wipers quit, and restart all by themselves

I think this has been posted before, but I can't find it using the search. I have a 92, and when the wipers are on intermit. they pulse, but at all the wrong times, and sometimes they just stop. to get them started again all you have to do is literally touch the turn sig/multi function lever. same with low and high. Is this some thing to tear apart and clean or what? Everything else seems to work fine, but the wipers do strange stuff all dependant on whether or not you have touched the lever recently. Make using your turn signal in heavy rain kind of scary. Thanks

I can't be 100% sure, but I think it's a grounding issue with the electronic module under the dash. To verify run a length of wire between the module and a good ground source. Use the wipers for a while and see if it helps.

Let us know how things go. Thanks.

Paul

I had a similar year F-150, the grease on the wiper control contacts had hardened and made them act wierd. Pulled the control apart, melted the grease out with Brake-Kleen and they worked fine.

does the end piece just pull off the lever?

That would be my guess. The potentiometer or rheostat in the control knob is probably oxidized and the resistance is fluctuating.

well this happened to me last year with my 94. if you have the delay and switch built into your turn signal switch it should be the same as mine. it ended up being the switch itself on the column. after replacing it i **** the old one apart "just to see" . turns out where they crimped a wire to a connector the ground wire broke off and was only making intermittant connection like you described. this wire has to flex everyt ime you turn on your signals and just broke from fatuge and could be soldered.

i still have the switch and can try to get some pics tonight to explane what went on mine. thought about doing some kind of write up but never got to it. of course it could also be the above suggestions.

Ok, I had time to tear it apart the other night, and it appears that there are two different problems going on in there. The magical on/off operation in all positions, was being caused by a combination of the grerase getting hard(cleaned out with a q-tip) and one of the little spiral shaped contacts being bent slightly away from the strip of contacts that it touches. I bent it back, now I have a good low speed, and good high speed, with no ill-effects if you touch the wiper switch. But the other problem, the very intermit. intermittent wipers, where they start to sweep, then pause and sweep, and pause, and sweep, and pause... you get the point. Is still not fixed. Also the wipers park anywhere. If I had to make a guess I'd think it's something to do with the box under the dash, as the intermittent pulses with the clicking of the box, and if the box is getting a good signal from the switch, maybe it stands to reason that something is wrong inside the box? Give me some ideas. Thanks for the help so far

sorry i forgot to get those pics but my box was clicking as well. its located to the passenger side of the glove box. i even pulled tore it apart and couldent find anything wrong off hand.

i would still suspect the wires inside the column switch.

this isent an official write up at all but should show you what i am talking about. sorry my switch is a little dirty and i think i lost some of the screw because it was just sitting around in my garage.

mine acted the same way that you described, even if this isent your problem maybe it can help someone else.