windows and wipers work sometimes

[trentski]

Hi all,

These things seem to happen just after a service

Sometimes the window wipers and electric windows don't work. Turning thecar off and back on again seems to fix the "problem" for a while then they stop working again.

I had a look at the fuses and they are all plugged in.

Everything else works fine

Any ideas?

Thanks Trent

[SuperMono]

Don't go out in the rain?

Oh.....you probably meant constructive ideas.

Haven't had a problem like this but as a former sparky I like to break things down in the simplest fashion possible when it comes to faults.
So some things to think about.
Is the symptom always the same (both wipers and windows always at the same time).
Is anything else effected (push every button and switch).
What was the situation immediately prior to the symptom (example: started engine).

You are looking for something that is common to both items, like a supply or grounding point for the wiring.
Get a RAVE CD and start examining the circuits.

Now that you have posted this and my Freebie is due for service, I will probably have the same fault within weeks

[trentski]

The "no rain" rule would have been fine for the first two months this year, hard to complain about rain now though.

This morning the brake and reverse lights stopped working when the motor is running. When on accessories, they are fine.

Does that make it easier or harder to diagnose?

[trentski]

Been doing some reading and thinking, not easy on a Monday morning.

Could it be the contacts within/behind the ignition switch.

That would explain the fault rectifying itself when the key is switched on and off, and the different rear light behaviour at different ignition switch settings.

Anyone know how to get this out and clean the contacts?

[SuperMono]

Not sure this makes sense.
I had a quick look at the circuit diagrams and it looks more that if a contact in the switch assembly is faulty you would have near total failure of all electrical controls rather than just windows, wipers and lights.

[trentski]

I talked to MLR and they said they had seen a couple of about the same age (2001) with the same symptoms and it was the ignition switch.

I had it swapped over (only a $30 part ) and it is all good again.

Thanks for your input SuperMono