windshield wiper constant power or switched power? (1 Viewer)

[buck toenges]

My windshield wipers on my 1970 fj40 works well except that it runs down my battery when parked. I have the 12v+ directly to wiper motor as in most of the diagrams I found on this site. Should the 12v+ power be from ignition switch power or always on power? If it is supposed to be always on power what is causing the battery drain?

Thanks,
Buck

 

[B y r o n]

According to the wiring diagram at the top of the page here, it pulls power from the 15A fuse that appears to get its' power from the ignition switch.

 

[3_puppies]

the wipers use switched power directly to the motor, when the key is off the wipers stop working
speed is controlled thru the ground

 

[igotta40]

Why do you think the power drain is coming from the wipers?

 

[buck toenges]

So I went back and revisited my wiring of the wiper switchand wiring harness to motor. Turns out I had 12v+ wired to switch and had 12v+ wired to motor. After reworking the wiring so there is no direct 12v+ to switch and ignition switched 12v+ to motor things are somewhat better. The problem now is I have low speed windshield wipers but no hi speed windshield wipers. My question now is could I have blown the windshield wiper switch by having 12v+ to the wiper switch? I have ordered a new switch but am curious if the wiper switch can go bad? I do believe that I have the wiring correct from the switch to the motor like blue/wht to blue/blk and visa versa.

 

[fjwagon]

Here is a simple test you can run. Disconnect the wiper + wire going to the battery terminal and use a test light to complete the circuit( in series ). If the light come on then it is draining the battery. My answer it is not with out looking at a schematic ...so if it is just a switch, however, if the circuit has some resistor or relay and it completes the circuit while its the off position i could very easilydrain your battery. Something else may be doing too. A a stuck relay could do it.

On other circuit but same idea: Disconect one of the battery terminals and connect the test light series to complete the circuit, and with ignition switch in off position, the light should be off. If the light is on, something is draining the battery, start disconnecting connectors or remove fuses until it turns off.