Noisy wiper on intermittent setting.

[Hltoppr]

Ok gents, I've searched six ways from Sunday, and haven't seen this issue....

So, I've got a 1983 FJ45, right hand drive, with an intermittent setting on the windshield wipers. Wiper motor is on the left (USDS).

On the first setting, when on intermittent, I get a high pitched squeal between wiper sweeps (wipers are at rest). The sound is coming from behind the instrument cluster (speedo etc.), and seems to be inside the windshield frame. The wiper motor runs smoothly and quietly. (I took the cover off and cleaned it up anyway.) The squeal goes away when the wipers are sweeping across the windshield.

I haven't been able to find any diagrams which seem to indicate there are any gears in this location which would cause the squeal...or any sort of "timer"..anyone know what it may be causing the noise?

-H-

 

[Hltoppr]

EUREKA!!!

I found it!

Behind the instrument cluster, on the right (when facing the dash), is a Wiper Control Box. You can access the box from under the dashboard, without taking the cluster out.

It is about 3"x3", black plastic, with two wiring clips going into it, and attached to a support with a 10mm bolt.

Remove the bolt, unhook the clips, and take the wiper control out. It's easy to remove the cover with a small screwdriver to unclip it from the base. Inside is a motor and timing gears; attached to an electrical board.

I cleaned everything with some electrical cleaner, let it dry, and then relubed the gears with some dielectric grease....put everything back together and presto!

Nice and quiet!!!

-H-

 

[dancar]

I know that I am reviving a long dead thread, but does anyone have any photos of the location of this box?

My wipers are noisy when they are on the first and second setting.

Thanks

Dan

 

[MoCoNative]

That's a common problem on the 60 series, must be the same timer. I saw a TSB on that for cold region cruisers as the squeal is worse in cold weather. My 60 drove me nuts until I figured that out. Took it part and lubed it up with Crisco (cooking grease/shortning) actually. It is a nice light grease, I was a poor college student at the time. Still working squeal free.

Dan, I don't know where the box is, never had a newer 4X series with it, but if it is truely that box, turn on th wipers and listen under there. It will be just a little black box, I think it says wiper something on it. There are not that many little boxes under there.

I confused by you having noise on two settings though. The box squeals when the wipers are on the intermittent setting as it is a timer with a little motor and some gears. Each time the gears cycle around the open and close a breaker to make the wipers sweep every couple of seconds. When on slow and fast the wiper motor runs continously and is speed adjusted by the motor itself. The timer is taken out of the curcuit at that point.

Sooo, you may have noise in the actual wiper motor. The little box makes a very loud squeal or squawl like an angry insect or something.

 

[Dieseler]

damcar your connecting rods inside the windshield frame are probably rusty and need cleaning and some lube you can check your motor by just removing the motor cover on the outside of the frame unless yours is inside top of WF depending on year.
This post is on intermitent wipers which most 40s do not have and it is a timer control box issue.

 

[dancar]

Ok - after having another listen to it today (without all the other noises), I on ly have a squeal on the first setting, second and third seem to be quiet.

I should get some time on the weekend to take the cover off the wiper motor and have a better look.

Dan

 

[MoCoNative]

If it is only squealling on theintermittent setting then it is the wiper control box under the dash. It is about 2" x 2". You have to pop the cover off to clean it up and relube the gears. Takes tiny screw driver to pry the little plastic tabs out. Don't get grease on the little contact points though. It can be plugged in and operated with the cover off to see how it works.

 

[baas]

Wiper relay - Description

Thanks to all the previous posters for this info – I had the hassle of a screeching sound when my wipers were on the intermittent setting – sounded like an angry insect under the dash. Following these steps has fixed it. So far.

There were a few posts asking about pictures and location – so I have taken some photos as I went along. Hopefully these will come in useful for the next bunch of folks. I'd be really keen if anyone has found a solid-state replacement part.

Description:
Part# 85940-36010 – Relay Assembly, Windshield Wiper.
This is listed on toyodiy. And at the time of writing this part is listed as unavailable from Toyotapartszone, and at about $150 from amayama.

It is a small cube shaped black plastic box about 5cmX5cmX4.5cm. It is mounted under the dash, behind the speedometer gauge, and almost directly above the accelerator pedal (on my RHD Australian BJ42). See green circle in picture below. Inside this box is an electronic circuit board, with a little motor and gears.

The box is fastened to the body with a single 10mm bolt (orange circle in picture above). There are two connectors that plug-in to the relay assembly. One is a single pin (White with black) and the other is a four pin (Blue with white, Blue with yellow, Blue with orange, Blue)

 

[baas]

Removal and disassembly:

I disconnected the battery before I started – the box is located near to the fuse block and all the wiring around there – and I did not want to short anything (ask me how I know!). Removed the 10mm bolt, wiggled the box down a bit so that I could press the connector catches in, disconnected the two plugs, and the box was free.

There are four little lugs around the base of the cover, it is really easy to lift/pry the cover off these lugs and the box separates easily. The electronic bits inside are not fastened to the box – so be careful of using too much force and flinging the innards across the garage as you pop the box open. (The innards are fragile).

 

[baas]

Workings (based on observation not expertise!):

It looks like this relay only works on the intermittent setting. When I set my wipers on constant it seemed to bypass this relay. Essentially the motor drives a gear which then drives a gear with two cams. These cams control the opening and closing of a set of points (much like a distributor) and another connector. You can see the points in open and closed positions in the photos below. As the points close, power is sent to the wiper motor. The interval between wiper activation is determined by the frequency of cam rotation.

 

[baas]

Cleaning and Lubrication

First thing I did was to clean the contact points with a 400grit water paper, just lightly to take off any dirt or oxidation. Not sure this is necessary.

Second thing I did was to clean any old lubricant off the gears. I wiped off all the grease I could with a cloth before spraying the gears with quick-drying electrical cleaner aerosol. Be sure to use something that is safe on plastics. And then followed up with some light brushing with an old toothbrush. The gears were not very dirty or gunky to start with, your mileage may vary dependent on what you start with.

Thirdly, after leaving the relay overnight (had to go out and have beer with some mates!) I used some food grade machinery grease (no melt, high temp, extreme pressure) that I bought to lube my odometer gears. Applied the grease to all the gears and little bit on the cam as well.

I gave the box a wipe inside and out, applied a little bit of rubber grease to the four rubber feet on the circuit board (just to keep the feet conditioned).

Reassembly:
Very simple - dropped the circuit board into the box, ensuring that the connector pins slotted through the grooves properly. And push the base back on until the four lugs snap into place. Reattach the two plugs and bolt back in place.

 

[John McVicker]

Baas, Great post, I am saving this one. Don't have the problem now but may someday.

Thanks for taking the time.

John

 

[MoCoNative]

Excellent repair info there, that is what I had to do years ago on my FJ-60. As I recall the FJ-60 box is a little bit different, I think it slides onto a tab or something under the dash. I wonder if the FJ-60 part is still available? It would not attach the same, but it seems to work the same way, probably plugs in the same I bet, I can't remember.

I think cleaning the points is a good idea. In colder weather I think they stick at first when it is very cold, cause sometimes the intermittent setting will make the wipers just stay on in the slow steady setting, then suddenly they become intermittent. Probably don't have that problem in Aus. I think dust infiltration makes the plastic gears squeal.

I used crisco cooking grease on mine. That was the only light grease I had around, it was a budget repair, still noise free 10 years later.

 

[BTUMAN]

So glad to see this post as 83 BJ42LX is doing the same today. Will do this maintenance soon Sounded like a squealing belt and then like a mad hornet under the dash. Great post and great details Bass!

 

[Rankuru]

Thanks to MoCoNative & baas for all the tips and instructions. Fixed our squealing relay this afternoon perfectly following y'all's advice.