Rear wiper motor blowing fuses

The rear wiper motor on my 1993 Voyager blows fuses soon after replacement.

As the motor ages, does it tend to work harder and draw more current?

Is there anything else I can check before replacing the motor?

Thanks,

Kirk Matheson

 

The obvious question: Is it the right size fuse?

Now that that's out of the way, do you knw if it works fine (not
laboring) and then - poof! - the fuse blows (like a wire intermitently
shorting)?

Measure the current draw and compare against the specified fuse size -
current draw should be much less. When it's running, does motor speed
seem OK? If not, is it mechanically binding - most likely at a rusting
motor or wiper shaft bearing/bushing? If the latter, you can usually
salvage the situation by putting a little oil in the right place to
slick it up and hopefully prevent further corrosion. Or it could simply
be the motor windings starting to short, in which case, time for a new
motor (probably the case if it's not mechanically binding up and excess
current draw is what's blowing the fuse).

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

This was replaced free in my 95 under a recall that I believe covered the 93
as well.
It entailed replacing the motor and a wire harness in the driver front area
some where.

 

Same here on my '95. The recall took place because the rear wiper motor was
on the same circuit as the air bag system. So when the wiper went out, the
resulting blown fuse would also kill the airbags.

If the recall has already been performed, sorry, I don't believe they'll
repair the motor for free. The only condition under which they would
replace the wiper motor is if it was bad at the time the recall was
performed. A good way to check (other than calling the dealer or visiting
Chrysler's web site with your VIN handy) is to see if the air bag light
comes on when the fuse blows (assuming that it lights up in test mode when
you start the vehicle). If it glows continuously, you might be eligible for
the recall.

The replacement wiper motor on mine didn't last too long before it started
making awful noises, by the way. I disassembled it myself and repaired
it--the bolts that held the motor to the wiper drivetrain worked loose. I
wasn't impressed with the quality of the Mopar replacement part. If you try
removing it on your own, be advised that the wiper arm will typically be
siezed onto the drive spline in climates that see road salt in the winter;
figure on replacing the arm as well if this happens because you'll likely
have to resort to drastic measures to get it off. (Careful, don't break the
glass!)

--Geoff

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I checked to ensure that the correct
20A fuse is being used. I will also check to see if anything is
binding.

-Kirk Matheson

 

I am now ready to remove the wiper arm. Do I push down on the clip to
release the wiper arm from the shaft? The arm slides on the shaft a
little, so I am hoping that it is now seized.

-Kirk Matheson

 

If it slides, it is not seized. IIRC (it's been about three or four months,
and I've sold the vehicle since then) you take a pair of needle nose pliers
and pull the 'clip' away from the wiper shaft (all it does is ride in a
groove on the shaft--it's a retainer.) Then wiggle-wobble the arm off the
shaft. You'll have to disconnect the hose for the sprayer while you're at
it.

Next, open the rear liftgate and remove the trim from the interior, which
I'm pretty sure means you have to remove the lights and some circular caps
to access hidden screws. There's also a row of screws near the top of the
trim that is hard to see. Once you have all the screws removed, there are
spring clips retaining the trim to the liftgate, same as you would find on a
regular interior door panel. They're concentrated on the lower half of the
door. Pry gently with a wide, flat-blade screwdriver or with a 1.5" putty
knife.

Once everything's loose, remove the trim panel carefully. It's all one
piece, it's a bit unwieldy (not heavy, though) and prone to breaking if you
let it 'twist' too much. (You'll know what I mean when you get to this
point.) You'll likely have to go through some gentle twists and turns to
circumnavigate the hatch support struts.

Dismounting the wiper motor is fairly straightforward. I think I recall
removing an access plate secured by a bunch of 10mm bolts, and then there
were three actual mounting bolts securing the motor. Once you have the
motor dismounted, you can remove the access cover over the drive mechanism
and figure out what's wrong. The motor worm drive turns a plastic gear
which in turn drives an arm connected to the motor shaft. Assuming the
motor windings aren't shorted out, something is probably wrong with the
drive mechanism; you might find broken plastic gears, for example. If you
can't find something wrong with the motor (you can operate it dismounted
from the vehicle by connecting its supply wire's plug and a short ground
jumper between the motor case and the liftgate) and the drive mechanism
seems intact, you may have a wiring issue.

Good luck!
--Geoff

 

by any chance do you have a airbag if you do it might be covered under a recall

call your local dealer

 

Geoff, thanks for the very useful info. I now feel better about
proceeding.

You are absolutely right about the plastic panels. Several cracks have
developed over the years just from ordinary movement and heat/cold
cycles. I went to the salvage yard to try to find replacement pieces,
and everything was in worse condition than mine. I guess that I cannot
expect too much after almost 12 years.

-Kirk

 

Just let us know what you find when you get it apart.

The liftgate area of a minivan takes its fair share of abuse from the cargo
whacking it when you accelerate.

--Geoff