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What does intermittent mean on windshield wipers?
Most wipers have a low and a high speed, as well as an intermittent setting. When the wipers are on low and high speed, the motor runs continuously. But in the intermittent setting, the wipers stop momentarily between each wipe. It can require almost constant attention to keep the wipers operating properly.
How does an intermittent wiper relay work?
The intermittent wiper relay gives you this feature. The relay functions as a switch and energizes circuits as needed. In the case of your windshield wipers, it controls low, high, and intermittent speeds by energizing a particular circuit at a given moment depending on what speed you have your wiper switch set to.
Why is my wiper blade motor not working?
Similar to the issue above, if you notice that your wiper blades are operating at a different speed or intermittent setting than you selected, it’s a good indication that the relay is damaged and needs to be replaced. This is also a symptom that you don’t want to avoid as it may cause the wiper blade motor to overheat and break prematurely.
What happens when a windshield wiper relay goes bad?
When the relay is faulty, the windshield wipers will only work at the same speed that the last relay signal was sent. In layman’s terms, if you had your windshield wipers on the slow speed the last time they were active, and you turn them on again under a different setting, the relay switch should send that updated information to the module.
What happens if the intermittent wiper switch fails?
However, when one part malfunctions, it can cause potential safety concerns. One of the most common parts to fail is the intermittent wiper relay switch. The electronic relays that are installed in today’s cars, trucks and SUV’s have to operate in very hot and grueling conditions or are subject to constant abuse.
When do windshield wiper blades only work one speed?
The windshield wiper blades have one speed. One of the quickest indicators that a problem exists with the intermittent wiper relay is when the wipers are not intermittent and only work at one speed.