[chevychevelle66]

1966 Malibu, mostly original as far as I can tell.
Out of nowhere the wipers no longer turn on, but when I turn the switch, the Temp light comes on. I have no idea where to even start trouble shooting haha.
Ideas?
Thanks!

 

[CoolBlueGlow]

1. Open hood and locate wiper motor - right side firewall, when standing at the front of the car looking at the firewall. Look just above the brake master cylinder
2. Locate the three mounting screws on the motor. They are mounted radially, in rubber bushings. They are located at 12 o'clock, 5 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions, if memory serves me...
3. Using a number two Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the screw which has the brass grounding tang underneath the washer/bushing assembly. Should be the 8 o'clock screw...but visually verify which screw actually has the flat brass tang under it. That's the one you want. That is the ground for your wiper motor between the rubber mounted motor assy., and the firewall.
4. Thoroughly clean and brighten the screw, washer, and brass tang with steel wool or other means, removing all corrosion. Add a small dab of grease to prevent future corrosion.
5. Reinstall the screw and washer, firmly tighhtening it. Do not use excessive force.

Try your wipers and report back.

Cheers

 

[Big White]

Adam,

I had a similar problem with a new '64 A body. When I activated a turn signal, the radio would go off and on in time with the flasher. When I stepped on the brakes, the gas gauge would drop to empty. It turned out to be the ignition switch not lining up properly in the run position and the contacts being misaligned.

Rich

 

[chevychevelle66]

Thanks guys, I will check both those things out. Not being familiar with the cars electrical, it boggled my mind how my wipers would turn on my temp sensor lol. But I've learned on other cars, electrical problem can cause gremlins anywhere lol

 

[Coppertop]

A pinched dash wire or damage within the bulkhead connector (the connector that links the underhood wiring to the fuse block) could also cause this. When you activate your wipers, you are sending a ground signal(s) to the motor from the switch. The TEMP light needs a ground to activate, so if there is a current path from the wiper connections to the TEMP sender wire, you'd get the light to come on with the wiper switch.

 

[CoolBlueGlow]

Joe and Rich make good points. A careful examination of the harness is in order. look for anything weird...cut, pinched, out of place... Also check other functions and see if they work. radio, blower, lights, interior lights, etc.

Symptoms help you find problems.

I believe you have a ground problem somewhere. Current back feed is a classic symptom of that.

Let us know what you find.