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My original wiper motor ACTUALLY WORKS!!!
Earlier this week, I was driving the Wagon through some crappy weather. (sleeting for the most part) Back window fogged up some and got a layer of that crap on the outside, and I was thinkin, "it'd be nice if the damn window defroster worked".
Back when I got a lift bar for the glass and pulled the tailgate apart, I tested that and found that it drew quite a bit of power. (according to the gauge in dash) I found that when on, that the defroster just heated up the wires going to the grids instead of the grid itself. So, I disconnected them and left it as is.
Today, just on a wim, I took the panel back off the tailgate and decided to check it out. Of coarse the connections were dirty as can be, so I cleaned them up. A good while ago I cleaned all the grounds i could reach in there. Got them plugged back in, and when cycled on it doesn't show much of a drag on the gauge anymore. Then again, I got a CS-130 alt, so that makes good power too, and can keep the system up better. The actual grid lines look good, with no visible breaks so hopefully its working. I wont know until I drive that Jeep in the colder weather again. I suppose I could take the multi tester to it too.
On to the Wiper motor.
I've tried it from the switch up in the dash a long while ago and it never did anything. No noise or nothin'. I just figured it didn't work.
So, while the tailgate was open and the glass was up, I just flat out pulled it. I wanted to see if i could take it apart and play with it, and if I found that it was messed up inside (or burned out motor) that I'd wander next door to the junkyard and pick up a durango motor.
After I pulled it and disconnected it, i found that funky little switch in the tailgate again. ...gee, I forgot about that in there... The top half of it was busted off, so when the glass was up it never made contact with the lift arm on that side. I never found out what that switch was for... Just for the heck of it, I plugged the motor back in and had the switch held with a needle nose plier.
Turned off the radio, and heard something buzzing in the back. Walked back there and holy
, it's actually working
So, I cleaned the case up. I jb welded some cracks in the plastic and re-sealed it some. Someone was in here before and sealed the crap out of everything with rtv. I also noticed that even though it had the outer nut, the shaft with the threads broke off long ago. So, a previous owner (or crappy mechanic) drilled 3 holes in the tailgate (under the little cover) and put screws in that screwed into the motor housing. Real fancy stuff.
I just put it all back as it was for now. I disconnected the switch and just jumped the wires that went to it. I got it back together now and yea, it actually works good. Had to get a blade for it now, so I scarfed one at the junkyard
. This isn't too hard for me to get to, So I was wondering if anyone knows of any maintenance I can do to this little motor assembly to keep it alive. I wanted to take it apart, but some dummy filled all the screw holes with rtv sealer and I didn't feel like digging that crap out.
I don't know if I should disassemble it and refill with grease, or what. Maybe these motors are dry inside...IDK.
What's usually the killer of these? Do they seize? Do the motors just burn out? I was shocked that it worked. My tailgate is pretty junky, and even had a few rust holes in it....before I put a patch in.
2 functions that still don't work back there: The window wash cant seem to push fluid back there and of coarse, my tailgate key switch is bad and disconnected. Odd thing about the window wash... The motor sounds like its working, but I get nothing out the back, or any noises(such as sqirting sound or whatever).
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