Well with the recent snow here in the northest my 2001 chevy venture van wipers went crazy…stopping not were they belong but wide open. When I shut them off they stay stright up??? what’s going on? and how do I get them back were they belong?
Chris
Help ???
My best guess is that you turned the wipers on before clearing the snow from your windshield. That should never be done, as the weight of the snow can damage the wiper linkage.
If you are lucky, one of the connectors on the linkage might just need to be tightened. But, one way or another, the problem is in the wiper linkage.
Same thing happened with my 01 Impala. To get them to ‘park’ properly I just shut off the car when they were down close to where they should be parked. However, the next day I went outside and started up the car, and the wipers worked just fine. I’ve had no recurrence since then.
Don’t feel too bad, you’ve LOTS of company out there.
Haywire multi-function switch harnesses under the drivers side dash (next to the steering column) is usually to blame.
I’ll give you what my Haynes repair manual says about this fault.
If the wipers stop at the position they’re in when the switch is turned off (fail to park), disconnect the multi-function switch electrical connector. If the wipers now park, replace the multi-function switch.
If the wipers still don’t park, check the wiring from the wiper motor to the switch for a short circuit. If the circuits are good, replace the wiper motor.
Chris, I recommend you buy this Haynes manual (#38036) for your van (I have the sister (Silhouette) to yours) as you will find it much easier to locate this wiring and associated adjustments that are needed when replacing the wiper motor (if needed).
Fortunately, I haven’t had this problem, but you’ll find the manual is worth the $20 and will soon pay for itself.
Thanks very much…the wipers accually go to the upright position when I turn them off, otherwise they work fine…crazy??? any ideas/////
Chris
Did you use the wipers to clear accumulated snow from the windshield, as I theorized earlier? If so, then the linkage is the problem.
If you did not use the wipers to clear accumulated snow, then the problem lies in either the multi-function switch, its wiring harness, or in the motor itself.
Position doesn’t matter when they stall and don’t park. The answer remains the same.
Somehow things have gotten 180 out. Most likely the gearing slipped somehow. You should be able to fix this by removing the arm tied to the motor shaft and then place the wipers in the Park position. Reconnect the arm to the motor shaft and then it should be ok, unless it slips again.