Windshield washer

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Hi all

My windshield washer stopped working a year ago. The pump is just fine if you test it alone. But I'm missing the pulsating sound, whatever it is. A relay or soleinoid or something.
No fuses are blown.
Question is WHERE is that pulsating thingy located, it's hard to locate it when it's not working. The sound used to come somewhere under that dash, but I can't find anything.
For now I changed the hoses at the pumps so I can use the rear one on my windshield,😂.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,045
Brighton, CO
One of our forum members did a complete write up on this system.. I hope it helps..

 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Thanks TK

That was always something. But he doesn't have the same system as I have, don't know if there are multiple different systems on these.
His are constantly spraying, mine used to have a pulsating sort of spraying. It's like spray pause spray pause at a rate of two sprays per second approximately.
I have watched several videos on YouTube, and every one I saw has a constant spraying, not the pulsating kind that I have,,🤔
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,045
Brighton, CO
The system should be the same essentially, it would be a pulse modulator in the wiper motor itself, but the rest of the system should be the same. At least thats my understandings in the wiring that I see.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
No it's nothing in the pump itself. There is something under the dashboard that sounds as a solenoid or something and the thump it makes is quite loud and you can feel it in the steering wheel. But I can't find the damn thing.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Windshield washers should all be the same, no pulsating unless there's some weird stuff because it was sold in Europe? The only one that I know of that had a kind of pulsating system was the headlight washers on the Saab 9-7x where it would activate every four times you used the windshield washer. It would squirt for a couple of seconds, wait a few seconds, and squirt again for a couple of seconds. Totally useless system so I pulled the relay for it.

Check at the pump and at the relay if you're getting power and signals.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
No it's a US model, no EXT:s ever sold in Europe.

The way it worked on my truck is when I push the washer knob I don't have to hold it. It will spray 4 to 6 times all by itself, I just had to touch the knob once.
Now I have to get it working so I can show you how it works.
I can't be the only one with this super deluxe option😂😂
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
I have never heard of such a system on any vehicle. Sounds aftermarket to me.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Does it also have rainsense? Maybe it's tied to that system.

Interesting that EXT's were never sold in Europe.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Yes, I have rainsense also.

Nope, no EXT:s just swb.

Now I "just" have to find the "thumper", not that easy🤔😟
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Did you check ALL the fuses? There may be one for the rainsense under the rear seat. Is the rainsense working? I think it may be related to it. Because it's a fairly rare option that was eventually abandoned at some point, not much is known about it.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Yeah, I really checked ALL the fuses.
Rainsense and wipers are working, Only front washers that's not working. No power to the pump. My guess is that the relay/solenoid thing that I can't hear anymore is the culprit.
The big question is, WHERE is it. It's under the dash somewhere, I have looked a bit but not really digging down there. I was hoping that someone here knowed exactly where it was.
I have also looked in my Haynes book at the wiring, but can't find anything there either.
It's no aftermarket thing, that I'm sure of though.
The option is quite nice I think, it saves a ton of washer fluid. I think I just fill it up two or three times a year.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
The guy in the video pulls the pump with a full fluid reservoir!:bonk:
If you don't have any better method, at least disconnect the hose at the rear wiper and pump it out into a container.......
Also - DON'T USE CHEAP WALMART WASHER FLUID!
After sitting for a few months in the heat it forms sludge. I tossed a half gallon of it when I found white sludge forming in it. Later on I diagnosed a "no spray" condition in a friend's classic caddy to have this same white sludge plugging the intake. Even dollar store fluid is better than walmart :crazy:
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Did you check the washer relay in the fuse box? It's possible the buzzing you used to hear was from the pump motor itself.

Edit: Check that power is there. IIRC, it's a negative signal that's sent to the relay. Try jumping the relay socket to make the pump work.
 
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Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
I have at some point changed it with another relay just to try if it worked. I haven't checked the power. It broke in the middle of the Swedish salty winter last year so I just changed the hoses at the pumps just to get it working again, you won't go a mile without washer fluid in the spray of others cars in that weather 😂.

It is not the pump that makes the sound, it's probably exactly the same pump everybody else has, looks the same.
It's something that pulse the signal to the pump to make it spray in pulses.

It's not a buzzing noise, heck it's not easy to explain sounds in English for me you know, but I'll try.
It's like tock a tock a tock a real solenoid knocking sound. The spray comes at " tock" and then a very short pause and all over again. I just realized that it's not that different from when you press the brakes over and over again when the shiftlock release,Right!! it's sounds almost exactly like that, but under the dash instead of the center console 🤓
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,045
Brighton, CO
Im wondering if it might not be the Multi Function Switch.. Just a thought.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Wonder if there is a controller in the wiper motor. That one could be close enough for you to hear when it activates that tock sound. Should still check the power at the relay along with the multi-function switch.

If you can't figure it out, you might have to bypass the BCM and send the signal directly to the relay. This pulsing and tocking is just weird to us here.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
I have put in a "new" multifunction switch due to the highbeam stopped working in December, so that's not it either.

The wiper assembly I'm very familiar with having changed that shit out two times during my ownership, there is nothing in there to make that kind of sound. But I will look further in that area because the "sound maker" might as you say be on that side of the firewall instead of under the dash👍

Ok, I have to get in there for real when I could find the time to do it
I wonder if I could find a wiring scheme that includes this option anywhere, I know my Hanes manual doesn't cover it. Question is if there are any GM manual that cover it maybe.

Would this option be traceable among the RPO codes by any chance?.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Check my signature. Link to manuals is in there.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
I just downloaded that a while ago.
Unfortunately I can't find anything about my little extra thing, I'm not the very best at reading this things but to my knowledge I can't find anything about it.☹️
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Which is why the thinking it may be some sort of aftermarket thing. Kinda reminds me of 70's cars that had a mechanical pump in the wiper motor and you could hear "thunk, thunk, thunk" each time it squirted.

Is it possible that the the original pump motor died and an aftermarket universal one was added somewhere inline?
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
I bought the truck at a small car dealer but I met the previous owner, original owner since new in US that moved to Sweden.
He doesn't strike me to be that kind of person that would install such a peculiar device. I have not seen any other tracks of any home mechanic installations at all. But I'll guess anything is possible.

Another strange thing is that I have LTZ badges on the b- pillars. To my knowledge EXT was not made as LTZ, only LT and LS. I might got that wrong, but I never seen a EXT with that badge in Sweden or on any picture I ever seen.

It has the original pump and it is that one that work in pulses,,when it works.
 
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Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
I think you'll have to do this the hard way. Since your description of your pump operation is so odd that no one can identify it - you'll have to trace it yourself.
You can't find it in the electrical schematic because it doesn't normally exist :confused:
Use a multimeter to trace the various components as shown in the schematic and eventually you'll find the mysterious box that has died.
Like some others have speculated I suspect that this has something to do with rainsense - an option that is quite rare.
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Yes😂
This turned out to be much more complicated than I thought.
I will find the problem, I have to. So I can show you how it works.
It will take a while since I'll suspect this will take some time to find. Time that I don't have right now.
 
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Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Ok
And it sprays as long as you hold the button?.

I don't know what kind of weird shit I have in mine. I just have to flip it once and it does it's routine with 5-6 spray pulses and the wipers wiping constantly, I think it does three wipes after the last spray in the sequence.
 

Mike534x

Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
I have rain sense in my truck as well (along with the headlight washer), mine works like any other requiring the knob to be held to activate it. Mine is a consistent spray until I let go, and has the typical noise you would hear from the pump but no "thumping" or anything of the like that you mention. Well, aside from the rear wiper making a thump when its put back into its resting position after each use. It sounds like your systems been modified, or changed around from how they all work on this platform. I'm usually in and out of dozens of different cars at work, and they all operate the same way. :blinkhuh:
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,045
Brighton, CO
I would like to hear from another 02 member with rainsense. It might be an 02 thing only.. Wouldnt be the only time we have seen that (low oil, front dif, etc).
 
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Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Right, it wouldn't be the first time there are some oddities with that year.
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
I have an 02 LTZ, so it has rainsense. But, my washer works the same as everyone else's.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
So back to some weird aftermarket add-on doodad.
 
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Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
2002 LTZ EXT?🤔
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
I don't think they'd do that just on the EXT. I'm going with @Mooseman, aftermarket thingo.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I may have missed it but do the wipers activate when you push the washer switch paddle? If it does, I would assume the wiper motor control is receiving the signal but either the signal to the relay is stopped or blocked somewhere. Look at the wiring schematics and check to see if the signal out from the motor to the washer relay is getting out. Go from there. Maybe the controller in the wiper motor itself is defective or, again, some weird add-on is there somewhere. Check for continuity from it to the relay.
 

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  • Wiper Switch.pdf
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  • Wiper_Washer.pdf
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Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
The wipers works as they should, they make a number of sweaps if I only touch the paddle once.
I don't think the controller in the wiper motor has anything to do with the pulsing spray.
Either it's a rare and weird original relay under the dash, or a even weirder aftermarket thing.

I have to Google if such device ever been sold🤔😂.

I will study the files and see if I can understand and find anything when I have time.
Thanks
 

Harpo

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
411
Sweden
Excuse a stupid question.
But do ORN in the sheme stand for orange??
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Yes.
 
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Up And Down

Member
Oct 25, 2012
126
Was the original washer pump motor just defective and possibly had some bad spots on out that would make it pulse as it ran? Are you getting 12v to the pump motor when commanded? If so, replace the pump. If not, you’ll have to start chasing the wiring backwards from there or forward from the switch if that’s proven to be working correctly.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
He's already answered those questions.
 

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