D2 wiper motor an Air Conditioning trouble

[Rob371]

On the 2004 D2 the wiper doesn't return to park. My assumption is it is in the motor and from what I've read it is a real bugger to access. Anybody have any experiences to share?

The air conditioning is also not functioning. The compressor doesn't engage when AC is switched on, nor does it work when defroster is running. I haven't spent much time on it other than to hot wire the compressor and verify it engages. Next step is fuses and relay when I get a few minutes to check. What are the common issues on these?

 

[squirt]

For the wipers, have you already disassembled/cleaned/re-greased the switch? It's the problem about 98% of the time. Lots of people have mistakenly wasted money on new motors, just to find this out. The old grease breaks down, solidifies, and causes intermittent connectivity.

For the A/C, what does your system pressure look like? If it's low(or high), the clutch will not kick in. A leak is the most likely cause. When you jump the clutch relay, does it blow cold?

 

[Blue]

I bought a replacement wiper motor from dweb (probably Drillbit) years ago and it sat on my workbench shelf until last year. I finally replaced the cracked plastic windshield cowl and replaced the motor at the same time. You have to remove the cowl to access the motor which is not hard but a bit of a pain in the ass. If your cowl is degraded then it will likely crack apart when you remove it to replace the wiper motor, so doing both at the same time might be wise.

Here is a video showing the removal & installation of the cowl. Atlantic British calls it the "center air intake molding":
http://www.roverparts.com/resources/videos/install-center-air-intake-moulding-discovery-ii/

 

[Rob371]

For the wipers, have you already disassembled/cleaned/re-greased the switch? It's the problem about 98% of the time. Lots of people have mistakenly wasted money on new motors, just to find this out. The old grease breaks down, solidifies, and causes intermittent connectivity.

For the A/C, what does your system pressure look like? If it's low(or high), the clutch will not kick in. A leak is the most likely cause. When you jump the clutch relay, does it blow cold?

Thanks for the tip. I'll dig into the switch as you suggested. As far as the AC, no it does not blow cold. I suspect low pressure most likely but these things are quirky so I figured I would ask. In the meantime the starter took a vacation yesterday and left my wife stranded so I just pulled that off and ordered a new one. It took a little head scratching to figure out the heat shield but not too bad after that.

 

[Rob371]

I bought a replacement wiper motor from dweb (probably Drillbit) years ago and it sat on my workbench shelf until last year. I finally replaced the cracked plastic windshield cowl and replaced the motor at the same time. You have to remove the cowl to access the motor which is not hard but a bit of a pain in the ass. If your cowl is degraded then it will likely crack apart when you remove it to replace the wiper motor, so doing both at the same time might be wise.

Here is a video showing the removal & installation of the cowl. Atlantic British calls it the "center air intake molding":
http://www.roverparts.com/resources/videos/install-center-air-intake-moulding-discovery-ii/

Thanks for sharing the link.

 

[Rob371]

Finally getting around to looking at the wipers not returning to park. I have the disco inside so I could replace the leaking ABS module and figured since it's inside I might as well keep digging. Successfully removed cowl without damage.

Just a hunch but looks to me like wiper motor has possibly been replaced already. It is not land rover branded. Motor says TRICO. Anybody have knowledge on that?

I was reading through the D2 shop manual. It says relay for wiper function is integral to the fuse panel and "cannot be renewed separately." What the? So if relay fails you gotta replace fuse panel? Tell me it isn't so!

The manual also states park is a function of the motor, not the switch, which makes sense because when the switch is de energized the motor needs to get back to park position with no power applied through switch. I did access the wiper switch on the column and sprayed some contact cleaner in there as best as I could. Looks like steering wheel removal if I want to go further.

I disassembled the wiper motor, drilled out the rivets and popped the cover off. I gave it a half ass look over, nothing obvious. Three terminals all look to be making good contact. One appeared more worn than the others but still looked to be contacting. I bent the terminal a bit and reassembled. No change.

New wiper motor arrives tomorrow. 98 bucks so not too painful. I guess I'll know more in the morning.

 

[Rob371]

New wiper motor did the trick. The swap was not remotely as bad as anticipated. I did end up with a leftover spring washer. The ID is larger than the OD of pin where two transmission arms connect so it didn't make sense to put it there. The washer ID is same as output shaft OD on motor but that shaft is splined and tapered so that didn't seem to make sense either. The parts illustration in shop manual is different from what's actually on the vehicle.

 

[robbyb20]

For the wipers, have you already disassembled/cleaned/re-greased the switch? It's the problem about 98% of the time. Lots of people have mistakenly wasted money on new motors, just to find this out. The old grease breaks down, solidifies, and causes intermittent connectivity.

For the A/C, what does your system pressure look like? If it's low(or high), the clutch will not kick in. A leak is the most likely cause. When you jump the clutch relay, does it blow cold?

Im trying to disassemble and regrease the switches on my D1 and having the darnest time getting them apart (already off the bezel). Any tips on that? thanks!