Mk2 wipers have a mind of their own!

[Richie]

Hi
Can any body help me on this one?
First my rear wiper started playing up and wouldn’t stop. Now the fronts also doing the same thing with weird intermittent and non-cancelling.
I was going to just change # 72 relay for the rear, but have just removed it and tried the fronts and they are still working erratically.
I suppose it has to be the wiper MFA stalk, which I had off the weekend but couldn’t find any problems with. (as if I knew what I was looking for!) 
I did manage to bugger up the hazard switch getting it off though :embarassed:

Has any one had the same sort of symptoms?

[clipperjay]

You know you can remove the red hazard cap off before removing the stalk to get it out easier?
Sounds like Electrical problems dodgy earth? Could be motor bushes are sticking?
 

[Richie]

Yeah I took the red cap off first (which I bought on ebay after breaking the original) but managed to trap the bulb under the top column cover. I did have a spare switch which I then replaced but then buggered up the new cap because I just couldn't get it to go back on right and got so f..ked off that its now in 4 pieces :embarassed:

The MFA works fine, but as both wipers do just what they want, I thought it must be a dodgy stalk? If it was a faulty earth wouldn't that just affect one or the other wiper motors?

[clipperjay]

Don't worry fella I've broken afew in my time always because I rushed the job! Those stalks arent cheap these days!

So just to clarify you have changed all relays?
Wipers can be affected with the relay/earth if the motors are in good nick!
Then try a new stalk it could be earthing at dodgy contacts in there.
They gunk up with the old grease!
   

[Richie]

Well I managed to find a pair of relays from a Mk3 including a 99 programmable one at my local breakers, but that didn't help as they are just as bad.
My mate from VW trade parts shocked me with the price of a new wiper stalk, so I booked her in at an excellent Bosch auto electricians for a check of the switch and fuse box.

Unfortunately the evening before, my diff pins in my gearbox decided to play up and made two nice holes in the gearbox casing the size of two pence pieces.

I did mange to drive about 50 miles back and fro with a dry sump and hey no second gear crunch!

She should be back by the weekend with a lovely reconditioned gearbox, so I’ll have another look then.

[clipperjay]

Well let me know fella how you get on? If not the stalks the bushes in the wiper motor could be running thin?

Gearboxes dam when they go they go big time!

Jay

[Richie]

Well I'm now skint
I have a "Black Diamond" rebuilt gearbox, which runs sweet as a nut. I did have to play with the TSR and WebCrawler matching weighted linkages for the correct feel but boy does it make a difference. No more second gear crunch or one of the two speedo drives that fell of in there getting in the way of gear changes!

Has anybody had one of these fitted previous?
Its just a standard box, but I think they must be a part of the same group as the Performance arm of Black Diamond? I wish they hadn't painted it black though

Wipers are now back working fine and also programmable,
many thanks to "Not Escorts" for excellent service again

The new MFA stalk had a longer cable than mine that I feed above the ignition lock instead of underneath as previous, should help prevent kinks?