Wiper Woes

[Mark92131]

So I finished the drivetrain install on my S14 swap and moved on to testing the electrical systems.  The car (1970 BMW 1600) came to me as a rolling shell with many of the parts missing or untested.  I hooked up the battery for the first time, turned the key to the Driving position and battery charge warning light, the oil pressure warning light, and the Low brake fluid light is on (strange because the reservoir is full).  But the main issue is the wiper motor turns in the low speed setting in this key position, even though the dash switch is pushed in.  If you pull the wiper switch out to the first position, the wiper motor speeds up to the high speed setting, and stays in the high speed setting when the switch is pulled all the way out.

 

Does this behavior indicate bad switch or bad motor?  Any thoughts on how one would go about testing/troubleshooting this issue?

 

TIA,

 

Mark92131

[Mark92131]

OK, it seems to be the switch.  Magically, after a few cycles of testing, turn the key, the motor doesn't engage, pull the switch, the motor runs.  Is there a way to clean/lubricate (spray) these switches, they haven't been used in long time and I suspect the contacts are gummed up.  The head light low/high/flash lever was also working intermittently and I suspect it is gummed up also.

 

By the way, the 1600 didn't have relays for the headlights.  I bought one of those conversion kits off of eBay and installed it, works great, plug and play in 15 minutes.

 

Mark92131

[Mike Self]

Those pull switches on 68-71 2002s rarely give trouble...

 

I think your problem may be in the self-parking circuit in the wiper motor itself.  There are two feeds to the wiper motor.  One goes through the wiper switch; the other is hot any time the ignition is on and allows the wipers to park at the bottom of the windshield and then switch off automatically.  

 

I did a column on how to troubleshoot that self-parking mechanism, PM me for a copy.

 

mike