NHTSA Complaint #717447 — 1995 CHEVROLET LUMINA APV

WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE FAILED SEVERAL INTERMITANT TIMES. FIRST TIME IN 1998 AT 70 MILES PER HOUR IN A RAIN STORM, WIPERS STOPPED, TOOK CAR OFF CRUISE THEN THE RESUMED. SEVERAL INTERMITENT TIMES AFTERWARD. DEALER WANTED $400 + TO "FIX" MOTER. I WAS SCEPTICAL BECUASE THIS IS NOT THE ONLY GM CAR I HAVE DRIVEN WITH WIPER TROUBLE. LAST BIG INCIDENT WAS LAST FALL 1999 WHEN THE WIPERS STOPPED ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY PREGNANT WIFE AND CHILD IN CAR -200 MILES FROM HOME. I COULD NOT GET THEM TO RESUME. CHECKED FUSE ETC. WAITED OUT STORM UNDER BRIDGE, PROCEDED TO TRUCK STOP AND BOUGHT RAIN-X TO CONTINUE JOURNEY. WHEN I GOT TO DESTINATION I PULLED THE WIPER MOTOR AND IT CHECKED OUT FINE AND THE SWITCH-OK. INTERMITENT TROUBLES ARE HARD TO GET FIXED! I TOOK WIPER MOTOR APART, CLEANED BRUSHES, AND NOTICED SOME BUILD-UP ON THE COMMUNICATOR DISC, AND CONTACTS FOR THE PARKING MECHANISM. CLEANED THIS WITH LIGHT ABRASIVE -REASEMBLED AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM SINCE, ALTHOUGH WITH THE WIPER'S HISTORY I NOW USE RAIN-X ALL THE TIME. I AM AFRAID TO TRAVEL IN SNOW WITH KIDS IN VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO SELL IT BUT WITH THE WIPER SYSTEM TROUBLES, AND THE COOLING SYSTEM THAT KEEPS LEAKING -NEW RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, AND HEAD GASKET -MECHANICS SAY PINK COOLANT IS CORROSIVE. I CAN'T SELL IT TO ANOTHER, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP THROWING MONEY AT THIS VAN. THANK YOU.VINCENT WALTER. *AK