2000 GMC Jimmy Windshield Wiper Problem - Help?

As we left the house this morning, a light drizzle decending upon us, I flicked on the windscreen wipers to intermittent and I got some VERY intermittent wiping. The blades would wipe partway across the windscreen, then stutter, and eventually, haltingly, finish their wipe and return to the parked position. At first I thought it was the mechanism, so I quickly turned aorund and went home to swap into my truck. However, on the way home, I put the wipers on low and high, and they worked fine! The stuttering, halting, erratic operation seems to only occur at the intermittent settings- and it happens on ALL intermittent settings.

The vehicle is a 2000 GMC Jimmy with the 4.3, automatic, 4WD, and about 100,000 on the clock. She's a good truck, runs strong, but (typical GM) all the little crap on it is starting to break. However, intermittent wipers are something I kindof like to have, and besides, I'm worried the failure in the intermittents may soon find its way over to all wiper settings. Any advice on what's wrong/ how to fix? Anyone had this problem before? Anyone? Bueller?

Sounds like intermittant (pun intended) electrical continuity. Take it apart and hit it with some electrical contact cleaner or only drive when it's REALLY raining.

Rain-X?

Dan

There is a very common fault in the wiper control module. Replace the wiper motor ENSURING THE GROUNDS ARE CLEAN and lubricate the transmission mount points with a non freezing synthetic or graphite lube.

In reply to John Brown:

I assume the wiper control module is internal to the wiper motor?

This isn't going to affect the low and hi settings then, yes- just the intermittents? I'm just asking because I can live without the "ints" for a while until I fix the motor, but I don't want to risk losing all wiping functions in the middle of one of South Carolina's infamous torrential downpours.

I love how electrical stuff just goes. No warning, one day it works, next day Kaput!

Your wiper motor:

The "pulse board" or control module

The control board is not hard to do, but there are parts that fail on the motors as well and I have found it a much more pleasurable wxperience to just replace the whole damned thing. Boards are around $25.00 iirc

In reply to John Brown:

Thanks for the help and info! I and my g/f (its her Jimmy) really appreciate it!

Beer speaks volumes ;)

Those boards were covered by an extended warranty for a while......

First, take it to a GM dealer, and see if they'll fix it for free under the recall. If not, the pulse board is available at most auto parts stores. GM replaced mine when my truck was 11 years old and had 140,000 miles.