MattyH85 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Does sound like the motor but I'd check the wires too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSussex Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Check that the wiper arm is not slipping on the motor shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artscot79 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyH85 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Thankyou for the replies. If I get time tomorrow I will have a look at the motor. Fingers crossed its a simple fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 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 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomo2001 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Thanks for your input mjt , and I know if you had a Mk2 /2.5 you would be out to your car in a flash :D like I would ....................but thats the older generation for you. Obviously we have time on our hands but there must be at least one person out there that could take the time out to check their Gem Unit out noise wise Well it's time to make my lunch, and the wife has me on a mission. That is finding a decent self catering apartment in Los Cristianos this November. Said I'd do it today so she can book her time off work.......................she will say ..........you have been on that forum all day haven't you.....................who me.......... whatever give you that idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 :D :D :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Just checked the rear wiper on a mk2 and mk2.5, both make two clicks behind the dash. One click just before the wiper moves and a second one as the wiper is moving (about a half a second between forst and second click). I'd assume the relay closing and opening again. Just to point you in the right direction, on my old mk1 I had the symptoms that the rear wiper would work fine when the wash button was pressed but on intermittent wipe it would stop at random places on return. This sounds exactly like your problem and the cause that time was definitely a broken wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Just checked the rear wiper on a mk2 and mk2.5, both make two clicks behind the dash. One click just before the wiper moves and a second one as the wiper is moving (about a half a second between forst and second click). I'd assume the relay closing and opening again. Cheers Clive your a STAR, that's the clicking noises I get, the relay being energised, and then nigh on instantly being de energised. Meaning the Gem is working as it is intended to do. So we can discount that, it's either a wiring loom open circuit, or a contact failing within the wiper motor housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teo_st Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Hi, I am new in this forum and I have the exact same problem. I have ford focus mk2 year 2005. This is my second car. I used to have the same focus but 2007. But I crashed it and now I am selling it ofr parts. About the problem. I have replaced the motor with the motor from my old car that is 100% working and the result is negative. The wiper stops wherever it wants to. I checked the cables in the rubber housing between the trunk and the car but everything seems to look good. The only thing that left is the build in "indestructible" relay. I someone has any suggestions please tell me I will try to fix it. I am sorry for my bad English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Definitely the relay then if the wiring is intact. Drop the internal fuse board down and listen to the relays when wipe is engaged. This should point you to the correct one to check and replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teo_st Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Yes, but the relay is integrated... I removed all the relays from the fuse box and the wiper is still working and the relay is clicking from the inside... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameso Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameso Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 hi is worth checking the wiring between roof and tailgate because where you keep opening and shutting tailgate wiring in the rubber sleave gets crushed or broken which can cause a intermittent fault Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I've still got the problerm [i checked the wiring in the extended rubberised sheaf, twixt bulkhead and boot lid many moons ago, and it was fine] So it's either checking the wiring from Gem back to the motor, or the contacts in the motor it's self. Now seeing as it's no big deal to "manual park it" I cannot therefore be @rsed to undertake the aformentioned............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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