Wiper And Washer System

DESCRIPTION 

An electrically operated intermittent wiper and washer system is standard factory-installed safety equipment on this vehicle. The wiper and washer system includes the following major components, which are described in more detail elsewhere in this service information:

• Body Control Module  - The Body Control Module (BCM) is located in the passenger compartment beneath the driver side end of the instrument panel. Refer to MODULE, BODY CONTROL (BCM), DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION .
• Right Multifunction Switch  - The right (wiper) multifunction switch, the left (lighting) multifunction switch and the clockspring are integral to the clockspring and stalk unit on the top of the steering column just below the steering wheel. Only the switch control stalks extending from the right and left sides of the steering column are visible, while the remainder of the switches are concealed beneath the steering column shrouds. The right multifunction switch is dedicated to providing all of the driver controls for the wiper and washer systems.
• Washer Check Valve  - The washer system check valve is integral to the wye fitting located in the washer plumbing between the washer supply hose and the washer nozzle hoses and is concealed beneath the cowl plenum cover/grille panels near the base of the windshield.
• Washer Nozzle  - Two washer nozzles are secured by latch features to dedicated openings in the cowl plenum cover/grille panels near the base of the windshield.
• Washer Plumbing  - The plumbing for the washer system consists of rubber hoses and molded rubber or plastic fittings. The plumbing is routed from the washer reservoir on top of the right front fender wheel house on the right side of the engine compartment. The washer hose is routed to the right side of the dash panel and the right cowl plenum cover/grille panel. A wye fitting/check valve joins the washer supply hose to the two washer nozzle hoses beneath the right cowl plenum cover/grille panel. From the check valve the two washer nozzle hoses are routed through dedicated routing clips on the undersides of the cowl plenum cover panels to the washer nozzles.
• Washer Pump/Motor  - The electric washer pump/motor unit is located in a dedicated hole on the lower, inboard surface of the washer reservoir, on top of the right front fender wheel house.
• Washer Reservoir  - The washer reservoir is located on the top of the right front fender wheel house, directly behind the right combination lamp unit. The filler neck and cap are accessed from the right rear corner of the engine compartment.
• Wiper Arms And Blades  - The two wiper arms are secured with nuts to the threaded ends of the two wiper pivot shafts, which extend through the cowl plenum cover/grille panel located near the base of the windshield. The two unequal length wiper blades are each secured to their wiper arm with an integral latch and are parked on the glass near the bottom of the windshield when the wiper system is not in operation.
• Wiper Linkage Module  - The wiper pivot shafts are the only visible components of the wiper linkage module. The remainder of the module is concealed on the dash panel within the engine compartment beneath the cowl plenum cover/grille panels. The wiper module includes the wiper module bracket, three rubber-isolated wiper module mounts, the wiper motor, the wiper motor crank arm, two wiper drive links and two wiper pivots.

Hardwired circuitry connects the wiper and washer system components to the electrical system of the vehicle. These hardwired circuits are integral to several wire harnesses which are routed throughout the vehicle and retained by many different methods. These circuits may be connected to each other, to the vehicle electrical system and to the wiper and washer system components through the use of a combination of soldered splices, splice block connectors, and many different types of wire harness terminal connectors and insulators. Refer to the appropriate wiring information. The wiring information includes wiring diagrams, details of wire harness routing and retention, connector pin-out information and location views for the various wire harness connectors, splices and grounds. For proper wire repair, and connector repair procedures. Refer to WIRE SPLICING , CONNECTOR TERMINAL REMOVAL and CONNECTOR TERMINAL INSTALLATION .

OPERATION 

Courtesy of CHRYSLER GROUP, LLC

1 - Control Stalk

2 - Push Button

3 - Control Knob

The wiper and washer system is designed to provide the vehicle operator with a convenient, safe, and reliable means of maintaining visibility through the windshield glass. The various components of this system are designed to convert electrical energy produced by the vehicle electrical system into the mechanical action of the wiper blades to wipe the outside surface of the glass, as well as into the hydraulic action of the washer system to apply washer fluid stored in an on-board reservoir to the area of the glass to be wiped. When combined, these components provide the means to effectively maintain clear visibility for the vehicle operator by removing excess accumulations of rain, snow, bugs, mud or other minor debris from the outer surface of the windshield glass that might be encountered while driving the vehicle under numerous types of inclement operating conditions.

The vehicle operator initiates all wiper and washer system functions with the control stalk of the right (wiper) multifunction switch that extends from the right side of the steering column, just below the steering wheel. Moving the control stalk downward to a detent position selects the Off, Delay (Intermittent), Continuous Low or Continuous High wiper system operating modes.

Lifting the control stalk upward to a momentary position selects the Mist (or Pulse) mode, which cycles the wiper blades for as long as the switch is held closed then completes the current wipe cycle and parks the blades at the base of the windshield after the switch is released. Pulling the control stalk rearward toward the steering wheel to a momentary position actuates the washer system switch, which selects the Wash mode and dispenses washer fluid in the wipe pattern on the windshield for as long as the switch is held closed.

The right multifunction switch provides hardwired analog and resistor multiplexed inputs to the Body Control Module (BCM) for all of the wiper and washer system functions. The BCM then provides the appropriate hardwired control outputs to energize or de-energize the wiper and washer relays soldered onto its printed circuit board. The relays control the flow of battery current to the wiper motor and the washer pump motor, invoking the requested wiper and washer system operating modes. Wiper and washer system operation is completely controlled by the BCM logic circuits, and that logic will only allow these systems to operate when the status of the ignition switch is Accessory or On.

The hardwired circuits and components of the wiper and washer system may be diagnosed using conventional diagnostic tools and procedures. Refer to the appropriate wiring information. However, conventional diagnostic methods will not prove conclusive in the diagnosis of the wiper and washer system or the electronic controls and communication between other modules and devices that provide some features of the wiper and washer system. The most reliable, efficient and accurate means to diagnose the wiper and washer system or the electronic controls and communication related to wiper and washer system operation requires the use of a diagnostic scan tool. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic information.

OPERATING MODES 

Following are paragraphs that briefly describe the operation of each of the wiper and washer system operating modes.

• Continuous Wipe Mode  - When the Continuous Low position of the right (wiper) multifunction switch control stalk is selected, the switch provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The BCM responds by energizing a relay that directs battery current to the low speed brush of the wiper motor, causing the wipers to cycle at low speed.

  When the Continuous High position of the right (wiper) multifunction switch control stalk is selected, the switch provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The BCM responds by energizing a relay that directs battery current to the high speed brush of the wiper motor, causing the wipers to cycle at high speed.

  When the OFF position of the right multifunction switch control stalk is selected, the switch provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The event that occurs depends upon the position of the wiper blades on the windshield at the moment that the control stalk OFF position is selected.

  If the wiper blades are in the down position on the windshield when the OFF position is selected, the park switch that is integral to the wiper motor is closed to ground, which provides a hardwired park switch sense input to the BCM. The BCM then de-energizes the wiper motor and the wiper motor ceases to operate. If the wiper blades are not in the down position on the windshield at the moment the OFF position is selected, the park switch is an open circuit and the BCM continues running the wiper motor at low speed until the wiper blades are in the down position on the windshield and the park switch input to the BCM is again closed to ground.

• Intermittent Wipe Mode  - When the right (wiper) multifunction switch control stalk is moved to the Delay (Intermittent) position, the control knob of the switch provides one of four selectable resistor multiplexed delay interval inputs to the BCM. The BCM electronic intermittent wipe logic circuit responds by calculating the correct length of time between wiper sweeps based upon both time and electronic vehicle speed  message inputs. The BCM then provides control outputs to energize and de-energize the relays to operate the wiper motor intermittently at the appropriate interval for one low speed cycle at a time.
• Mist Wipe Mode  - When the right (wiper) multifunction switch control stalk is moved upward to the momentary Mist (Pulse) position, the switch provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The BCM responds by energizing a relay that directs battery current to the low speed brush of the wiper motor, causing the wipers to operate for one complete low speed cycle. The BCM can operate the wiper motor in this mode for only one low speed cycle at a time, or for an indefinite number of sequential low speed cycles, depending upon how long the switch is held closed.
• Wash Mode  - When the control stalk of the right (wiper) multifunction switch is pulled rearward to the momentary Wash position, the switch provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The BCM responds by providing battery current and ground to the washer pump/motor. This will cause the washer pump/motor to be energized for as long as the switch is held closed and to be de-energized when the control stalk is released.

  When the control stalk is pulled rearward to the momentary Wash position while the wiper system is operating in the Delay mode, the washer pump/motor operation is the same. However, the BCM also overrides the Delay mode and operates the wiper motor in a continuous low speed mode for as long as the control stalk is held in the Wash position, then reverts to the Delay mode several wipe cycles after the control stalk is released.

• Wipe-After-Wash Mode  - When the control stalk of the right (wiper) multifunction switch is pulled rearward to the momentary Wash position for more than about one-half second while the wiper system is not operating, the BCM directs battery current and ground to the washer pump/motor and energizes the wiper motor in a continuous low speed mode for as long as the switch is held closed. When the control stalk is released, the BCM de-energizes the washer pump/motor immediately, but allows the wiper motor to operate for about three additional wipe cycles. An additional wipe cycle is performed about six seconds later before the BCM de-energizes the wiper motor and parks the wiper blades near the base of the windshield.

  The BCM monitors the changing state of the wiper motor park switch through a hardwired wiper park switch sense circuit input. This input allows the BCM to monitor the number of wipe cycles that occur after the control stalk is released, and to determine the proper interval at which to de-energize the wiper motor to complete the Wipe-After-Wash mode cycle.