HELP! My WIPERS Don't WORK! (Ford F150: Motor & Switch Already Replaced!)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Owner of this 2012 Ford F150 EcoBoost is DESPERATE to get his windshield wipers working again!
He already replaced both the MOTOR assembly and SWITCH stalk assembly...parts cannon is OUT OF AMMO!
Turns out the wiper motor is actually a MODULE on the LIN BUS...how fancy!
"Parts cannon approach" is RARELY successful on modern automobiles...
Let's diagnose this problem from scratch, and see if we can get the wipers working again NO PARTS REQUIRED ;)
TOPDON Phoenix Plus:
www.amazon.com...
ATD Tools 5513 Heavy-Duty TEST LIGHT:
www.amazon.com...
Enjoy!
Ivan
Give the owner some thumbs 👍 for trying! And especially being honest about....yup! That's on me!
Yep, he probably felt silly that he sent himself on a wild goose chase replacing the switch and wiper motor and then bringing the truck in for repair all on his own doing... Whoops!
over a year ago the customer pleaded ignorance for no fuse in the box.
@@volvo09 Nothing like an empty wallet to drive home the mistake so you never make it again. He can put them back on and sell the newer parts on ebay hopefully.
I paid for believing the manual was right when I replaced the distributor for the firing order. Now I check it mechanically.
I guess that is my curse in life, having the cars that the service manuals are wrong, and parts don't fit. My CV joints on my saturn is the wrong part, my starter on my rx7 is wrong part, firing order on ford straight 6 was wrong. Beetle, never a problem. But I wish I was a drunk. Would love to see the court try and hook an immobilizer to the '69. LOL
@robertsmith2956 I'm a certified BAIID installer. Putting one on a older vehicle is super simple. Now trying to install one on some of the newer vehicles is a giant pain in the butt. It's like hooking upna remote start but they operate in reverse.
idiot owner and a missing fuse....priceless...LOL
That's hilarious. Here at my shop I tell them "we repair what your husband tried to fix". ;) Had one last week, dude completely dismantled the interior over a no start problem. He was going to replace the ignition switch. He described the problem and I told him he didn't have a switch problem he had a power problem. Well, 2 hours later, after reassembling the interior, I charged his dead battery and it fired right up. XD
making basic things complex = customer installed problems
WOW haha
Years ago my coworker changed the starter on his cavalier. Car still didn't start. God I laughed. I said you should have changed the battery first...yup, the battery was pooched.
@@mikefoehr235 worse an acquaintance changed several batteries then had generator checked opps
Excellent diagnostics. Your "going upstream" approach was way more interesting than just checking all the relevant fuses.
Last time I started at the fuses the problem turned out to be the load 😂
Murphys law i guess
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Start in the middle and work out in this case would have taken just almost as long 😂😂😂.
Great diagnosis tho and problem solved so alls well that ends well 👍👍👍😉
That's the thing about diagnostics: It doesn't matter where you start, only where you finish!
Stay safe in the approaching winter storms, Ivan!
It does matter a from efficiency standpoint. Efficiency can float or sink business if your competitors out do you.
If known pattern failures follow those up first. If no leads, default to start in the middle and work up or down the chain from there! The best policy imo
I'm glad we have a control module on the BUS to take care of our wipers. What an improvement over switches and relays. Better than the old vacuum powered ones I suppose.
Agree--put the same comment later
Just one module? Don't forget the SCCM and the Wiper Motor Module were also in that circuit. And a couple of relays. Why just one module if you can have three modules. Much more fun that way when something breaks.😂
You're dating me because I remember those! 😂😊😂😊😂
I had a '63 Falcon with vacuum powered windshield wipers. 😁They would just quit if you 'floored' it. Of course 'flooring' it was mostly a futile action (6 cylinder, 2 speed transmission) 🤣🤣🤣
@@cm-hw5ww I had a 58 fairlane ,Same thing come to a hill or foot down they stop lol.
But look at the knowledge we gained from your approach! If you went the other way, well I don't think we would have gotten this awesome video!
Thanks for another great Vid!
Good morning Ivan! Damned old fords. I had 2 of these trucks this week. One for a water pump (3.7) and yesterday an overheating 2018 3.5 Ecoboost. If you have not run across it yet, there is an updated thermostat for them from Ford. Customer had already put an aftermarket t-stat in it, but had same results. I installed the updated t-stat and cured his problems. Apparently this is Ford week. I have a Ranger for front end work today. If I decide to actually do any work. Snow storm is on the way, so I may just lay about and bitch about the snow. ;)
I’ve plowed more snow this year than I have in the last 5 years combined. Now that I don’t have to work in it anymore, it doesn’t really bother me, but I could do without it for sure. 👍
@@brianw8963 We haven't had a SINGLE "plowable" snow event yet here in Central PA!! Maybe you just really like to plow Brian? ;)
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnosticsno snow in Buffalo. Used snowthrower once to make sure it worked.
@ We’re up on a hill, and right on the continental divide, and close to I-80. Tri facto weather anomaly. Neighbors even dug out and dusted off their snowmobiles, there buzzing around our fields daily. I actually do enjoy mowing since I got the Ferris a couple years ago, but I’d rather lick a belt sander than plow snow.😅☃️
@@brianw8963 Wow sounds like I should dust off the XC skis and head to your neck of the woods!
Your diag process works great don't change no matter what anyone says. Great diag.
It's knowing how something works, having the information and know how to tests things in a logical manner, same with everything, no good just throwing parts at it, end up costing you twice as much in the long run...well done Ivan..keep at it..F.
I just knew that old eco-boost wouldn't disappoint. Next will be the startup timing chain rattle
"This Ford wouldn't disappoint"? Did you see 28:06?
Hey thanks again my brother just goes to show that you know what your doing another great class
Good morning, it's dang cold in Tennessee and we're under a winter storm warning.🥶 . Great video Thank you 🎉😊
Stay safe!
The last two cars I worked on this week were from the same customer and both cars only has 30 psi in all the tires when they call for 44 psi. He said he forgets to check the pressure, but since he is a good friend of mine I ragged on him about the TPMS light being on, to which he responded with a hand gesture and accompanying two word phrase you would expect.
Funny how that 10A fuse made the owner foot the bill on a wiper motor lol
that a value added repair. don't blame a service writer.
Now, at least, he knows why his wipers didn't work.
If that is all you found with that engine and it being an Ecoboost, consider that a win.
Don't beat yourself up b/c how many times do we troubleshoot or perform a repair & find an easier way after the fact. Even if you had checked the fuses first you still need to verify integrity of the circuit unless the customer owns up to removing the fuse. Sometimes we have to be detectives 😃. In the end it was a great video to show how to bypass the circuit & components to diagnose issues. I'm retired now but it's great watching your videos. From when you started to now it's pretty impressive watching you grow into one of the best!!
SMART A Comment, With current car excessive computerization The wipers are controlled through the dash cluster which takes info from the PCM to the BCM and is routed through the tail lights then to the under seat position switch back to the BCM and finally to the column switch
in a roundabout way that is how it works. Only it's connected via the hi speed data network and while the wipers don't care what the tail lights are doing one systems faults can adversely affect another.
"I just don't understand. People just don't check their basics". I agree 100%. Preventative maintenance is the key to longevity.
Great job! I love wiring diagrams, and I can tell that you do, too! You know, even without scanners and computers, electrical stuff itself can be plenty complicated. I worked on a machine once because the Emergency Stop didn't work. It had a string of switches in series, feeding a relay. Each switch had a lamp in parallel with it, so you could see which one kept the machine from running. someone had put the wrong replacement bulb in, and when the switch opened, enough current continued thru the bulb to the relay to keep it pulled in! Who would have thought changing a bulb could prevent a safety switch from stopping the machine????
If the owner is a boomer like me it sounds like he did a little smoke testing before he came out to work on the radio then the next thing you know the wipers don't work
I recognized the process 😂
Actually once you find a circuit with an issue start in the middle of the circuit and determine if the problem is upstream or down stream then test at the center of the problem half of the circuit. Always divide and conquer. Overall a very nice job Ivan! And this is why you charge 25% more if the customer worked on it first. almost no snow here in upstate PRNY.
I've had that on many occasions! The heater and bypass hoses have a tendency to split the metal crimps and start leaking. Thanks Ivan!
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a 10A fuse in a slot that's supposed to be empty if the owner has been in the fuse box messing around.
That's what I was wondering. Perhaps in there checking fuses and put it back in the wrong slot.
Long diagnostic! When I saw how complicated the control of the wipers was, I thought that would be a module, then a relay, then a wiring fault. In the end, it was just a fuse 🤦♂
Good job, Ivan! And the extra care to check the fluids paid back - customer not only forgot the fuse, but also, to check the fluids! Little oversights that can get expensive 💰
Nice one Ivan. A straightforward diagnosis, and we even get the story from the owner to explain it. Regarding your "bonus footage" comments, I for one have been taking your advice! Every weekend I check my coolant and oil, and top off my washer fluid (which I'd have to do anyways). It takes less than 5 minutes, and gives me more confidence in my vehicle knowing the fluids are good.
Radio is more important !!! You make sure volume is loud ,so no knoking ,tapping noises ,radiador explotions can be heard
First step in electrical troubleshooting -- is it plugged in? That includes fuses too. 😉😁🤣
At least you found the problem, nice going
26:16 this particular radio in Fords apparently can have bad solder joints inside. Mine stopped working, so I did some research online. Some people have had success disassembling them and baking the circuit boards in the oven, haha
The way you do testing helps me learn. Thanks
Ivan, you’re starting to remind me of the mechanic on Seinfeld who wouldn’t let Jerry mistreat his car, so he kidnapped it. Don’t worry, I’m the same way with my kids’ cars.
Vehicles are so overly complex , you actually need an electronics brain to service these vehicles successfully.
When you first stated the owner had been "fiddling & shot a howitzer at it "I was thinking were all fuses checked & in the right place, I have done that myself & spent hours trying to find the problem until I went back to basics & then realised fuse one position out ,Ah they say you learn by your mistakes but at least it only cost me time
Excellent Ivan,
Thumbs up to the owner
Ivan you should keep an off books record of the customers that have forgetful moments like that.As the drivers get older you'll have to add an obvious check to when you 1st get started
Easier just to check the fluids on all vehicles that come in...at least the ones that have dipsticks haha! takes a minute and can prevent a catastrophic problem later on...
I did not expect a missing fuse to be the solution. I hope the owner is local.
You know fuses do have legs, 😂
Just saw the old Camry out driving today! Glad to see it's still ticking 😀
Yup sold it to a lucky customer after her Ford Focus got totaled by an old guy in a Cadillac! She can't believe how SMOOTHLY the Camry V6 drives...especially after the vibrating Ford haha
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics I guess it doesn't take much for a Focus lol. My Astro got backed into last year by a Grand Caravan in a parking lot....hardly a dent 😂 Long live the Camry 💪 I hope it gets treated as well as you and I treated it.
Yes Ivan, you could have checked the fuses first - but as a vehicle electrician and diagnostician myself, 'at which end do I start?' is as much luck as judgment sometimes. Also, for you as a content provider, some solid basics on show here which will help teach people. So while it might be an annoying outcome for the job in a sense (albeit it's a fix and you get paid :) ), it still makes for a great video. :)
I remember one case study a few years ago where I started with the fuses and relays, and finally found it to be a bad "load" component at the end...on that one people said "always start with the load!" haha
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Aahh. The armchair experts. Glad they are not only in my neck of the woods in Australia. Retired mechanic.
Really how much difference would there be going backwards through the system VS checking fuses . You would most likely still have to consult the schematics to figure out where all the fuses and relays live. Plus the added value of putting your eyes on all the pieces and parts. I think I'll stick with the trusted tried and true Ivan method.
The fuse was pulled to stop the water from escaping.
Remember when only German vehicles were over-complicated? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
😅🙏
I always enjoy seeing the mileage on a vehicle. This one about 132,000 miles. Alerts on the cluster on key on: "Low Coolant".... "Change Oil"- (Past due).... Nice! And people wonder why their vehicles self destruct? Bondo on the cab bottom and around wheel wells. Needs the "Fluid Film" education from SMA! LOL Hey, lastly, Ignition cylinder... people how have "janitor number of keys" with all the do-dads... weigh on and wear out ignition switches.
That's kind of funny how the two most important warning messages are on his dash low coolant and change oil now ha😂 bet he complains about how unreliable it is
That poor customer couldn’t wipe his glass! 🤣🤣
Go Penn State!
That diagnosis was very con " fusing " . But Ivan the terrible fixed it 😂.
Wonder were the coolant went ?? Hopefully it steamed out the coolant tank cap !
I once fixed a Focus that wipers were stuck on. The battery corroded and ruined the batteyr monitor sensor. Both were lin bus.
My diagnosis process is ALWAYS check power first, starting at the battery and battery voltage. At least a visual check of fuses is necessary.
Most people don't know headlights are adjustable, or what the high beam indicator is. Back when I wrenched for money I had at least one customer a month with gas in their diesel or diesel in their gas. Nothing surprises me anymore.
Good morning from LaPorte Indiana. Great job as always. 👍👍
I think a case of "out of sight, out of mind" applies to the coolant in this case...plus the fact that they're probably used to only filling coolant at the radiator itself if this is someone genuinely older. probably also used to a "nothing but an idiot light" type of instrument panel. i swear these things don't indicate half the time till the fluid level itself is on "fumes"
I heard "gurgles" in the heater core during the test drive and decided to check the coolant level...LOL!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics good call, then. people wonder why I hated having the radio on at all. after 16 really high milage "beaters" I learned to listen for noises. too bad oil levels don't do that. mine sucks it down like there's no tomorrow, and I can't even change it myself; I even have to buy basic maintenance tools for that :P
Good morning from Texas
Good Morning, from Sabula Pa.
Dead radios (acm) occur often in fords. Fix or repair daily.
Surprised that there is only one computer to control the wipers. I would expect at least 4 or 5.
More complex on vehicles with rain sensing devices.
Lots of fun in dry times when those folks go into an automatic car wash and have no idea how to turn off the wipers.
Typical. Where I worked at before, it was low oil, or low coolant, or low tire pressure. Occasionally low brake fluid. Some drivers were on top of things, would stop by the shop and we'd take care of it.
Good one Ivan. I saw that a couple times at work. One guy came in, fuse was there, relay was missing!
Nice buddies!
That whole wiper control scheme must be the result of Take Your Kid to Work Day. Two modules, a dedicated network, multiple fuses and relays - all to turn the wipers on and off. Their manual work-around, in case of electronic failure, was a nice idea, but the BCM killed it, too!
Column key issue. Little key chips will eventually cause problems. Hold a rag below and wash out key hole. Blast it with lots of WD-40. Solves lots of problems.
Never, ever WD 40 and locks, it leaves a sticky film when it dries !
@@CrimeVid Believe what you want but an old locksmith showed me that forty five years ago and I can't count the number of time I used it on my customers vehicles and my own.
Well I’m shocked radio doesn’t matter coolant level, doesn’t matter, wiper’s maximum effort!
Was the oil low too?
No leaks from any other location?
Can’t predict what is wrong you can only plan a way to test and then work each clue.
Thanks Ivan!
Everyone methodology is different . Awesome work💪
Had almost the exact same truck I was working on. Came in wipers intermittently would cut out. It was the white/blue wire that was factory crimped/spliced giving power to control side of relay. Bad splice. It is right on top if the radiator and goes down on the passenger side. push on harness right there and wipers would work. Opened up wire loom and found the splice all intact, but if you flexed it, they would cut in and out. Crappy Ford non soldered crimp with glue or something inside as a splice. Cut it out and replaced it and wipers work fine.
Great find! Sounds like the EcoBoost from Hell haha
The bonus footage is wow!!
Great diagnostic procedure. Follow the symptoms, just right. Super video, thanks!
Good job as usual glad it wasn't a 8 part. Hope you get some gravy brake jobs n wheel bearings
Just did a crazy rusted wheel bearing on a Corolla...definitely not "gravy" haha...maybe I'll post some pictures ;)
Ford tech makuloco just posted a short video on Facebook showing that several coolant hose fittings (the crimp) on the 3.5 have been splitting/ failing. Think he said he’s seeing it on the 2nd gens, think that’s ‘17-‘20. Suppose there could be issues on other years, tho.
Thanks Ivan!
The radio controls are likely bad, I have a 2011 F150 and my radio did not work for close to 5 years and I decided to try the radio controls and it came right on and worked perfectly. Not talking about the entire control board with the hvac switches just did the upper portion for the radio.
Flat tire, out of coolant, ABS warning, oil change overdue. This guy really loves his Ferd.
Poor old ferd, dedicated to the owners transportation till she can't do it anymore... Like a starving dog that still gets excited to see his owner.
A great lesson ! Thanks J
Nice video and diagnosis. I guess that one was an own goal. 😂
You would expect all fuses to be in place! It's good he admitted it.
Regardless Ivan if you would have checked all of the fuses, how often do you find a missing fuse? Not very often and really, if you weren't videoing the repair, you would have found it twice as fast anyway. Great job but another parts cannon fail that cost the customer additional money.
Good morning from the 51st state everyone.
In my country, if this diagnosis happened in my garage :
Me: "This problem cost you an hour of diagnosis."
Customer:" What??? An hour just to install a fuse "
😢
The faultfinding process and the actual repairs are 2x separate items. Most electrical issues are simple in hindsight....
Maybe he got Con fused ! At least.you fixed it.Great job.
You are so inspiring ❤
That jug of Dexcool said "concentrate, must mix with water".
I added water to the jug to make 2 jugs, but for some reason the label didn't automatically change LOL!
switch to those vacuum powered wipers.
Those were great. The faster you were driving, the slower they would wipe.
@@helgew9008 I never had one but heard all those stories an EV would need to add a vacuum pump to use that technology LoL
They weren’t all that great on long uphills. 😅
@@brianw8963 BUT they didn't need a 10 amp fuse you might remove and not replace
@ That’s true. 😅
Another Awesome video Ivan thanks for sharing.
And good evening from Australia too
not checking fluids?... they also never walk around the vehicle to check their lights , don't know how many cars are running around with no brake lights , but I seem to find them all in front of me
From my experience working on cars lot of the problem I come across is from the owners trying to to fix things there self and don’t have a clue what there doing
Hey Ivan , just wondering if you are going to switch to the Topdon Scan tool? As always , enjoy the videos!!
Yup, I'm just getting through the backlog of vids from the last few months haha
We get a lot of cars that people have just purchased coming in with missing fuses. We think it's from people removing dash cams before selling the car and not putting a fuse back in
Got to love your failsafe cooling system...
Silly Ford Owner. 13 year old F-150's are done and need to be replaced. 🤣🤣🤣 J/K ... Good stuff Ivan!
How did we survive without an over complicated computerized Rube Goldberg wiper system for all these years!
28:32 and in this case, the radio was more important than the coolant.
When it comes to Fords, modules have their own modules!
Unfortunately, not checking fluids is a symptom. The cause, like so many things, is fatherlessness, daycare, and taking basics out of public school. Most guys and many gals used to learn this from following dad around when they were little. Now, for many people, no one is teaching them. I learned this from following my stepfather around, as he patiently taught me basic car maintenance. If I hadn't had him, I don't know where I would have learned it. I've known two different men who each bought a brand new Ford and ran it until the engine threw parts all over the highway, both at 25,000 miles, and both having never had the oil changed. In both cases, the men were fatherless. Nobody taught them to change the oil.
WOW that's crazy lol
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Pretty much. There was another commonality between them that is not politically correct to mention. Both events also happened within a year or so of each other, back in the eighties. One was a coworker, a little younger than me, and had bought a very expensive Mercury Cougar, the other was an employee of a friend, older than my parents but had never owned a car before, and bought a brand new Ford Escort. They both died with the same mileage.
I’m sure he added water to that concentrated coolant yes?
Good video Ivan !
Thats crazy Ivan...
Given the age of the vehicle and a review of the wiring diagrams, I think I would have started with the BCM internal (non-serviceable) RUN/ACC relay having bad contacts. Any time I see a system problem which includes a non-serviceable module relay (junction box, BCM etc.) I tend to start my power testing there.
I would have never guessed the customer forgot about removing the fuse. I would have expected an intermittent short to ground blowing the fuse due to wire chafing.
That’s why I always check the fuse box first 😅.
Who let the dogs in? Great job.
Awesome, how many miles and wth with the fluids?
Ivan. Not sure if you diluted that coolant beforehand, but wasn’t that concentrate? Sure it’ll cool extra good now, lol.
It appeared diluted, I'm sure he had an empty bottle to pour half in earlier.
Fuse...i always check my fluids every 2 weeks...when i wash it..
Good Work!
Did you check the oils too