Wipers won't move.. ideas?

[Globule]

So, I just had my car in the shop so they could take off the upper intake manifold to fix a coolant leak.

When I got it back the wipers don't work.. they don't move at all when I turn them on.

What kind of things can I look for, before I go through the trouble of replacing the wiper motor?

And if I have to replace the wiper motor, how hard is it to do?

 

[89MustangGX]

My first thought is to bring it back to the shop...

 

[Globule]

My first thought is to bring it back to the shop...

Yeah, but I need the car to get to work tomorrow, and it's gonna be raining all night and all day...

 

[Hissing Cobra]

You may not need to replace the wiper motor. When I first put my mustang back together, mine would not work either. I took off the ground strap and bolts for the motor, scraped away the fresh paint (down to the bare metal) reinstalled and they now work fine.

If you haven't had new paint, check the ground wire on the motor for tightness. Also, check the fuse. Good Luck!

 

[The Shape]

You could also use a test light to probe the wires going into the wiper motor. If you have power going to the motor it is either bad or the clip that holds it to the wiper arm linkage fell off (which isn't likely).

 

[Globule]

OK, I went to check the fuse for the wiper, and it's one of the large ones encased in metal, so I can't see the fuse itself, like you can with the fuses with the transparent plastic shell.

Any way I can test it or see if is bad without electrical supplies around, or should I just go get a new one?

 

[HISSIN50]

OK, I went to check the fuse for the wiper, and it's one of the large ones encased in metal, so I can't see the fuse itself, like you can with the fuses with the transparent plastic shell.

Any way I can test it or see if is bad without electrical supplies around, or should I just go get a new one?

it is a circuit breaker. if one lightly pulls it out a little, one should be able to get a lead under it to test it.

i did not know about it, but i like Hissing Cobra's idea with the ground. as i recall from what Joe said, the motor always has 12 volts, and the controller deal is what opens and closes for operation (the motor having 12 volts at all times so that when you kill the wipers, they dont stop halfway up the windshield).

good luck.

 

[TrickStang37]

try tapping on the motor with a hammer. worked for me.