timsfox

i think my wiper motor is going out it doesnt work all the time and when it does it is sluggish. do i need a new wiper motor and if so how do i replace it. i am a noob but would like to do repairs myself. the truck is the only thing i have and i need it to last so i got to do it right, thanks

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

What year? Probably the control module.

tman71594

Mine is an 90 and i had the same thing, but it wasn't my my control module. My symptoms were- it didn't work sometimes, it was slow when it worked and mine even made a growling noise haha
Well for any 87-96, unscrew the antenna (optional), then pry up the little rectangle chrome cover at the base of the antenna- should be 2 screws under there, take the wiper arms off by looking at the shaft, pry out the tiny tab (should go out about 1/4 cm) while lifting as far away from the windshield as possible then let them down when the tab is out and they should not touch the window as long as the tab is out; you have to wiggle the arms off the shafts and i had trouble the first one, then i got it and the other one was easy. Then find all the screws for the windshield wiper cowl, and try to get it off, its a PITA to get off with the bottom windshield trim and hood, but i got it eventually. When u get that off you'll see the the back of the motor and i forget how the link is set up but it was simple to disconnect. By the way the wiper motor should be held on by 3 screws. Try that and see how far u get. the earliest i could get pictures is next week because mine needs replacing again, i went with a junkyard motor just because i wasn't sure and didn't want to buy a new one but this time i think I will.

BigGreyBox

^ nail on the head. The biggest pain was getting the linkage off and back on the new one. I got one from the junkyard but it was a reman one someone installed aftermarket. The motor grounds itself through the mounting bolts so make sure you have a rust/paint free surface for it to ground to or run a ground wire off one of the mounting bolts (thats what I did the make sure it worked).

1989-FORD-F150

If you don't know much about working on cars buy a Haynes manual theyre about 20$ from autozone and give you step by step instructions and show you pictures

actionman

Hey - I feel your pain on the wiper motor project. I just removed and replaced my wiper motor and wiper switch on my 1988 F150. It's a little more involved than it first appears so do some homework to be certain that it's indeed the motor. Your problem could be one of three things: A) Wiper Motor. $55 + 4 hours of DIY time. B) Wiper Switch. $50 + 1 hour of DIY time. C) Wiper control module - not sure about this one but there are historical issues with the soldering on the board with this module. You may consider taking the truck by a shop for an estimate to let them determine the problem for you - you may discover that it's not what you thought and that it costs less to have them do the repair. Just sayin...

actionman

to Tman71594: did you find any issues with your control module or was the problem with your motor for certain?

actionman

Sean - is the control module accessible from inside the cab? I've read different posts - one says the module is bolted to the frame just above the parking brake; but a recent schematic shows that it is behind the glove compartment - I've replaced my motor and switch but the wipers are still acting weird. vince

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

Neither. It's the box attached to the wires coming of the switch.

actionman

Wiper Relay news: Ok - if you discover that the wiper switch and the wiper motor are not your problem (s), there is a high degree of probability that the problem is with your wiper control module. It's also called a "wiper governor" if you are researching. The normal retail parts stores do not carry this module because it's relatively old technology with a soldered circuit board. The price at the local dealer for this part will be around $150. One great option is to find a local salvage yard and pay $20 for the part. The module itself is a black box approx 2"x2" square; 1" thick. It includes two, 6" long, wire harnesses that have female plugs at the ends. One of the harnesses has a red plug that connects to the wiper switch - the other harness plugs into the main power supply. The black box is screwed/bolted to a rigid metal frame with a single fastener. The box has an imprint on it: "Do Not Drop" due to the fragility of the circuit board, I suppose. When you install a new module into your truck, you may consider NOT reattaching it to anything rigid - just let it "float" among the wires so that the bumps-while-driving don't cause any trauma to the soldered joints. Once you sort out the configuration, this is a relatively painless R/R. Also, the salvage yard modules seem to come with the wiper switch attached. So there you go - a fundamental description from a new DIY mechanic.