Mental Monty Wipers!

[Ed]

I need help again! Further to my footwells full of water, I now have windscreen wipers that will not turn off! Last night I started her up and switched them on, they went up to the top of the windscreen and stopped. Then they started again but when I moved the wiper stalk back to the off position, the wipers carried on. Now they are on all the time and I can't get them to stop. I have had to take the fuse out as a temporary measure. Can anyone advise on this strange electrical gremlin? Would be most obliged! Cheers. Ed :banghead:

[Liam]

How annoying! Either the switch is faulty and not breaking the connection but more likely it is a problem with the auto park system. When you turn the switch off the wipers should continue to run until they reach their parking position. I know that there are different setups for the wiper circuits as indicated by the wiring diagrams in the Haynes but for my Maestro the auto park is controlled by three contacts inside the motor which feeds back the motor position to the wiper control unit (located above fusebox). Chances are that the relay inside the control unit is stuck in the run position. Try giving it a tap with a screw driver handle or something and see if this helps, even better try another control unit from the scrapyard, should only cost pence so worth a try. Failing that I'd take the motor apart and check that the rubbing contacts are making a good connection.

[Ed]

Thanks Liam, i'll check that out. It might be worth mentioning that the wipers were slightly stuck to the windscreen due to ice and snow when i turned them on, I wonder if this has caused it somehow.

[H536NOG]

is there a relay in the circuit? possible the contacts have stuck, if there is a relay whip it out & replace with another of the same type, simple check that doesnt involve getting mucky or spending money:)
Nige

[Austin-Rover]

I have had some experiance with wipers that dont work as they should. Sometimes the wipers in my '84 Maestro dont work at all, then sometimes they will work but dont turn off again. it is usually solved by turning the engine off and on again, which seems to solve the problem before it re appears agin.

[Liam]

Originally posted by Montyboy
the wipers were slightly stuck to the windscreen due to ice and snow when i turned them on, I wonder if this has caused it somehow.

If the motor was stalled (due to the wipers being stuck) it will use a lot of current and should be turned off until you have freed off the wipers. If the power was left on to the motor for a period of time this could well have caused the relay inside the control box to stick.

By the way the control box I refur to by is, on the Maestro a small unit the size of a flasher unit located above the fusebox, however I have been told that on the Montego it may be a located above the glovebox but I'm not sure about this.

[talkingcars]

IIRC it is the veriable speed intermitant wipe control box is mounted above the glove box, the fuse box relay is for switching the wipers on and off.

The monty wipers are unsual as they park on the scuttle panel, below the wiping arc.

James

[Ed]

I had a play in the dark this evening but couldn't really see much, pulled out all the relays and put them back in. Also checked the control unit in the glovebox but couldn't make anything out. Might try changing the wiper stalk, could it be that?