97TJ wipers dead - need advice
 

The wipers have stopped on my 97TJ (129K km). They have been acting
gradually and increasingly erratically over the last few months and I think
it is the motor although I haven't actually checked yet. I do know it's not
the fuse. I'm not even sure how I would check... I guess hook up a meter and
see if there is power coming through to the motor.

Assuming it is the motor, please give me your advice:

1. Should I look for a new motor, or rebuilt (if there is such a thing), or
should I call wrecking yards to look for a used part.

2. Is it the same motor on my 97 (Manufactured Mar 96) as on the 98, 99,
etc?

3. Is it likely that a moderately mechanically inclined person can
remove/install the motor? Special tools required?

4. Any other advice greatly appreciated!

TIA,

Neil Baldwin
Burlington - Ontario - Canada

Re: 97TJ wipers dead - need advice
 

On or about Thu, 10 Jul 2003, Neil Baldwin of baldwin@ca.inter.net wrote:

> The wipers have stopped on my 97TJ (129K km). They have been acting
> gradually and increasingly erratically over the last few months and I think
> it is the motor although I haven't actually checked yet. I do know it's not
> the fuse. I'm not even sure how I would check... I guess hook up a meter and
> see if there is power coming through to the motor.

Just a thought -- the wipers on my `89 Cherokee started acting flukey and
one rainy night stalled every few miles. I assumed that the motor was
breathing its last, but didn't smell any "magic smoke" leaking out of it.
I pulled it out of the Chreokee and "bench tested" it out of the car.
That's when I noticed that the motor and the mounting plate were not
firmly attached to each other. The bolts had backed out and were binding
on the eccentric every time it came around. Tightened the bolts up with a
little instant rust to keep them in place, replaced the bushings while it
was out and they run like new now.

Re: 97TJ wipers dead - need advice
 

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 15:47:29 UTC Lee Ayrton <layrton@ntplx.net> wrote:

> On or about Thu, 10 Jul 2003, Neil Baldwin of baldwin@ca.inter.net wrote:
>
> > The wipers have stopped on my 97TJ (129K km). They have been acting
> > gradually and increasingly erratically over the last few months and I think
> > it is the motor although I haven't actually checked yet. I do know it's not
> > the fuse. I'm not even sure how I would check... I guess hook up a meter and
> > see if there is power coming through to the motor.
>
> Just a thought -- the wipers on my `89 Cherokee started acting flukey and
> one rainy night stalled every few miles. I assumed that the motor was
> breathing its last, but didn't smell any "magic smoke" leaking out of it.
> I pulled it out of the Chreokee and "bench tested" it out of the car.
> That's when I noticed that the motor and the mounting plate were not
> firmly attached to each other. The bolts had backed out and were binding
> on the eccentric every time it came around. Tightened the bolts up with a
> little instant rust to keep them in place, replaced the bushings while it
> was out and they run like new now.

When I first got my 88 MJ - identical to the Cherokee from the rear of
the cab forward - the wipers worked perfectly until it rained. Once
it started to rain, they would work for a few swipes then die blowing
the circuit breaker. In one particularly heavy downpour I got tired
of fighting it and swapped in a steel paper clip to replace the cb on
the theory that if something was shorted I could then find it by the
smoke (yeah, I was pissed!). Started out again and within 10 swipes
the wipers quit again - burned the freakin paper clip in two! Got
home after the rain let up and pulled the wiper motor. I didn't want
to replace it - those French motors are EXPENSIVE! - so I pulled it
apart, cleaned the wiper rings on the motor, packed the bearings,
cleaned the armatur, replaced the grease in the gearbox with white
Lithium grease, etc. and re-installed. Turned it on and it soon
popped the breaker one last time and hasn't given me a lick of trouble
since. I have no idea what the short could have been and why it only
happened in a pouring rain but it magically cured itself after
flipping me the bird that one last time nearly three years ago.

Old clunkers, ya gotta love em for the quirks.

--
Will Honea <whonea@codenet.net>