1971 Wiper issues
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Lansdowne VA
1971 Wiper issues
I have searched this forum and have seen many posts on wiper issues with some great information but I have been unable to fix my issue.
I have a 71 Convertible that has a long hood on it (no wiper door to open). The wipers worked fine and then I decided to put custom gauges on my car. When I did this I took off the Tachometer solenoid that has a vacuum hookup and 2 wires, yellow and blue connected to it. In a previous post, I saw the wiring diagram from Wilcox and tried to figure out how to hook up the wiring to bypass the Tachometer Solenoid but couldn't get anything to work. So I ordered a new solenoid and it still doesn't work. If I put a ground wire to the blue wire that connects at the solenoid the wipers start to work but there is no control from the switch. Cant turn wipers off, etc. (the switch is new too). So I know the wipers work but I just cant get it to work from the switch, so if it rains while I am out driving I just connect the ground wire to the blue wire and I am all set. Not the best situation but it works. Any ideas on how to get the solenoid to work when I don't have a wiper door or how to bypass the solenoid? This seems to be where the issue is. Thanks for any suggestions.
Dan
I have a 71 Convertible that has a long hood on it (no wiper door to open). The wipers worked fine and then I decided to put custom gauges on my car. When I did this I took off the Tachometer solenoid that has a vacuum hookup and 2 wires, yellow and blue connected to it. In a previous post, I saw the wiring diagram from Wilcox and tried to figure out how to hook up the wiring to bypass the Tachometer Solenoid but couldn't get anything to work. So I ordered a new solenoid and it still doesn't work. If I put a ground wire to the blue wire that connects at the solenoid the wipers start to work but there is no control from the switch. Cant turn wipers off, etc. (the switch is new too). So I know the wipers work but I just cant get it to work from the switch, so if it rains while I am out driving I just connect the ground wire to the blue wire and I am all set. Not the best situation but it works. Any ideas on how to get the solenoid to work when I don't have a wiper door or how to bypass the solenoid? This seems to be where the issue is. Thanks for any suggestions.
Dan
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Dayton, Ohio
If your grounding the lt blue wire and getting the motor to run ,then that's all the switch does.
Try this, turn the switch to low and ground the switch case with the same wire your grounding the blue wire with,the motor should run if the switch is good.
Try this, turn the switch to low and ground the switch case with the same wire your grounding the blue wire with,the motor should run if the switch is good.
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Lansdowne VA
Roger... Thanks for the info, everything else in the cluster is grounded and working so I assumed (that is my problem right there) that the switch would be grounded too. Well I ran a wire like you suggested and boom it all worked. Thank you very much for the suggestions.
Dan
Dan
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Roger... Thanks for the info, everything else in the cluster is grounded and working so I assumed (that is my problem right there) that the switch would be grounded too. Well I ran a wire like you suggested and boom it all worked. Thank you very much for the suggestions.
Dan
Dan
Just so you know because its not on any wiring diagram,the actual ground for the entire cluster is the 14g black wire going to the temperature gauge,look close and you'll see the center spade on the temp gauge is grounded to the cluster frame.
If the upper portion of your cluster bezel is broken the wiper switch will lose its ground.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Dan.. just wondering.. is the bezel broken at the small area under the wiper plate? If so, the switch will not have ground and the cure is to run a jumper ground from the wiper switch bolt to the gauge bezel ground.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 58
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From: Lansdowne VA
No... I just put custom gauges in the car and they each have a ground wire... the bezel is not grounded like when there are stock gauges in the car. So running a ground wire to the screw where the switch bolts to the bezel fixed it. Its nice to have wipers again!! 
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