Hi, I have a strange fault that the rear wiper will get activated when I either turn the lights on or the indicators on, occasionally even without turning these. The wiper setting is off of course.

It seems that the fault is more frequent when it has been raining. It's annoying to drive the car with the back wipers activated all the drive (making the one driving the car behind thinking that I am stupid!)

Clean the earthing points on both rear lights connectors
Clean the main body earth thats on the lhs lower boot that earths all the lights and wiper too

Its sounds like an earthing issue to me....

Can you please help me to locate these by some image or reference. Must be an earth issue I agree but where are these sockets to clean / inspect ?

Sounds like a stalk switch fault to me. If it happens without the lights or indicators on it can't be an issue with rear cluster connectons or earths.


Robert G8RPI.

Stephen505 said:

Hi, I have a strange fault that the rear wiper will get activated when I either turn the lights on or the indicators on, occasionally even without turning these. The wiper setting is off of course.

It seems that the fault is more frequent when it has been raining. It's annoying to drive the car with the back wipers activated all the drive (making the one driving the car behind thinking that I am stupid!)

Click to expand...

My mega rusty 20001 car did this..
It would stop if ignition was turned off.

Also has an EML: FORCING LIMP MODE.
After 60 mins running.
Reset with ignition switch for Another 60 mins of full power...

WEIRD.. car was a stop gap banger..
So never investigated.. but it was so rotten that poor earthing was extremely likely.

Fiat often have a welded stud located in an accessible spot.. that earth cables are attached to. Look on inner wings to get the idea..

Stephen505 said:

Can you please help me to locate these by some image or reference. Must be an earth issue I agree but where are these sockets to clean / inspect ?

Click to expand...

Remove both rear light clusters, unplug the electrics block, earth for these is the black wire, the contacts corrode. Very fine and small file will clean these.
To remove the light clusters there are 2 panels inside the car and 2 nuts on each cluster, there is a tool in the cars toolkit which fits and undoes these

varesecrazy said:

My mega rusty 20001 car did this..
It would stop if ignition was turned off.

Also has an EML: FORCING LIMP MODE.
After 60 mins running.
Reset with ignition switch for Another 60 mins of full power...

WEIRD.. car was a stop gap banger..
So never investigated.. but it was so rotten that poor earthing was extremely likely.

Fiat often have a welded stud located in an accessible spot.. that earth cables are attached to. Look on inner wings to get the idea..

Click to expand...

Main Earth point on the inner wing is below the battery tray under the bonnet, and it is bolted in not welded, to access, remove battery, undo the 3 bolts at the bottom of the battery tray and remove that, follow the black battery cable down and you will easily see the bolt, remove it clean it the connection (I used fine wet & dry)bolt it back on, or another alternative is to buy a replacement earth cable from halfords cost about £3 and come in 3 different lengths

Thank you, so then I need to clean the rust/oxidation? For me it seems a short circuit. I will investigate as soon as I have some time. When it is not raining, the fault do not occur very often.

Thanks
Stephen

Thank you, I think this is more likely to be the fault where it is easily get wet from splashes from roadpools and makes the fault to occur more frequently, although I expect to dry quickly from the heat dissipated by the engine. Will look at it too. I will inspect the back lights too, in fact I have the light indicator yellow most of the time

From experiance, if you disconnect the earth block from the chassis in the boot, then he back wiper will randomly turn on, Ive not bothered to look into it to see why but my opinion is it is the earth in the boot that is to blame.

You need to remove the rubber seal from around the bottom of the boot hatch then remove the plastic panel from the back of the boot below the tail gait, the earth as I recall is left of latch/lock