Wipers do not work
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 45
Likes: 4
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Wipers do not work
I have a 72 Base Coupe, Auto & A/C. I am finishing up an interior refresh, and had the center stack out. Before I removed it, the wipers worked. I also did bird cage repair and had a new windshield put in. While the glass was out, I cleaned and painted the wiper bay and installed a new wiper door vacuum solenoid. Now that I am putting it all back together, the wipers no longer work.
The wiper harness has three wires/contacts. I assume one is ground, and the others are for the two speeds?
The center stack is wired, but not mounted yet. Could there be a grounding issue? I have not yet tested the wiper motor yet (I did not touch it during the work that I did). The wiper door works with the pull lever under the steering wheel.
Is there a way to test the wiring harness at the dash switch? The fuse is good, by the way.
Could the new wiper door vacuum switch be blocking the wipers from coming on? It is my understanding that the solenoid opens the door, and is independent of the electrical operation of the wipers.
The wiper harness has three wires/contacts. I assume one is ground, and the others are for the two speeds?
The center stack is wired, but not mounted yet. Could there be a grounding issue? I have not yet tested the wiper motor yet (I did not touch it during the work that I did). The wiper door works with the pull lever under the steering wheel.
Is there a way to test the wiring harness at the dash switch? The fuse is good, by the way.
Could the new wiper door vacuum switch be blocking the wipers from coming on? It is my understanding that the solenoid opens the door, and is independent of the electrical operation of the wipers.
Last edited by dnardozzi@yahoo.com; May 10, 2025 at 09:26 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 201
Likes: 48
From: Detroit
I can think of a few to check.
1. check your steering column ****. I’ve done a doh on that one.
2. this is going to sound dumb, but I think the housing needs to be grounded (meaning installed).
3. the wiper connector. Check your terminals they don’t fit so well on a +50 year old car, and make sure you don’t have the connector flipped upside down. Not supposed to be able to do this, but it happens
4. check the door switch (red & white wires) to make sure it’s connected. This will prevent door from opening, then wipers can’t cycle.
hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
1. check your steering column ****. I’ve done a doh on that one.
2. this is going to sound dumb, but I think the housing needs to be grounded (meaning installed).
3. the wiper connector. Check your terminals they don’t fit so well on a +50 year old car, and make sure you don’t have the connector flipped upside down. Not supposed to be able to do this, but it happens
4. check the door switch (red & white wires) to make sure it’s connected. This will prevent door from opening, then wipers can’t cycle.
hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 45
Likes: 4
From: Pittsburgh, PA
1. I checked the steering column ****, and as far as I can tell, it is not the problem.
2. I will try grounding it.
3. The harness actually does fit both ways, and I have tried both.
4. I am not sure what you mean by the door switch. Mine are vacuum operated, and as far as I know, no electrical wiring.
i will search the Wilcox paper.
Thanks all - this forum never fails to impress me with it’s knowledge and help.
2. I will try grounding it.
3. The harness actually does fit both ways, and I have tried both.
4. I am not sure what you mean by the door switch. Mine are vacuum operated, and as far as I know, no electrical wiring.
i will search the Wilcox paper.
Thanks all - this forum never fails to impress me with it’s knowledge and help.
Last edited by dnardozzi@yahoo.com; May 10, 2025 at 10:08 AM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 45
Likes: 4
From: Pittsburgh, PA
I watched the Wilcox video. I did have the switch on upside down, and like he says in the video, it is easy to do (at least I will tell myself that). I did try both ways, though. I am really hoping it is a grounding issue. I can’t get to it until Monday.
1967 Pedal Car Champion
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 8,946
Likes: 4,113
From: US-PNW
The dash switch won't work unless its case is grounded. It's supposed to get the ground path when it's mounted in the cluster housing. You can connect a simple jumper wire from the switch's exterior metal to a ground to test.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 45
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
You can remove the piece that has the vents from the bezel, and not have to remove the whole bezel. There are two screws below the vents, and one that screws into the dash pad above the right vent. That whole piece then drops out. It can be a little finicky, so be careful not to scratch the sides of the bezel (which I did, after painting them).