Windshield Wiper Fuse Location

[Bruce Wingate]

I quick google search turned up a lot of info on how to change the motor but nothing about a fuse location.

Truck is an '84 K10 and the wipers just stopped mid-sweep the other day. Before I toss a new wiper motor at it, I would like to check the simple things but I can't find the fuse location and 10 minutes of staring at the fuse box upside down didn't help much either.

Thanks

 

[SirRobyn0]

I quick google search turned up a lot of info on how to change the motor but nothing about a fuse location.

Truck is an '84 K10 and the wipers just stopped mid-sweep the other day. Before I toss a new wiper motor at it, I would like to check the simple things but I can't find the fuse location and 10 minutes of staring at the fuse box upside down didn't help much either.

Thanks

IF the wipers have a fuse it'll be under dash on the drivers side in the fuse panel. I think that there might be one, but 99% of the time it's going to be a motor issue. #1. Before you condemn the motor check the ground tab. You can bypass the ground tab with a test wire and see if it comes back to life. #2. If you decide to replace the wiper motor, please do not buy an A1Cardone or cardone remanufactures units. They are junk and we will no longer use them at the shop. ACDelco doesn't seem to manufacture them anymore so your best bet is to purchase a WIA brand new unit, Autozone sells them and they will ship to home if you don't have an autozone near you. Amazon sells them too.

One of the issues is the Cardone also manufactures a lot of the house brand reman units, for example NAPA branded Remaned wiper motors are remaned by cardone. So just steer clear of remaned wiper units please.

Also see these links for lots of wiper info. Even if your not interested in trying to rebuild your own wiper motor you can learn a lot from it, and there are diagrams further in on the threads.

85-91 Wiper Motor Rebuild

The following pics and descriptions only apply (to my knowledge) to 85-91 SB wiper motors. I started with 3 motors and chose the worst one to rebuild. With it on a bench and no transmission connected, it ran at about 20% slow and a tad more more on hi. Keep in mind these are motors that are...

www.gmsquarebody.com

Rebuilding wiper linkage - How to

Newer cars when there is problem with the wiper linkage the solution is to purchase linkage and replace it, but on these old trucks in most cases you can service / rebuild it. Though you can no longer get an entire assembly at your local auto parts store places like LMC do still have them, but...

www.gmsquarebody.com

 

[Bruce Wingate]

IF the wipers have a fuse it'll be under dash on the drivers side in the fuse panel. I think that there might be one, but 99% of the time it's going to be a motor issue. #1. Before you condemn the motor check the ground tab. You can bypass the ground tab with a test wire and see if it comes back to life. #2. If you decide to replace the wiper motor, please do not buy an A1Cardone or cardone remanufactures units. They are junk and we will no longer use them at the shop. ACDelco doesn't seem to manufacture them anymore so your best bet is to purchase a WIA brand new unit, Autozone sells them and they will ship to home if you don't have an autozone near you. Amazon sells them too.

One of the issues is the Cardone also manufactures a lot of the house brand reman units, for example NAPA branded Remaned wiper motors are remaned by cardone. So just steer clear of remaned wiper units please.

Also see these links for lots of wiper info. Even if your not interested in trying to rebuild your own wiper motor you can learn a lot from it, and there are diagrams further in on the threads.

85-91 Wiper Motor Rebuild

The following pics and descriptions only apply (to my knowledge) to 85-91 SB wiper motors. I started with 3 motors and chose the worst one to rebuild. With it on a bench and no transmission connected, it ran at about 20% slow and a tad more more on hi. Keep in mind these are motors that are...

www.gmsquarebody.com

Rebuilding wiper linkage - How to

Newer cars when there is problem with the wiper linkage the solution is to purchase linkage and replace it, but on these old trucks in most cases you can service / rebuild it. Though you can no longer get an entire assembly at your local auto parts store places like LMC do still have them, but...

www.gmsquarebody.com

Thanks. I know where the fuse panel is, but can't find a fuse for it. And I got tired of looking at it half upside-down.

I am going for low hanging fruit first fuses, then grounds, then the multimeter comes out for chatting circuits

 

[SirRobyn0]

Thanks. I know where the fuse panel is, but can't find a fuse for it. And I got tired of looking at it half upside-down.

I am going for low hanging fruit first fuses, then grounds, then the multimeter comes out for chatting circuits

My truck is an 84 I'll go look.

 

[Bennyt]

If you decide to replace the wiper motor, please do not buy an A1Cardone or cardone remanufactures units. They are junk and we will no longer use them at the shop. ACDelco doesn't seem to manufacture them anymore so your best bet is to purchase a WIA brand new unit, Autozone sells them and they will ship to home if you don't have an autozone near you. Amazon sells them too.

Thank you for the info re. WIA brand. I have been having a hard time trying to find a new/reman unit. Nobody seems to have them in stock and I was going to ship it into Cardone for rebuilding.

 

[SirRobyn0]

I have lot of added electrical stuff on my truck so this is not a picture of my fuse box but mine is laid out just the same.

You must be registered for see images attach

See the fuse below his red wire, says wiper. That would be it. Hopefully this helps.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Thank you for the info re. WIA brand. I have been having a hard time trying to find a new/reman unit. Nobody seems to have them in stock and I was going to ship it into Cardone for rebuilding.

Ben, I am surprised with as long as you have been around you haven't seen any of the many posts mentioning WIA. Anyway if you haven't you should check out the threads I linked in post #2.

 

[Bruce Wingate]

@SirRobyn0 thanks. Fuse was good time to check grounds and power this weekend

 

[Bextreme04]

@SirRobyn0 thanks. Fuse was good time to check grounds and power this weekend

That's always step one for me.. why bother digging under the dash to find the fuse when you can just whip out the multimeter and check for power at the wiper motor? If you have 12 volts at the power/ground wires at the motor, troubleshooting is complete and you know its the motor. If you get nothing, then you can check for voltage at the power wire and using either known good engine ground or all the way to the battery. If you get 12v then, you know you have a bad ground. If still nothing, check for continuity from ground wire to known good ground. If it's less than 1 ohm, grounds are good. All of that can be checked in probably 30 seconds and doesn't require me to squeeze upside down under the dash. If I still haven't found the issue with those checks, then I know it must be an issue with the power feed(fuse), or the wiper switch.

 

[Radiohead]

Thanks for the picture SirRobyn0, it reminds me how most of the fuse callouts are wiped clean on my rig. Good info, I'll have to check and see how that layout differs from '79.

 

[SirRobyn0]

@SirRobyn0 thanks. Fuse was good time to check grounds and power this weekend

Please let us know what you find, I will check back for sure.

That's always step one for me.. why bother digging under the dash to find the fuse when you can just whip out the multimeter and check for power at the wiper motor? If you have 12 volts at the power/ground wires at the motor, troubleshooting is complete and you know its the motor. If you get nothing, then you can check for voltage at the power wire and using either known good engine ground or all the way to the battery. If you get 12v then, you know you have a bad ground. If still nothing, check for continuity from ground wire to known good ground. If it's less than 1 ohm, grounds are good. All of that can be checked in probably 30 seconds and doesn't require me to squeeze upside down under the dash. If I still haven't found the issue with those checks, then I know it must be an issue with the power feed(fuse), or the wiper switch.

I know exactly what you mean, especially when dealing with relatively simple circuits like on a carb'ed square.

Thanks for the picture SirRobyn0, it reminds me how most of the fuse callouts are wiped clean on my rig. Good info, I'll have to check and see how that layout differs from '79.

Yes, that would be interesting to see. Are you're fuses glass fuses? I just realized IDK when it changed over...

 

[Radiohead]

Yes, that would be interesting to see. Are you're fuses glass fuses? I just realized IDK when it changed over...

Crap. I can't remember but now my curiosity is up. I should know that but its been just long enough for an old guy to forget. Shooting from the hip, I say glass but I can't be absolutely certain.
I will get back to you

 

[Bennyt]

Ben, I am surprised with as long as you have been around you haven't seen any of the many posts mentioning WIA. Anyway if you haven't you should check out the threads I linked in post #2.

I tried Autozone and Amazon today. Neither have the wiper motor for my son's '77. I've tried all the major sellers and can't find any. Advance said in stock and I ordered and they refunded me a few hours later saying no longer available. Unless there is some old stock somewhere, I'm going to buy used and rebuild myself following your instructions or send out to Cardone. I suspect as you stated above, they all came from Cardone. And they depleted their cores?

 

[Bennyt]

No luck on the WIA brand either. Newport and DSE make some but I really don't want aftermarket for a truck that probably will never see rain but 1-2x a year.

 

[SirRobyn0]

@Bennyt Let me look into it and see what I can find out. I'll get back to in a 1/2 hour or so.