Feckin' wipers!
Hi all,
Posed this question a couple of weeks backs and despite some intensive therapy sessions including amazing support from Gav and others, have not yet resolved this issue. Details below and any suggestions welcome (especially as I have reached the point of wandering around my truck waving a hammer in a threatening manner!?!)
Symptoms
1. Put lights on, wipers 'may' come on. May then switch off, although now will tend to stay on. Wipers also come on when use flasher function on steering column stalk.
2. Wipers may also trigger (although typically limited to 1 swish, but not always) when indicate (no lights on). Has had this effect since owning truck although was very intermittent and always part of 'character'
3.Fixed steady speed wiping (when lights on) , not overridden by turning wipers to intermittent (stalk control).
4. When wipers on via 'lights on', putting the front spotlights on stops this. Turnings spots off and wipers will resume.
5. Used to be dominantly only front wipers, but more often than not both front and rear wipers now are activated.
Attempts to fix
1. Have checked (and cleaned) all earths (I can find; left wing/right wing, battery, fuse bay, under rear door) - none have any effect. Attached direct earth from wiper motor (front) and again no effect. Checked front and rear wiper motors and all connections look good.
2. Replaced main light switch. No effect. All electrics behind control panel look sound and everything works except rear window demist and central locking (neither have worked since I bought this truck, and in fact didn't even know I had central locking until Gav checked it out on the data sheet!?!)
3. Disconnected stalk (via large terminal block). When lights on now no effect, but put spots on and wipers come on?
4. Electrics in front spots all clean
5. All fuses correct and present
6. No noticeable water damage to front bulkhead or fuse area, all clean and dry.
7. Somehow shafted my stereo. D'oh! (PITA fettling casualty, no impact on wiper fault unfortunately)
SO, where do I hit it with the bleedin' hammer! Any suggestions, please....
[If I think of anything else will try and edit]
Stewart
You have my sympathies on this one. Very hard to track down root cause beyond what you have already done. I'm no expert but when I experienced sporadic wiper blade action, (wipers used to come on with the radio), I eventually replaced both wiper relays under the fuse board - one is front and one is back wipers. I discovered that someone before me had previously installed an incorrect relay and this resulted in sporadic wiper action front and also back.
Best of luck with it.
Derek
Hi Stew,
Not promising anything quick but I am tempted to buy some time on the Mercedes Benz's Parts and Service Portal.
I will try to down load an electrical diagram of your vehicle to see if it can be of help identify your problem.
Got the diagrams now...in a bigger scale
I have a few more ideas Stewart and 4-5 more itens to check....
Just missed your call...will respond shortly
Gav
Have also spent many [ happy ] hours on this problem on several 460's
can be an elusive combination of faults
If you are brave you can clean the contacts manually on the switch
If you have a second stalk you can substitute
There may be a "dry" joint in one of the connection plugs
Most relays can be popped open - I have repaired several where a fine wire has come off its solder blob
So lots of cleaning [ 400 paper + lolly stick ] on ALL contacts and loads of electrical contact spray and cleaner
Oh - and put that hammer away !
Try the earth "station" on the front left inner wing again. Disconnect battery. Remove all wires. Remove earth bolt. Rub down the earth area (the inner wing itself) to bare metal.
Put it all back together and if it works then give the area a lick of primer or more.
Also Tonys tip of liberal application of electrical contact spray to all stalk areas can fix it too.
The bad earth could be anywhere. Headlight bowls, fogs, indicators etc. You have a lot of checking to do.
Mind bending stuff but you will find it.
Keep the hammer for a deserving Landie.
Well....
Another 3 hours of frustration on top of 4 hours last week and the many more that Stewart had already put in...
A few other minor jobs sorted...which was nice...
Started to un earth (no pun intended) more wierd electrical faults then first we had....
Last chance at 11pm was to smack the non functioning Hazard Relay with a hammer 
You're cured....everything now works as it should, wipers dont randomly activate and all systems go!!!! 
New Hazard Relay required as this one seems to stick (could this cause all the issues?) but a good boot to the fuse board area unsticks it everytime....
Decided with that success to take the hammer to the non working rear washer motor....all good here too... 
Now for the "free" Central Locking that Stewart did not know was fitted...Drivers door works, Rear Passenger door just clicks....
....now where did i put that hammer down....oh yes its embeddd in that Freelander ..... 
Fingers crossed with a new relay it all stays fixed?!?
So the morale is...if you need your G Wagen electrics sorted....call for a colour blind Yorkshireman with a hammer 
Tony - you can't beat a good hammer! (or better still some pro to wield it for you, although I would have settled for the attached and perhaps not even worried if the wipers worked!?!)
You need to lay of them tablets Gav ,GWOA dont do lady boys but if they did they probably the best lady boys in the world, nice hammer
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Not tried that, worth a try. Thanks!