wipers have mind of their own

[jeremys14]

my wipers automatically turn on just after starting the truck. then, they go for a minute or two and stop. usually right in the middle of the windshield. the controls wont make them move from there. what the hell?

 

[J Knight]

Might be the wiper delay module going haywire.

 

[jeremys14]

just pulled the fuse for now

 

[FRANKENTRUCK]

Mine does a similar thing. The wipers will start out fine, then for no apparent reason will STOP. And when they stop the wipers may not work again for a day or so.

 

[el_flores]

Mine go off and on every now and then, especially if I go thru bumpy terrain.

 

[FRANKENTRUCK]

I will likely install a new wiper motor since I have no idea how old the existing one is. They are not expensive, and I need working wipers to conform to state law.

 

[Stroked]

Lol, my brother has an 81 GMC that does this too. When you turn the key to run, they go once. And if you hit a good bump they will go too. They still function normally the rest of the time.

I assume it's something in the wiper switch, as it seems to only affect the years with the switch in the dash.

 

[chengny]

If your wipers have a mind of their own it's usually one of the following:

Intermitent (pulse) wipers - the module is probably bad. It's under the steering column and is accessed by removing the plastic curved trim piece. It is a struggle to un-plug from the harness and be careful when sliding it out of it's mounting clip. The tabs break easily.

If you have a tilt steering wheel - a ground/short in the wiring that runs up between the casing and the shaft is probably the cause. To check, try tilting the steering wheel all the way up (or down) and see if the problem goes away.

The first fix is easy - change the module.

The second one - not so easy. To find the problem and fix the wiring, you will have to pull the steering wheel, dismantle the the column including ignition, hazards, multi-function switch, etc.

Also, try washing the hell out of the inside of the column with a lot of CRC.

Or, if tilting the steering wheel way up or down solves it, get used to it.

 

[FRANKENTRUCK]

Mine are not intermittent wipers. They have two speeds, slow and fast (if memory serves) . I replaced the switch with a new one from Advance Auto and it seemed to fix the problem for a while. Then the problem returned. I also do not have tilt steering,

 

[heavyleft]

My wipers like to actuate once when I pull the headlight switch.....lol. I'm thinking of just wiring a new aftermarket switch just for my headlights alone.

 

[el_flores]

Thanks Chengny, I have tilt steering so I got a lot of things to check out. Thanks! I didn't know what to check...

 

[FRANKENTRUCK]

Mine screwed up today during a bad storm . This is getting OLD!!!

 

[89Suburban]

Anyone have anything to report back?