# Wipers killing electrical



## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone has had this problem. I was just about done my last drive tonight with my 2000 f350 psd and turned the wipers on and noticed my lights go real dim. Left them on for about 30 secs. and the dash lit up like a christmas tree the the truck quit. I needed a boost to start. Let the truck run for 5 minutes or so and so I shut it off to see if it would fire back up and it did. Turned wipers back on with lights and plow off and same thing. Could it be the wiper motor shorting out?


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## RepoMan1968 (Jan 9, 2012)

have you recently tapped into anything or had repair work done on it recently ?


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## Jacobsmovinsnow (Jan 12, 2011)

I would check the alternator and battery conditions. Should be either one of them.


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

I checked alt. with volt meter and it is putting out 14.55 volts. Both batteries are 6 months old.
Truck runs fine with all lights on ( strobes,aux.55 amp back ups,plow lights,plow working.) As soon as I turn on wipers everything dies. Even when everything else is off. And I noticed that the wipers are real slow.


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## Rick547 (Oct 9, 2009)

bpminc74;1415004 said:


> I checked alt. with volt meter and it is putting out 14.55 volts. Both batteries are 6 months old.
> Truck runs fine with all lights on ( strobes,aux.55 amp back ups,plow lights,plow working.) As soon as I turn on wipers everything dies. Even when everything else is off. And I noticed that the wipers are real slow.


I would think the wipers would blow a fuse before they would shut a truck down. Check your battery terminals and your ground wire.


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Rick547;1415033 said:


> I would think the wipers would blow a fuse before they would shut a truck down. Check your battery terminals and your ground wire.


Good point. I checked both battery terminals and all is good. I willl take a look at the wiper motor and harness in the morning and let you know what I see. This is driving me nuts!


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Bad wiper motor or wiper motor ground. Seen it fairly often on the old 7.3's. When they get that bad they pull far too much power and it just happens to be on the same circuit as the ECM, thus it will shut the engine down and do all sorts of other strange things.


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## RepoMan1968 (Jan 9, 2012)

B&B;1415166 said:


> Bad wiper motor or wiper motor ground. Seen it fairly often on the old 7.3's. When they get that bad they pull far too much power and it just happens to be on the same circuit as the ECM, thus it will shut the engine down and do all sorts of other strange things.


great to know ....thanks BB


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I will take a look at the wiper motor today when it warms up a little.
-30 c here now and I don't have a garage yet.:crying: I will let you know what I find.


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Well it finaly warmed up to -20 so I went out and did some poking around. I must have been half asleep last night because today when I tested alt. output with every thing on it's reading 11.6 volts! I guess I need a bigger alternator. First time this has happen to me. usually they just give out on me. Any ideas on what size I should get?


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## Too Stroked (Jan 1, 2010)

It still sounds like you have a wiper motor / ground issue though. Remember, you said turning the wipers on killed the thing. Make sure you don't have one problem causing the other. I always try to eliminate simple / less expensive problems first. Last time I checked, a bad ground was a freebie and a wiper motor was less than an alternator. Get my drift?


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Yeah good point Too Stroked. There is somthing screwy going on for sure because the truck has been running for about 20 minutes and I just tested output again with everything on and now getting 12.6 volts!??
This time Ihave the wiper arms removed. Soon as I get warmed up I will test again with the arms back on to create more load on the motor.


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

When I had bad CPS which is Camshaft position sensor. When I turn on wiper during rain it cut off when drive. new CPS fix that.

Make sure all connectors are CLEAN and sand paper clean contact.

Those superduty with powerstroke are notorious for eat alternators and batteries due not clean connectors.

On these alternator I recommendation I go with this one. Add 110 amp fuse in cable for positive from alt to driver side battery.


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## Rick547 (Oct 9, 2009)

bpminc74;1415688 said:


> Well it finaly warmed up to -20 so I went out and did some poking around. I must have been half asleep last night because today when I tested alt. output with every thing on it's reading 11.6 volts! I guess I need a bigger alternator. First time this has happen to me. usually they just give out on me. Any ideas on what size I should get?


What was the voltage while the engine was running?


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

With strobes and back up lights,heater,and everything else off and the truck at idle I get 14.65 volts. With every thing on it now only drops to 12.6 volts. This morning it was 11.6. Last night after plowing all day turned on wipers and the lights went dim and then the dash lit up with all the idiot lights then died. Maybe alternator couldn't keep up with plow and all the lights and heater and wipers all day and the batteries got run down? I let it run for over an hour today on fast idle so batteries are back up to full charge.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

How old is the battery? Could be a bad cell in it.


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## Too Stroked (Jan 1, 2010)

Milwaukee;1415774 said:


> When I had bad CPS which is Camshaft position sensor. When I turn on wiper during rain it cut off when drive. new CPS fix that.
> 
> Make sure all connectors are CLEAN and sand paper clean contact.
> 
> ...


Do _NOT _sandpaper plated electrical connectors. The only connections one should even think about sand papering are the battery post connections. On most everything else, you'll remove the factory applied electroplating - which is there for corrosion ressistance. Once you do that, you're heading down a very slippery slope.

If you have corrosion on a connection that was originally electroplated, you're far better off replacing it - for the reason I mentioned above.


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

Not to start fight.

Most them had RUSTED or green corrosion on it. I did that trick and it been fine for 1 1/2 year. I cover them in die electric grease they keep corrosion/rust out. 


I don't believed Ford put electroplated on connectors. Then why they rusted and corrosion in first place? They work perfect like 5 years then it go downhill. Leave you strand when it sudden quit work. 

I don't believed that myth you speak.


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Batteries are both about 6 months old. I will load test them tomorrow and check all connections again.


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

I hope you use volt multi tester with ohm setting not visual test on each connectors. Thumbs Up


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## bpminc74 (Jan 15, 2012)

Well I thought I would give you guys an update. Load tested both batteries today and one failed. The one that failed had a reading of 12.9 volts and the other one had 12.65. Replaced the one that failed and all seems good. Find out tomorrow when the plow is working overtime. Calling for 25 cm of snow mixed with freezing rain with temperatures up to -1 c. I will let you know how it goes. I should mention that the wipers are not as fast on high as they should be but maybe I am getting paranoid!


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