The wiper fuse blew on my Toyota Camry wagon when I activated the rear
wiper. I've taken the motor off and looked inside - no obvious
problems. I'm wondering what electrical testing I can do with an
ohmmeter. The complication is the relay unit, which has six
connections. I'm not sure how it operates.

On Mon, 04 Jun 2012 13:20:07 +1200, Gib Bogle wrote:

The wiper fuse blew on my Toyota Camry wagon when I activated the rear
wiper. I've taken the motor off and looked inside - no obvious
problems. I'm wondering what electrical testing I can do with an
ohmmeter. The complication is the relay unit, which has six
connections. I'm not sure how it operates.

How many connections to the motor unit? See if you can find the
electrical diagrams on the 'net. Does the rear wiper doe "clever"
things like come on automagically when you go into reverse and the
main wipers are on? That could explain the number of wires to the
relay box, though I'd expect that sort of thing to be done by a BCU
these days.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article ,
Gib Bogle wrote:
The wiper fuse blew on my Toyota Camry wagon when I activated the rear
wiper. I've taken the motor off and looked inside - no obvious
problems. I'm wondering what electrical testing I can do with an
ohmmeter. The complication is the relay unit, which has six
connections. I'm not sure how it operates.

Most rear wipers have an intermittent setting. Maybe also a timed cycle
when using the washer, if it has one. So the 'relay' unit would have
connections to the switch as well as the motor. The timer unit on my SD1
which has both these functions has 6 connections.

But what you need is a circuit diagram for your model. You could then test
the motor directly from the battery to ascertain whether it's that or the
timer causing the problem. Was there any smell of burning when you looked
at the motor?

--
*Don't use no double negatives *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Jun 4, 2:20*am, Gib Bogle
wrote:
The wiper fuse blew on my Toyota Camry wagon when I activated the rear
wiper. *I've taken the motor off and looked inside - no obvious
problems. *I'm wondering what electrical testing I can do with an
ohmmeter. *The complication is the relay unit, which has six
connections. *I'm not sure how it operates.

On mine the rear wiper was so tight to turn because of corrosion
between alloy housing and steel shaft going to wiper arm, stripped it
completely and cleaned up and greased, goes much quicker now than it
ever did.
Al

On 4/06/2012 10:25 p.m., Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
Gib wrote:
The wiper fuse blew on my Toyota Camry wagon when I activated the rear
wiper. I've taken the motor off and looked inside - no obvious
problems. I'm wondering what electrical testing I can do with an
ohmmeter. The complication is the relay unit, which has six
connections. I'm not sure how it operates.

Most rear wipers have an intermittent setting. Maybe also a timed cycle
when using the washer, if it has one. So the 'relay' unit would have
connections to the switch as well as the motor. The timer unit on my SD1
which has both these functions has 6 connections.

But what you need is a circuit diagram for your model. You could then test
the motor directly from the battery to ascertain whether it's that or the
timer causing the problem. Was there any smell of burning when you looked
at the motor?


I have a kind of generic circuit diagram, which doesn't convey a great
deal to me. I think you're right about the timer. I tested the motor
directly on the battery. Initially there were big sparks (the
fuse-blowing kind), then it went open circuit. Not a good sign. I
think I may need a new wiper motor.

While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

On 04/06/2012 22:03, Gib Bogle wrote:

While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a bit
of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the high
battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with low or
no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a high
voltage.

Buggered regulator innit? Which translates as new alternator time.

If you've got 19v in your car, time to sort it and fast

On 5/06/2012 9:07 a.m., Clive George wrote:
On 04/06/2012 22:03, Gib Bogle wrote:

While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a bit
of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the high
battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with low or
no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a high
voltage.

Buggered regulator innit? Which translates as new alternator time.

If you've got 19v in your car, time to sort it and fast

I am not starting the engine again until it's fixed. I hope it hasn't
caused other damage already.

"Gib Bogle" wrote in message
...
On 5/06/2012 9:07 a.m., Clive George wrote:
On 04/06/2012 22:03, Gib Bogle wrote:

While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a bit
of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the high
battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with low or
no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a high
voltage.

Buggered regulator innit? Which translates as new alternator time.

If you've got 19v in your car, time to sort it and fast

I am not starting the engine again until it's fixed. I hope it hasn't
caused other damage already.

You also have to watch these "tyre" places. I forget the details (it's been
quite a while) but I had a voltage problem. They 'bunged' on 12V and zilch,
so they 'bunged on' 24V (before I could stop them). Fortunately still zilch
else I may have had every piece of equipment in the camper shagged. I can't
remember what the problem was. I think I lost 1 x 12v bulb. Bloody kids who
don't care a ****.

In article ,
Gib Bogle wrote:
While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

Assuming your DVM hasn't failed - it is reading some 12.5v from the
battery with the engine stopped? - the alternator regulator has failed.
This is usually internal to the alternator but can be replaced for about
£30 if you can be bothered finding one.

Unless the rear wiper was in use for a long period, it's unlikely this
high voltage will have caused it to fail.

--
*Don't byte off more than you can view *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 5/06/2012 9:52 p.m., Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
Gib wrote:
While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

Assuming your DVM hasn't failed - it is reading some 12.5v from the
battery with the engine stopped? - the alternator regulator has failed.
This is usually internal to the alternator but can be replaced for about
£30 if you can be bothered finding one.

Unless the rear wiper was in use for a long period, it's unlikely this
high voltage will have caused it to fail.


There are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand.
After sitting overnight the battery still reads 18v, engine not started.
This shows on three different scales of the DVM. Not believing it, I
checked with my old analog meter - same thing. How can a 12v battery
hold 18v of charge?

In article ,
Gib Bogle wrote:
There are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand.
After sitting overnight the battery still reads 18v, engine not started.
This shows on three different scales of the DVM. Not believing it, I
checked with my old analog meter - same thing. How can a 12v battery
hold 18v of charge?

Never seen any battery that reads that much over its nominal voltage. Try
disconnecting it and see what it reads. And switch on the headlights etc
without the engine running and see what the reading is.

--
*All men are idiots, and I married their King.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:43:48 +1200, Gib Bogle
wrote:

How can a 12v battery
hold 18v of charge?

Because it's grossly over-charged, plus there's a surface charge on
top of that. Normally, the max you'd see going into it would be 14.8V
(which is at the top of the charging range for calcium batteries).You
could try bringing it down with a load, like an old headlamp, but
don't even switch the ignition on until it's come down by at least 3
volts.

Gib Bogle wrote:
On 5/06/2012 9:52 p.m., Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
Gib wrote:
While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

Assuming your DVM hasn't failed - it is reading some 12.5v from the
battery with the engine stopped? - the alternator regulator has failed.
This is usually internal to the alternator but can be replaced for about
£30 if you can be bothered finding one.

Unless the rear wiper was in use for a long period, it's unlikely this
high voltage will have caused it to fail.


There are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand.
After sitting overnight the battery still reads 18v, engine not started.
This shows on three different scales of the DVM. Not believing it, I
checked with my old analog meter - same thing. How can a 12v battery
hold 18v of charge?
are there not some strange new batteries that do in fact take higher
charge? it might also be pure 'surface charge'. If the battery type has
that effect..




--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

In message , Gib Bogle
writes
On 5/06/2012 9:52 p.m., Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
Gib wrote:
While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

Assuming your DVM hasn't failed - it is reading some 12.5v from the
battery with the engine stopped? - the alternator regulator has failed.
This is usually internal to the alternator but can be replaced for about
£30 if you can be bothered finding one.

Unless the rear wiper was in use for a long period, it's unlikely this
high voltage will have caused it to fail.


There are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand.
After sitting overnight the battery still reads 18v, engine not
started. This shows on three different scales of the DVM. Not
believing it, I checked with my old analog meter - same thing. How can
a 12v battery hold 18v of charge?
When it's been seriously overcharged. Normally it is charged at 13.8v
and when the engine is switched off it will decrease down to 12v. To
stay at 18v overnight is a bit unusual though IMO.
--
hugh

On 5/06/2012 9:52 p.m., Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
Gib wrote:
While testing things I noticed my battery voltage was very high (I'd
just been running the engine). With the engine running the charging
voltage is about 19v. A new, probably more serious, problem. It's a
bit of a coincidence, so I'm wondering if they are linked. Could the
high battery voltage have caused the motor to fail? I'm familiar with
low or no voltage from the alternator, but I don't know what can cause a
high voltage.

Assuming your DVM hasn't failed - it is reading some 12.5v from the
battery with the engine stopped? - the alternator regulator has failed.
This is usually internal to the alternator but can be replaced for about
£30 if you can be bothered finding one.

Unless the rear wiper was in use for a long period, it's unlikely this
high voltage will have caused it to fail.


More interesting battery behaviour. After another day I checked the
voltage - still at 17.8v. It doesn't seem a good idea to leave it at
this level, so I turned the headlights on. The voltage dropped steadily
to about 12.8, then rose again to 13.7, then slowly fell again. After
about 10 minutes it was down to 10.3. I turned the lights off, and it
came back up to about 14.5v. I've now put the interior lights on, with
the aim of slowly pulling the voltage down to about 13 v. This was a
fairly young battery, but I guess it may be buggered by now. When I
have some spare time I'll probably pull the alternator and have a look
at the regulator - I usually can't resist getting involved in
time-wasters like this.

In article ,
Gib Bogle wrote:
More interesting battery behaviour. After another day I checked the
voltage - still at 17.8v. It doesn't seem a good idea to leave it at
this level, so I turned the headlights on. The voltage dropped steadily
to about 12.8, then rose again to 13.7, then slowly fell again. After
about 10 minutes it was down to 10.3. I turned the lights off, and it
came back up to about 14.5v. I've now put the interior lights on, with
the aim of slowly pulling the voltage down to about 13 v. This was a
fairly young battery, but I guess it may be buggered by now. When I
have some spare time I'll probably pull the alternator and have a look
at the regulator - I usually can't resist getting involved in
time-wasters like this.

It sounds like the battery is knackered. It should run the headlights (2)
for at least a couple of hours without going much below 12 volts.

If you decide to have a go at fixing the alternator, check you can buy a
new reg for it. Find out the make and model (should be on the body
somewhere) and if a common type Ebay should have them.

--
*Why isn't there a special name for the back of your knee?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

*Why isn't there a special name for the back of your knee

What's wrong with popliteal fossa?