GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

INTERMITTENT WIPE CONDITION CAUSE & CORRECTIONS

TWO POSSIBLE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE INTERMITTENT WIPE ON 1981 SKYLARKS WITH PULSE WIPERS. BEFORE PROCEEDING TO CONDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS GIVEN BELOW, INSPECT THE BRAIDED GROUND STRAP FROM THE ENGINE TO COWL LOCATED AT THE VACUUM TANK AREA ON COWL. SEE FIGURE 1. IF GROUND STRAP IS LOOSE OR BROKEN, MAKE NECESSARY REPAIR THEN CHECK OPERATION OF WIPERS. IF INTERMITTENT WIPE IS STILL PRESENT, PROCEED TO CONDITION ONE OR TWO. CONDITION 1: THIS CONDITION CAN HAVE ANY OF THREE SYMPTOMS: 1) WIPERS MAY CYCLE ONCE EACH TIME THE IGNITION IS TURNED TO "ON," WITH WIPER SWITCH IN "OFF" POSITION. THIS WILL REPEAT EACH TIME THE KEY IS TURNED ON; 2) WIPERS MAY CYCLE INTERMITTENTLY AT RANDOM TIMES, SUCH AS WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, OR WHEN OPERATING TURN SIGNALS OR HIGH BEAMS; AND 3) WIPERS MAY OPERATE ONLY IN "LOW" POSITION REGARDLESS OF WIPER SWITCH POSITION. CORRECTION: REPLACE WIPER SWITCH INSIDE STEERING COLUMN. REFER TO FIGURE 2. NEW SWITCH WENT INTO PRODUCTION ON DECEMBER 1. PART NUMBER FOR TILT STEERING IS 7837278 AND NON-TILT IS PART NUMBER 7835632. CONDITION TWO: WIPERS CYCLE ONCE WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED "ON" AND WIPE SWITCH IS IN "OFF" POSITION. THE CONDITION WILL NOT REPEAT UNLESS THE IGNITION IS TURNED "OFF" FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. CORRECTION: REPLACE PULSE WIPER MODULE, LOCATED NEAR STEERING COLUMN UNDER INSTRUMENT PANEL. SEE FIGURE 3. A NEW MODULE HAS BEEN IN USE IN PRODUCTION SINCE NOVEMBER 24, 1980. NEW MODULE PART NUMBER IS 25506317. * ILLUSTRATION *

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.