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Hey guys,
Posted a while back about my wipers that did not park and only ran on one speed. Well after checking the relay and the stalk, I finally got to the wiper motor. And there lay the problem.... If you look at the photos there had been a build up of grease not allowing connectors to connect to make the moto run. Cleaned up nicely, then I figured out the park switch. Carefully put everything back together and it works!
Now I have intermittent, 2 different speeds and if I pull the stalk in the off position the wiper parks. Before I only had one speed so this is a huge improvement. I would like the wipers to park automatically when turned off but I think that is to do with the stalk which has rivets so I cannot open it.
Good job! For anyone who finds this thread in future, I'll mention that those photos are of the Lucas reverse-park motor.
There have been three distinct types of wiper motor used in the XJ-S. In the earliest models, a Lucas wiper was used that incorporated a parking solenoid inside that pulled the wipers into a parking position that was beyond the regular wiping limit. Later models used a different Lucas motor that had no parking solenoid but ran the motor in reverse to park. Finally, around 1987 an Electrolux motor was introduced. Note that Jaguar made a regular practice of replacing the early solenoid-park Lucas motor with the later reversing-park Lucas motor. They do not simply plug in, so Jaguar dealers were provided a “blue box” that allowed the earlier controls to operate the later motor.
I did not because I was confused and desperate for it to work. That would have been smart and very helpful. Its basically a plastic push switch activated by a rotating metal part under the cog.
Ben any advice on the switch adjustment? What would I have to do? To make the wiper park automatically ???
Because your wipers do actually stop in intermittent mode and they do actually park when you use the pull-to-wipe function on the column stalk, the park switch in your wiper motor must be working. The reason they don't park automatically will be because of an issue inside the wiper switch on the steering column. I have the same issue.
Some people have actually disassembled this switch (even though it's not designed to be taken apart). They've been able to fix it and then devise a way to hold it together afterwards. This is described in that Kirby Palm 'Experience In A Book' pdf which I mentioned to you before.
The problem was traced down to the stalk switch. In the off position, pins 5 & 6 (ULG & BLG respectively) are supposed to be shorted together, to provide a ground path for the motor. They are also supposed to be shorted when in intermittent mode for the same reason. On my switch, 5 & 6 were shorted in intermittent mode, but open in the off position...no ground, no work.”
Tom Amlie says a new switch might not even fix it. “Ordered a new switch for $82. It was defective straight out of a sealed green box with the leaper on it. Took the old one apart. It has a flat plastic card with indentations in it. In the indentations are little pieces of copper. As the card moves in and out, the little pieces of copper are supposed to make and break connections as necessary. Trouble is, they are not anchored in any way and fall out. A few drops of crazy glue on the copper pieces and glued the thing together. Worked fine. This was my first experience with the "Prince of Darkness". I think you are too easy on Lucas in your book.”
This author had the same problem and managed to fix it by disassembling the switch. Reassembly requires some ingenuity. A 2-1/8” length of 1/2” aluminum angle and two 1-1/2” #6 screws works well. Cut some plastic away on the back side of the switch, then lay the angle against it and insert the screws through holes in it and into the threaded mounting holes in the switch housing. The screws will protrude through the front, where you can use the ends to mount the switch back in the column with a couple of nuts and lock washers. The metal angle will help prevent the plastic housing from deforming and allowing the contact problems described above.
05-16-2020, 12:32 PM
Wiper SUCCESS at last
I did not because I was confused and desperate for it to work. That would have been smart and very helpful. Its basically a plastic push switch activated by a rotating metal part under the cog.