Last week i somehow lost function to my windhield wipers and sprayer, power outside rearview mirrors and cigarette lighter. My car is an '85 GSL and everything else seems to work great. The fuses check out. fusable links are good. I added an extra ground wire to the wiper motor, but it didn't make a difference. The other wierd thing is that the "washer" light stays on while the car is running. I'm no electrical genius, but i'm trying to follow the electrical diagrams for something in common to fix.

Does anyone know of some power or ground connection that relates to this?

 

The cigarette lighter and mirrors are on the same fuse. I would remove the fuse and put in a known good one on that one.

The wiper may be the combo switch or the fuse also. Always remove the fuse and try a good known one first.

 

thanx! i'll try that right now.

 

The fuse was blown and the one i replaced it with blew too. It turns out i had switched the wires on the cigarette lighter. now the cigarette lighter and the power mirrors are happy. Thanks again, doc.

That leaves the windshield wipers and washer. I replaced the fuse but it didn't fix. I'm will check for power at the combination switch, motor and washer next. All this because i changed out my interior...

 

Combo switch is the most likely culprit, but check the electrical connection on the wiper pigtail too since this one is exposed to the elements. You shouldn't need to add an extra ground, that's simply a patch for not finding/repairing the real cause.

The combo switch doesn't fail that often, usually a good cleaning and relube takes care of the problem.

 

does your horn work? The horn plug and wiper plug are the two that are the same 6 prong shape, and sometimes get cris-crossed during reassembly.

 

thanks folks. I'll check out the horn and combo switch in the morning.

 

So the horn and combo switch were fine. After cursing the car and kicking the wheels for awhile, i discovered that the posts the wiper arms attach to were both seized. (the wiper motor was getting hot). Using my favorite tool (a hammer), i "un-seized" them and rubbed some packing grease in where they rub. Now the wipers work better than ever.

In the process of cleaning the contacts in the combo switch, i somehow lost my headlights. I found a small ball bearing on the floor mat after re-assembling everything. why can't it just stay fixed!

 

remember, before you do anything electrical, disconeect the battery. As to the ball bearing, it is what helps the stalk 'click' from one position to the next.