Touring rear wiper acting up

[tammer]

Hey gentlemen,

I've not posted here for a very long time, but I still read along when I can. Some of you with long memories may recall that I bought Adam W's white touring with the M30B35 and manual trans. It's still my DD.

It's developed a rather funky issue with the rear wiper behavior, which I admit I haven't had a chance to poke around and diagnose (new job keeping me pretty busy). But I thought I'd throw it out here in case someone has seen it.

Symptom:
Wiper switch seems incredibly sensitive, and rear wiper turns on in intermittent setting at the slightest touch of the stalk. A particularly sharp bump in the road is enough to start the rear wiper going. Once one--remember, switch is in "off" position--they stay on until the car is shut off.

If the wiper is moved up one notch, to turn the front intermittent wiper ON, the rear wipers behave as normal (i.e., OFF in the normal position, ON if I move the switch away one click). If the front wipers are on at any speed setting, the rear wiper behaves normally. But once the front wiper is in the off position, the rear wiper stays ON.

Here's where it gets weird: if I move the rear wiper switch to the position that should be intermittent ON, it stays on constant. If I move the switch to the constant ON position, same thing.

Because the behavior is normal when the wiper stalk is in the one, two, or three up positions, I think the problem is in the switch/stalk itself. Like it's somehow shorting the rear wiper circuit to ground when the stalk is off. But I haven't looked at an ETM yet and I haven't had time to pop the stalk out and look at it.

Questions:
1) Anyone seen this behavior, or have a good clue as to where to begin? There are some other rear hatch wiring issues (minor, like a license plate light out), so I can't rule out an issue back there.

2) Anyone have a spare, good, touring wiper stalk they want to sell?

Thanks!
-Tammer

[attack eagle]

could also be the rear wiper module in the back of the car.

[tammer]

That module is under the rear seat, correct? Is there a good resource for specific troubleshooting with it? Searching for the symptoms I'm seeing has turned up little. I may have time one evening this week to start poking around with a meter.

Thanks,
-t.

[pennpen]

hatch wiring it's always hatch wiring, if it has power, on the hatch, and giving you issues..... first thing to check is for a short in the wiring on the hinge

think the wiper motor wiring is on the pass side hinge

[tammer]

hatch wiring it's always hatch wiring, if it has power, on the hatch, and giving you issues..... first thing to check is for a short in the wiring on the hinge

think the wiper motor wiring is on the pass side hinge
Alright, alright. I've been lazy. <sigh/shame>

Here's the plan:
1) Repair hatch wires.
2) If problem persists, test wiper control relays and module.
3) If problem persists, change column stalk.

I'll update when I can get to the work. Given how today went, it's not likely to be this week.

Thanks for the input, guys.
-tammer

[attack eagle]

no, its a big module under the right passender cargo cover, iirc.
dont know of any tests.
id sure try disassembling the stalk and cleaning the contacts and reairing he wiring first.

otherwise you are pretty much stuck blindly swapping moduls to test.