Rear wiper not working

[MacBain]

Have you worked out if you have a live at the plug to the wiper moter yet!

When I connected the (+) side of my mulitimeter to the green plug cable and the (-) side to some bare metal I got voltage, but when I connected the (-) side to the black plug cable I didn't.

[Thom89]

If you touch the 2 mutimeter probes together, do you get the same reading, as if you were probeing the wires? if you do, it could be that the m/m is set up to diagnose "continuity".. not a LIVE feed! this is why m/ms can be very confuseing!
If you feel sure that youve done it right, and you have a live wire at the end of the plug, then the problem will lie with the motor itself! if this is the case, then remove the motor, and try connecting it to a battery to check for any life, normally these things are killed off by the spindle seizing!
Tom

[MacBain]

I've tried with a different motor, but I got it from a car at the breakers so I don't know if this works properly.
If I connect the motor directly to a 12v source should the arm turn?
Nothing happens to the spare motor I got when I connect it to a 12v source.
Maybe both my wipermotors are broken .
Is it a common fault that these motors break down?

[MacBain]

Well got the spare motor working, so the motor is not the cause.

[tom26]

i had this too.
have you taken apart the entire linkage from motor to arm? i originally thought it was my motor but changed that with no joy.
Take the linkage out and see if it moves smoothly by hand - mine was very difficult to turn so replaced it and now works perfectly.

[MacBain]

It's not the motorarm linkage or the motor that's the problem.
I tested the wires using a mutimeter and got a reading og 6v(when i grounded it to bare metal) the strange thing is that I got 6v even if I didn't push the stalk, but then all of a sudden I couldn't get any voltage at all, plus I couldn't hear the relay clicking anymore.

Any tips on what to do next?

[Thom89]

Get yourself a cuircuit tester that looks like this...http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=13406&Referrer=PriceGrabber   and throw the multimeter away!
Once you have got your simple, no gimmicks tester, put it into action!
1, connect the croc clip to a very good earth on the body
2, switch ON the ignition, and operate the rear wiper stalk..and leave it ON
3, probe the terminals on the disconnected plug, if your new tester lights up, then you
   have a "Live" feed, and thats what you want!
4, If you have no live at the plug, then you need to trace those wires back, use the
    the spike on the probe to peirce the insulation, most of the time, its a broken wire,
    between the body, and the tailgate, locate the appropriate coloured wire in that   
    area, the wire could be broken within its insulation! so it appears intact.. and test
    seveal areas, if your tester lights up, then you have found your break

99 out of 100, this is where your problem will lie, so I'll only cover that ground...
Good luck
Tom

[MacBain]

Thanks, I'll try the find a cuircuit tester and check again.

[MacBain]

Well, you guys where right, the wires had broken between the body and the tailgate.
Can't beleave I missed it the first time I looked  :embarassed:.
Anyways, fixed the wires and now my rear wiper works fine  .

Tanks for the help.

[Thom89]

 
Tom