My 01 GC8's having a problem with the wiper washer motor because it keeps blowing out the 20 amp fuse. could it be a grounding issue? any ideas, let me know?
it could be a ground problem.... if you can find the source of ground and a volt meter... test it... if the ground has any voltage theres a short to ground.... or high resistance... sounds like high resistance....
are your linkages rusty and binding? maybe clean and lube that up, and of course check the gnd and connectors for corrosion on terminals
I say get a msd grounding unit and get rid of the problem and get some benifits with it like not losing power with ac turned on or like my car, with the front defrost switch on. that's my next step bro. that little ground wire just don't cut it for me, maybe i'll switch it out for a bigger sturdier one for now, like i did with my hondas.
It doesn't work that way. You lose power because more RPMs are needed to get the output required by the alternator to power more circuits. Cleaner grounds aren't going to change that.
I just don't want to rip open all the wires to look for that short, maybe I have to now. open circuit somewhere. If I don't get it fix I'm going to hate those rainy spring days.
Its more than likely one of the connectors, contacts, or siezed/corroded/binding wiper linkages drawing too much current to operate with the extra force required to move binding linkages. Try luing the linkages and taking a wire brush to the gnd term. and check the connector. If you pump runs off the same circuit, which is odd, check that too. Maybe hook yourself up with a wiring diagram and trace it out there first
On the fuse box it says wiper washer 20 amp. that must mean the motor controls the wiper arms and the washer spray. I'm gonna get the electrical spray and try cleaning first.
This is for the front wipers correct? If so, I bet your motor is wearing out, and causing a high amp draw, which is blowing the fuse. Do your wipers seem to move at the normal speed?
your wiper motor and washer pump motor are separate motors. the pump motor is actually mounted on the fluid resevoir and the wiper motor is mounted to the wiper linkages which are under your wiper arms in the fresh air/ windshield drain cowl. If you pull your wiper arms off and take that plastic cover under them off, you will see what i am talking about. chances are you will need a small puller to get the arms off. a battery terminal puller tool works great for that.
That's the most logical way to diagnose the problem. last week I picked up a reman. wiper motor from the store and installed it in. disconnected the negative from the battery terminal and popped in a new 20 amp, hooked back up the terminal and as soon as the power came on that's how fast the fuse snapped. I returned the motor to where it came from and eliminated the motor as a problem. leaning towards a short somewhere.
If your're talking about taking the motor off, I do it from the fire wall without a problem. the only way I'm going to take the covers off is if I'm installing new linkage. as far as I know the speed is good.
dude you still up!? yeah you need to get some answers or you'll be following me in the rain. and next to snow, that's the best time to summon the suby beast. check out other clubs and type in the search. someone must've had the same problem before.
ok, i wasn't sure on the location of the motor. So it is snapping the fuse without even turning on the wipers? It just pops immediatly? Does it do that with the motor unplugged too? It should if a re-man motor didnt fix it. I'm curious at how this turns out. I like electrical mysteries
hey bro, i think you should 1st borrow zaj's volt reader to see if your @ 13.8-14ish volt with motor running, or maybe your pops has one, just to see 1st if your car is pushing out the correct voltage, and not going up or down with the rev, then trace the circuit, or check the blown fuse housing with a light bulb set up, lights up if broken wire or open source somewhere, what if the reman motor you got didn't work in the first place? most time changing the motor solves the problem, but you should get another one, and if same problem again, then take steps. it's gonna rain this weekend, didn't want to see you hiding under a bridge!
Funny thing is, the fuse blew without the motor being plugged in and relay switch off. fuse blows as soon as the power comes on.
I was testing it last week with a new digital multi-meter. man that multi-meter is pretty cool. my dad was showing me how to test all kinds of stuffs from AAA batteries to wall outlets. I tested the fuse box where the 20 amp goes in and it read 14. something fluxuating. I checked all the other 20 amp fuses to see if they had the same reading and they did. Now I'm puzzled.... I'm thinking it might have something to do with my stock subaru alarm system because after I shut off the engine and arm the alarm, I sat in there quietly thinking and I start to hear this little almost unnoticeably pop or snaps from my dash, the door light and to the door pannel. man that's sure annoying. What do you think?
doesnt matter if the car is running or not, the only thing that will change is the voltage being either roughly 14v or 12v. What you disvovered with blowing the fuse when not plugged in should tell you something, the problem is somewhere after the fuse and before the motor so that should narrow your search. try pulling out the relay and put a new fuse in and see if it still pops.
When I get the car back from maaco that's the first thing I'm going to try. Taking out the relay is simple enough to do and plus I got a few extra 20's.
Well I got the car back from Maaco and finally found some time to work on the problem and this time I brought some re-enforcements. I Started taking out the HID kit and found out that the relay was corroted and one of the four pin broked. Located in front of the washer tank. took out the windshield washer tank and and found two wires, one in the harness socket and the other loose touching the frame. As soon as I saw that a relief came to mind. I clip them off and taped them up. popped in the 20 amp fuse and turned on ignition, no more fuse snapping. the next best thing to do try the washer and wiper. It's Alive.... Big thanks to the old man I call dad, he took one look and found the problem. Thanks to all MNSUBARU guys for your help. mystery solved. case closed.
