You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to start new topics, reply to conversations, privately message other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, join Blazer Forum today!
Do your wipers have a mind of their own? Do they choose when to start and when/where to stop? If so, your problem is likely caused by cold solders on the PCB (printed circuit board) in the wiper motor itself. Some have "fixed" this by placing a wadded up piece of cardboard between the wiper motor and the electrical connection, but this is only a temporary fix. There are many imaginative "fixes" for this problem. One certain repair job is to resolder the joints at fault.
Required Tools:
T20 Torx bit and driver
Soldering iron and solder
15 minutes of your time (time may vary depending on experience)
The wiper motor is on the firewall to the left of the brake booster as shown in the image below. Start by disconnecting the electrical connection to the wiper motor. You will want to remove the two T20 screws that are circled in red, then loosen, but do not remove the T20 screw circled in blue. This screw can be a challenge to put back in if completely removed and the cover can be removed without completely removing this screw.
Once you have the cover off, it is time to remove the circuit board. The only thing holding the circuit board in at this point is the electrical connection to the wiper motor itself. These connections are down on the lower left of the circuit board. An accurately placed flat blade screw driver will assist in prying the board loose. Place the tip of the screw driver between the circuit board and the motor and gently pry up on the board. It shouldn't take much force at all to remove it.
Now that the board is out, you can have a look at it. By far the most common location for the affected solder joints is where the main electrical connection is made to the board. This location is circled on the right in the picture below. I have seen cracks in the connections to the wiper motor itself before as well, shown circled on the left of the picture below.
To repair the solder joints, simply heat the joint back up to reflow the solder. If necessary, add some more solder to the joint to make it stronger. One key to soldering is to keep the joint from moving while the solder is cooling. Any movement in the joint while the solder is solidifying will weaken the joint and cause the problem to reoccur.
With the circuit board repaired, you can reassemble it into the wiper motor assembly. But before doing so, take a look at the grease inside. If it is dried out, now would be a good time to clean things up and replace the grease. A non-conductive grease should be used so as not to short out the circuit board. Most general purpose lithium based grease is non-conductive, but it is worth mentioning.
Reassemble the reverse of disassembly.
Give it a try! If everything works as it should, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Register your account for free or log-in if already registered to remove this ad now!
Fix for cold solders in the Wiper Motor
