The Subaru SVX World Network   SVX Network Forums
Live Chat!
SVX or Subaru Links
Old Lockers
Photo Post
How-To Documents
Message Archive
SVX Shop Search
IRC users:

Go Back   The Subaru SVX World Network > SVX Main Forums > Technical Q & A

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-07-2004, 08:53 AM
Brian's Avatar
Brian Brian is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Finleyville, PA (Pittsburgh area)
Posts: 358
Rear wiper problem

The rear wiper didn't work when I bought my car. A mechanic told me that the motor was bad. I finally picked one up cheaply from a parts car last month, although the seller had no idea if it worked. I just finally got around to installing the "new" one yesterday. When it didn't work either, my dad helped me trouble shoot the electrical end of things. The old motor caused the fuse to blow, but when we replaced fuse, the new motor tried to work (made a buzzing noise) but the shaft didn't move. When I'd given up and was putting the wiper on back on, I detected some motion. (The odd thing was that the key wasn't even in the ignition anymore!) After putting the key back in and turning the wiper on, with a little push, I was consistently able to get the wiper to make one pass each time, once to the right and once back to the left. It stops there at the left, then continues to make the noise, but no unassisted motion accompanies. The thrumming motor noise it makes, which starts as soon as I activate the rear wiper switch, seems kind of loud to me. When I give the wiper a push, and it moves through it's one cycle, the noise isn't as loud while the wiper is moving.

On a side note, after working on the car, I left a door open and the dome light was on. It was only like this for a couple of hours at most, but it drained the battery enough that I needed a jump. That seems like such a small drain for such a drastic effect. Is this normal for an SVX? With my last car, I'd left the dome light and I think once even the parking lights on all night, and it started up in the morning.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-07-2004, 09:27 AM
ensteele's Avatar
ensteele ensteele is offline
Betcha can't buy just one!
Alcyone Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Burlington, WA
Posts: 19,552
Send a message via ICQ to ensteele Send a message via Yahoo to ensteele Send a message via Skype™ to ensteele
Registered SVX Classic SVX
It sounds like it is the motor again. You mention that you don't know if it was a working motor, and it may not have been.

Remember, this is a used car. Do you know when the battery was replaced? The security system on this car tends to drain batteries very quickly (more so than other cars) and with a battery that may be older, it may need to be replaced. I wouldn't do it just because you had this problem, but just keep it in mind in the future.

One thought, did you have the car run when you tried the wiper? Maybe the motor needed a little more power to work.

Hope you find your problem.
__________________
.
Earl .... ... .... ><SVX(*>

Subaru Ambassador

[COLOR=”silver”]1992 Tri Color L[/COLOR] ~45K (06/91) #2430
1992 Dark Teal LS-L ~184K (05/91) #0739
1992 Claret LS-L ~196K (05/91) #0831
1992 Pearl LS-L ~103K (06/91) #1680
1992 Pearl LS-L ~151K (06/91) #2229
1992 Dark Teal LS ~150K (07/91) #3098 (parts car)
1992 White LS-L ~139K (08/92) #6913
1993 25th AE ~98K (02/93) #164
1993 25th AE ~58K (02/93) #176
1993 25th AE ~107K (02/93) #215
1993 25th AE ~162K (02/93) #223
1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~124K (1/94) #2408
1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~144K (10/93) #1484
1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~68K (10/93) #1525
1994 Barcelona Red LSi ~46K (02/94) #2624
1994 Pearl LSi ~41K (12/93) #1961
1995 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~70K (02/95) #855
1996 Polo Green LSi ~95K (03/96) #872
1997 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~55K (08/96) #097
2003 Brilliant Red LS1 Convertible ~29K (04/03) #8951
1999 Magnetic Red LS1 Coupe ~33K (04/99) #6420

My Email | Old Locker | New Locker | Picture of 15 of the 19
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-07-2004, 08:38 PM
Brian's Avatar
Brian Brian is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Finleyville, PA (Pittsburgh area)
Posts: 358
No, I didn't have the engine running when I was working on the wiper. I don't think that was it though. A couple of weeks ago I left the dome light on overnight, and I needed to charge the battery to start the car then...of course the light had been on much longer that time.

As far as the wiper problem itself, I thought that maybe the shaft from the motor needs to have some downward pressure to activate the rotating motion, and maybe that's why it didn't start until I was reinstalling the wiper arm.

I also thought that maybe the shaft is rotating before and after the arm does it's single, manually initiated wiping cycle, and maybe the loud thrumming noise is caused by the ridges on top of the shaft grinding against the receptor ridges in the arm's socket, rather than catching on them. If this is the case, then each time I try using the wiper, I'm effectively stipping the ridges on both pieces. Maybe one or both are already too far gone.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-08-2004, 11:15 AM
svxistentialist's Avatar
svxistentialist svxistentialist is offline
Jersey Girl
Alcyone Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ireland
Posts: 8,270
Send a message via Skype™ to svxistentialist
Registered SVX
Brian

Try taking the wiper arm off the rear screen when you try and fix it. If the mechanism is working properly, then the spigot will rotate back and forth, back and forth, when the motor is switched on.

Also, and forgive me if this comes from the bleedingly obvious department, when trying it, be sure you have the rear wiper switch clicked fully down to the continuous wiping stage, and that it is not on intermittent and you think that it's stopped/stuck.

You can also take off the semi circular collar around the mechanism above the rear window shelf. This will allow you to see what's happening. If it's lain up for a bit it will probably need to be cleaned and lubricated.

Joe
__________________
Black Betty [Bam a Lam!] '93 UK spec, still languishing Betty
Jersey Girl Silver '92 UK [Channel Isles] 40K Jersey Girl @ Mersea
Candy Purple Honda Blackbird Plum Dangerous
White X2 RVR Mitsubishi 1800GDI. Vantastic

40,000 miles Jersey Girl
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-08-2004, 12:54 PM
Earthworm's Avatar
Earthworm Earthworm is offline
Meow!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 11,957
Send a message via ICQ to Earthworm Send a message via AIM to Earthworm Send a message via MSN to Earthworm Send a message via Yahoo to Earthworm Send a message via Skype™ to Earthworm
As a reference I left my interior lights on all night once last week and had no problems starting the car.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-08-2004, 07:21 PM
Brian's Avatar
Brian Brian is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Finleyville, PA (Pittsburgh area)
Posts: 358
Joe,

I did have the collar off and the switch on continuous mode. I'll try it again with the wiper off the glass. I had tried it w/o the arm attached at all, but that was only before it moved for the first time.


David,

Thanks for the reference.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-11-2004, 05:47 PM
Brian's Avatar
Brian Brian is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Finleyville, PA (Pittsburgh area)
Posts: 358
No. It did the same thing with the arm raised.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-11-2004, 06:33 PM
svxistentialist's Avatar
svxistentialist svxistentialist is offline
Jersey Girl
Alcyone Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ireland
Posts: 8,270
Send a message via Skype™ to svxistentialist
Registered SVX
Then the motor has burned off the gears from the drive mechanism. Or else, a link has slipped or broken.

Can you check that the motor is rotating when on?

Joe
__________________
Black Betty [Bam a Lam!] '93 UK spec, still languishing Betty
Jersey Girl Silver '92 UK [Channel Isles] 40K Jersey Girl @ Mersea
Candy Purple Honda Blackbird Plum Dangerous
White X2 RVR Mitsubishi 1800GDI. Vantastic

40,000 miles Jersey Girl
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:22 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
© 2001-2015 SVX World Network
(208)-906-1122