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MG MGB Technical - No windscreen wipers

Hello people!

I was driving home the other day and it was raining so I used my wipers. No problems. Today when I wanted to use them, nothing happend. The washer pump squirts fluid out when the stalk is pushed, but the wipers do not move when they should. I have checked the fuse in the box, but as other ignition-dependant functions (like the heated rear windscreen and indicators) work, I dont think it is that, but I am not sure how to proceed. Any ideas would be greatfully accepted, as we are in summer time now, which undoubtably means rain!

Cheers, James
JP Mutton

You may find that there is a separate in-line fuse for the wipers.

Do you have a wiring diagram/Haynes manual?
Dave O'Neill 2

I do have a Haynes but the funniest thing happened - I tried to sort it out, got nowhere so came inside to find solace and inspiration here, posted a couple of threads then went back out to park up the car in its proper spot round the back and lo and behold, the wipers worked! Im not sure why but it made me smile!

James
JP Mutton

Use a test light to determine if you are getting power to the wiper motor. Make sure the ground to the wiper motor is clean and secure.
Kimberly

To update you all on this little saga; I was happily driving along and it began to rain so I put on my wipers which worked for a bit. Then they stopped momentarily, halfway through a cycle, finished the movement and then refused to function again. Damn!

James
JP Mutton

What year? 71 for the remainder of chrome bumper production used a separate in-line fuse near the fusebox. This also supplies the heater fan, so if that stil works it isn't the fuse. If both have failed it could be the fuse or a bullet connector, see below.

If it works on neither standard nor fast speeds could be the ground circuit (including the brush) as well as the 12v feed. But if they stopped while switched on, parked when you switched them off, then refused to move again it is probably the 12v supply to the switch. There is a 2-way bullet connector behind the dash with 4 green/black wires in it. One is the power in (would affect both fan and wipers), one is the heater fan out, one is the feed to the wiper switch, and the final wire is the feed to the park circuit at the motor.

If only one speed is affected could be that brush on the motor or the appropriate wire from switch to motor. Also try wiggling the connector block where it attaches to the motor.
Paul Hunt 2

Correction - green/pink and not green/black.
Paul Hunt 2

James,
The fuse might be okay but the fuse holder could be duff - they seem to 'stretch' a little over time, so if you jiggle it and the wipers come on then you need a new fuseholder - or better still a fused relay fed from the brown on the fusebox and switched from the live coming from the ignition switch (the one that was connected to the inline fuse).
Neil
Neil22

This thread was discussed between 11/07/2007 and 16/07/2007

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