Wiper problem is now sending me insane!

Andy, check the earths and connectors on the RHS.

Good luck.................

Try running an earth from the battery neg to a good clean point on the bulkhead.

bluehaze said:

Andy, check the earths and connectors on the RHS.

Good luck.................

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Might well have a quick look BH but if I touch anything down there it'll start doing it when I indicate right too!

Was sorry to read that the mystery continues - really thought finding the dodgy scotch locked wire and that melted connector had to be the culprit.

Have scratched my head and really am out of ideas to suggest (beyond the drastic running of new wires - but i'm now nervous that might not fix if it's an earth feedback issue)

Logically it has to be dodgy earths or chaffed wires allowing a +ve feed to get where it shouldn't, but beyond my knowledge to know where else to look.

When I hit strange electrical problems (fuel pump/ignition) with my TVR (renowned for their quality electrics!) I ended up using an auto electrician. He was really decent, and only charged £60 for about 4 hours work - and he sorted it. He's too far North to be of much use (unless you wanted to drive up and stop over), but there must be someone similar nearer you.

Sorry Pal, but I sense time to enjoy the sun and let someone else do the diagnostics.

Hi all ... managed a look behind the right hand headlight last night and although there was nothing I could find to fix the wiper issue I did manage to find the reason why my side lights were so dim! ... connected using some most bizarre joiners with no insulation so just resting on the inner wing. Put some bullet connectors on and now lovely and bright
On the wiper front we have a guy at work who really knows his electrics and has a load of test gear so he's offered to stay after work tomorrow for an hour to see if he can pinpoint the area where the fault is coming from.
Will keep you informed.

Think I may have said it before, but 'fingers crossed'

A good find behind the RH light - does make you wonder what some folk have in mind when they start to play

waz said:

I had a similar problem with my 93 200tdi, it turned out to be the wiring loom running through the chassis that had chafed and shorted together.

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Andy

Was reading back through the thread - Waz's issue could be a contender

If you remove the LH dash trim (assuming same as mine, remove the land rover plastic oval to revel a screw) and the lower dash (I think just 3 or 4 screws) you can see where the wiring runs behind the dash

Also from the engine bay to the left of the heater box there's a plastic blanking plate - held on with 4 screws - which I presume is where the speedo drive would come through in a LH drive model. When removed you can also see the cables to the wiper motor

Think essentially there is a channel on the back of the bulkhead below where the air vents are that the cables run along, emerging behind the instrument dash.

I've not found them (but haven't looked either!), but wonder whether the wiring to the LH lights/indicator also run along there?

Reason for thinking of this is:

1) Might be of help to your work chum tomorrow night

2) If you were to run new cables from the wiper stalk to the wiper motor (and know you'd prefer not to), shouldn't be impossible to thread new wires avoiding removing the whole dash.

Conscious we've focussed on earth faults, but thinking turning more to a +ve feed issue due to touching wires. Running new would at least remove/isolate any touching wires!

Wonder whether feasible to hard wire from the stalk to the motor just passing the cables along the parcel shelf to the motor for now as a test?

Can you tell this one still has me intrigued

So pleased to see you're still sharing my pain SH ... my workmate is currently (excuse electrical pun) studying a wiring diagram and has been furnished with all things that I have done and fitted. Quietly excited about tomorrow and finally getting a proper resistance test done.
Going back to Waz's earlier post also ... I have checked over as much of the loom as possible but from the back of the lights it disappears behind the inner wing before re-emerging in the channel you mentioned behind the wiper motor. My man is already thinking along the lines of bad earth causing current to pass through bulb and then finding its own earth through the wiper. Apparently it will use an item with a motor as an earth before anything else so if there was no wiper motor it would find it elsewhere.
Anyway ... carry on watching this space ... it beats TV

The bit my feeble brain can't compute is why current finding it's way to earth through the wiper motor would cause the wipers to activate?

If it runs to earth through the wiper it just goes to earth - but the long way round?

Surely for the wipers to actually activate they need a +ve feed through the +ve terminals which then runs to earth throughthe motor body???

That's what caused me to revisit Waz's post, as I could understand an intermittent +ve current which is being sent to the lights 'leaking' to the feed to the wiper motor (through touching/chaffed wires) and thereby activating the wipers

Anyway - as we rarely have the TV on, will certainly be looking out for an update

Sorry SH, my last post was typed incorrectly ... you are quite correct and what I should have said was that the current is passing through the light bulb and then rather than finding an earth there it carries on through the live on the wiper motor until it can earth itself there. Daren't ask him how that affects the indicators but I'm sure he'll figure it out

Agree Andy - you've certainly given it more tries than my patience would have allowed - time for the pros

Andy, I wonder if the light switch is at fault?

Keep going mate.

bluehaze said:

Andy, I wonder if the light switch is at fault?

Keep going mate.

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I dont think it's likely to be the switch... BUT it could be that the wiring has chaffed and is shorting.

Hope you find the problem before you get to the tearing your hair out stage.

Hi chaps ... well we've just spent lunchtime on this and have narrowed it down somewhat. According to test equipment on the wiper motor and battery and me operating all switches and disconnecting wires off the wiper switch we have found that the feed from the wiper delay (intermittent wipe) part of the switch is sending power to the wiper motor when lights are activated. This shows that the fault could be the wiper switch itself, the wiper delay unit (which I think is the red relay bolted into the fusebox ... confirmation required please) or one of two wires between these two areas. Indeed the fault is cured by disconnecting the intermittent feed from the switch. So, progress made and all earths showed as very good connections ... I had spent six months on these though.

All ready for the evening session then where we will hopefully pinpoint the fault exactly.

If anyone can identify the wiper delay unit for me I'd be most grateful.
Cheers

Between meetings, but can't easily find the answer on the web - sorry

Can you feel any of the relays in the main fuse panel 'clicking' when intermittent wipe is on?

If not, i found a relay on the bulkhead behind the instrument panel of mine last weekend that I didn't know was there (roughly in line with the fuel gauge position) - could be the one?

Andy Land said:

Hi chaps ... well we've just spent lunchtime on this and have narrowed it down somewhat. According to test equipment on the wiper motor and battery and me operating all switches and disconnecting wires off the wiper switch we have found that the feed from the wiper delay (intermittent wipe) part of the switch is sending power to the wiper motor when lights are activated. This shows that the fault could be the wiper switch itself, the wiper delay unit (which I think is the red relay bolted into the fusebox ... confirmation required please) or one of two wires between these two areas. Indeed the fault is cured by disconnecting the intermittent feed from the switch. So, progress made and all earths showed as very good connections ... I had spent six months on these though.

All ready for the evening session then where we will hopefully pinpoint the fault exactly.

If anyone can identify the wiper delay unit for me I'd be most grateful.
Cheers

Click to expand...

I think its attached to the wiper motor. As in next to it

Bromsgrove Defender said:

I think its attached to the wiper motor. As in next to it

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Hi BD, hey I'm only up the road in Stoke Prior ... you could come and see

I've identified it as the red relay in the fuse box ... the park switch is on the wiper motor, I've changed this in the past.

Will let you know later.

Cheers.

Can you catalogue the other relays and report back while you're at it Andy

Andy Land said:

Hi BD, hey I'm only up the road in Stoke Prior ... you could come and see

I've identified it as the red relay in the fuse box ... the park switch is on the wiper motor, I've changed this in the past.

Will let you know later.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

I might just take you up on that

Was going to suggest looking for the wire colours as I have circuit diagram in front of me.
Haynes doesn't tell you which relays are which and piccies in black n white lol.

Had I realised you were so close would have offered to help......

Still will if you need a hand

Spot on BD - Haynes is less than Helpful on the relays side.

It's even adament there are relays and fuses under the drivers seat - not on my 90 there aren't, unless they rusted away and fell off

One of my 'get round it it' jobs is to work out what each relay does by trial and error, as a search on both LZ and Google hasn't thrown up the answer!