wacky wiper syndrom w/wacky AC too!

WOW! This is a great place for info. I learned alot about the wacky wipers but did anyone have the a/c doing the same thing at the smae time?
My problem: wipers worked some and not most in the begining. Now they don't except on very rare occasions. (and never during a rain storm)
Sometimes they will make one swipe if I hit a BIG bump. I will look at the circuirt board and most likely replace it as that seems to be the answer to other posts. The A/C also acts the same way! Sometimes it blows out cold (very cold) air and then suddenly goes to blowing uncooled air. Had it recharged last summer and it didn't even take 2 cans to fill it.

I was told (by someone I don't know, just happened to be at the same place having the same wiper trouble) that it was a wiring problem. That the wipers and a/c are in the same wiring harness and is hard to run down and expensive to take to repair shop. I don't know how reliable this info is. So if any of you experts have any ideas on the a/c problem and/or if there is a connection of the two problems, please please help me.

About wipers: if you can remove the motor (very easy, against all odds) and handle a soldering gun, you do not need to replace the circuit board: just redo the soldering as told in previous posts. I had endured mine for years and then read the posts, and fixed it in less than 1 hour at no cost. FANTASTIC, they work .
This circuit board has no relation to the A/C so the problem with your A/C is somewhere else. Make sure there is no corrosion on contacts at the low pressure switch (front of car, passenger side, left (standing in front of the car) of radiator. I did not experience your type of problem, so keep us posted on your findings.

Hi
to test the A/C-compressor indepent from the ECM and all the sensors, you have to build an interface (www.pontiac-interface.de), download the free program 'Motordiagnose" from www.pontiac-transsport.de, connect it to the ALDL-connector and activate the A/C with the F4-key on your computer.

(if you have a 3.8 or 2.3)

greetings
Bessi

Ok - this is a cool site. I found out I am NOT ALONE with my wacky wipers. I know what I have to do, but where the heck is this circuit board. I just took a look under the hood and could not find it. Can someone guide me to where this little monster is? I see I can buy these boards on ebay cheaper than $35, but I want to get the right one. Thanks all!

Daryl

YOu have to REMOVE THE WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY. Although it looks out of reach, it is a rather easy job.
The circuit board is built in the motor module.
Then look at this

http://james.jaguar.net/subtopics/WiperFix.htm

It tells about a Suburban but this is same assembly for Transport.

Look at these too if it can help
http://www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper1
http://www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper2

YOu have to REMOVE THE WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY. Although it looks out of reach, it is a rather easy job.
The circuit board is built in the motor module.
Then look at this

http://james.jaguar.net/subtopics/WiperFix.htm

It tells about a Suburban but this is same assembly for Transport.

I can see only the bottom of control arms that come off of motor. Do I need to remove interior dash to get at it? Do I need to remove felt like substance above the engine. I'm sorry, but I just don't see how to even access this motor and or board assembly.

Daryl

What year model do you have? What I have posted is from the '93 service manual, which is my car. I'ts good for all from '93 to '96. '92 and before, the whole wiper assembly had to be removed first because the motor could not exit sideways (there was a hole in the support and motor had to go UP and there was no room for that. In '93, it is an opened U shaped hole so the motor exits sideways through the U.
And i'ts totally accessible from the engine compartment: Yes, at first, I thought one could not do it but in fact it proved easy to remove the motor: you need good lighting, locate the nuts; what you cannot see with your eyes, you look with your fingertips,... and...you can end up with a neckache.

I can see only the bottom of control arms that come off of motor. Do I need to remove interior dash to get at it? Do I need to remove felt like substance above the engine. I'm sorry, but I just don't see how to even access this motor and or board assembly.

Daryl


God the list goes on and on with these vehicles. The wippers were making me crazy until I found this site. Im not crazy. they have a mind of thier own. People comment on them when they are in my van. The lights had to just be replaced because of a seal leak and my rear hatch window is slidding off its seal. I just did the recall with the power stearing. I just paid to have my brakes and tie rods replaced. My ABS light Had to be fixed. The heating system is wako. Even the seat belts. I have been reading a lot about these models and I am finding so much wrong with them. The materials used had to be defective ... GM probably purchased some bad materials and used them. I am a bit cocncerned now for my saftey with this van. How say you? I say we go forth with a class action after all I have read!


K.Griffin

the motor is located on the passenger side, just below the windshield, at the end of the silver transmission assembly

Thank you for the information. We are trying to get our car in shape for winter. I just had the rear window fixed because it was coming off. It was literally sliding off and the only thing holding on was the rear wiper. Also i have read about the gas gauge reading high when low. i have seen the needle just flick over. It flucuates back and forth if its not full. Im a little disappointed to read all these things wrong with our van because we neede a new vehichle back when we bought it and thought it was a great buy and great van for the family but after all the common problems I have read I am calling this Van a LEMON!

Thanks Again
K. Griffin

We have a 1995 Pontiac Transport.

We were having problems with our wipers - they only work on high and do not park. :mad:

I brought the car in to my garage, and was told that the circuit board is burnt out - ok I wasn't too surprised. BUT the mechanic told me that on this model car the circuit board and the wiper motor are sold as a single unit, and I cannot just replace the circuit board. I told him that I heard otherwise, but he said I was wrong! :confused:

So... can someone please tell me the truth? If it is possible to purchase a replacement circuit board for the wipers on a '95 Transport, can someone suggest a source for parts? Something in Toronto would be ideal, but could also buy over the internet.

Many thanks!
Icarus

You probably read through that thread and saw those links:

http://james.jaguar.net/subtopics/WiperFix.htm
www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper1.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper2.jpg

Before getting to conclusion of a "burned" card, first make sure it does not simply have the common cold solder problem that costs nearly 0$ to fix.

Or course the GM stealer wants to sell the whole car if possible. THe card is usually available easily at e-bay around $25.. I even think suburban listings are the same as for transport.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Unfortunately, since I don't have a good relationship with a local mechanic, and my one and only attempt to solder something was a complete disaster, I don't think a $0 solution is likely for me :shakehead

I called the mechanic again to ask about it, and they said that the pulse board is not sold as an authorized GM part, only aftermarket. I found one on ebay for $25 so I think I'll give that a try.

One quick question, the talk of "cold soldering" is a bit over my head - even if that is the problem, would replacing the circuit board still solve it?

Many thanks,
Icarus

Hopefully, the solders on the new board should be OK so yes, this will solve the problem.
and....you are left with a board for getting experienced with the soldering gun.......

Hopefully, the solders on the new board should be OK so yes, this will solve the problem.
and....you are left with a board for getting experienced with the soldering gun.......

UPDATE:

I took the advice that I have been reading about on this and other sources on the internet.

For my 1995 Ponitac Transport (3.8L) I purchased the following wiper motor pulse board:

See here:
http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?8917

Or here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7946327796&category=6763&sspagename=WD1V


Took it back to my friendly neighbourhood GM dealer... and guess what? They told me this part will NOT fit my vehicle! Although he didn't take out the motor from my van, he showed me a new replacement motor. While the shape of the board is the same, the connector is different, and the circuitry on the board is different. He siad the one I purchased is good for other GM trucks, but not the Transport/Lumina.

I did a lot of searching before I purchased this damn thing, and have never seen on any forum the idea that the circuit board on a 1995 Transport wiper motor is irreplaceable! So now I'm out another $50 (canadian - $25 US + $20 CDN customs) and still no closer to a solution.

I suppose I can live with wipers that only work on high, but I would really like to fix this!

Again, from what I've read I'm not 100% sure I believe the guy, although he seemed pretty sincere about it - he admitted the price GM was charging for a new motor was high, and suggested I look around for rebuilt motors somewhere else, so he had no reason to lie to me.

I'd like to try to take the motor out myself, but I looked under my hood and I can't even find the darn thing... I see a bunch of bolts where I think it is but I'm not even sure.

I am so frustrated right now...

Is it possible I bought the wrong circuit board? Is the "right" circuit board available anywhere?

Anyone have any other advice?

for a comparison, look at this:

www.avigex.ca/xport/pulsecards.jpg

When I took mine off to remake solders, it looked exactly as the one (for a Suburban) illustrated in the "jaguar" document referenced in a previous post. I cannot tell if a Suburban has a "park" position...may be the cards look alike but boast different functions...hence, maybe they have a slightly different plug. ANd different production runs may have some components look slightly different but doing exactly same thing, and since you have the card, if plugs are different, I'd consider seriously unsoldering the plugs and swapping them to the other card...but then if you start playing with a soldering gun, ...may be just rework the solder connections on the original card.......it might fill the bill.....

However, also as illustrated in same prevous post , you must have faith to figure out that the motor is really there and that you could take it off...but , the illustrations show it like there is nothing around, and there is some stuff around, but nonetheless, taking the motor off is really easy...much easier that I would have thought in the first place...maybe the most difficult is to disconnect the plug...but do that only once the motor is dropped, at least you will see whatr you are doing, and you will not break the plastic locking tab that makes removing it blind almost impossible.

The motor board from the 1993 Transport shop manual looks the same as the one I purchased, but it is hard to tell from the angle of the illustration. Do you know if they changed the design from the '93 to the '95?

Have you ever seen a wiper motor board with a "different" connector?

One more thing.. when I asked the mechanic to show me how to remove the motor myself - he said it was very difficult, and that he had to lift the transmission out to get to it!

..transmission..??? .....Bs...
Oh...the only difference with the '95 is the "dust buster" look of the '93 was somewhat "blunted" in '94 and that was kept til '96, and this cosmetic change applied to the front 8 inches of the car..that's all.
From the '93 board illustration, can you tell if your connector is similar? Honest, mine is the only one I've seen "live"

wacky wipers . before you rip your van apart try puting a ground wire from wiper motor to car frame somewhere . worked like magic for me

wacky wipers . before you rip your van apart try puting a ground wire from wiper motor to car frame somewhere . worked like magic for me


I'm still working on finding the motor :dunno:

Anyway, it's -25 C out there today, and I don't have a heated garage to work in, so this is all going to have to wait for me...

Assuming I do eventually find the motor - where on the motor should I connect the ground wire?

Wait here: the motor assembly has NO internal electrical connection to body ground whatsoever; unit ground is solely through one of the wires (B) of the connector.
www.avigex.ca/xport/wipercircuit.jpg

Grounding the unit externally just by itself has no effect at all; HOWEVER, playing around the wiper motor assembly can displace the connector a little and in fact cause it to make that poor cold solder contact inside that is the cause of the problem. I myself used to displace the wire bundle with my hand to make it work before solving the problem for good. Solving the problem with an external ground is most probably purely incidental.

I agree that the motor is not in a place that you can access without the confort of a heated place . It is up there, under the dash in the engine compartment on passenger side, above wheel well, just as shown by the drawings I have posted before. Use good lighting. And there is NOTHING else to be removed but the motor itself.
www.avigex.ca/xport/wipermotorphoto1.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/wipermotorphoto3.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/wipermotorphoto8.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/wipermotorphoto9.jpg

A neckache is a possibility...

Thanks for posting those pictures!

Now at least I have a reasonable starting point!

I'll give it a try as soon as I have a chance.

I'm still working on finding the motor :dunno:

Anyway, it's -25 C out there today, and I don't have a heated garage to work in, so this is all going to have to wait for me...

Assuming I do eventually find the motor - where on the motor should I connect the ground wire?
conect it to one of the bolts holding the wiper motor on , any thing metal and the other end to a bolt on the fender

Well, I finally gave in and took the car to an independent mechanic. He had no problem installing the after market circuit board I bought - and wipers now work fine.

The GM dealer's mechanic outright lied to my face and charged me $100 to do it.

Guess where I will NEVER be going again?

So now you can sing in the rain......Bravo!

1996 transport anybody had problems starting your van only once and a while? when turned on there is a relay buy the fuel injector fuse under the hood that clicks , the engine turns over but will not start .try again later and starts no problem. this happens only once and a while like once every few weeks and is a pain in the but thanks

1996 transport anybody had problems starting your van only once and a while? when turned on there is a relay buy the fuel injector fuse under the hood that clicks , the engine turns over but will not start .try again later and starts no problem. this happens only once and a while like once every few weeks and is a pain in the but thanks
:headshake

....I'd risk to say most intermittent starting problems have been mostly related with the crank sensor on the pre-1996 3.8. Since the 3.4 also has an electronic "distributor", I'd suspect the same cause may apply.....any codes pulled out?

no codes pulled should the re be codes when this happens

no codes van is running fine till next time service peaple say how can we find something that is working fine

Thankyou all. With a flashlight and mirror I easily located the 3 bolts to undo the wiper motor, opened the assembly and re-soldered the one joint which was damaged.