Wipers......

I'm getting 'round to tidying up a few bits on my recently acquired '01 110 hardtop. This is my first Defender so I'm learning as I go along. Wipers. I have 4 positions, from nearest my knee......
1 Nothing
2 More nothing!
3 Normal wipe
4 Fast wipe.
When I press the stalk I get a squirt of water and 3 sweeps of the wipers so that looks good. AND the wipers return to their park position!
I'm thinking of getting an adjustable relay, similar to this one
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/fo...ic.php?t=46486
but want to make sure my wiper switch is not faulty first.
Thanks.........

If there is one thing you need to be working on an Irish car, it's the bloody wipers.

Col

Check that you have voltage to the motor on:
Red/Light Green 12V from column switch
Blue/Light Green 12V from column switch
Brown/Light Green 12V from column switch
Green = 12V permanent
Sorry, from memory I can't say which one is from which switch position, although that shoould be self-explanatory.
Black is -ive/ground

If you get readings on all the 12V stuff, take the motor off and remove the cover plate.
Inside, you should find that there is a big wheel with a cam spindle on it which connects to the wiper actuator.
Check that the circlip is still holding the wheel shaft in place.

The position nearest your knee is the intermittent wipe.
As the wash/wipe timer is working l'd say it's most likely a faulty switch.
lf not then the intermittent wipe timer relay.

All the way down is intermittent wipe (your 'Off'), next up is Off (your 'More Nothing)', then normal and fast

Buy the wiper blades in bulk as they are utter crap and may last 6 months if you are lucky

I had a wiper switch where, to get the intermittent function, it had to be lifted slightly up from the bottom of its travel. Sometimes contacts in the switch can give you peculiarities, especially if it is Britpart. I got an OEM one in the end and it was much better. Yes a new wiper control unit (people call it a 'relay' but there's actually a lot more to it) is a good idea. This is the item which has given me the biggest improvement in wiper reliability. It was also the last thing I checked, so i wish i had looked at it earlier.

Thanks for all the replies. I now have something to work with. I'll try testing the switch and then the relay. If the relay is working for the wash/wipe does that mean it should also work for the intermittent or are they two separate functions? Anyhow I'll report back and let you know how I get on...........

Hello from County Leitrim David, I have had three wiper motors on my Defender in the last six years. There's been a used replacement motor, a new spurious and now, a new genuine LR component. I have also replaced each and every other component in the windscreen wiper system, and, only after using genuine components, I now have a functioning system.

I have also taken to using the shortest wiper blades that I can buy, purely and simply because the recommended blade over sweeps the screen and bounces of the windscreen seal.

My personal view on your original question on "adjustable relay" is negative. I suspect that you will only complicate a simple system which, at best, is a pain in the butt

Hello Alan, I'll have a look out for you if I'm ever lost up that direction..........
Well, I went testing the switch with a bulb and a bit of wire. Power was being sent out at all the varying positions. The intermittent position 'lights up' the white wire. Checked that I had power all the way to the relay, so then changed that. That solved the problem, I now have an intermittent wipe, can't wait for it to drizzle again!........
Thanks again for all the help, I'll now go searching for something to fix..........