Ok, I’m having a strange issue with my Accord wipers and need some help. My husband is stumped too.
History: 1998 Accord Coupe EX V6 – turning 160K miles any day now.

I did something incredibly stupid… I left my windows down all night when it rained. I completely forgot they were down. The car was very wet on the inside the next morning (expected). But the weird thing is when I drove it the next morning and had to use the wipers to get the condensation off the windows they wouldn’t work.

This is what they are doing and not doing… The wiper ***** on the steering column that turn the wipers on/off and adjust the speed do not work at all. BUT when I hold the bar with the ***** on it down the wipers work very fast but do not return to their normal resting place. They stop wherever they are when I let go of the bar.

Everything else in the car seems to be working fine. My husband has checked all of the fuses in the car and under the hood. He doesn’t think it’s the motor because the wipers still work when you hold the bar down. The wiper fluid still works too.

Does anybody have any ideas what could be causing this problem? I’m hoping you can help me before I have to take it in to the shop. Also, due to my negligence that night my car was soaked inside and the carpet is now FUNKY. I am going to get a carpet cleaner with a hand extension this weekend, but I don’t know what I could use to clean it and get the smell out. I leave the windows down everyday to let it air out (I roll them up when it looks like it’s going to rain, learned that lesson…)

Thank you!!!
Amanda

 

sounds like you need a wiper switch

 

yup .... I think that the switch is the only thing that would cause that kind of behavior, but it could also just have water in it ..... try blowing on it for 20 minutes with a hair dryer before you change the part. It might just work!!! If not, you will probably need a new switch because the mist function should leave the wipers on the stops. Since it's not, this indicates that the wipers only get momentary power when you pull the lever and not the constant controlled power that they should.

 

Does thewiper circuitgo from the switch directly to the motor? Or are the chassis multiplexers involved??

 

If this question is for me, I don't know how to give you the answer.

Does thewiper circuitgo from the switch directly to the motor? Or are the chassis multiplexers involved??

I will be happy to try the hairdryer! That would be easy. I will be looking into a new switch too.

Thank you for your help!

 

No, it was really a question for desert or falkore. My repair manual (wiring drawings) are 130 miles away from me at the moment...

 

I had the very same problem. They would work when I held the switch a certain way. I replace the switch and all is well. Its a simple install as well. Good luck

Swordfish

 

The intermittent portion of it goes through the multiplex system. The rest of it doesn't if I remember right.

 

Not sure Jim. I've never looked at the wiring diagram since luckily I don't have any electrical problems. It just seems like a switch problem given the symptoms.

 

I looked over the holiday. Chio's right, only the intermittent function goes thru the multiplexer. The motor has power all the time. The switch is on the ground side of the circuit. I didn't have time to do too much more debugging - wish I'd remembered to bring the book out with me this week...

But the mechanism that tells the wipers where to park is located in the wiper motor assembly. That seems to be messed up since they don't park when you use the single-sweep switch function. Maybe the rain caused a short & burned up something?