24 replies to this topic

[MattyH85]

Hi. I am asking for any advice or if anyone has had a similar problem. I have a 2005 ford focus zetec,recently my rear wiper has been playing up. When turned on it stops and starts in different places. The wiper does not do a fill rotation as it should. Could it be the motor? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

[Stoney871]

Does sound like the motor but I'd check the wires too.

[NorthSussex]

Check that the wiper arm is not slipping on the motor shaft.

[artscot79]

ive often found the issue is usualy the wiring that feeds into the boot or the motor but its worth checking it out the cheap way to be sure is get a working 2nd hand motor most people rarely use them so you should get a while out it

[MattyH85]

Thankyou for the replies. If I get time tomorrow I will have a look at the motor. Fingers crossed its a simple fix.

[catch]

Hi. I am asking for any advice or if anyone has had a similar problem. I have a 2005 ford focus zetec,recently my rear wiper has been playing up. When turned on it stops and starts in different places. The wiper does not do a fill rotation as it should. Could it be the motor? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

Hi Matty, I've got the very same problem in my 55 plate. As it's not an MOT fail issue, I've never got around to sorting it out. Anyway I just park it manually by flicking the stalk switch to the off position, when the wiper finally decides to visit the "park" position

But you get it sorted mate, and post the fix up

[mjt]

It might be the relay. I recently had a problem with the flick wipe on my front wipers where they'd stop as soon as I released the stalk. That turned out to be the relay.

On my Mk 1.5 the front and rear relays are the same, might be the same on the Mk 2 in which case you could try swapping them to test if that's the culprit.

[tomo2001]

Check the wiring in the flexible rubber piece from the car body to the tailgate. This is a prime spot for the wires to fracture with the opening and closing of the tailgate over time.

[Stoney871]

+1

[catch]

It might be the relay. I recently had a problem with the flick wipe on my front wipers where they'd stop as soon as I released the stalk. That turned out to be the relay.

On my Mk 1.5 the front and rear relays are the same, might be the same on the Mk 2 in which case you could try swapping them to test if that's the culprit.

Wiper relays on the Mk 2 are built into the Gem module under the glove box, and as such are not replaceable. You can hear the relay switching every 6/7 seconds [as it should] if you sit quiet.

As tomo2001 says, broken wire in the flexible tube twixt bulkhead and tail gate a distinct possibility.

[mjt]

You can hear the relay switching every 6/7 seconds [as it should] if you sit quiet.

The fact you can hear it doesn't necessarily mean it's working properly. My relay was still operating but the contacts were burnt out.

I'm not saying the other possibilities are wrong, just that it could also be a duff relay.

[catch]

The fact you can hear it doesn't necessarily mean it's working properly. My relay was still operating but the contacts were burnt out.

I'm not saying the other possibilities are wrong, just that it could also be a duff relay.

I don't think it is a relay in the traditional sense your thinking of. Because if it was Ford would have used one of the empty relay sockets on the actual Gem Unit [see picture]

Think about it, if it was a component liable to fail and need replacing, why put it in a module that costs circa £450 to replace, add to that the labour charge on top! When a circa £5 conventional relay like on the Mk1 Focus would fix the problem.

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[mjt]

Well I'll have to defer to you on that as I don't have any info on the MK 2 and I agree it wouldn't make sense to integrate the relay(s) into the GEM. I'll only say that if you can hear it operating it must be an electromechanical component of some kind so can't be a solid-state device.

What are the functions of the two relays shown in your pic?

[catch]

I'll only say that if you can hear it operating it must be an electromechanical component of some kind so can't be a solid-state device.

It would seem so, but that being the case ...would you as part of Fords electro / mechanical design team build a £450 solution to a £5 problem?

What are the functions of the two relays shown in your pic?

Top of my head ones the horn, I forget what the other is. But I've had them both out and swapped with relays in the engine compartment and they are working. Besides with both removed, you can still hear the momentary switching click that fires up the wiper motor coming from the Gem unit. Then it obviously drops out breaking the feed to the motor................but whilst the stalk switch is in the rear wiper "on" position, the switching sound coming from the Gem unit kicks in every 6 or so seconds ......thus moving the wiper on a bit more.

It's not an issue I'm prepared to chuck money at so have not had it into the dealers. Though I've other things to do, I did nip out to the car a bit since and checked the wiring in the rubber sheath 'twixt bulkhead and tailgate. Insulation on all the individual wires fine, and when conducting stress testing of the individual wires, there was no play in them. Meaning the copper wires within each individual insulated sheath themselves were intact.

I'd be inclined to think its a fault in the switching arrangement within the actual motor unit itself, or a bad earth in that area. As once the stalk switch is moved to the off position, the wiper motor should still run until it reaches the "park" position on the rear windscreen.

See as part of a process of elimination approach to this apparently common problem. If anyone Mk2 or Mk2.5 owner with a fully functioning rear wiper ....could go to their car switch the ignition on [don't fire the engine up, but do switch of the heater fan if it's running. Flick the rear wiper switch to the "on" position, sit there for say 30 seconds and listen to hear if there is a clicking noise coming from their Gem unit every 6/7 or 8 seconds .

Because for costs reasons given earlier, I think if their Gem unit displays the same noise as mines making. I'd take that as meaning there is nothing wrong with the Gem unit. And we can move on to looking for the problem elsewhere.

So anybody fancy a walk to their car then because one day in the future you might be happy to know the possible fault and fix for this problem. I mean mine was working fine then one day..............

[mjt]

the switching sound coming from the Gem unit kicks in every 6 or so seconds ......thus moving the wiper on a bit more

I agree. This sounds like a fault with the park switch in the motor unit or the wiring thereof.

.would you as part of Fords electro / mechanical design team build a £450 solution to a £5 problem?

No, as a retired electronics engineer I can categorically state that I wouldn't integrate a limited-life component such as a relay into a unit costing that much. That's not to say that such things aren't done in the auto industry though.