My son just got a 2001 Explorer Sport. Among the minor issues that need taken care of is an interesting situation with the wipers. The wipers only function when you press the wash button. It operates fine with wash, it parks fine after wash cycle. However, I get no response from any settings in the normal wiper switch. Is anyone familiar with this issue? Any recommendations on where to start looking? Bad connector? Switch? It does have a tilt wheel, wire pulled out of connector?

 

It seems most likely that the issue is either a damaged wire, such as you suggested, or an issue with the Multi-Function Switch (MFS). The MFS is not too bad to replace with rather common hand tools, but check the integrity of the wiring in the steering column first.

-Rod

 

Apparently it's not the MFS. The MFS on my F250 is basically the same and I swapped it with the same results. Looking at the wires I see none with obvious issues. Does anyone have a link to a wiring diagram for the wiper portion of this switch & the wiper motor? I just find it hard to believe that the motor is bad for all speeds except the wash speed. That makes no sense.

 

What year is your F250? I can likely check the service manual to see if the resistor values in the MFS are the same. If not, trying it in place of the existing will not be a good test.





-Rod

 

My F250 is a 2000 Diesel. The switch from the 2001 Explorer works fine in the F250. Tried it both ways.

 

I also have a 2002 focus that I could rob from. It is not on the road now and would not matter if I stole stuff from it. I did not even check if stuff looks the same on it.

 

THANKS! Do you know if that C1001 relay has a twin someplace in the box that I could swap with to see if it is the relay?

Wow. finding a key to that underhood fuse/relay box is a challenge too. lol Wonder why Ford does that...

 

OK, running out of simple tests. I verified the location of the run park relay that works with the washer and then put that relay (same number) in the high low wiper relay position and tested again. Same result. I guess tomorrow I better start checking voltage at the various wires to the wiper motor. Thanks Shorod for the information.

 

Update. No wiper solution yet. Actually did not work on the wipers tonight. Decided to fix something else and give that a break. I will say that the air bag light is now off. And I will add that the design under the seats for sensor plug is unbelievable stupid. I bet 40% of the vehicles with this connection design have air bag fault lights on due to broken wires under the seats after 150K miles or so.

 

Yeah, the wiring/connectors under the seats take a real beating on the vehicles with the Easy Exit feature enabled that moves the seat back and forth when the key is turned off and on.

As for the fuse/relay box mapping, often the mapping is molded in to the underside of the cover. It's not the easiest to see, especially in low light, but will help in a pinch.

-Rod

 

Update. OK, so my wiper motor has 5 wires going to it. One is hot all the time (regardless of wiper switch position as long as key is on) probably to insure proper parking. One is hot when you press the washer and until the wash cycle completes. The other 3 seem to not get hot regardless of the wiper switch position. These may be the intermittent, low & high switch positions but I really have no idea and can't tell from looking at the diagram you posted. Which looks like I should have REST? RUN LOW HIGH and a ground? http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...psowqosdsa.jpg Any other relays should I be looking at? Any other thoughts on this? Starting to have crazy thoughts about adding a relay and a 3 position switch....

I have previously swapped relays around. 45 A & B - 50 A & B are all the same relay. So I cascaded them down one position with no different results.

 

According to the wiring diagram, the Red wire in terminal location 4 should have battery voltage when the key is in the Accessory or Run positions. The Black wire in terminal location 3 should be at ground potential.

When the wipers are switched off, wires 3, 2 (White), and 5 (Light Blue) should all be at ground potential. Wire 1 (Dark Blue/Orange) is technically floating but will likely measure as being shorted to ground as well since it would only be isolated by the motor winding resistance.

When the wiper switch is set to Low speed Wire 1 should have battery power, but that assumes the GEM is getting the correct signal and interpreting it correctly. Since you don't measure battery voltage on Wire 1 with the wipers set to Low you'll want to confirm the Gray/Light Blue wire to the Wiper High/Low Relay goes to ground potential. Or you could force this wire to ground potential and confirm the wipers run on low speed.

Also, for any of the "on" settings of the wipers, the Light Blue wire at terminal 5 of the wiper motor should have battery voltage. That is probably the wire you measured to go hot when the washer is pressed until the wash cycle completes. When you press the Wash button you should also find that the White wire (terminal 2) goes hot momentarily.

If you confirm everything above, that will pretty much confirm the washer motor assembly is working properly and the issue is either with the MFS, the wiring between the MFS and the GEM, or the GEM. This failure mode would seem a bit suspicious for a GEM so my focus would be more on the MFS and wiring. You have pretty well determined the MFS is not the issue, so I'd focus on the wiring.

Considering the Wash cycle works, that pretty much says that the Pink/Yellow wire is the issue since the other two wires are needed for the Wash cycle, the Pink/Yellow wire controls the other modes and is not needed for the Wash mode.

-Rod

 

Update...
With the plug at the wiper motor disconnected and the key on and the wiper switch off. 1 is floating. 2,3, & 5 are ground. This does not change if I change the switch to low or high. Yes, 2 goes hot on wash cycle. I did not get 5 hot at any time. I will need to retest this again tomorrow, as it is getting late on Eastern time and I need to get up at 6:00. But, I attempted to test the relay Gray/Light Blue goes to ground but I am not positive how I should be testing. I can not easily get to the actual wire with the relay plugged in and so I am testing with the relay out and connecting to the socket where tab 1 of the relay goes. This shows ground at all times. However, I am not 100% positive I have the correct relay as none of the numbers on the cover or connection block match any of the numbers on the diagram you posted. I know which relay is used for the wiper during the wash and believe it is one of the relays right next to that one. However, none of the other relays click as you turn on the wipers and change settings. The only relay you can feel activate is the wiper/washer.

 

Sorry, I should have specified, that the voltage measurements I listed were assuming you were back-probing the connector. Following the diagrams posted above, with the plug disconnected you will never see terminal 5 go Hot. Terminal 5 will only go Hot when the wiper motor is running.

The relay you are feeling when using the washer would be the Run/Park relay.

Based on your descriptions and tests and after studying the diagram last night, I'm 98% certain you'll find the issue is with the wire/circuit for the Pink/Yellow wire between the MFS and the GEM, and the most likely location for an issue would be in the steering column.

-Rod

 

Thanks. I will test that wire. Of course yesterday evening I had the dash open to put after market stereo equipment in. It is back together now. lol