down to the nitty gritty. working out all the kinks so that its ready for the road this summer. First off my window wipers would not shut off once on. ok, took it apart cleaned the mountains of dirt and grease out and gave it a new lube job. hook it all back up, great everything works. let them keep on wiping for a minute trying to figure out the washer fluid situation and smoke starts rising from my wiper motor.... hmm any ideas? it happens after about ten to fifteen wipes. Past expierence or future insight muchly welcome. thanks
Dan

 

Hope it's just some of the gunk/lube got in the motor and is burning off and not the wires. Make sure you have the right fuse in place and check the current draw with an ammeter.

 

Motors working too hard, causing overheating!
Check if everythings operating smoothly, and get a new motor - they don't last forever!
Hope you're checking with a wet windshield!
Dry, can, in some instances cause a severe drag!

 

Disconnect the linkage from the motor, then run it a while. Post the current draw with linkage attached and without.

 

i was hoping it was just the bit of grease etc in the motor. next im going to disconnect the linkage and see how she does with no load. if ok ill hook it back up and check my current draw and report back. I was checking with a damp windshield not necessarily dripping wet. if its ok with no load i will just replace it. would hate to have a underhood fire in a light sprinkle.

 

Don't you just wish GM had introduced pulse wipers in 72??

I am fully on board with not having an underhood fire. If you have smoke coming from your wiper motor I would not be comfortable with keeping it in even if the load test works out.

There's something that's overheated enough to smoke and you don't know what it is. There's also a symptom you described earlier about the wipers not shutting off. That sounds like an electrical issue where the power feed was live all the time.

Pull it and take it apart to find the source of the smoke. Even if you dry wipe for only a minute that shouldn't be enough to cause the motor to severly overheat and smoke.

 

Ya just thinking about having to use the wipers like it is is scary. The issue with them not shutting off was sticky internals due to gunk build up on everything. I took it apart and cleaned it up and it now functions as it should. I would agree with what you said about it not overheating to dry wipe for a minute Allan. Just to make sure I took a squirt bottle and kept the window soaking wet until.... you guessed it, it smoked.
The one thing I am unsure of is that I did spray a good amout of grease into the assembly but dont see how it would cause this. To be safe I think ill pickup a new motor.
Anyone know if a wiper assembly from a 69 vista will fit my 70 s?
thanks

 

In 72 the wipers 'park' below the hood and are called 'concealed wipers'. Make sure when you order your new pump that you get the right one. There are others that are sold 'without concealed wipers'.

Just wondering if that smoke might have been from the circuit board in your old assembly.