Wiper motor keeps blowing fuse

[NC_Mule]

1970 SIIA 88" gas Neg ground

So my wiper motor will wipe 4 or 5 times then blow the top fuse under the hood. The motor is only 2 years old and when I installed it I also did a nice grease job on the track system that actually moves the wipers. The motor doesn't sound like it's straining or anything.

Today I hooked up a new wiper switch thinking may be the switch was bad. With the new switch it did the same thing, wiped a few times then blew the fuse. The connectors at the motor look good.

Think a 2 year old motor could have some internal short? Any ideas on how to test that?

Is it safe to say the problem lies at the motor since swapping switches didn't change anything? If I remember right this motor was expensive.

Thanks pb

[SafeAirOne]

It sounds to me as if the motor is working too hard.

Did you disconnect the cable to the wheelboxes and check to see if there's any binding or resistance in either that stuff downstream or the motor/reciprocating mechanism? Depending on the lubricant you used on the cable, it could be dry or gunked up.

Does it run normally when disconnected from the downstream stuff?

[NC_Mule]

That's a good point, if the motor was shorted out it would blow the fuse right away. I just had 10 minutes and tried to disconnect the cable system from the motor, seems like it's stuck inside the motor gear box. I'll pull out my manual later today and see how it's supposed to come apart, may be it doesn't pull out. I also remember having a "wiper" service bulletin, need to check my Land Rover file on my computer.

Don't remember for sure but I probably used a waterproof wheel bearing grease when I serviced the wheel boxes and cable.

Thanks for the reply, will update later.

pb

[NC_Mule]

So I unhooked the motor from the track system and the track moves with out binding. I went to plug the motor into the harness to test it running when not under load and all three of the wires pushed out. Can someone help id which slot these wires plug into?

Thanks pb

[superstator]

It's been a while, but I remember having a b%^&h of a time getting my motor to stop blowing fuses when I replaced it. Ended up being something to do with the park circuit, and once I gave up on self-parking wipers it worked fine.

[TravelinLight]

Is there a chance you have a short somewhere in your wiring harness? I would suspect you have contact being made elsewhere which is causing the short and blown fuse and not the motor itself causing a blown fuse.

[slowmo]

My thoughts are that if there was a short in the wiring, it would pop the fuse right away. Also, a short in an electric motor would be an instantaneous failure. If the motor was pulling constant amps over the fuse rating, also nearly instantaneous. I would conclude that something is binding, and gets worst with time, until the motor pulls too many amps and 'pop.' My first guess would be the drive gear. I think it is plastic and perhaps out of alignment.

Just ran out and got the wiring for mine anyway. See attached.

[stomper]

Just put a bolt in the fuse slot and be done with it! 😱

[NC_Mule]

Thanks everyone! I'll hook the motor up tomorrow and see what it does with out a load. I'll also check out that plastic gear while I have that little cover off.

pb

[NC_Mule]

Slomo that wiring diagram was a huge help!!
So I ran the motor with out a load and heard a clicking sound then the fuse blew just like before. The plastic gear looked good but I took it apart anyway. Turns out under the gear is a little switch that is moved by a 1/2" or so bump on the bottom side of the gear. That switch was jammed and in turn was binding the motor every time the bump went by. Guess it's a self park deal but my last wiper motor never self parked and I've never had this one self park either. I snapped the piece of the switch off that runs against the bump on the back side of the gear.
That did it, everything is back together and wiping as slow as ever before.
Thanks for everyone's help!!

pb

[slowmo]

Boomity. Success stories are always good!