68corvetteman

My wiper switch on my 68 did not work, so I ordered a new one.
I have not tried it yet but it does not seem to be operating correctly.
Installed the switch in the dash fixture and it will not slide, just as the old one did not slide. The end of the flat metal part "leans to the right, but it does not slide internal to the switch itself.
Am I missing part? new same as old.

Alan 71

Hi 68,
Welcome!
First post!!
And an odd question?!?
I guess I'll ask… did the 'lever' slide side to side before you installed the switch? Did you try it?
Regards,
Alan

When installed in the bezel does it look something like this? (71)

Rescue Rogers

Return the switch. I had the exact same problem. They are garbage right out of the box. I found a used one from George in the vendor section. He has a vette bone yard. I think he goes by 1960fi or something close to that. If you dont find him PM me.

0Willcox Corvette

I don't know if it came from us, but we get about 1 defective switch out of 20... My shipping department now checks them before they ship them to customers. The issue is binding up when you try to move the lever from left to right... That's not to say a bad one couldn't get out of the building too...

But.. why not take the original switch apart, clean it and then put it back together. It's not that hard to do and you'll get a much better product when done.

If you look at the switch you can unbend the retaining fingers outward and open the switch up.

IMHO,
Willcox

Rescue Rogers

No it wasn't from you. I have dealt with you guys in the past and you correct any problems fast with out issues, atleast in my experience. No it was from another vender and it bound up, and after turning the wipers on and off 4 times it just stopped working. My original was melted when the PO wired power directly to it and it became a doorstop

68corvetteman

Yes I did try it before I installed it, and again after I removed it. same problem. Yes it looks like the picture, thanks

marshal135

I had a bad original and replaced it with an after market one.
It lasted 3 uses and bound up tighter than an old man at a nursing home.

I threw it out and bought an original take off on Ebay.
It still works.
The new ones are really poor quality as stated above.
Marshal

dembo

I had two aftermarket switches and both did the same as you described. You had to really grab it as close to the base as possible for it to slide. Finally bought a NOS one (expensive) but it works as it should.
My original had what looked like a hard rubber sleeve on the metal part which is sandwiched between the switch and the button which stiffens it out a bit.
Nick

68corvetteman

I was excited when I read your post. I called the vendor I bought the switch from and they said through it away. "All 3000 of them we ordered are defective and we don't have a source for a good one yet" and they refunded my money.

I ordered the part from Willcox via phone and asked the order taker to make sure and test the switch. She assured me she would.

Much to my surprise when I opened the package today that came from Willcox, the switch was not in a separate box(no big deal) and it had been taken apart and put back together rather poorly. BUT THE BIGGEST SURPRISE WAS THAT IT DOES NOT SLIDE.
same problem, if you hold the switch blade close to the housing, it will move, but if you try to move it from the end of the blade (where it will be when installed) is will not slide.

0Willcox Corvette

email me at service@willcoxcorvette.com. I'll personally pull one and test it myself. I'll send this one to you and send a mailing label for the one she sent. Christie is new and I wonder if she did test it.... But I'll get this fixed.

Edit: Today I found out what happened. Christie didn't check the switch, she is now aware of it. But we have the switches pull from sales and I wasn't aware of that until I talked with Tommy this morning. Christie just ran the part number in our system, went to the parts bin and pulled... a defective switch. The switch you have has never been apart, they are just crimped poorly.

So today I decided to dissect an original switch and the reproduction switch to see if I can either fix them or at least know what the issue is. The difference in the reproduction internals is the grounding finger for the washer pump. The original switch has this finger but it's barely above the contact plate, the reproduction switch has the finger bent upward way to high which either prevents the lever from moving across or it makes it very difficult to move across making it hard to operate.

Re-crimping the sides was not that difficult, I did this with my vice by carefully placing the switch on the inside making sure to keep the vise jaws on the metal and not the plastic.

Please contact me at the email above. What I can do is either send you the switch I just repaired, or I can send you the original used (Now rebuilt) GM original switch.

Ernie

Willcox

68corvetteman

Well, the Willcox guy came through. I now have a working, easily sliding wiper switch. The way it should be. There was some mix up in shipping on the first one, but all it well now and you can feel safe in ordering the switch. Ernie found a fix for the problem with these switches and I can verify that his fix is great.

Thanks