Wipers and washer on engine start, 95 Ranger

[maxford]

I have a 95 Ranger, 2.3L, 5 speed.
Lately and on an increasing occasion, on engine start the wipers will make one swipe and park and the washers will spray once. Not a huge deal until you start training your daughter to drive a stick. In that case we get a lot of windshield swipes.

I had hoped it was just the multi-function switch. I replaced that. No change. I swapped relays around. No change. Any other ideas? anyone?

 

[SenorNoob]

Only when you start it? Any other oddities in the electrical?

I'd start by double checking the ground from the engine to the cab. Then look at wiring around the wiper motor

 

[maxford]

Only when you start it? Any other oddities in the electrical?

I'd start by double checking the ground from the engine to the cab. Then look at wiring around the wiper motor

I may have a parasitic draw---possibly. Something I noticed since posting this. Otherwise no. I've owned it for about 10years. Wiper motor looks fine at first glance. In the last year I have replaced all the battery cables. The engine grounds look good. It is crazy. yesterday it only happened in the morning. I had to run errands after work. Happened when I left work. Didn't happen when I left the store. crazy machine.

 

[SenorNoob]

LOL. that sucks. Intermittent problems are the worst.

My wife's truck has a similar problem. Wiper make a swipe when you hit the turn signals. Doesn't matter which way. Sometime a pothole does it. Replaced the switch and all of the wiring in the column. Still does it...

 

[rumblecloud]

Thinking out loud here...

Other than the occasional misfire, do they work normally as they should?
Of all the things your repaired over the past few months, does the timing of any of those repairs coincide with the wiper/washer misfire?
Anything changed around the power distribution box in the engine compartment?
Anything changed around the washer fluid wiring/motor?

That's all I have for now.

 

[maxford]

Thanks for the ideas. Yes, it operates completely normally in all functions. The failure; sometimes on start-up I get one uncommanded swipe and one uncommanded washer spray.

But trying to find the solution I did replace the wiper/washer arm switch. Didn't fix it. I tried installing a rebuilt GEM. Didn't fix it. Next, I will be tearing into the steering column to find anything occasionally shorted to ground. Maybe something near the column? It doesn't have a tilt column so it is rare... no idea yet.