Washer Fluid Problem (unique)

Alphasig83

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
6
Location
Bucktown PA
Hey all,
New YJ owner… 88 Sahara with 7800 miles… all original and uncut.

I have been going through all systems as I bought this Jeep last month from a collector who had it sitting in his garage for a few years. One issue has me going crazy…

On the 88, wiper stock is on the left of the column, and you toggle a thumb rotator forward for washer fluid and temporary wipers. Backward washes rear hardtop, which this rig does not have.

When I topped off the fluid, tested the washer and nothing happened. Also, wipers didn’t come on temporarily. The wipers still work when switched on from the stock. I confirmed with an air compressor that the line is clear to both sprayers, confirmed all fuses under the dash near the parking brake are good, I see no loose wires. I also pulled the OEM washer pump and installed a new one from Quadratec. Still nothing.

I got the volt meter out and when the washer pump was disconnected, I probed the wiring harness plug and it came back at 8+volts, and the wipers actuated… I also reversed the poles on the motor thinking someone may have been in there before but nothing… so I know the fuse in the circuit is good, the stock switch works, wiper motor works, electric at the terminal, but can’t get the pump to work…

Lastly, not sure if related, there’s an unknown female plug hanging loose just outside of the terminal block under the hood… I don’t think it’s related, but not 100%.

I have also checked the wires for mice or splices and everything looks factory new…

Any thoughts on this one? Help is appreciated.
 
Hey all,
New YJ owner… 88 Sahara with 7800 miles… all original and uncut.

I have been going through all systems as I bought this Jeep last month from a collector who had it sitting in his garage for a few years. One issue has me going crazy…

On the 88, wiper stock is on the left of the column, and you toggle a thumb rotator forward for washer fluid and temporary wipers. Backward washes rear hardtop, which this rig does not have.

When I topped off the fluid, tested the washer and nothing happened. Also, wipers didn’t come on temporarily. The wipers still work when switched on from the stock. I confirmed with an air compressor that the line is clear to both sprayers, confirmed all fuses under the dash near the parking brake are good, I see no loose wires. I also pulled the OEM washer pump and installed a new one from Quadratec. Still nothing.

I got the volt meter out and when the washer pump was disconnected, I probed the wiring harness plug and it came back at 8+volts, and the wipers actuated… I also reversed the poles on the motor thinking someone may have been in there before but nothing… so I know the fuse in the circuit is good, the stock switch works, wiper motor works, electric at the terminal, but can’t get the pump to work…

Lastly, not sure if related, there’s an unknown female plug hanging loose just outside of the terminal block under the hood… I don’t think it’s related, but not 100%.

I have also checked the wires for mice or splices and everything looks factory new…

Any thoughts on this one? Help is appreciated.
Did you ever find the issue? I have the exact same symptoms.
 
Ditto that, mine was working when I bought it, after a month or so the washer pump quit working and the wipers don't cycle. My wiper delay also only works when it's very cold outside ( single digits.) I'm thinking this may be a dirty contact(s) in the wiper control unit? Does anyone have any ideas?
 
I know what I'd look for first... a bad/open ground. First look under the hood, front of engine compartment just behind the headlights, left and right side, there are ground wires leading to the right/left side marker lights held down with sheet metal screws. Make sure those contacts are clean and snug. Then, on the right side of the engine block below the cylinder head and roughly above the starter, there is a grounding stud with more than one ground wire attached to it. Loosen this, clean, and reinstall.
Lastly, I installed a braided grounding strap across the right front engine mount to insure a good engine to frame grounding path.
 
I know what I'd look for first... a bad/open ground. First look under the hood, front of engine compartment just behind the headlights, left and right side, there are ground wires leading to the right/left side marker lights held down with sheet metal screws. Make sure those contacts are clean and snug. Then, on the right side of the engine block below the cylinder head and roughly above the starter, there is a grounding stud with more than one ground wire attached to it. Loosen this, clean, and reinstall.
Lastly, I installed a braided grounding strap across the right front engine mount to insure a good engine to frame grounding path.
Thanks for the reply. I've been through the grounds and splices in the wiring harness. When there is a load on the washer pump circuit, + voltage drops off while the ground remains stable. I'm leaning toward the wiper delay module. I took it out to inspect the internals and there had been water intrusion. However, I have continuity everywhere I should, the relay works and the diodes check out. I'm guessing caps and/or resistors bad due to age. I've seen a thread with info for parts required to refurbish the module. I may give that a shot, but first I want to bypass the module to see what results I get. I'll be doing that this evening.
 
Please let us know what you find.
Hey all, I did get to the bottom of this, but it's not a fun solution... turns out the switch on the column is bad.... good advice to check grounds, etc... but after I exhausted everything, I took it to a former jeep dealer mechanic and he was able to quickly diagnose the problem. Not a terribly hard fix, but it will be annoying. Since my dash has never been messed with, I'm going to keep it as is... but maybe down the road I'll tear the column apart and redo the switch.

Thanks all!
 
to hyjackers i say or?

it all gets down TO how bad ,washers are wanted TO WORK. ( JUST 4 PATHS MAX TO CHECK)
THE FIRST SCHEMATIC IS JUST 2 PATHS TO FAIL. PINK WIRE. OR THE PUMP A GROUND NOT 0V WASHING.
THE TEST IS SUPER EASY,. WITH A METER, dMM SET TO VOLTS. EASY AS PIE. (WHILE WASHING )

well that is in the switch (stalk)_ BAD ,WIRES, AND GROUND, HERE.
diagnosis is easy only finding spare parts this old hard. endless now. (fiddly parts bad , custom to 1 year jeep)
the manual FSM is free, chapter 8k covers this cleaRly
as they say ,'what will be , will be" if the switch is bad (prove it first) then it must be replaced, (or live, zero washer car)

there are 2 versions of system here, intermittent and non. (day 1 options wiper types)
ah heck here arr both'

if you just look you see only one possible failure and 8vdc out was bad so now you know why.
8v at pin b2? was it?

the intermittent is near the same. for washers
non: my post assumes actual wipers work ok..
none.JPG


the delay words tell you it is the below option new. car.
as you can see the module can fail too below,
check waster volts first. at b2, 12vdc, washing , 14v running engine, if are.
G ground 0vdc.
so checking pin B (conn b or BB ) must be 12vdc in wash mode.to he pump motor and pump motor pin A IS 0V.
then all pins checked related, that means gounds are 0vdc, washing.
connector A is not labeled correctly below, but you will find it.
4 PATHS TO FAIL, WASHOUT bb
MODULE FAILURE
OUTPUT TO PUMP WASH DEAD. OR NOT 12VDC WASHING
OR PUMP GROUND NOT 0V;.
ONLY A CHEAP VOLTMETER FINDS THE CAUSE, VOLTAGE DROP OR DEAD, OR BAD GROUNDS, ANY CAN FAIL AND DO OFTEN, 30 YEAR OLD.

int.JPG
 
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now learn ,the skill of measuring voltage drops (rust is top contender) grounds bad, connector pins, and bad switches. 3 cause with non-intermittent option wipers. no really rust is #1. and 100x that in the salt belt (wiki it)
steps:
DMM set to volts
long jumper wire (+clips) from black - test lead to battery negative lug, clean lug too. not rusty either, (only this works every time, and will not lie to you) learn it. now.

now the red wire test lead is ready to find illegal voltage drops, under normal loads.


the grounds above are 0v, 0.5vdc is auto industry spec, max drop on grounds.
8vdc was measured above but the node not told.(clearly) I guess pump pulled, and done all wrong.

but was not done correctly at all, he said not connected so that was only useless leakage current in a DMM with 1 to 10 million ohms of input impedance.
a useless test, sorry was.
in school we demo this to kids,l using their body as a wire and see voltage pass from finger to fingers to the DMM and using a tiny 9vdc battery.
you the human are just like a wire is to the DMM in volts mode, need proof ,gee google it.
all wires in all cars have natural leakage, that does not matter at all, so do not measure that.
only measure under load. (what ever it is , is turned on)
what matters are open circuits failing, 0v to load
and short circuits to load or at the device , in question. causes fuses to blow. or CB to trip
and voltage drops , both on grounds or power feeds of any kind.

what matters here is connected, and under load and wash button pushed, all at the same time using needle probes all techs know how to use.


the pump gets 11 to 12vdc key on,. KEYON-ENGINE OFF or KOEO state, no need here to eat exhaust fumes, gee I use battery charger doing all this.

if not the path to this node is failing for voltage drop way too much, as in, 12v good 8v bad under load, see that?

SAME goes for the pump ground 0.5vdc max,we all that 0v to be simple. 1 to 12vdc here is bad ground. easy as falling off a log using a meter to find bad voltage drops.
the hard fix above is that old and rare wiper module for intermittent option.
we covered all this me in 1965 high school, in 3 classes, physics and electronics, and auto shop. electives all.

learn to use the DMM correctly and guessing ends.
ask for help how. this wiring is super simple.
hint, no digital controls in the steering column here,
 
unknown female plug hanging loose just outside of the terminal block under the hood\
well my95 has 5 or 6 loose cables for options,no opted day 1 new, same as all cars have and do. forget it
or if bored post the wire callers on all pins not told count. tell me colors and I read the FSM to you, what those do.
A/C jacks,, ABS, hard top options not opted., and more, rear wipers, , glass defrost not there.
 
now way #2 that I never do.(1 exception)
the hot wire way the FSM says never do, or blow up $500 modules or worse , not sold now on earth period unless used and rare and $1000 each(scaplers)
but we can hot wire the non , intermittent one (other is solid state ,do not hot wire any solid state device )
jumper pin D to PINk and pump runs, if stops fast the CB (its not a fuse) trips and cools and resets and runs again, pump is shorted/(or its wires)
just 1 test there, and bingo.

i'd never hot wire this model with DELAY feature, ever. it is solid state, and rare as hens teeth.new, used sure.
called int-wiper on the label it.
use only volt meter to diagnosis it.
to here.
connector B measure
B and D. volts., yes jeeps drawing here is stinks, no colors and A /B connectors not clear.
i think CONN B is female and CONN A is male (at module)

s-l1600.jpg


int2.JPG
both are 12vdc running pump washer
 
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