Whacky wipers

[stevehotshot]

Hi, I have unusual behaviour from wipers. Since I bought the car the rear wiper would sweep constantly if I switched off car, got out and left headlights on. Just as you may do when stopping for a curry on the way home. I learned to tolerate this.. However, recently when I put key in ignition and turn to position 1 both front and rear wipers go. Front stop when engine starts but rear keeps going until I switch the switch on and off. Further to this, if pressing wiper stalk down once for single sweep, rear will sweep until I on/off it.. If I want wipers on, either intermittent or slow sweep, rear joins in until I stop it. My first thoughts were switch, so I'm trying to locate a used one to try.. Then maybe relay or, hopefully NOT, a short... somewhere unfindable.... Anyone else experienced this and how, if at all, was it rectified... Thanks

[alanaslan]

Originally Posted by stevehotshot

Hi, I have unusual behaviour from wipers. Since I bought the car the rear wiper would sweep constantly if I switched off car, got out and left headlights on. Just as you may do when stopping for a curry on the way home. I learned to tolerate this.. However, recently when I put key in ignition and turn to position 1 both front and rear wipers go. Front stop when engine starts but rear keeps going until I switch the switch on and off. Further to this, if pressing wiper stalk down once for single sweep, rear will sweep until I on/off it.. If I want wipers on, either intermittent or slow sweep, rear joins in until I stop it. My first thoughts were switch, so I'm trying to locate a used one to try.. Then maybe relay or, hopefully NOT, a short... somewhere unfindable.... Anyone else experienced this and how, if at all, was it rectified... Thanks

I have met the Whacky Wiper problem a few times in the past both on my own cars and other peoples. On every occasion I have replaced the wiper stalk switch and this has cured the problem.
On one car the problem came back after a few years again a replacement stalk switch sorted it out again.
I never got to the bottom of the problem but was happy that a stalk switch sorted it out. Can usually pick up on on fleebay for around a tenner.
Alan


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[stevehotshot]

Thanks Alan, maybe it's bad connection on the block connector for the switch, which of course is made good by changing.. Its worked fine for last two days, so will keep an eye out for replacement.... I assume the Connoisseur SE may have more intermittent speeds, because there are different part numbers on the ones on sale on eBay, don't know which is mine yet... Thanks again..

[roverbarmy]

Do you smoke? Carbon from cig ash can get into switches and cause shorting out between contacts, lives, earth etc.🤔

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[alanaslan]

The Connoisseur is most likely to have an adjuster on the end of the stalk. This adjusts how sensitive the rain Sensor is. The blackout under the rear view mirror will have a small section that is not blacked out is just clear glass as this is where the sensor is mounted.
Interestingly if the sensor is totally blocked the car will only do a single sweep on the auto function position 1, on speed one they will stay on till the car stops eg at traffic lights. Second speed they keep going. It is all part of the software package in the same way if you have a rear bulb fail the high line speedo will tell you you have a bulb out it will also illuminate another bulb with a reduced voltage so the car still has two tail lights then when you stop and turn off the ignition the high line display will show you a outline of the car highlighting the bulb that has failed and a descriptor below the car outline.
All very clever stuff, I remember Jaguar took it to the ultimate where there was only one wire that was connected to everything in the car each light cluster was earthed and a pulse was sent down the wire which carried 12 volts + the magic box attached to everything in the car would read the pulse and supply power to the item that had been requested to come on.
Fitting a tow bar electrics was great fun and required a magic box which had two supply wires + & - and had eleven outputs.


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[alanaslan]

Originally Posted by stevehotshot

Thanks Alan, maybe it's bad connection on the block connector for the switch, which of course is made good by changing.. Its worked fine for last two days, so will keep an eye out for replacement.... I assume the Connoisseur SE may have more intermittent speeds, because there are different part numbers on the ones on sale on eBay, don't know which is mine yet... Thanks again..

To the best of my knowledge there are only two types of switch saloon and tourer the tourer having a select twist for the rear wash wipe feature. I think the saloon switch is the same through the range. With the different models control boxes ( mini ECUs ) doing what the car model needs to do to comply with the selection made.

The modern car scares me I am used to having the go pedal not doing anything but change the position on a variable resistor. But I can’t get used to the stop pedal only having a an electrical connection to the braking ECU. I am of an age where I still like to think that I am pushing a plunger that is pressurising fluid in a pipe that is pushing the pistons that squeeze the pads against the disc, not just running up an electrical pump.


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[stevehotshot]

No mate, don't smoke.... ��