More wiper issues...

[98chevy2500SS]

I don't know if it's just these trucks getting old or what, but the wipers never make a full pass. I have 19" beams and still does the same thing when I had the conventional 19". These beam blades are brand new, even the conventional were brand new, but still did this as well. I have messed with the linkages under cowl at least 4 times because of this issue. I have a bit of OCD when it comes down to wiper park placement and how it wipes. It never seems to make a full pass when there's no water but it does when there's water. I am guess my windshield in just never lubed up enough?

I noticed when I use windshield cleaner, it's good until I use my washer fluid, when there's rain, or when I go to the car wash. It goes back to what it does before. I really kind of pissing me off that it's not doing the full wipe when it should be. I don't know what I could do to fix it or maybe it's just a common problem that I have to deal with. It just bothers me that it never gets that triangle at the top in the middle until I use some sort of liquid.

Here's a video to get a better visual of my frustrations:

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[DerekTheGreat]

I can't hear anything since I'm on my work computer but have you tried lubing up all the linkage under there? I lubed up where the wiper motor goes into the linkage and then the transmissions(?) for each wiper arm with grease. Could be that your motor is on the toilet preparing to take a dump. Real common on Ford trucks, I've never met a Ford truck that didn't have to have it's wiper motor replaced.

 

[98chevy2500SS]

Thanks for your response. I just lubed it up with white lithium grease and it was great until water hit it. I noticed sometimes it sounds it's binding somewhere maybe. I don't know, sometimes it will burst with power and then go back to being slow w/o anything on the windshield. Even if one or two droplets of water hits it, it goes full speed again, then goes back to being slow. It really makes no sense, but I think you might be right about the wiper motor going bad. I wouldn't think at almost 150k I would have to worry about it, but anything's possible. Maybe I will check into a new wiper motor sometime, hope it won't be too expensive to repair.

Edit: No too expensive to fix! That's a relief, found this one: https://www.1aauto.com/windshield-wiper-motor/i/1awwm00008?f=439965&y=1998

I trust 1A Auto with their parts, so I think I'm going to get this one this week and see what happens. I am betting it's motor as well. Read a few more threads (somehow I couldn't find any before on this issue) and they say it's a bad motor, so I that's pushing more towards the motor being on it's last leg. Hopefully a new motor will fix my issues. I'll report back when I get one and install it.

 

[jsfrmsj]

Have you replaced the wiper motor electrical board? I was having weird issues with my wipers, replaced the board and it's been good ever since.

 

[98chevy2500SS]

Yes I did, twice i think and it didn’t change it. All of the delays work, it just doesn’t do a full complete pass when it’s dry. Going to get a new wiper motor this morning and hopefully get it installed this morning.

 

[98chevy2500SS]

Ok, results: AWESOME. It finally works! Full pass, even when dry. Well worth the $55 for a Carquest one (saw there was an ACDelco one for $298, NOT paying that, but that should be guaranteed quality), I was iffy on swapping my old grommets and the spiny thing for the links to rotate on, but works great. Finally I don't have to keep pulling out the cowl, but I am going to get a new cowl as it broke on the passenger side and passenger side wiper arm linkages since mine has quite a bit of play. My old wiper motor was dated 4/15/1998, I was surprised to see it was still the original.

The installation wasn't really hard to do, really easy. Here is the video to where I learned how:
How To Install Replace Wiper Motor Chevy GMC Pickup Truck Suburban Tahoe 88-99 1AAuto.com - YouTube

Overall, I was really happy with the results, it finally works like it should.

 

[mars2878]

glad it worked out for you.


on mine, if it wasn't working correctly, it would either stop mid stroke or continue wiping for several minutes after it was turned off. I was @ the j/y this past weekend & a 99 suburban just came in, it was mint looking other than the damage to the lf door & fender. clean interior, everything was nice & shiny (they obviously took care of it). ins totaled it. it was an easy fix, what a shame. so anyways, I turned the key, wipers worked mint, so I snagged the original wiper motor for mine. (I have them pulling the engine for me too). my 99 c3500 cclb w/ 495k mi was still rocking an original date code motor & still is Same truck even netted me a clean air dam. Engine has several recently replaced pulleys & alternator, score for me. Now to find a cowl panel, maybe in next weeks new batch?

 

[98chevy2500SS]

That sounds cool! Good thing you grabbed the original wiper motor, if I could've found a cheap mint one, I would've gotten one. I always love it when someone takes care of their truck.

Ah the cowl... Just got one for my truck too, my old one was broken in a few places, such brittle old plastic.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

What mars2878 said is pretty much what I notice happening with the Ferd motors. Seems water gets in the motors, washes away the grease in the bearings and/or corrosion sets in, they get hot from use and lock up until they cool enough to finish their quest to wipe water away. My truck had that brick type wiper motor which I tossed in the trash in favor of the later style, donor was a 1998 Suburban and lucky for me it's been perfect. I used red bearing grease everywhere I saw moving parts/joints. So far, so good.

Word of caution though: Those old grommets could be the reason why water ruined the old motor, that or the weather strip on the cowl is bad too.

 

[98chevy2500SS]

I used red bearing grease as well, seems to be working well.

The old grommets looked good, but water may have gotten in it somehow. I will have to check weatherstripping on the cowl when I replace my cowl this week. I guess I will have to see how long this new one will last.