wiper motor wires

Post by **ColinChandler** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:16 pm

Hello everyone,
I made the stupid mistake of thinking I could remember what went where when I took things to pieces and unfortunately I cant.

Can one of you kind people tell me which wire connects where on the wiper motor please. The black earth wire obviously goes to the wiper motor earth teminal but I'm not sure which way round the green and green/black wire go on the 2 remaining terminals. Two wires and two terminals. What a dilemma.
Thanks, Colin.

Post by **Packedup** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:20 pm

Black to earth, then surely one of the wires has a rubber cover with a sticky up bit, can only go in one of the 2 holes/ terminals?

However, if for any reason the sticky up bit is missing, I'm pretty sure it's the green wire that has it, and it goes on the middle conection. Could be wrong, but basically put the green wire (ign dependent live) onto whichever of the 2 has the cutout for where the sticky out bit would go.

Hope that's clear ;)

Post by **ColinChandler** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:45 am

Hello and thanks for that,
I think I see what you mean but all I have is two wires with ring terminals on the ends and 2 terminals on the wiper motor onto which to screw them. It a 1957 car and I was hoping someone would be able to nip out, look at theirs and say for example, the plain green wire goes on the upper terminal and the trace wire goes on the other or vice versa. If not, then I'll just stroke a wire across it and see what happens. There's just two options so I cant go too far wrong.
Thanks, Colin.

Post by **Packedup** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:43 am

Ah - It's not the later spade type.

I think the motors still had hte same layout though - Earth at the end nearest the front of the car, live to the middle, switch wire end nearest the screen.

But of course I could be very wrong, although worst case is probably a blown fuse...

Post by **Willie** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:53 pm

1957 Minor.......Green on top, Green/black tracer below.

Post by **bigginger** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:55 pm

1969/70/71 Minor, tracer at the bottom!

Post by **ColinChandler** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:57 pm

Thanks everyone. Your help is much appreciated.
Regards, Colin.

Post by **adritch** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:57 pm

I have a 1956 SII, and the wiper is intermittent, and currently not working. I have taken it out and it only seems to have 2 wires going to it. A green/black and a green.

I guess that these are both live feeds, one fused live to power the electro-magnet and then switched live to the brushes.

I can't find an earth connection though. Should there be one? I thought perhaps it earthed through the body, but as the unit is mounted on rubber mountings, without an earth wire there seems no way to ground.

Can anyone advise?

Thanks,
Adam.

Post by **Packedup** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:36 pm

I seem to recall the power goes in through the green, and is earthed through either the switch (when "on") or the earth for parking. I think.

So at a guess your wipers work, but don't self park?

Post by SR » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:05 pm

im at this stage too with wper, 2 wires, where does my earth wire on loom go?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:37 pm

You won't go far wrong Colin - just screw them on and try it ! One way it will park - the other it will stop as soon as you switch off.

Post by **adritch** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:56 am

Packedup wrote:I seem to recall the power goes in through the green, and is earthed through either the switch (when "on") or the earth for parking. I think.

So at a guess your wipers work, but don't self park?

Well, they did work, and you're right, they didn't self park. Then they stopped working all together on the way to my MOT test

I have taken the motor out, and it's sat on my table, but I don't know how to test whether it's working as it doesn't seem to have any earth connection. It's obvious that someone has had it out of the car at some point to sit may have been put back incorrectly.

Any ideas how to test on a bench?

Thanks, Adam.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:07 am

adritch,

Well, they did work, and you're right, they didn't self park. Then they stopped working all together on the way to my MOT test

As far as I know, the Series II wipers don't self park (neither of mine have)
Most likely fault with a wiper motor is worn brushes. If you are really unlucky it will have a damaged commutator / damaged armature winding.
whilst the motor is out you may as well remove the wiper arm weel boxes and clean + grease them as this will help reduce friction.

Post by **Packedup** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:52 pm

adritch wrote: I have taken the motor out, and it's sat on my table, but I don't know how to test whether it's working as it doesn't seem to have any earth connection. It's obvious that someone has had it out of the car at some point to sit may have been put back incorrectly.

Any ideas how to test on a bench?

Thanks, Adam.

Well, run power into one terminal, and earth from the other to test if you can't see an obvious earth - One must be power in and the other switched (earth, so far as I can remember) anyway

If you've got a multimeter check for continuity through the motor, if you don't then see if you can strike a spark when hooking up power to it. Also look for a slight judder when power's applied - Could be the gearbox is seized, or the motor itself. The one I first fitted to the pickup would judder a little, after much head scratching it turned out the arm was slightly bent and the plain bush at the gearbox end was stuck solid too.

I know the rotatable cup on the top of the box is used to set the parking position - I take it if it's there then the wipers chouls self park, if it isn't then they shouldn't? In which case, is there one on top of the older motors or not? Earliest Minor I've seen was a late 948 tafficator one, so probably too late to be the same...

Post by **Willie** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:40 pm

To explain a confusing point, the wiper motor is NOT mounted so that it is
connected to the chassis, it is fixed via insulating rubber feet. It is live whenever the ignition is switched on via the Green wire and is switched on
(green/black wire) by the wiper switch which connects to chassis via the 'E'
terminal on the control box. It is always worth while checking this 'E' earth
connection which is found just below the control box behind the wiring loom on the bulkhead in the engine compartment. It is earthed under a bolt head
and quite frequently is very rusty and not making a good contact.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:02 am

I know the rotatable cup on the top of the box is used to set the parking position - I take it if it's there then the wipers chouls self park, if it isn't then they shouldn't? In which case, is there one on top of the older motors or not? Earliest Minor I've seen was a late 948 tafficator one, so probably too late to be the same...

On the seriesII the motor is next to the glovebox, and is different. As far as I remember (not well at all) there is no 'round cap' like the one on the Minor 1000.

Post by **Onne** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:36 am

I don't think I have seen such a device on my motor. It is out atm, so I could take pictures if needed.

But that round cap is to make the wipers self park, DO they self park on the earlier series? I always thought it's a matter of releasing the knob at the right time!
Onne

Post by **adritch** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:23 am

Found that the reason my bench testing wasn't working is that my power supply couldn't supply enough current.

Tried the motor back in the car and seems to be fine so hoping it was just a dodgy connection when in place. Will take the switch out and check the connections on that too just to be sure.

Certainly doesn't seem to be any rotating cup on my motor.

Thanks for the advice.
Adam.