tom frost

I have a 2000 Cherokee Sport and my wipers have stopped working. For a few years now, they have occassionally decided not to work in a downpour. Now, they are completely out and won't come on. Any suggestions? I have checked the fuses and they are fine. I have checked the motor and using my multimeter, have determined there is no power going to it. Where should I start to trouble shoot this? Thanks!

tom frost

No Ideas?

como killer

Bad relay ?

tom frost

Thanks for your reply.


That's what I was thinking too, but I can't locate the relay on my vehicle... I looked in the fuse box under the hood, near the coolant overflow. According to the layout on the inside of the lid, none of those relays are for the windshield wipers. According to the diagram I have access to, the fuse panel near the passenger side door doesn't have any wiper related related either.

I have read a few references to a relay module under the steering column, but when I looked I could not find any with wire harnesses attached to them that matched the color code on the wiper switch connector.

Do you know where it is located in the 2000 Cherokee Sport? I am open to all suggestions, maybe I've already looked at it and didn't realize it?

prcherokee

There is no Relay,did you check the circuit breaker in the junction block #30

tom frost

I did look and check to make sure it was fully seated, and it seemed to be. I am not sure how to test this type of circuit breaker to make sure it is functioning properly. Any suggestions? Thanks I appreciate your help.

prcherokee

check it with a meter if you get continuity is good,if not is open.try switching it with another breaker and see if your wipers work.

tom frost

I will give it a try tomorrow and let you know how it turns out. Again, thanks for the help.

tom frost

Actually, I couldn't wait until tomorrow... I just pulled the breaker and tested it - full continuity. Do you have any other troubleshooting suggestions?

Pelican

The module is sometimes referred to as a relay module but it is actually the electronic circuit board that controls the intermittent feature of the wipers.

The board is behind the lower dash panel just to the right of the steering column secured to the back of the dash with velcro. I don't know if the 2000 controls the wipers with this arrangement but if so, you will be able to find it by reaching up behind the panel and feeling for it. Pull it down, unplug the two connectors and then plug them together without the circuit board. If a defective board is the problem, the wipers should now work with the high and/or low basic function.

As stated, I am not sure the 2000 has this arrangement but hopefully someone will chime in to confirm.

tom frost

Thanks Pelican.

Well... I finally got the time to pull the shroud assembly from the steering coulumn to get a better look at things in an attempt to trace out the switch to whatever electrical component is next in line.

There is a black box at the base of the switch stem. There is a white-ish (natural) plastic Molex-type female connector that plugs into the back of that black box.

In the process of troubleshooting, I placed the switch in the "high"position (and nothing happened). I then applied some upward pressure to the connector at the point where the wires enter it, and the wipers came on!

So I removed the connector, and checked the contacts/ wires to see if there was a visible problem. I couldn't see any. There was no visible corrosion, and no looseness in the wire terminations. I used a small screwdriver to bend the contact points (on the mating side of the connector) up in case they had relaxed and needed a little more spring to form a solid connection. When I plugged the connector back in and tried it, it worked on "high", but the wipers movement was quite slow and weak. After testing in the other switch positions ("high" was the only position that worked) I went back to the "high" position, and it no longer worked. I am now convinced that the problem exists inside the black box at the base of the switch stem. Probably in the male termination points for the Molex connector.

In a quick search for replacement parts, I found that the black box is part of the wiper switch assembly. I am not thrilled about it, but it looks like replacement is the route to take. It looks like I will have to strip down the steering column a good deal further than I already have in order to replace the switch.

I am a little unclear as to how realistic it is for me to do this myself, considering the presence of the Airbag. If anyone has any advice I'm all ears.

The main reason I am posting this somewhat lengthy description of my process is to include in this thread (for potential future seekers) my observation that:

On the 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport, the intermittent wiper module seems to have changed locations from a seperate unit velcroed under the steering column to being included in a box at the base of the switch itself.


I did not find any reference to this in any google searches I did, and barely any specific results for the 2000 Cherokee Sport. If anyone can confirm or deny the accuracy of this information, I would appreciate it, however I feel fairly confident that this is correct.

Thanks for looking everybody.

mikeybonz

Not sure if this helps or is the same problem, but I have a 2000 xj as well.

The problem I had with the wipers was they had no park or delay and only worked on one speed.

I replaced the wiper motor in the crowl near the wipers and plugged it in. Brand new again. I have delay, different speeds and the wipers park themselves again.

Hope this helps.

mikeybonz

I also looks for the intermittent delay box under driver feet. Supposedly the 2000 doesn't have a intermittent switch like the older models do. I've been told the delay is in the wiper motor themselves.

tom frost

Thanks for the reply Mikey, I am thinking about trying a new wiper motor to fix the problem. I will post back to update how it went.

tom frost

Update: I finally replaced the wiper motor, and everything is good. The problem is fixed.

Upon removal of the old motor it appeared as though the rubber boot that fits over the motor had allowed quite a bit of moisture in, perhaps leading to the failure of the original motor.

I wish I had gone straight to the motor in the first place.... live and learn I guess. Thanks to everyone for the replies and help.