windshield wipers stuck on !

[kenwin30]

hey guys, 98 honda civic dx, my windshield wipers are stuck in the on position, whats the best way to shut these things off?

 

[eljefino]

It's the "park" feature always trying to return them to home base, somehow stuck. The answer lies under your cowl, probably in the wiper motor assembly itself.

 

[mrsilv04]

They're wiping all of the time and refuse to shut off?

Quick fix? Pull the fuse... look in the owner's manual to figure out which one to pull out.

 

[JimPghPA]

Pep-Boys sells wiper motors. Probably a lot lower cost than a dealer.

 

[kenwin30]

yea, they are wiping all of the time and refuse to shut off, i will track the fuse down later and replace the motor next week

 

[Jimmy9190]

Had the exact same problem on a friend's 98 Civic a couple of years ago. The wiper motor was bad. It was pretty easy to replace but one word of advice is definitely take the old motor with you to the parts store. We got the new motor from Napa, and even they had a hard time matching it up.

 

[kenwin30]

would the wiper fuse be under the steering wheel or under hood?

 

[Michael_P]

Relay. I have changed a few on Honda's. The horn relay is the same so just switch them to see.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: kenwin30
yea, they are wiping all of the time and refuse to shut off, i will track the fuse down later and replace the motor next week


I was just going to say, "find fuse, pull, troubleshoot." That should keep you on the road while you get it nailed down.

 

[meep]

there are contacts inside the motor that have a separate power lead. motor gets ground, ign power and switched power. the steady ign power is what powers them back the cowl even if the switch is off. these contacts have failed in the motor. if you disassemble, bitog-style, you may find a physical obstruction that can be removed, bent, or you can snip the wire that's always hot when the key is on.

M

 

[kenwin30]

ok guys, gona try to replace the motor by myself, is it a hard job ?

 

[cjcride]

Not for a BITOG Member.

 

[Jimmy9190]

It's easy. Remove the wipers and the cowl and the motor is right there, a few bolts hold it in and there's a nut attaching the wiper arm linkage to the motor shaft. There is an electrical conector you just unplug from the motor. Mark the position of the wipers on the windshield for reference so you can get them back on in the correct position, and make reference marks on the wiper linkage so you can get it reinstalled in its original position. If you are off when you reinstall the linkage, the wipers won't park in the correct spot.

I think the Haynes book had complete directions for the job. And take the old motor with you to the parts store so they can match it and give you the right replacement.

 

[hsd]

Another reason to take the old motor to the parts store is to make sure you get all the mounting washers and wire gromets on the new motor. Otherwise, pull them off the old motor if they want it as a core.