Strange Wiper Behaviour

[sifaan]

Hi all

 

I had a strange problem with the wipers - on manual control, it worked on normal speed but not on high (and when on auto, when it decides to switch to high speed, the wipers just stop)

 

An electrician checked the Comms unit (there's also a problem where there doesn't seem to be a signal going to the washer motor at all but that is at least partly to do with wiring as the comms unit was replaced a while back - before and after the replacement the washer motor only worked on the rear washers) and after that the situation is that it only works on high setting, but at normal speed

Also, if I stop the wiper, rather than returning to "home", it just stalls where it's at

 

What should I be looking to replace?

 

(I'm in Sri Lanka but will be passing thru London on transit early next month, which gives me an opportunity to pick up some parts!)

 

BTW The auto setting no longer works - windscreen had to be replaced and ended up with the screen without the boss for the mirror housing that could hold the rain/sun sensors :/

(plus I'd need to buy the sensors and glue them anyway, since the old ones were pried off)

 

Thanks!

[coastline taxis]

hello sifaan. was just thinking about you the other day. You seem to pop up every 6 months or so. hope things are going well for you. anyway down to business its the stalk thats broke. dont try fixing it m8 as its a pain in the arse. just replace the comms unit

[sifaan]

Hi

I’m doing well although the car is as usual keeping me busy (busted starter motor, blocked radiator, etc) :/

 

The electrician says he tried a different comms (from a 406 so might not be the exact part) and it seems to be that some signals are not coming from the bsi. Is that possible? I imagine the blades stopping midscreen are more likely a bsi issue than a stalk issue?

 

In case of replacing the bsi, I think either I have to pay a kidney to get a new coded unit or buy a used bsi, ecu and key as a set. In the latter, what features do I need to match (and what can be programmed?)?

 

Eg is it enough that it’s a c5 1st gen? Does it need to be from a petrol car? EW10J4 engine? Automatic?

 

Thanks

[paul.h]

If the washer pump still works when trying to wash the front but instead water comes out at the back, then that could be the washer piping or jets are blocked since the same pump is used for front and back but runs in opposite directions.

[sifaan]

If the washer pump still works when trying to wash the front but instead water comes out at the back, then that could be the washer piping or jets are blocked since the same pump is used for front and back but runs in opposite directions.

 

In the early days the washer worked for the back but not the front; so the garage put a splitter on the pipe going to the back to feed the front (so, if I switch on the rear washer I got water from the front and the back, albeit at a reduced pressure). They were not able to get it to work in both directions and replacing the Comms (the horn was malfunctioning) didn't solve it.

This wasn't an issue with the pump (pump worked both ways when powered directly) but might have been an issue with the wiring (e.g. if it was Signal 1 + Ground rather than Signal 1 + Signal 2) or with the BSI. More recently (for a few years!) it doesn't work in either direction and the electrician said it's a BSI issue as well :(

[aspire_helen]

Hi Sifaan

Sorry I cannot help you with your specific problem, but some years ago I had a strange fault whereby whenever the wipers activated when set on automatic, the passenger window wound down!! The BSI is a wonderous beast.  I had to remove the front window fuse if rain was forecast.  Resetting the BSI, numerous times,  made no difference.  Then, one day several months later, I noticed the fault had disappeared.

[sifaan]

Small update on this - it seems it was a problem in the BSI and the electrician was able to open it up and fix it (I think some tracks had been damaged or something like that). Now the washers (both front and back) work as expected