Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 00 1.8 rear wiper not wiping fully

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Mon 23 Mar 2009 13:46
00 1.8 rear wiper not wiping fully - Nightcrawler1988
Hi Everyone,

I have a Mk1 Ford Focus Estate, 1.8 TDDI, 2000, W Plate. For a about 6-8 months I have been experiencing the rear wiper blade not wiping fully across the window.

When the switch was flicked to intermittent it would only wipe across a 1/3 of the window and then stop, I would then have to flick the stalk off and back on again a couple of times to get it back to the parked position. When the rear washer was depressed the wiper would wipe across the window fully 5 times and then settle normally in the correct place but sometimes not.

In searching I have found the most common fault is the relay?s, Ford Parts Centre insisted that this was the fault, I have changed both of the relays for the windows in the fuse box and still no difference.

The next thing I changed was the rear wiper motor, this again made no difference.

I replaced the wiper stalk with both a standard wiper stalk and a 6 speed stalk this made no difference.

I have looked at the Central Timer Module but it doesn?t seem out of order at all.

Anyone have any advice on something I can try next? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Simon

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 23/03/2009 at 18:55

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Mon 23 Mar 2009 15:22
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - NARU
I'd bet its a broken wire in the wiring loom where it joins from the hatch into the car. There are usually two feeds - one which is live only long enough to start the wiper wiping, and one constant 12v which continues the wipe (this being the wire which which is broken).

But I could be wrong!
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Mon 23 Mar 2009 16:38
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - ifithelps
Marlot,

You couild be wrong, but I don't think you are.

As you say, the wiring loom between the hatch and the car body is known to fail over time.

Can be a pig of a job, too, because the wires are quite taught and the exposed section is very short, which leaves very little wire to work with.
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Mon 23 Mar 2009 16:39
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - Nightcrawler1988
Thanks for that, I didn't think to check the wiring because it was working on the wash sequence. I'll give it a look!

Simon
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Mon 23 Mar 2009 16:44
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - ifithelps
..I'll give it a look!...

Simon,

Check the number plate lights at the same time - they are wired the same way and conk out when the loom starts to break up.

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Mon 23 Mar 2009 16:53
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - Nightcrawler1988
Great, I'll get on to this asap. Any ideas if you can buy a loom from Ford? If such a thing exists? Or should I join the wiring loom together again if it is failing?

Thanks again everyone.
Smion
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Wed 25 Mar 2009 00:44
Rear Wiper Not Wiping Fully - Nightcrawler1988
Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your help. The constant live wire in the loom is faulty at some point. I have replaced this, was a tight job though...and now my wiper works fine!

Kind Regards Simon
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