The MGF Register Forums

Hi all

The wipers on my '98 have started playing up- along with the heater motor.

Firstly, the single wipe works well and fast wipe goes like the clappers, but I have lost intermittent and normal speed.

Secondly, number 1 and 2 settings on the heater motor have stopped working, I should mention that the heater has been like this for a while.

Before I take things apart, anyone come across these issues before?

Just like to say what a great forum this is- really helpful people out there.

Thanks

Tony

Hi Tony,

the heater blower issue is well known, two of the resistor coils in the heater box have burnt out. Get the resistor pack out and swap the coils for Rezpax replacements (http://www.rezpax.com), if you know ho to handle a soldering iron. The location is a bit awkward, though. You have to remove the glovebox and the air intake tube behind it (a single nut holds it in place). Then the resistor pack can be found on the heater box. There are some illustrations on Rob’s website.

The other problem might be down to the stalk switch, but the red multifunction unit behind the fusebox under the steering wheel is also one of the usual suspects. Do the wiper arms return to the idle position when you just flip the single wipe quickly?

What Mykel said.

Agreed - two separate problems. The heater speed issue is exactly as Mykel describes - the resistor wires will have burnt out and will now need replacing.

The wiper problem is a little odd. Could be the stalk - although these are generally very reliable? How did the problem start?

Firstly, the wipers were hesitant to start but after a short while they worked fine. After a week, those two settings stopped and I'm left with single wipe and full wipe- and no Mykel, the wipers do not return back to their position automatically, I've got to do it manually.

Thanks for the heater remedy.

Hmmm.... interesting. I think that this is pointing more towards a problem with the motor/ parking circuit. It would be prudent just to check that the wiper motor is getting the correct signal to run the intermittent/ normal wipe with a multimeter. If you look at the wiring diagrams on Dieter's website, it is pretty straightforward to test. If the motor is getting a live power signal when the switch is turned on, then the finger of blame is on the motor - and perhaps something simple inside (burnt/dirty parking contact perhaps?)

A tenner from my side on the motor as well, but I doubt it’s the parking switch. If only the fast wipe works and there is no slow movement at all, I’d think the resistor inside the motor has burnt out. Slow wipe and fast wipe are just a matter of settings on the wiper switch, the only difference being routing the connection to ground either via the resistor or directly (says the slightly confusing tube map attached below ).

So best get a replacement motor from the correct model year – the connectors are different!

Mykel wrote:So best get a replacement motor from the correct model year – the connectors are different!

Very true! But easy to swap connectors over (I did this a few years back - late motor to early car) - just need to cut connectors off both motors and splice in the appropriate connector to the replacement motor

Motor replacement described here - and I mention that I had to swap the connectors in step 4 http://mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/common ... cement.htm

I will take the motor out over the weekend and have a look.

Thanks all

Can't the terminals be popped out of one of the plugs?

If I am honest, I can't remember James. I am sure I looked at it, and figured it was easier to solder and shrink-wrap the wires together

I looked at the motor and it looks like someone has fitted a TF motor as the connections are now bullet connectors.
I pulled them apart and there was no power coming from some of the wires (can't recall the colours) and then connected the wiper direct to the battery and the normal speed and intamittant worked. So all points to the switch. Got one off EBay for a fiver and will see if that cures it when it arrives.

Maybe just something simple like an oxidised connector or two? I'd use water proof connectors in this area if replacing the original plug.

Just finished replacing the wiper switch- it wasn't that.
When I looked at the connectors I went back to fresh wire and replaced them all, no idea why it worked with a direct feed from the battery tho.

Need to get hold of a new motor now.

Hello! I just took my car from winter storage and wipers are out, they actually went up but stopped there. I tried to the quick fix but actually the motor case wasn't that full on stuff, littl rust only that I cleaned with oil = no help. When wipers are turned on on can hear sound (solenoid clicking ) from the motor but nothing happens. So is the next thing changing the motor? And was there wiper motor from some other car that would fit?

Hi all.

A few weeks back my wipers started having what seems like the same issue TonyP had. I'm sharing this information here mainly as it might be of help to someone, just as all the information on here has been a gret help to me over the years of my MGF ownership.

The wipers suddenly stopped working as normal, and behaving as follows:
Manual wipe: Wiper movement only whilst lever held down, i.e. they don't go up and down with just a tap of the lever and do not automatically return to bottom - I have to hold the lever down for movement and release when wipers reach the bottom.
Intermittent wipe: None. But an intermittent click can be heard from the switch.
Normal wipe: No motion, but clicking to be heard from switch.
Fast wipe: Works as normal but wipers do not return to down position, they stop wherever they happen to be when turned off.

Yesterday I started the car and used my limited wiper functionality to clear the windscreen. There was only a fine drizzle, so it was perhaps 20 seconds before I went to wipe again - but nothing. There was no wiper movement in any setting - auto or manual. Thankfully, I was only travelling a few hundred yards. When I got in the car to return home - same again - they "worked" first time after starting the engine but not after that. This morning, there was no wiper functionality whatsoever.

I took the housing off the wiper motor. There wasn't water in there but there were signs of water damage, wear and tear. I cleaned out the housing and all the small bits of metal clinging onto the magnet. I could easily turn the motor by hand. I sprayed with WD40 and put the casing back on.

After the clean up, I have functionality in my wipers again, but only the same limited functionality I had before.

The picture below shows a couple of interesting items that were loose and fell out when I removed the motor casing. The first appears to be part of an electrical connection, which is possibly where the problem is. Unlike everything else in the motor, the spring looks like new. It's just like the typical spring found in a pen and to me it seems too weak to serve any purpose in the motor, but I can't imagine what it's doing there or how it got in if it isn't part of the motor.

I post this is for information only. I've had my '97 MGF since 2007 but am now looking to replace it. I can hopefully manage with the limited functionality of my wipers for now.

Is this the wiper motor brush and its spring?

Clean up the square bit and if it is black and a pencil lead, then I am right