Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Rear Wiper Won't Turn Off

Dan The Video Man

DIY til I Die
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Jul 21, 2025
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Eastpointe, MI
Did some searching and wasn't able to find anything. My 2000 has an 03-06 hardtop but didn't come wired for it from the factory. Using the write up by @Jamison C I got the dash harness and tub harness replaced and all hooked up along with the switches. Defrost worked good but the rear wiper wasn't going. I checked the plug going to it and it was getting power, figured the motor was bad, no big deal. Ordered a replacement and swapped it out. Plugged it in and still nothing. Double checked to make sure power was going to plug and it was. I looked at the wires and noticed that the power wire at the motor and the power wire at the hard top plug were on opposite sides. I used a jumper wire to connect the two and the motor is working so I know the motor is good. I swap the two outside wires in the plug to the opposite sides and plug it in. Wiper is going and looking good. I go up front to switch the wiper off so I can button everything else up but the wiper isn't stopping with the switch in the off position. I pulled the dash bezel to check the switch and the plug to it, I unplugged the switch and the wiper is still going. There's obviously constant power going to it from somewhere, I'm not sure where to go from here to try and figure out where it's coming from and how to fix it. Any help is appreciated.
 
Yeah, it's just so weird that it's continuing to go even after the switch is unplugged. I'm looking all through the schematics trying to figure out where it's coming from.
 
I've already swapped V23 18BR/PK FUSED IGNITION SWITCH OUTPUT (RUN) with V13 18BK/LG REAR WIPER MOTOR CONTROL at the motor which is how I got to start. When I unplugged the switch to check those connections it kept going.
 
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Now, I took the switch out and am seeing that where one spring goes, the plastic bottom to support is seems to have broken off. I'm wondering if this could be the reason that the motor wasn't running in the first place before I swapped the two wires and after swapping them now it just has constant power.


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I've already swapped V23 18BR/PK FUSED IGNITION SWITCH OUTPUT (RUN) with V13 18BK/LG REAR WIPER MOTOR CONTROL at he motor which is how I got to start. When I unplugged the switch to check those connections it kept going.

Wipers in general , have a switched hot feed wire AND a continuous hot feed to the motor . The motor starts when you close the switch circuit and the wiper runs . When you turn the switch off the motor continues to run off the continuous hot feed until the wiper arms are in the park position , a set of cam driven breaker points open at that position. You have the wires going to the wrong position or the breaker points are not properly opening. That sounds unlikely , however I have had that happen on a 74 Blazer. It drove me nuts watching it run with the switch disconnected . I you work this out quickly !
 
Yeah, I had thought about doing that but unfortunately when I removed the old motor, the casting at the bottom of the shaft cracked and broke. I'm waiting to hear back from the shop I bought it from about a refund. That motor shouldn't have burnt out that quickly, even with it going constantly it wasn't running any longer then it would've been in a practical rainy situation.
 
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Yeah, I had thought about doing that but unfortunately when I removed the old motor, the casting at the bottom of the shaft cracked and broke. I'm waiting to hear back from the shop I bought it from about a refund. That motor shouldn't have burnt out that quickly, even with it going constantly it wasn't running any longer then it would've been in a practical rainy situation.

Maybe you can swap castings? It a long shot, but...
 
I might try that tomorrow after I take care of a much needed cleaning of my workbench. Plus I had to wire up the connector plug for my soundbar earlier and my toes are still thawing out. 😂 probably done out there for today.

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Quick update on this. After some back and forth with the seller I got the part from originally I finally got them to send me a replacement. They kept trying to tell me that because my hard top is an 03-06 and my Jeep is a 2000 that it wasn't compatible and that's why it failed. I also order a new wiper switch so I'm not relying on one I got used and then tried to fix. Once I get that in I'll get them both swapped out and cross my fingers!
 
Quick update on this. After some back and forth with the seller I got the part from originally I finally got them to send me a replacement. They kept trying to tell me that because my hard top is an 03-06 and my Jeep is a 2000 that it wasn't compatible and that's why it failed. I also order a new wiper switch so I'm not relying on one I got used and then tried to fix. Once I get that in I'll get them both swapped out and cross my fingers!

I hate to bring this up 😬 because I can't remember where I got the information - (although I would assume it was on this forum) but I DEFINITELY did see somewhere that the '03-06 hardtops are NOT compatible with the 2000. I remember because I didn't know that when I bought my hardtop off Marketplace. I had to reach back of to the seller to confirm the year (it was a '97, so all good).
I don't remember why/how they're not compatible, and it doesn't mean there isn't a workaround (especially with all the brain power on this forum) but just thought I'd throw that out there so you know they're not BSing you (even though their logic may be flawed).
 
From what I’ve researched and seen on here and other sources, it will work. I spent a few months researching and checking to make sure before I sourced the harnesses and started the project. But we’ll see! Haha
 
New rear wiper motor arrived and installed along with the new switch and the blown rear wiper fuse (Which I'm sure got blown when the other motor burnt up). Works just as it should! However, now the sprayer isn't coming out. I hear the pump and fluid is going through the hose all the way to the hard top. I blew through the remainder with an air gun and it went through and I don't see any leaking. So that'll be fun to track down and figure out what's going on with that.

BUT, let it be known that the 03-06 hardtops ARE fully compatible with the 2000...
 
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BUT, let it be known that the 03-06 hardtops ARE fully compatible with the 2000...

Except with that combination there is no vent - the 97-02 have vents in the rear vertical pillars, and the 03-06 do not and instead have a vent in the tailgate.

I bought a later hard top on my ‘98 and on the way home there was a very loud whistling noise with either the AC or vent turned on. The incoming air was pushing the liftgate glass open and making a hellacious noise. I turned around and brought the hard top back, and found an early one with the side vents.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator