wipers

[etexvette]

I need some help. Now that I have my new interior done, I am ready to tackle some of the mechanical issues on my '79 with the L48. The wipers have not worked since I bought the car, but are necessary in order to pass state inspection. I went ahead and installed a new motor. With the engine running I can engage the wiper switch and nothing happens on any speed. I can hear some clicking noises it seems inside and outside. Any ideas as to what the problem could be. By the way, I am very much electrically challenged, so please make the explanations detailed and simple. Thanks in advance for any help.

[MKOTZE]

Originally posted by etexvette
I need some help. Now that I have my new interior done, I am ready to tackle some of the mechanical issues on my '79 with the L48. The wipers have not worked since I bought the car, but are necessary in order to pass state inspection. I went ahead and installed a new motor. With the engine running I can engage the wiper switch and nothing happens on any speed. I can hear some clicking noises it seems inside and outside. Any ideas as to what the problem could be. By the way, I am very much electrically challenged, so please make the explanations detailed and simple. Thanks in advance for any help. Hello EtexVette, I have a few questions first, Does your vehicle have delayed wipers? If so, when you replaced the motor did it come complete with the circuit board for the delay or did you use the original one? Do you have access to a test light? Let me know and then I will be able to diagnose the problem more accurately.:chevy: MKOTZE

[etexvette]

Sorry I have been so long in replying, but shortly after your answer I went out of the country for a couple of weeks. I am back now and ready to get something done here.
When I bought the new motor, I had to use the cover from my old one. I didn't even take the time to notice what was involved there in terms of the circuitry. My expertise in electrical things is slim to none, but I do have a friend who has a test meter and light. If by a delay you mean that my wiper switch can be rotated as well as switched to low and hi speeds, then yes, I have the delay. By the way, is there any kind of relay or board affecting the wipers that is going to be hidden under the center instrumant cluster? I hope not.
One final question. I am also having to fix my horn. Is this usually a contact problem and if so do the horn contact repair kits that I see in almost all the catalogs do the job? I am sure the easiest test is to wire a battery direct to the horn just to make sure it does make sound.
I am looking forward to your reply. Thanks.

[MKOTZE]

Originally posted by etexvette
Sorry I have been so long in replying, but shortly after your answer I went out of the country for a couple of weeks. I am back now and ready to get something done here.
When I bought the new motor, I had to use the cover from my old one. I didn't even take the time to notice what was involved there in terms of the circuitry. My expertise in electrical things is slim to none, but I do have a friend who has a test meter and light. If by a delay you mean that my wiper switch can be rotated as well as switched to low and hi speeds, then yes, I have the delay. By the way, is there any kind of relay or board affecting the wipers that is going to be hidden under the center instrumant cluster? I hope not.
One final question. I am also having to fix my horn. Is this usually a contact problem and if so do the horn contact repair kits that I see in almost all the catalogs do the job? I am sure the easiest test is to wire a battery direct to the horn just to make sure it does make sound.
I am looking forward to your reply. Thanks. Hello Etexvette, Starting with the horn problem. First test to see if the horn works when you connect a wire from the positive battery cable to the horn. If it does you would then want to test the horn at the horn relay, which is located inside the car. It should be taped to the wiring harness above the fuse panel. It is a simple relay, there are 3 wires going to it. the orange wire should have power to it all the time. Thegreen wire goes to the horn and the black wire goes to the steering column. The easiest way to test the relay is to take a test light connect the alligator clip to a good ground and then take the probe end and insert it into the terminal where the black wire is , at the relay. If the horn works now,then the problem is probably the contacts in the steering column. You would need to disassemble the horn cap and you would be able to test the contacts using the test light. You would do this in the same manner as when you tested the black wire in the terminal. I hope this helps. As for the wipers all the controlls for the wipers are in the wiper motor and in the actual wiper switch in the car. This is very difficult to diagnose without physically seeing the problem. However, I have one suggestion for you to try. The cover assembly on the wiper motor that was transfered over to the new wiper motor needs to be synchronized with the arm internally with the wiper motor. The arm on the wiper motor needs to line up with a plastic gear in the cover assembly. There is a hole in the plastic gear that the wiper arm fits into. You can move the plastic gear in any direction in order to line it up with the arm. If it was misaligned the wiper motor would make noise but would not work properly. I hope this helps. Good luck. :chevy: MKOTZE