Windshield wiper stalk problem

[iamtherealJayy]

1987 Chevrolet V20 Custom Deluxe 5.7L TBI
In my attempt to make this old truck great, since spring is coming up and it’s been raining a lot more I figured it’s time to fix the wipers. Ever since I got the truck the adjustment on the stack hasn’t worked, it was on and you could spin it and nothing happened until you hit the end of the adjustment and it was fast until you went back to the beginning, plus hi and lo clicks after that. Recently it’s gotten worse, the wipers no longer park u less I bump mist until it’s back at the bottom. Sometimes it works fine(other than the variable speed) and then randomly it just has on and then you have to bump mist to make it stop. Based off things I’ve read it could be in the stalk, my turn signals aren’t very easy either, you push it down and it doesn’t click smoothly and it takes a second before the dash light blinks, my high beam indicator on the dash also rarely works(rarely use high beams so doesn’t effect me that much, also unrelated to the wipers but it’s all connected to the stalk. ) but it could also be the wiper motor and the park sensor stopped working. Usually mist will return to park if you get it atleast half way up or so, kinda have to hold it a second to get it to take off the full travel on its own. I’d like to replace the stalk if possible since the chrome is peeling anyways, I don’t have cruise or anything and everything I’ve seen it’s just kinda a pop out and pop in new one? I’m not the greatest at wiring and stuff but I have recently purchased my own multimeter so I can test plugs and see if everything is getting the correct voltage when it should. I just need a point into the right direction so I can stop relying on rain-x on the windshield incase my wipers don’t come on one day lol.

 

[gmbellew]

the stalk isn't actually a switch. it is just the mechanism that moves the turn signal switch, high beam switch, and wiper switch that all reside in the column.

not parking sounds like the park switch in the motor. you could potentially take the motor apart and fix it. but I would just buy a WAI replacement motor. it Is pretty easy to swap out. the hardest part is not dropping the nut that bolts the mechanism to the wiper somewhere where you can't retrieve it.

it could be the stalk is somehow messed up. but if you are having issues controlling the wipers, it may be the actual wiper switch in the column. the stalk is easy to replace to try, though. like you said, it just pops out and the nee one pops in.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’ve taken the majority of a column apart in my k10 bonanza, I’d really rather not take this one apart tho lol. The k10 was fairly simple I just replaced the turn signal switch and the ignition comb piece. Is there anyways of testint the park? I know once it stops changing speed and gets stuck on one setting turning it off does nothing and you have to hit mist to make it stop

 

[gmbellew]

in the service manual, chassis electrical section.

 

[SirRobyn0]

I'm pretty sure you have 3 different problems. The hi / low changer is the easiest, as you may or may not know you pull the turn signal stalk, but the switch isn't in the column, there is a long rod down the column and the switch is mounted externally to the side of the column, pretty easy to change sans having to reach under the dash.

Wipers. Yes the switch is inside the column, but it's not common at all for them to go out. Sure they can especially on a 40 something year old truck, but there are known issues with the delay modules, and the wiper motors aren't the best. Combine that with a lot of really poor quality reman wiper motors out there. So your symptoms with the wipers do sound like a failing motor to me. This is what I think it happening. I think there is some reason why the motor doesn't want to start, this could be an internal electrical issue in the motor, bad motor bearings or possibly the wiper linkage, this would explain why it won't start on low, but will on high and then once it's "broken loose" it'll work on low and delay. The park function is simple, you turn the switch off on the dash and the motor is allowed to return to park via a switch inside the motor called the park switch. If that goes out then the motor either won't shut off or stops where it shouldn't. Now you can grab a wiring diagram and troubleshoot the system or replace the motor. It's up to you but if that truck was in the shop with those symptoms I'd put a motor in and then troubleshoot if there were any remaining issues, because at the very least the park issue has to be internal to the motor that is the only possibility so we do know it does have a problem. Do not get a reman unit especially not a cardone. Look I'm not usually adverse to a good quality reman part, but this has just been a terrible problem with these motors. A/C Delco seems to have stopped making new units, and there is as far as I can tell only one manufacture making new ones and that's Wia. So you know it's Korean company if that matters to you, yea I'd like to buy american to but in this case there isn't a quality american made product. Autozone is a Wia dealer, O'reilly's can order from them.

The "stalk" thing your talking about the actually lever they you pull for the beam changer, turn for the wipers and move up and down for the turn signals, yes that's pop in and out. Grab hold if it with your left hand while sitting in the drivers seat and pull briskly straight out at the same angle it comes out of the column at and it'll pop off. pops right back in easy 5 sec no tool needed swap, but won't fix any of your problems except the pealing chrome.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@SirRobyn0 thank you for all of that, my high beams work just the light on the dash is iffy. The turn signals work as well they just don’t click very smoothly abd it takes a second for the dash lights to start blinking no biggy. The wipers the adjustable delay hasn’t worked since I don’t know when, you twist it abd it doesn’t get faster until you hit the end and then click it for hi and lo. There is no resistance in twisting it unless you click it to a completely different setting. I don’t know if it’s supposed to click through each delay or be smooth. The park may be gone since if you turn it on and it’s working fine it will park but if it stops acting right you have to hit mist. I think I have a video of them on while the switch is off.

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This is a video I took on January 15, the wipers are off but moving like you have the delay turn to one click before hi lo.

 

[AuroraGirl]

@SirRobyn0 thank you for all of that, my high beams work just the light on the dash is iffy. The turn signals work as well they just don’t click very smoothly abd it takes a second for the dash lights to start blinking no biggy. The wipers the adjustable delay hasn’t worked since I don’t know when, you twist it abd it doesn’t get faster until you hit the end and then click it for hi and lo. There is no resistance in twisting it unless you click it to a completely different setting. I don’t know if it’s supposed to click through each delay or be smooth. The park may be gone since if you turn it on and it’s working fine it will park but if it stops acting right you have to hit mist. I think I have a video of them on while the switch is off.

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This is a video I took on January 15, the wipers are off but moving like you have the delay turn to one click before hi lo.

does your truck have provisions for cruise? maybe you have the wrong stalk. if you dont have a delay module, for example, i could see it behaving weird too. the switches are different depending on those. I just dont remember the trucks having a chrome paint on the switch like the cars did, maybe im wrong but I would just verify it matches your trucks setup because gm used the design for years.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Provisions for cruise? On the stalk only has info about the wipers. When I looked up replacements they looked similar and offered all black or chrome ones. I like shiny so obviously I’m going to go chrome if I replace it. The delay variable on the stalk spins basically freely from the first to last setting then clicks to hi and lo

 

[AuroraGirl]

Provisions for cruise? On the stalk only has info about the wipers. When I looked up replacements they looked similar and offered all black or chrome ones. I like shiny so obviously I’m going to go chrome if I replace it. The delay variable on the stalk spins basically freely from the first to last setting then clicks to hi and lo

it doesnt click to off?

and by cruise i meant like an actuator under the hood that would hook up to the speedo cable , possibly not, but it would have a thing connected to a throttle body/carb to pull the throttle. Its usually on the fender. If you dont see any evidence of that, dont mind that

do you have a delay module? whats the wiper motor look like externally? pic

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Nothing on the fender other than the confusing spring things for trailer brakes. And washer fluid, which my passenger side shoots forward I reckon the line is cracked, anyways I don’t believe truck was optioned for cruise at all. It was a very basic truck. The wiper motor looks fine all wiring looked fine when I was chasing the high idle problem. I don’t use my wipers enough to know exactly when the problem started and it not having all the delay settings didn’t bother me but them not turning off is starting to bother me

 

[AuroraGirl]

do you have a delay module? whats the wiper motor look like externally? pic

its important

alsoyou can check out the sprayer on the arm to see if its got a kink or squeeze in the hose or debris on the end. also if your reservoir is dirty you should check the inline check valve to make sure its not at all obstructed

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I reckon I’ll go walk out back to the truck and get some pics, js the wiper motor all you want pics of?

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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Looks like passenger side the hose cracked off the fitting

 

[SirRobyn0]

Not to state the obvious but that wiper motor looks like it s been there since the dawn of time. The delay module Taylor was talking about would be under the dash. The stalk should be smooth though the delay portion.

@AuroraGirl if someone had stuck a delay stalk on a no delay truck then when you turned the wipers on the low and high clicks would be in the delay band. Since his low and high detents seem to be in the right place more than likely his truck does have delay, but of course it could have issues.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Not to state the obvious but that wiper motor looks like it s been there since the dawn of time. The delay module Taylor was talking about would be under the dash. The stalk should be smooth though the delay portion.

@AuroraGirl if someone had stuck a delay stalk on a no delay truck then when you turned the wipers on the low and high clicks would be in the delay band. Since his low and high detents seem to be in the right place more than likely his truck does have delay, but of course it could have issues.

the wiper motor tells me what i needed to know, which is its likely original, the switch matches the function , the switch is also probably stock.