Hey guys. Hoping someone can help me sort out what is up with the wiper motor/wiring on my car. The car is a 1972 Cutlass. The harness does not match up to the motor and I suspect someone put the wrong motor on. When I got it it was spliced together with jumpers and electrical tape. I believe it is 3 speed? The first 2 pics are of mine. The second pics are from members showing how their connections are. So do I have the wrong motor or is this a different speed motor with part of the wiring harness missing?
Signed confused in Fuquay

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My harness without the Packard connector.

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Another shot of the harness. Note the wires come out of the wiper motor. The connectors on the wiring harness do not match with the connectors on the wiper motor.
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Photo courtesy of Jim and Retro Ranger on another post today. This wiper is from a 1971 and clearly shows the harness plugging into the wiper motor instead of the wires coming out of the motor as mine does.


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Photo courtesy of Brett who was looking for a correct harness/ connectors to send me. This pic is not off my car but clearly shows the harness plugging Into the motor.

 

Sampson,

Is the problem with the wiring harness to the wiper motor or the wiring within the motor/pump itself?

I was dealing with this problem myself before I decided to tear the whole car apart.

In the first picture the two wire connecter with the one black wire and double yellow wire goes to the three prong connecter on the wiper motor. Additionally there should be a single wire connector that goes on the third prong of the three prong connector on the wiper motor. On my car it's a light blue wire (69' Cutlass)

Also it looks like the wiper motor you have is for the hide away wipers, is your car equipped with those? (in 69 it could be either, don't know about the 70's Cutlasses)

Scott

 

Scott I think it must be the wrong motor on my car. There is not a 3 prong connection on my motor. The wires come out of the motor itself. This is a 72 cutlass and it does have hide away wipers

 

Motor looks correct to me. I think your problem might be what a PO did with the wiring.

 

Sampson,

There is a three prong connection on your motor. I've circled it in the picture of your motor. The wires coming out of your motor should attach to the prongs on that connector like they do on the picture of your friends motor that I circled, and the wiring harness plugs should connect to it also.

Think of it like a terminal board. That way power comes from the terminals in the Packard connector to the prongs, then from the prongs to the motor itself. Does that make sense? The diagram should explain/show it better. Don't assume that I've actually wired it correctly for yours it's just an example of how the motor and the wiring harness should connect.

I went out and looked at mine, and I can tell that on mine the wires from the motor run through the housing and to the back (inside the housing) of a three prong connector. While I wouldn't be surprised that you have the right motor, I'm getting the feeling that a PO has re-engineered it for you.

Hope this helps,
Scott

 

Scott you nailed it. You were correct. With better lighting and a mirror there are 3 prongs on my motor. Thanks to your drawing I can tell the PO reengineered the wires that went into the existing Packard connector and did away with the
Other 2 Packard connectors in favor of the much better electrical tape connection method.. I was thinking I needed a 3 prong Packard connector but now I see that it is a 2 prong connector with a single connector beside it. Thanks for the help! Now to figure out why the PO went to all the trouble to reengineer this? Believe it or not it all worked before I tore the car down for resto. At least he did not cut any of the wires.

 

Glad I could help.

Scott