Wipers would not shut off

[cef2lion]

I was in Michigan this weekend for a football game and the wipers wouldn't shut off in a rainstorm. I searched and saw lots of posts on this issue. I was able to get the wipers to stop by wiggling the end of the turn signal stalk a bit. Some have reported water on the connector out at the wiper motor. Mine seemed ok and I treated it with dielectric grease.

Some have reported changing the wiper control module which from what I read is the turn signal stalk and other items. Since a wiggle of the stalk corrected the issue for the time being I'm assuming that is where my issue is. I have the following part numbers.

WH W0002648
GM 26100985

I'm wondering if other have had the issue and this part was the fix. I have just over 30K on the RV.

Craig

[jfran304]

Craig,

I had the same problem with my 06 Allegro Open Road on the Workhorse chassis. After having it in the shop 2 times under warranty and still having the same problem I pulled the fuse under the dash and put in an on/off switch in place with an inline fuse. Now if I need the wipers I have to flip the switch to on and then use the controls on the turn signal stalk to control them.

Good Luck,
Jon

[Davel]

I had several problems on our last coach. WH replaced the motor and it still would either stop out of "home" or not stop at all. After going back 3 times a sharp young tech checked the connection for loose pins. Fixed it on the spot. I have read where others had problems with skinned wires in the column, which sounds more likely in your case.

Good luck,
Dave

[paz]

Since the wipers quit when you wiggled the stalk, it could be a bare wire in the column grounding out as Davel says.

On the other hand, since it happened in a rain storm, it could be a connector under the hood. The connector in question is near the wiper motor and has 3 or 4 wires in it. I finally corrected our problem by taping up the connector with self-sealing electrical tape (available at Walmart and auto parts stores) and moving the connector up as high as I could to get it out of any potential water spray coming through the hood.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz I finally corrected our problem by taping up the connector with self-sealing electrical tape (available at Walmart and auto parts stores) and moving the connector up as high as I could to get it out of any potential water spray coming through the hood.

Please do this sparingly. For the same reasons that one would use ET to prevent water from getting a connection wet, ET will also trap any water that will encroach into the connector and it will never dry out. I'm just sayin'

ET is a great insulating tool and not so much a water proofing one.

There are however rubber tapes that I believe would be better suited for the purpose but I don't have any data on its use other than a vendor claiming it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[Lit]

If your wipers only work on high the problem usually is the wiper module located under the cluster. It is mounted to the steering column support.
The wipers may not go to the park position also. I had this problem on my 05 Dolphin and it drove me nuts until I contacted Buddy at Precision and he steered me to the problem and gave me the correct advice.
Buddy Gamel
Precision Sales & Service, Inc.
Birmingham, AL 35212
bgamel@alternatefuel.com
bgamel@workhorseservice.com

Good Luck
Lit

[cef2lion]

I have a wiper control module on order. I'll change it in the spring as the coach is heading to storage today.

[paz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer Please do this sparingly. For the same reasons that one would use ET to prevent water from getting a connection wet, ET will also trap any water that will encroach into the connector and it will never dry out. I'm just sayin' ET is a great insulating tool and not so much a water proofing one. There are however rubber tapes that I believe would be better suited for the purpose but I don't have any data on its use other than a vendor claiming it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I agree, standard electrical tape will not seal out moisture. The self-sealing tape I referred to is thick tape that is sticky on both sides. It stretches to conform to almost any shape. I have had the connector taped up now for almost 4 years - no more problems with the wipers not stopping in the rain.

Available at Lowe's

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz he self-sealing tape I referred to is thick tape that is sticky on both sides. It stretches to conform to almost any shape. I have had the connector taped up now for almost 4 years - no more problems with the wipers not stopping in the rain.

paz, That's the ticket! I've seen a lot of disasters with folks using ET on electrical connections so it makes sense to mention it.

In your experience, do you get better results when you pull and wrap? For most applications 1 or 2 layers of overlapping wrap should be sufficient, would you not agree?

[cef2lion]

I got my wiper control module yesterday from WH. It was part number W0002648. It a small box mostly blue in color. I also had a GM part number 26100985. The GM part looks to be the turn signal stalk. So it appears these parts are not one and the same. Does the wiper control module serve other purposes? It looked to have something on it labeled PRD21. Like the LCD gear selections.

I will not be installing the module until Spring since the coach is in storage for the winter. I hadn't had to use the wipers since it happened so I didn't know if it was a consistant issue or intermittent. When I wiggled the turn stalk I was able to get the wiper to stop. I hope the module was the source of the issue. I had checked all connectors and apllied dielectric grease.

[paz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer In your experience, do you get better results when you pull and wrap? For most applications 1 or 2 layers of overlapping wrap should be sufficient, would you not agree?

Yes, you pull while you wrap. This stretches the tape so it conforms to irregular shapes. I overlapped the tape about half the width on each wrap, so I ended up with about 2 layers.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz Yes, you pull while you wrap. This stretches the tape so it conforms to irregular shapes. I overlapped the tape about half the width on each wrap, so I ended up with about 2 layers.

Thanks for sharing your technique, that's just how I would do it!

[SideRoads]

My turn with Wacky Wipers!

I arrived in SC in June, the washer pump quit working after working fine on the drive there. I worked on it before leaving,

Checked the connector switch, cleaned and tightened the ground connectors.

Turned the wipers on when leaving; the washer pump worked,

but alas,,,,the wipers would not turn off.

Have checked wiring, connectors, etc....wiper still won't turn off, pulled the fuse. Reinstalled fuse, pump worked briefly, then quit, wipers would not stop, Fuse is still pulled,,,,,no rain!

Is this common problem a Workhorse Issure, OR?

I like the inline fused switch idea.

Is there a 25 amp fuse with a switch attached, that can be plugged into the fuse box.

I'm a little nervous about installing the switch, finding the wiper wires, etc, and creating more problems by exceeding my limitations, which a man has to know....

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideRoads I arrived in SC in June, the washer pump quit working after working fine on the drive there. I worked on it before leaving ...

If you are in South Carolina, I can recommend that you come to Larry's Auto Clinic here in Myrtle Beach where they will figure this thing out. Do not try to piece meal fix this issue with additional or unnecessary electrical system modifications. This issue is narrow in scope and does not affect the majority of owners. Remember WCC only provides the switch on the steering column and that's the extent of the wipers being a Workhorse problem.