Here are the facts:
It has been raining since last night. When I turned off the rear windshield wiper, it got stuck halfway. I can hear the motor clicking back and forth every few seconds, but it doesn't succeed.
Today I unplugged it to stop it. When I drove the car next, the speedometer stopped working, the warning ( ! ) light was on and the antilock light was on.
What?? So the two things that are different about the circumstances are the rain, and me unplugging the rear wiper. I plugged it back in, left it for a while and then turned the car on again, but everything remains the same.
Anyone have any trouble shooting guesses? I checked the blink code, and it is reading no fault (1-5)
Phil
you "unplugged it" as in the wiper relay? are the front and rear wipers both connected to the same relay, or are they different? if so, it could be possible that whichever relay it is went kaput.
I unplugged the wiper at the wiper motor.
i don't think they are related, other than perhaps a common problem at the fuse box, or somehow a commonality of wiring at the ECU
if, however, you have installed an aftermarket GPS stereo, you may have gotten something goofed up in the connection for the speed sensor wire. since the switch for the wiper is in that console, it may also have gotten messed up (i.e. disconnected, etc)
On a slightly related topic... If your wiper stopped half way and the motor is still running then I would strongly suspect the gear pin inside has fallen out or jammed as mine did. I think this is not uncommon (or "common" in proper parlance <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />
Thanks guys,
Dave, thanks for the advice on the wiper. I had it get stuck once before and then correct itself eventually, but this time it seems pretty well stuck, so I'll take it a part and have a look at the gear pin later today.
Flash, I don't think I tapped into the speedo when I installed my GPS radio. I assume that would be done to make the GPS locations on the map more accurate?
Is it normal that the orange antilock light is on but there is no warning when I perform the blink test? I'm going to dive into this later today, but other than checking the fuses and jiggling the relays, I'm not sure what I can trouble shoot.
I've been meaning to replace the odometer gear and fix the lighting in the gauge cluster, so it needs to come out at some point, but I assume that although these issues (speedo failure, (!) light and the antilock light) are all displaying at the cluster, the fault is unlikely to be with the harness between the gauge cluster and the wiring loom.
Phil
re: speed wire - yup - pink wire on a pioneer
Isn't that speed wire to stop some of the GPS functionality when it detects any movement? That's the one everybody bypasses <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />
nope - that's the parking brake bypass and ground to bypass the idiot controls that prevent you from programming while moving. makes me nuts when i am in a car that i can't program while driving. many systems are like that. the mercedes factory unit allowed it though. lol - unfortunately the rest of that system was lame.
the speed sensor wire connects the stereo to the speedo so it corrects for your speed when the GPS signal is lost.
first check the working of the abs relay in the fusebox. The symptons are related to a thread in the past. After twenty years it is very common that the relay is out of order. and when no power at the abs unit, you don't have a working speedo and you will have a big ! warninglight!.
I did have the same in the past.
Ritchie.
Thanks Ritchie, that makes sense. Is there a simple way to find out whether that relay is toast or should I just buy a replacement and see if it fixes the lights? I pulled the relay and put it back in, just to see if it was a connection issue, but the lights are still on. Are these relays special order parts or do you think I should be able to find one at a local parts store?
Phil
Also, If removing and replacing the relay had actually fixed the issue, would I even know? Does the car need to turn on / off a certain number of times or the battery be disconnected for the warning lamps to go out?
Thanks
Phil
It's probably a Hammer or Durametric that will have to clear the lights even if the problem is fixed. Flash will probably know the answer as to what persistance there is on those lights.
Flash, any idea on resetting the antilock light?
Phil
antilock and speedo are connected. for example, when i am on the dyno, the antilock light comes on because the front wheels aren't turning but the rears are, and the speedo isn't working.
Okay, so once everything is working normally, the light should go out on its own, no need for a reset?
Phil
that all depends on what it was. some codes are stored and require a reset. some aren't.
check the relay with an electrical bypass. there is no need to reset it with the Hammer, at least not in my case. because the relay shuts the abs computer down to zero there are no fault codes stored.
Unknown4u,
I have not tested a relay before. I searched online, and it seems like, with the relay removed, I can bypass two of the relay pins receivers with a test light hooked to a ground to make sure the relay connection points are live, is that what you mean?
Phil
Jumper the pins is the right word. for testing the relay you need a multimeter. Connect the pins from the main "stream" in rest there is no connection. When you attach a plus and minus at the "steeringcircuit" (can't rememeber how to desciribe this in english) from the relay it now clicks in and it the relay is good you will have no resistance at the Ohm meter.
Jumper is the same when you have a faulty dme relay.