Help with a wiring question - wipers on same switch?

AndrewH

AndrewH

Well-Known Member
Well I am ready to smash the new windows that I just put in!!!! super frustrated....

I have installed 3 wiper motors that are 4 wire ( high/low/grd/park)

I tried to wire them in series as shown in the diagram but they will not park. If I wire only ONE motor as shown with the switch then the one will act as it should and park when the switch is in the middle position. My only guess is that the wiper motors are acting in a feedback loop keeping the motors running when one is in park the other two are still moving towards parking causing the first one to then keep moving... sort of hard to explain.

I would love to keep them all on one switch but can't figure a way to wire it so they park one after another.

thoughts?
 

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It isn’t the switch,

I removed the switch from the system and jumped a hot wire right to the ‘park’ wire. All the wipers keep moving.

When I clip the park wire so it only goes to one motor, I can then jump the wire and it parks as it should. Everything is great with one motor, anymore and they all keep wiping instead of parking!
 
AndrewH said:
Well I am ready to smash the new windows that I just put in!!!! super frustrated....

I have installed 3 wiper motors that are 4 wire ( high/low/grd/park)

I tried to wire them in series as shown in the diagram but they will not park. If I wire only ONE motor as shown with the switch then the one will act as it should and park when the switch is in the middle position. My only guess is that the wiper motors are acting in a feedback loop keeping the motors running when one is in park the other two are still moving towards parking causing the first one to then keep moving... sort of hard to explain.

I would love to keep them all on one switch but can't figure a way to wire it so they park one after another.

thoughts?
Click to expand...
Okay,
You need to do some more google searching but I had a similar issue where the wipers were back feeding each other because it requires the internal cam in the wiper motor to open the contacts.
I used diodes on my wiper circuit terminals to connect it to a single switch.
I can’t tell from your pics how your wipers are internally wired.
Hope this helps
 
Yea I have read a bit about needing diodes so the circuit only goes in one direction.

Anyone have info on diodes and where I find them???

I should be able to toss the diodes inline feeding each motor after the splice if I understand this correctly.
 
AndrewH said:
Yea I have read a bit about needing diodes so the circuit only goes in one direction.

Anyone have info on diodes and where I find them???

I should be able to toss the diodes inline feeding each motor after the splice if I understand this correctly.
Click to expand...
AndrewH said:
Yea I have read a bit about needing diodes so the circuit only goes in one direction.

Anyone have info on diodes and where I find them???

I should be able to toss the diodes inline feeding each motor after the splice if I understand this correctly.
Click to expand...
If you look up a chart there is several selection choices for diodes using voltage and amperage. The diode acts like a check valve for power.
The other option like Brando was pointing out is you can get a switch that is internally like three separate switches but with a single rocker separating all the power wires from each other.
 
There needs to be 12v applied to only the park wires when the switch is turned off. No diode needed

If using high and low speed wiper motors with park and you want to retain both speeds and park then you need a switch that when in off position goes to 12v. Similar to this diagram

The park function is basically a gap in the plate behind the gear. The plate is a copper plate that connects the external wiring to the internal motor wire.

DualWiperMotorDiodeImproved.jpg
 
Last edited:
ship happens said:
There needs to be 12v applied to only the park wires when the switch is turned off. No diode needed

If using high and low speed wiper motors with park and you want to retain both speeds and park then you need a switch that when in off position goes to 12v. Similar to this diagram

The park function is basically a gap in the plate behind the gear.

View attachment 96106
Click to expand...
Look at all those internal diodes!
 
ship happens said:
I have boxes of wiper motors taken apart. I can show you pictures of hoe it works. I'm gonna start charging hourly for this lol

The park function is just a gap on the other side of the plate.
Click to expand...
yes it might be that simple for a single motor but when more are involved a backfeeding issue happens with some motors I assume???

When I ground out the motors and then apply 12V to the park wire (no switch - straight to battery), the motors keep running if they are all connected via a common low speed wire and high speed wire (that isn't even connected to anything. Just have a look at the diagram and remove the low/high wires from the switch and add 12v to the park...

funny thing is that when I apply 12v to the park wire, 12v is then sent to the spade connection at the end of the 'low' wire what is linked in series to the motors. That connection usually just goes into the switch to get 12v
 
AndrewH said:
yes it might be that simple for a single motor but when more are involved a backfeeding issue happens with some motors I assume???

When I ground out the motors and then apply 12V to the park wire (no switch - straight to battery), the motors keep running if they are all connected via a common low speed wire and high speed wire (that isn't even connected to anything. Just have a look at the diagram and remove the low/high wires from the switch and add 12v to the park...

funny thing is that when I apply 12v to the park wire, 12v is then sent to the spade connection at the end of the 'low' wire what is linked in series to the motors. That connection usually just goes into the switch to get 12v
Click to expand...
Which wiper motors did you install ? Guess this should have been asked previous to anyone's post
 
However I think you already nailed it in your original post. Because they are not synchronized one will still be moving while the other is parked. Because they are paralleled one will be lighting the other back up basically and it will just keep going until they are synced. So yep one motor needs a diode for high function and one for low function. @Fritz nailed it. this diagram is easier to understand. 2 diodes or 2 switches.

DualWiperMotorDiodes.jpg
 
If you want it real cheap and simple to install just grab some of these 15 amp diodes, and simple cut the wire and butt splice one in each motor function wire. Don't forget to shrink-wrap over top. These will fit right into a butt connector. The white or silver stripe end is the cathode side, so make sure that side is on the motor side.

 
ship happens said:
If you want it real cheap and simple to install just grab some of these 15 amp diodes, and simple cut the wire and butt splice one in each motor function wire. Don't forget to shrink-wrap over top. These will fit right into a butt connector. The white or silver stripe end is the cathode side, so make sure that side is on the motor side.

Click to expand...
ordered yesterday and arrived today. Works perfectly!
 
ship happens said:
Welcome to 12v, or better yet DC
Click to expand...
yes but the 'not so direct' current in this case!

Jim I already had a pretty good understanding of the two circuit types and what happens to voltage in the circuits. I have totally wired a couple older vehicles that I put together but this was the first time I have experienced any backflow issues. Pretty sure I'll only ever experience it with wipers with park function too!
 
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