How exactly are you guys cleaning your switch? Is it the switch as in the one on the left side of the steering collumn, or is there another switch I am unaware of? If it's the switch on the steering collumn, how do you take it apart?

 

My relay was making the same noise behind the glove box. But the contacts on the wiper switch on the steering column was causing my problem. Where the switch moves as you turn your wipers on, spray the electrical contact cleaner in between the switch and stationary part of the lever.

 

I did get to cleaning my switch yesterday although I ran out of contact cleaner so I used brake cleaner and it worked better than the contact cleaner did. I just used the spray tube and sprayed a copius amount up under the rotating part of the switch and turned it back and forth while doing so and now it works like new. Now I have to attend to my TPS as it is doing weird things.

 

Cool, thanks for the tip, I'll try it soon.

Wouldn't ya know three weeks ago I had my sister's replaced switch in my hand and thought about keeping it to take it apart to understand it, but threw it away instead?

Ugh.

 

Hey, thought I'd give you an update: sprayed electrical cleaner in the switch, but to no avail. The problem still exists and my interior smells like electrical cleaner Anyone else have suggestions?

 

You could, uh, try to sell your truck to an electrician who really likes that kind of smell... ?



But these posts seem to affirm the whole system is buggy... I'd say go for the under-dash part if cleaner didn't work on the column switch, or you need a new column switch.

I haven't yet attacked my truck's symptoms, but based on this thread (and spending some time in the 1997-& Newer truck forum) I'm just a little unhappy with the direction Ford F-150's are going. They used to be trucks, now they're large plastic (circuit boards, switches, interiors, etc.) passenger vehicles. Oh well, at least I still have an Inline 6 and an I-beam frame...

 

it appers as thou this problem dates back sooner than 90's. i have an 88 150 and the wipers appear to stop all together. right when u need them non the less. although i dont here any noise. i also noticed that the washers stop workin at the same time. i think im gonna try some elec. cleaner and see what happens, if not it'll be a new switch. alot of times the only time they work is on high speed. i have em stop all together in a real hard rain that sucked!!

well good luck to ya'll

jon

 

Hey my intermittet wipers quit on my truck also, I have a 91 F-150 and when I first got the truck in aug of 2001, but all the sudden mine just quit, I can get a new motor for 35 bucks from a local auto store, or do you guys think I should try to repair it.

Thanks,
Tim

 

Hmm... its strange because all delay speeds do not work except for the fastest one, all others do not work unless I tap the switch with my fingers. By the way I have to agree that light-duty trucks lately are overgrown Towncars, too much plastic, I don't even feel as safe in a newer light-duty truck. I second that about the I-6 and twin I-beams!!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-Jan-02 AT 10:53 PM (EST)]I’ve been looking for a replacement wiper switch, now I know I can go down to the dealer and buy one for like $80 bucks, but I did find one at carparts.com, its a motorcraft for about half the price, and I think its the entire switch it doesn’t really give a good description.
If someone installed the ford switch and has the part number, please let me know what it is. I might just go down to the dealer anyway though.
I also agree with statement about the 1997 F150's, that’s what you get when people want a car and a truck in one, with a cheap price, but we hard-core truck enthusiasts still have the superduty.



Here’s the website if anyone wants to look at it, look on pages 7 and 8:
http://www.carparts.com/parts/sample.asp?whichpage=7&reflink=0-0-0-0-0&sourceid=&parttypeid=16017&itemid=&pagesize=9

Below is a picture of the replacement piece, if anyone wanted to know what it looks like it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1209&.jpg

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-Jan-02 AT 08:54 PM (EST)]Well now here's my story as of tonight...



I took some brake cleaner and sprayed it up in the opening where the column switch turns for intetmittant or slow/fast wipers. On the first few tries after letting everything dry out I heard absolutely no noise from that relay box under the passenger's-side dash.

After a few more tries I do hear the relay a little, but it is certainly not as much electrical relay-jumping-around noise as it had been.

If only Ford would have made these switches easier to take apart, I'm nearly sure there is probably some repair that could be made.

Another option would be to use some switch and electrical pot-switch, or some W.W. dash-mounted switch out of a ~1970's era car/truck. This would require wiring it right to this relay box I haven't seen yet, but it might end this silliness of plastic-part truck problems.

Pehaps something like the (apparently) dash-mounted switches from the bottom of this page?
http://www.lectriclimited.com/switches.htm

I'm thinking about it since the turn siganl part still seems OK.

I'd like to get in there and try to clean it out one more time though.

Best of luck to y'all and yer switches!

 

Ooh, here's an option:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml;$sessionid$TUJFB1AAABDPVWBBLJTCFFA?C ATID=14952&BQ=jcw2

hmm, wonder if that will wrap around the right way?


the whole address is:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml;
$sessionid$TUJFB1AAABDPVWBBLJTCFFA?CATID=14952&BQ= jcw2

 

>it appers as thou this problem dates back sooner than 90's.
>i have an 88 150 and the wipers appear to stop all together.
>right when u need them non the less. although i dont here
>any noise. i also noticed that the washers stop workin at
>the same time. i think im gonna try some elec. cleaner and
>see what happens, if not it'll be a new switch. alot of
>times the only time they work is on high speed. i have em
>stop all together in a real hard rain that sucked!!
>
>well good luck to ya'll
>
>jon


MY 88' is the same way. Sometimes it wil work on all of the positions and sometimes only the highs work. After 5 minutes or so maybe less constant use, they trun off... then after a little while, thye come back on as if they just took a break. Then they die again after working for a few minutes. I think i need a new switch. it makes it hard to drive in the rain

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-Jan-02 AT 10:49 PM (EST)]Dang it, I can't Edit the last Post a made awhile earlier 'cause it's been over an hour... but here's a pic of the wiper control with mist button from that link.

The neat part about it is that we're talking only about $18.95 here.

The impressive part is that with a little direct wiring, this box allows for bypassing that passenger's-side relay box that other people have trouble with.

As long as the turn signals and hazards still work off of the old assembly for a good amount of time, I'm guessing this part could replace the ~$60 switch and the ~$80 relay box.

This is beginning to seem more and more like a viable option if I want to keep this older truck a good while.

What do you guys think?

"[font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" color="black" size="3"] WIPER DELAY WITH MIST ACTION [/font]

[font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2" color="black"]More precise wiper action! By pressing mist switch, you can activate wiper for a single swipe…any time it's needed. Or, use the rotary know to set delay time. LED "on" indicator.[/font]"


[img src="http://www.jcwhitney.com/images/imagecache/I3922.gif"]

 

I found a TSB!
Now it only has the title of the TSB, and you have to buy a subscription to see procedure of the fix, there has to be somebody on this website that has a subscription. Please if anyone has a subscription, and can get the full procedure it would be very helpful.

When you go to the link go down to number 208.
Go to this link: http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/92201701.html
This information is for my truck but it’s the same for all of you.