[SOLVED] 2017 RAM 1500 – Intermittent Wipers Only Wipe Once, Low/High Work Normally

[OverDue_Gunny]

SOLVED in this reply:

[SOLVED] 2017 RAM 1500 – Intermittent Wipers Only Wipe Once, Low/High Work Normally

SOLVED in this reply: https://www.ramforum.com/threads/2017-ram-1500-%E2%80%93-intermittent-wipers-only-wipe-once-low-high-work-normally.225418/post-3092200 OP below: Truck: - 2017 RAM 1500 Big Horn - 5.7 HEMI - Auto wipers NOT equipped (Edit: So I thought. Solution will later show.. They...

www.ramforum.com

OP below:

Truck:


- 2017 RAM 1500 Big Horn

- 5.7 HEMI

- Auto wipers NOT equipped (Edit: So I thought. Solution will later show.. They were, but were disabled in BCM and the wipers had custom programming enabled.)

- Standard intermittent stalk with multiple delay positions, plus LOW and HIGH continuous modes.


Symptoms:


- LOW and HIGH speed work perfectly.

- All intermittent modes behave identically.

- When switching UP into any intermittent setting, the wipers wipe exactly once.

- They then stop and do not wipe again.

- Occasionally they may randomly wipe once again several minutes later.

- Switching DOWN to a slower intermittent setting does NOT trigger a wipe.

- Wipers always return to correct park position physically.


What has already been replaced/tested:


- Multifunction switch (wiper stalk) replaced

- Wiper motor opened and inspected

- Internal park contact ring was visibly worn through in one localized area



- Contact ring repaired/resurfaced



- Motor housing ground tested good


- Park signal continuity tested successfully between pins C and D (continuity in park position, no continuity outside of that position)



- Park signal voltage tested successfully during live operation.


Motor testing results:


- While wiping, the suspected park signal wire shows battery voltage.



- When the wipers reach park position, the signal drops cleanly to 0V.



- This behavior is repeatable and consistent.


This seems to indicate:


- The motor works correctly

- Park sensing works correctly

- The BCM/TIPM is seeing at least some valid state transition


Additional info:


- Truck has an aftermarket Android radio installed using a CAN BUS adapter/interface.

- I still posses the OEM radio and intend to install it on suspicion of potential CAN issues.

- I do NOT remember whether the intermittent failure started before or after the radio installation.

- While likely unrelated: Backup camera has always had severe static/interference issues, even:

- with OEM radio

- with OEM camera

- with replacement camera

- after replacing tailgate harness


Current theory:

The behavior almost feels like the TIPM/BCM recognizes a “wipe request” when the stalk position changes, but never actually enters timed intermittent mode afterward.


Because:


- LOW/HIGH modes function normally

- Park signal appears functional

- All intermittent positions behave identically

- Increasing intermittent setting triggers one wipe

- Decreasing setting does not


Questions:


1. Does this still sound like a TIPM issue despite the park signal testing correctly?

2. Does the BCM/TIPM require additional feedback besides the park signal for intermittent timing?

3. Has anyone seen CAN BUS adapters or aftermarket radios interfere with intermittent wiper logic on 4th gen Rams? (I will attempt OEM radio install tomorrow, just to be thorough.)

4. Is there another module or relay involved besides the TIPM on these trucks?


Any advice from someone familiar with Chrysler/RAM wiper logic would be appreciated.

UPDATE: I purchased an OBDLink MX+, and downloaded AlfaOBD on my laptop. In 3 days the MX+ should arrive for more advanced diagnostics. But until then (May 25, 2026), the above is what I am working with. Still, advice that requires this tool would be appreciated for when it arrives.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Truck:


- 2017 RAM 1500 Big Horn

- 5.7 HEMI

- Auto wipers NOT equipped

- Standard intermittent stalk with multiple delay positions, plus LOW and HIGH continuous modes.


Symptoms:


- LOW and HIGH speed work perfectly.

- All intermittent modes behave identically.

- When switching UP into any intermittent setting, the wipers wipe exactly once.

- They then stop and do not wipe again.

- Occasionally they may randomly wipe once again several minutes later.

- Switching DOWN to a slower intermittent setting does NOT trigger a wipe.

- Wipers always return to correct park position physically.


What has already been replaced/tested:


- Multifunction switch (wiper stalk) replaced

- Wiper motor opened and inspected

- Internal park contact ring was visibly worn through in one localized area

View attachment 584554

- Contact ring repaired/resurfaced

View attachment 584555

- Motor housing ground tested good


- Park signal continuity tested successfully between pins C and D (continuity in park position, no continuity outside of that position)

View attachment 584562

- Park signal voltage tested successfully during live operation.


Motor testing results:


- While wiping, the suspected park signal wire shows battery voltage.

View attachment 584565

- When the wipers reach park position, the signal drops cleanly to 0V.

View attachment 584566

- This behavior is repeatable and consistent.


This seems to indicate:


- The motor works correctly

- Park sensing works correctly

- The BCM/TIPM is seeing at least some valid state transition


Additional info:


- Truck has an aftermarket Android radio installed using a CAN BUS adapter/interface.

- I still posses the OEM radio and intend to install it on suspicion of potential CAN issues.

- I do NOT remember whether the intermittent failure started before or after the radio installation.

- While likely unrelated: Backup camera has always had severe static/interference issues, even:

- with OEM radio

- with OEM camera

- with replacement camera

- after replacing tailgate harness


Current theory:

The behavior almost feels like the TIPM/BCM recognizes a “wipe request” when the stalk position changes, but never actually enters timed intermittent mode afterward.


Because:


- LOW/HIGH modes function normally

- Park signal appears functional

- All intermittent positions behave identically

- Increasing intermittent setting triggers one wipe

- Decreasing setting does not


Questions:


1. Does this still sound like a TIPM issue despite the park signal testing correctly?

2. Does the BCM/TIPM require additional feedback besides the park signal for intermittent timing?

3. Has anyone seen CAN BUS adapters or aftermarket radios interfere with intermittent wiper logic on 4th gen Rams? (I will attempt OEM radio install tomorrow, just to be thorough.)

4. Is there another module or relay involved besides the TIPM on these trucks?


Any advice from someone familiar with Chrysler/RAM wiper logic would be appreciated.

UPDATE: I purchased an OBDLink MX+, and downloaded AlfaOBD on my laptop. In 3 days the MX+ should arrive for more advanced diagnostics. But until then (May 25, 2026), the above is what I am working with. Still, advice that requires this tool would be appreciated for when it arrives.

Great troubleshooting, have you inspected the wiper switch itself? INstead of testing with the OEM radio, have you tried to simply disconnect the Android radio (especially the CANBUS adapter)? Is your Camera OEM?

 

[OverDue_Gunny]

Great troubleshooting, have you inspected the wiper switch itself? INstead of testing with the OEM radio, have you tried to simply disconnect the Android radio (especially the CANBUS adapter)? Is your Camera OEM?

Wiper Switch:


Internals:I disassembled and inspected the original OEM wiper switch. I did not observe any obvious damage, contamination, or worn contacts internally. However, I damaged some of the internal retention clips during reassembly, so I replaced the switch regardless (with an aftermarket, OEM compatible listed one: A-Premium APTSS316.)


The replacement switch did not change the behavior at all.


Wiring:I have not electrically tested the switch itself yet. I do not currently know the function of each pin or what voltage/resistance values the BCM/TIPM expects from the intermittent settings.


Radio:


Disconnected the aftermarket radio and CANBUS adapter. Symptoms unchanged.




Backup Camera:


I only mentioned the backup camera in case it points toward a broader electrical or CANBUS-related issue. Otherwise, I would normally make a separate thread for it.


The original camera was OEM. Since then:

• I replaced the camera with an aftermarket unit listed as directly compatible (ACAUTO F-CPAMZ00912)
• I replaced the tailgate wiring harness with a new OEM harness.

The image noise/static remained unchanged through all of this.


I also cleaned the tailgate hinge grounding/contact areas. This slightly reduced the amount of noise, but the camera image still remains significantly noisy and unstable overall.

UPDATE:

My OBDLink MX+ arrived much earlier than expected.

AlfaOBD reports B2303 in the Body Computer: MY2016+ PowerNet




Log appears to describe that the issue is intermittent, yet the existing 3 log entries show that the test passed in the previous 3 attempts (likely this was due to my earlier stated repair of the worn through contact surface.)



I will try resetting the code to see if perhaps the module will attempt to wipe afterwards.



UPDATE:

After clearing the fault, I left the wipers on intermittent mode for 10 minutes. The symptoms are still present, but the fault code has not reappeared. I then left them on LOW continuous mode for 5 minutes, symptoms unchanged, fault code has not reappeared.

this appears to indicate that my contact surface repair worked. But the symptoms for failed intermittent mode continue to exist.

FAILED HYPOTHESIS:

I suspected that Rain Sensing may be enabled, that the truck was waiting for a signal from the component (which does not exist.) But on trying to disable it, I found it was never turned on.






UPDATE with new AlfaOBD results:


I changed the ECU type to Body Computer: MY2018+ (despite this being a 2017 RAM), and was able to test the following components under Active Diagnostics:



Front Wiper (High/Low)

Front Wiper (On/Off)



On/Off actuated the wiper motor, continuously.



High/Low showed NO actuation at all. The motor did not respond to the input in any way.

 

[OverDue_Gunny]

Another update after additional BCM diagnostics with AlfaOBD:


I tested all intermittent positions, LOW, HIGH, and the washer button while monitoring BCM system status.


Important findings:


Intermittent Position 1:

• BCM reports:
  • “Rear Wiper/Washer Switch Position: Interval 1”

Intermittent Position 5:

• BCM reports the EXACT SAME thing:
  • “Rear Wiper/Washer Switch Position: Interval 1”

LOW:

• BCM reports:
  • “Rear Wiper/Washer Switch Position: Low speed”

HIGH:

• BCM reports:
  • “Rear Wiper/Washer Switch Position: High speed”

Washer button:

• BCM correctly reports:
  • “Front Wiper/Washer Switch Pressed: Wash Pressed”

Additional notes:

• These tests were all performed with the Android radio and CANBUS adapter completely disconnected.
• Behavior of the intermittent wipers remained unchanged with the radio removed.

At this point, I no longer believe the “Rear Wiper” label itself is meaningful. It appears more likely that AlfaOBD is simply labeling the front wiper status field incorrectly.


However, the important part is this:


The BCM CAN distinguish:

• intermittent mode
• low speed
• high speed
• wash button input

BUT:

• all 5 intermittent positions collapse into the exact same “Interval 1” state.

This appears to strongly suggest:

• the BCM is receiving an intermittent request,
• but is NOT receiving differentiated interval-position values.

===========
CONCLUSION:
===========​

That would also explain:

• why all intermittent positions behave identically.
• and why delay timing never changes regardless of switch position.

However, it does NOT explain:

• Why intermittent only wipes once.

At this point, my leading theory is:

• failed/intermittent resistor ladder inside the original OEM stalk,
• AND incorrect resistor values/compatibility issue with the aftermarket replacement stalk.

OR:

• BCM failure to read the signal correctly

I believe the BCM the more likely cause, as it requires less assumptions.

However, this further leaves two possibilities:

• The BCM is receiving an incorrect signal (wiring fault)
• The BCM is receiving a correct signal, and misinterpreting it (BCM fault)

Ultimately, I do not know how to test for any of these 3 outcomes, due to an inability to find documentation on wiper stalk voltage or resistance, as well as BCM voltages or how it accepts signals such as this.

 

[OverDue_Gunny]

Accidental reply, intended to be an edit.

 

[RamDiver]

I appreciate your analysis and love the details.
The closest year I can find for a service manual is 2013-2016.

Pdf service manual

Has anyone found a 4th generation service manual in a PDF format? If so can you please share the link? I can't get the McFall one to work on my phone. Thanks!

www.ramforum.com

Download the PDF to a PC and use Control F to word search.

The attached PDF below provides a technical explanation of the signal path and order of events for the intermittent wiper function, and some diagnostic tips.
See Intermittent Wipe Mode.


And welcome to Ram Forum.

.

 

[OverDue_Gunny]

Final Update / RESOLVED

First: thank you to @RamDiver for the reply and especially for the service manual section you shared. That document is what pushed me to start investigating the LRSM (Light Rain Sensor Module) configuration instead of continuing to chase the motor or wiring.

The issue is now resolved.

Symptoms were:

- Intermittent wipers would only wipe ONCE
- Low and High worked normally
- Increasing interval upward always triggered exactly one wipe
- All intermittent positions behaved identically
- No BCM fault codes were present

What I tested during diagnostics:

- Replaced wiper motor
- Verified park signal operation
- Repaired damaged motor contact trace
- Replaced wiper stalk/switch
- Removed aftermarket Android radio + CANBUS adapter completely
- BCM diagnostics with AlfaOBD
- Active diagnostic tests
- BCM system status monitoring
- Verified low/high operation
- Verified washer input recognition
- Verified all intermittent positions collapsed into the same BCM interval state

SOLUTION FROM IMPORTANT DISCOVERY (discovered by reading the service manual):

My truck physically HAS the LRSM/rain sensor hardware behind the mirror, even though I originally believed it only had the ambient light sensor for automatic headlights. This setting was DISABLED in the BCM, as if it did not have rain sensing.

The BCM configuration turned out to be the issue.

The fix was:

1. Enable all LRSM / rain-light sensor related settings
2. Disable:
“Cust.Prog.Features-Auto Wipers”

After cycling ignition and retesting:

- ALL intermittent positions now work correctly
- Delay timing changes properly
- Rain sensing now functions correctly
- Slower intervals also work normally
- Speed-sensitive wipe can now be tested properly

At this point, the issue appears to have been a BCM configuration mismatch involving the LRSM / auto-wiper logic, not:

- the motor
- wiring
- the radio
- or the stalk itself

Hopefully this helps the next person chasing the “single wipe intermittent” issue on a 4th gen RAM.

I will edit this solution into OP for future viewers with similar issues to quickly check the same things that resolved it for me.

PS- The aftermarket radio is not interfering. Wipers continue to work with it reinstalled.

 

[RamDiver]

Awesome @OverDue_Gunny, and thanks for your continued comprehensive reporting.
This thread will definitely assist others chasing this type of fault and add to the collective value of Ram Forum.

Thank you for this detailed contribution.

I hope you hang around and continue to contribute by guiding others to solutions to their grief.

.

 

[jawzs2]

Awesome @OverDue_Gunny, and thanks for your continued comprehensive reporting.
This thread will definitely assist others chasing this type of fault and add to the collective value of Ram Forum.

Thank you for this detailed contribution.

I hope you hang around and continue to contribute by guiding others to solutions to their grief.

Agreed @OverDue_Gunny - nice work!

 

[04fxdwgi]

I appreciate your analysis and love the details.
The closest year I can find for a service manual is 2013-2016.

Pdf service manual

Has anyone found a 4th generation service manual in a PDF format? If so can you please share the link? I can't get the McFall one to work on my phone. Thanks!

www.ramforum.com

Download the PDF to a PC and use Control F to word search.

The attached PDF below provides a technical explanation of the signal path and order of events for the intermittent wiper function, and some diagnostic tips.
See Intermittent Wipe Mode.


And welcome to Ram Forum.

.

HAHA, you beat me to it. I saw this problem before and it was the rain sense config.

My "rain sense" acts up so I disabled it on the radio screen in setup options.. Seems to be very inconsistent output actions. Sometimes slow, sometimes go to high speed for maybe 10 wipes while in intermittent. A real PITA.

 

[RamDiver]

HAHA, you beat me to it. I saw this problem before and it was the rain sense config.

Was it your intention to quote me or the OPer?

They did all the work, I just provided some of the tools.

This does sound like an interesting side-effect of the design, with a bizarre and unexpected behavior.

Definitely great information to know for future reference.

.

 

[04fxdwgi]

You, Michael...... You beat me to the punch.

 

[RamDiver]

You, Michael...... You beat me to the punch.

Sometimes when I'm writing a detailed response, others have arrived and posted before I get to it.
I know how that feels.

.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Side note:
I had Safelite replace my windshield about a year ago and my rain sense wipers started behaving similarly... Turns out the new tech didn't remove the film over the new sensor's optical gel between the windshield... Took it back and the experienced tech caught it.