My 09 Fit went in for service this past summer to fix a coolant leak in the A/C component. When I got my car back, the A/C worked but the windshield wipers did not work as intended.

The issue is that the wiper speed no longer corresponds with the setting. The fastest setting stops the blade dead. Other settings are stuck at a medium speed. The windshield wipers also come on when starting the car and continue to run. Jogging the wiper settings has turned them off, but now they will not come back on.

A search of this forum revealed a possible relay or grounding issue involved. Could it have been something that was not replaced correctly when my Fit was serviced?

This is a safety issue and I'm wondering what action I could take myself to solve it or how much I should expect to pay for it to be fixed. Thanks for any help out there, fellow Fit freaks!

 

Timeline glitch.
You say you took the vehicle in this PAST SUMMER to fix a coolant leak, then say when you got the car back the ac worked but the problem with the windshield wipers suddenly existed?

Well, the time to raise the red flag take action, on that issue was ASAP as soon as you discovered it after the AC was serviced. The service center might of denied they did anything and just chocked it up to coincidence, but it was your best chance for them to step up and maybe take responsibility IF they did do anything during that service that might of caused the problem.

Now at least weeks, months later? I'm afraid you're on your own.
At this point I doubt the service center would admit to any possible connection.

I'd maybe use a phone call to plead your case, and ask if they think there might be any connection and what they might be willing to do as far as diagnosis and at what cost. And you could also just get a estimate of what total dealership repair might run. I have no idea.

But if you're now afraid there might of been a connection between the AC service and the windshield wiper problem, I'm afraid getting any dealership support is probably off the table.
Of course they might be really really honest and really really nice and step up assuming there is a connection. But can I be that optimistic?

 

You'll be told in the most polite way by Honda you're on your own. Probably the same answer if you go back where your AC was serviced months removed from the service and ask for compensation. Should've taken care of that day one.

I suspect a ground that might've been damaged or improperly reassembled. I can provide the service manual but all that'll get you is theory, not wiring diagrams.

 

From what I could understand from your post I'm going to suggest a simple quick check. Remove the plastic caps and nuts holding the wiper arms on your car and remove both wiper arms. Turn the wiper switch on and change speeds with your switch. Follow the wiper drive mechanisms and see if they appear to be back in sync speed-wise with your wiper switch position. If they are working correctly now, the wiper arms were not "timed" to the correct windshield wiper motor position when installed, causing binding. To fix it, turn the wipers off, and let them come to a stop. Start off by just re-attaching the driver side wiper at the correct at-rest position, and bolt it down. Check the switch again and see if the driver side works correctly. If so, turn the wiper switch off again and position the passenger wiper to it's correct at-rest position and bolt it down. Re-test the wipers to make sure they are working properly.

If this doesn't correct the problem, re-post with your findings for more suggestions.

 

Thanks for the help. I figured I was in the weeds with this one when I turned my wipers on during a rainstorm (it didn't rain for a few weeks after my service) and discovered the problem. I wasn't going to demand them to fix my problem anyway, just wanted to explore if there was any connection between the two.

I'm going to look at the solution provided by 56chevydan. It sounds like binding is an issue. On the highest setting the wiper drags slowly across the windshield like it's struggling to operate.

 

from your last comments it sounds like 56chevydan's advice should fix the problem.

Just be careful removing the cowl. There are a bunch of clips that could get damaged. Gentle works.

 

Yeah, this was going to be my next suggestion that the panel with the wiper motor assembly attached to it may have been removed and re-installed incorrectly. Right now I'm just suggesting removal of the wiper arms and re-clocking/re-installation of the arms in the correct position on the windshield wiper drives to see if that does it. I hope that's all that's wrong.

 

This happened with our 2009 Fit. Hard rain would cause unpredictable behavior, wrong speeds, not responding to switch position.

I ordered a used motor on eBay and was preparing to replace it. Once I got the cowl removed, I saw that debris had blocked the drain path in the tray below the motor. The wiper motor connector is close to the tray. A small accumulation of water can get into the connector and short across the pins.

I removed the debris, mostly fine pollen and other plant debris that had accumulated over 10 years parked under trees. I allowed the connector on the existing motor to dry, reassembled, and the wipers worked without issue after that.

 

Sounds like a design defect. Debris, even when it causes water to accumulate, shouldn't cause an electrical problem in a system supposedly designed to handle - WATER. Sounds like the car was designed by the same people who built that sub!