Technical Bad Earth?

[KwikFiat]

Wasn't sure where to put this, sorry if its wrong.
OK Mrs' 03 Punto.
Every so often the rear windscreen wiper goes mad. When off, it just starts going, the motor makes a racket and the lights start flashing and eventually the car grinds to a halt. Normally restart the car and its fine.

Today though this has now stuck on. Googling it I've found a few suggestions to say its a bad earth but where would I start looking? I've found one of the side lights bulbs is out, removed that but still the same effect.

The car can be driven, just, but the rear windscreen wiper goes, even when the fuse is removed for it!. I've checked the motor, the connections have had a lube, I also disconnected it to see the effects but it remains the same.

I've used this site before, it was very very helpful when the FRONT windscreen wipers decided to throw themselves off of the car. Any help would be appreciated


Above is a video showing the noise etc of the motor. (well there would have been one)

 

[s and b]

hi quick fiat i found a possible answer to this very problem a few months back
i had disconnected the black earth box that is situated behind the passenger headlight and directly connected to the chassis rail
the rear wiper went off madly and the front wipers went mad too

suggest you take it off 13mm headed nut clean bright the connection with sand type paper and reattach
if this fails do the same to the black box situated in the boot on the lefty hand side on the back panel behind the bumper as you pier in

 

[KwikFiat]

Thanks for that, I've just popped to Halfords and got a replacement bulb. The hand book says the warning light on the dash comes up if there is a problem with the wiring/bulbs on side lights, main lights and brake lights.

New bulb, still no joy . Back in half hour.....

 

[Ziggy122]

Thanks for that, I've just popped to Halfords and got a replacement bulb. The hand book says the warning light on the dash comes up if there is a problem with the wiring/bulbs on side lights, main lights and brake lights.

New bulb, still no joy . Back in half hour.....

That light which is a bulb with lines around it is the bulb malfucntion light - yes correct

It works on
Side lights F+R
Indicators All Around
Brake lights (rear only)

Should A bulb either
Suck to much juice (too high wattage)
To little juice (To low wattage eg LED lights)
No Juice (bad connection / Bulb blown)
Interferance (disco lights on the rear due to a bad earth)

that light will come on

Start with the rear lights - clean all the bulb contacts up and contact points on the light cluster

Clean the Multi-pins on the light and connector to ensure all make a good clean connection

usually the rear lights are the culprits, but as S+B will tell you sometimes that light will be on and no problems can be found

Ziggy

 

[KwikFiat]

Thanks for that Ziggy. I put a secondary earth lead from the earth on the battery to one on the inner wing and the problem dissapeared. I test drove it a few miles and nothing. Then instead of the light coming on/rear wiper going the central locking started going mad, locking and unlocking as I'm driving along. There was also an obvious clicking which sounds like it is coming from inside the clocks?