weather forecast predicted that we’d travel there and back with little chance of rain. The wipers were working again after I’d nearly broken my wrist disconnecting, cleaning with contact cleaner, and reconnecting the multi plug on the wiper motor. Job jobbed I thought. Before setting off back to Runcorn I checked the wipers, not working, then miraculously working! I phoned the RAC who I have European breakdown cover with, “Where are you?” “Ludlow” “Not in Europe then?” “No” “Sorry but you’re only covered in Europe” WTF!!! I f***ing HATE Brexit!!! I phoned the MoHo insurers, I realised I had breakdown cover with them, they asked me if it was raining, “Not yet” I said, “Can’t do anything for you until it’s raining.” I quoted Mr. McEnroe. “There’s no need to shout sir” I put the phone down. I cleaned the windscreen with Rainex, fabulous stuff that makes the rain bead on the windscreen and zoom off in all directions with the wind. Predictably it rained, heavily, on the way back! Predictably the wipers conked out after about 2 miles of leaving the campsite. The aerodynamics of a coach built Mo Ho mean that the windscreen doesn’t actually get a lot of free flowing air on to it, so the rainwater beaded up but didn’t really flow off all that well. Suffice to say I got home with the wipers working very occasionally, I just left them on fast setting and they would sweep 2-3 times every minute or so then stop anywhere on the windscreen.
Bought a new motor on the Amazonian for £20, it turned up on Tuesday morning. Fitting was reasonably PITA, breaking those silly little push in clips that secure plastic body panels, luckily I have a big bag of them from previous vehicle dismantling escapades, going to Screwfix to get a windscreen wiper puller-offer after futile attempts with a pry bar and hammer, (why oh why do they make wipers from aluminium and then bolt them to a steel axle? Have they never heard of oxidation/electrolytic action?), loosing all the screws and nuts for holding the wipers to their axles and the body panel, scuttle etc. to the lower windscreen because a freak gust of wind blew them all off the window ledge and underneath the car, the MoHo and down a drain. LOTS of swearing after that!!
Anyway after two hours of swearing under my breath about how incompetent Fiat Ducato designers were when they designed the wiper mechanism I finally had it fitted, and the bloody thing works! Hurrah!

I just wanted to say a big THANKYOU! to all who contributed their thoughts and helpfulness to this thread, MUCH APPRECIATED!! I got inspiration on how to remove the wiper mech from YouTube, what a fantastic resource! Which we’d had it back in the day when taking various budget vehicles to bits to try and get them roadworthy again!

I also wanted to say that I try and practice what I preach by closing off threads with an explanation of how the problem was resolved, I watched this and other YouTube videos….



Cheers!

Russ
Click to expand...

Yes they not in a good spot unless you built like a small child and can bend double.
Getting to old to be doing sh*t like this now but don’t rate many garages for competency lol.

Pleased it’s sorted for you as it’s a bugger with no wipers
 
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1967bowesj said:
Yes they not in a good spot unless you built like a small child and can bend double.
Getting to old to be doing sh*t like this now but don’t rate many garages for competency lol.

Pleased it’s sorted for you as it’s a bugger with no wipers
Click to expand...
Another one of those things that we don't appreciate until it don't work.

Reminds me of my body somehow? 🤔
 
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