My wipers have been acting up lately. Yesterday I went out to see if I could figure out what the problem was. The wipers would not turn off by the end of that experience. So I turn off the ignition and the wipers stop, but do not park.

So after reading everything I could find on the internet, I go out this morning and start process again. The first thing I checked was the connector to the wiper motor. Contacts are very dirty, so clean those off. Try the wipers and they work on high, they park like they should at off. Mist and low they start to go up and then park.

if I move the switch from side to side in any position except off, there is a relay clicking somewhere in the console. I assume this in the pulse module. I also assume that behavior from the switch is not what I want.

when the wipers would not turn off last night I could get them to go to slow.

So, from what I have read last night the motor appears to be working correctly and the wipers would not work at all if the pulse control was out. That seems to me to narrow it down to a faulty dash switch.

Does that seem correct?

 

No, it shouldn't be doing that and it does sound like the switch has a problem. Be forewarned that the switch is rather difficult to remove. The hex screw that secures it is totally impossible to see, very difficult to feel and damned near impossible (at least with my big hands) to access with the dash installed.

I suggest testing, cleaning and attempting to repair (if needed) your original switch. The Chinese made replacements are junk. The one I ordered a few years ago ('79 with pulse wipers) was not built properly and was incapable of operating the pulse system properly. It's been a while since I looked but for a while no replacements were available as presumably they discovered the problem and quit selling them.

 

Thanks.

I am going to try and just pull the speedo cluster and see if I can get it that way. If not, I have had the dash out a lot. I have gotten pretty good at it.

trying to think of anything else I want to do to the car while that is all apart again. Led dash lights for sure.

 

Even with the cluster removed that hex screw holding the wiper switch is a pain I know tastes vary but I tried a few LEDs in the dash and found them much to bright and glaring. You'll loose the dimming function with LEDs. The yellowish color of incandescent light with the blue painted reflectors combine to make that easy-on-the-eyes green glow. Since they're ordinarily dimmed somewhat illumination lamps for the cluster and gauges have a very long life. If you do the blinkers arrow indicators and other warning lights in LEDs be sure to get LEDs with matching color lenses--the final color will be terribly off if you use "white".

I've had the dash out of my '79 a number of times as well. We're lucky as it's VERY easy compared to '68-'76!

Since you found a difference in operation by cleaning the electrical connectors at the wiper motor I suggest you go on a connector and ground point cleaning spree. The wiper motor grounds via a machine bolt in a heavy housing beside the starter--it's probably in the best shape due to oil leaks and the fact that it's a fine thread bolt in a machined part. The other chassis grounds are via coarse thread sheet metal bolts with zero weather protection--they get hideously filthy and covered in surface rust. Most of the chassis grounds are easy to get to--the exception is the one at the lower left corner of the radiator support bracket. The vacuum tank/framing member blocks it--I had to access via the front park/turn light hole in the bumper using a bizarre combination of multiple universal joints, wobble extensions and a helper to guide it onto the head. Also the front park/turn lamp housings use pigtail harnesses with plain (non weather resistant) connectors. Not fun to clean with the forward lamp harness installed but it can be done. Once you start cleaning the chassis harness grounds there's no turning back--things that seemed to work fine before may act very strangely as they're now finding ground through the nice clean connections and not the one they're supposed to use.