Fuse keeps blowing on my wipers

[Fendilicious]

Hi, just wandering if anyone can advise me with a problem i have with the fuse on my wipers blowing ?
Just recently bought a 1997 c180 auto. Didn't check at the time but the wiper, screen wash and flashing beam won't work. The Fuse had blown and i replaced it but every time, within seconds, the wiper works and the fuse blows!!
Appreciate any advice.
Many thanks,
Jay

 

[Dec]

Jay, you could try this;
Replace the fuse.
DON’T TURN ON THE WIPERS
Try the flashing beam several times to see if that action is blowing the fuse.

Dec

 

[mally]

wiper fuse blowing

Hi, just wandering if anyone can advise me with a problem i have with the fuse on my wipers blowing ?
Just recently bought a 1997 c180 auto. Didn't check at the time but the wiper, screen wash and flashing beam won't work. The Fuse had blown and i replaced it but every time, within seconds, the wiper works and the fuse blows!!
Appreciate any advice.
Many thanks,
Jay

If it is a single wipe arm,remove black cover to reveal mechanism you will find a centre rod this sticks or seizes,use wd40 once
its free smear in silicone grease or vaseline.[blows fuse if stuck straight away]

 

[frankcarparts]

Replace the fuse. Don't turn on the wipers. and also check the wirings.

 

[television]

I think that it will be the stalk that is faulty, the wipers are controlled from the N10 relay 119 in the link

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...417717.418&CT=F&cat=44V&SID=54&SGR=045&SGN=03

 

[Fendilicious]

I will try this tomorrow as i couldn't get 40 amp fuses anywhere.
Many thanks.
Regards,
Jay

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi there, yes it is a single arm. But when it first happened, the wiper did half a cycle and stopped in the middle. I was then able to manually move the wiper arm to the side. It seemed to move quite freely. I noticed the centre rod was moving quite freely and having exposed the mechanism there seemed to be plenty of grease in this area. But i will do as you suggested just in case.
Many thanks,
Regards,
jay

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi, I have tried this, but then to check if the wipers work i turn on the switch and the fuse blows. I have read a previous posting and am going to check the plug under the windscreen. Will post the results as soon as.
many thanks,
Regards,
jay

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi, i will try the other suggestions first then move on to the stalk. Should i change the relay or the stalk first ? And, does this eliminate the wiper motor then?
Appreciate the advice,
Regards,
Jay

 

[television]

The headlamps only go through the stalk, and not the N10 relay, if you pull the relay out and the fuse still blows, then the stalk is the answer

 

[Dec]

You can compare this picture in post #3 for similarity to your own, it’s a December 1994 but may be of some help, number 2 is the wiper relay in the case of my car, yours, as Malcolm suggests may be as in his diagram link.
See also the link to inspect the stalk in the same post.

Dec

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi all. Firstly, Thanks for all your quick replies.

I have been quite busy this morning, armed with 12 30amp fuses, i decided to follow the advice i have been given.

1. I removed the two black covers and found that the rod and mechanism were nicely greased and the wiper was working quite freely by hand. I spread the grease around as well as adding some WD 40 - not too much.

2. I found the 5 pin plug for the wiper motor plug, disconnected it and replaced the fuse. The flash beam and the screen wash operate as normal. I replaced the plug and the fuse blew.

3. I removed the N10 relay, replaced the fuse and it blew as soon as the wiper went to the middle of the windscreen - always blows when it reaches the middle!

4. I attempted to remove the stalk by removing the 4 hexagonal screws but it did nothing, so now i was wandering if the stalk is the problem, is it difficult to replace?

Many thanks,

Regards,
Jay

 

[television]

I am 99% sure that it is the stalk, there is nothing else left if is OK with the relay out.

One must also consider the wiper motor being at fault

Its a steering wheel off job, can you do that with the instructions

 

[Dec]

Add link

On my car the wiper fuse is 40amp, just check that 30amp is correct for yours, see inside of fuse box lid for a card detailing the fuse ratings.

Have you tried opening the end of the stalk, inspecting it for any signs of burning and spraying into any openings on it with switch cleaner. See… http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=38617

If the above doesn’t work then the next step should be to open the motor gearbox, I should not be possible to move the wiper blade by hand when it is turned off, if you can then that would indicate that either the nylon gear teeth have been striped by the motor worm drive or a nut is loose on the rear of the mechanism.

As to why the fuse keeps blowing has me baffled, any sign the engine bay and electric’s have recently been pressure washed before you bought the car.

Replacement of the stalk requires the removal of the airbag and steering wheel.

Dec

Edit... next step should be to open the motor

 

[television]

A fuse for a wiper can never be 40 amp, on a 202 from 06-97 to 05-98 is rated at 10 amp, its fuse 22 in block C

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi all. many thanks for the posts.

Firstly, when someone mentioned the stalk, i thought the reference was the wiper arm not the wiper/indicator stalk! silly me!!

Secondly, if i couldn't get the wiper arm off i just wouldn't be able to change the wiper stalk (steering wheel,airbag removal) as i'm just not competent enough.

Thirdly, i had to use 30 amp fuses temporarily as i couldn't get hold of 40 amps anywhere. And just to mention the car is an early C180 1997 (p reg) and the fuse number is 13. There was a 40 amp fuse when i first checked, so just went by that.

I am going to try opening the end of the interior stalk following the link Dec sent me, just to see if anything obvious is wrong.

No Dec, the car doesn't look like it has been steam cleaned or tampered with. But it does seem like it may have been standing for several months though!


Does any body have any links to removing the wiper arm/ wiper motor? i would really appreciate it.

Many thanks for all your advice,

jay

 

[television]

Something nor right,I looked your car up this morning and its fuse 22 rated at 10 amp,,its impossible to use a 40 amp fuse, that dam nearly starter motor current

 

[Fendilicious]

Hi Malcolm,

I looked at the fusebox card and it directed me to fuse 13. It controls the wiper, screen wash and main beam. There was a blown orange 40 amp fuse in there so i assumed that was the correct fuse.

I will be home later to check again and repost.

Not sure what else to do apart from going to a mercedes specialist, and letting them deal with it. But hope to do this as a last resort.

Also, forgot to mention that the front windows only open when you hold the back window switch down but close as normal - how bizzare is that? Starting to think there may be an electrical fault here.

Really do appreciate all thoughts, advice and ideas,

Regards,

jay

 

[Dec]

“C180 1997 (p reg) and the fuse number is 13” … that’s the same as mine except it’s a December 1994. If the wiper plug is in the same position as in the photo below then the wiper/flasher relay (number 2 in picture) is possibly much the same too. 40amp dose sound high alright but the flasher and wash wiper are on it as well. I guess Mercedes now think it is over rated.

The end of the stalk is very difficult to remove but it will come off, nothing will fall apart when you get it off, just watch out for the spring, plunger and the peg. Have a good look at the underside of the stalk switch, a mirror is useful to see better.

For the wiper arm look at first 5 pictures of this one… http://mercedesshop.com/Wikka/W124BlowerMotor
For the wiper motor and mechanism look at this one… http://members.lycos.nl/mbenz/windshield_wiper.htm

Are you saying the switches are back to front, that the front switch opens the back window and the back switch opens the front window?

Dec

 

[television]

Ok we have 5 different versions of the fuse boxes, 1995 to 96 is fuse 13 at 40 amps as it drives the rear window also.