Topic

There seems to be no clear opinion on using the Freelander wiper motor DLB10153. Depending on where you look either:

i) You just need to swap the plugs, observing the wire colour coding.

ii) Even if you do the above the will be a short to earth somewhere and you'll keep blowing fuses. Somebody even stripped down the motor and isolated the electrical assembly from the casing.

I'd appreciate opinions and experience, particularly recent.

Many thanks.

From my personal knowledge, the freelander wiper motor is NOT interchangeable with the F/TF motor.
I know I tried "just swapping the plug".
The problem is the way they are wired up. One is wired for a positive switch signal, the other for a ground switch signal.
I can't remember which is which but they are non compatible.

Thanks David, that makes some sense (must dig out a and compare wiring diagrams) but it still seems odd that some have claimed not to have had this problem.

I suspect the root of this is associated with the switching circuits. In our cars the switching is mechanical, where the positive is switched relative to ground (chassis), whereas in the Freelander the switching will be electronic.
Modern car electrics use MOS FETs to do the heavy lifting & there are two polarities, P channel & N channel.
To switch a positive line a p channel FET is used, conversely an N channel switches a negative line.
N FETs are easier to make & use plus they are so much more reliable than P, they also run cooler.
Old fashioned switch gear switched old fashioned current, i.e. amps, amps needed umpti contacts (costly), next to no current is required to switch electronically & a small amount of current is all that’s needed to turn a MOS FET on.
Conductive rubber will pass enough current to switch a FET.
Where ever practical I use FET switching in my designs. At the basic level, devices have a positive pole & a negative, (think torch) it is no more difficult to switch the negative than the positive, once over that hump & providing you have experimented with & blown several up, why buy a five pound switch when a simple touch switch & FET circuit will cost half that & you get twice the fun applying your new knowledge.
M