ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Hey all.

Some background.

The car Im working on is an 86 TA. Came stock with NON delay wipers. I cant stand them...so I wanted to swap them over to delay or intermittent wipers.

I have an 87 TA that I was swapping parts over from. So...here is everything that went from the 87, over to the 86. It all worked fine while in the 87. Delay worked, washer worked, etc.

Engine bay wiring from bulkhead forward. Pulse board from the 87. Stalk from 87. Actual wiper switch from 87.

I left the motor in the 86 because as I understood, the only difference was the pulse board. Correct me if Im wrong.

Now, the wipers hide, they work on low, and on hi, but thats it. No delay. The washer circuit doesnt seem to work (tested via voltmeter on washer pump leads in cover). I tried plugging the 87's wiper assembly in to test it, same thing. No deal, no washer.

The only thing I havent checked, is to make sure the internal contacts are touching the pulse board. Thats the only thing I can think of. That theory doesnt hold water against the testing I did, but Im going to check to see if they are making contact to be sure.

Any other reason why this shouldnt work besides some weird fluke that the switch itself went bad while swapping it?

The wiring on the motor itself was alittle different in that the 87 seemed to have a small adapter harness...but it only seemed to adapt the plug. Shouldnt matter.

Any ideas welcome! Those switches are expensive, so Im not really looking to buy a new one if I dont have to.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Man...seems like I answer my own threads in here pretty often!

It also seems like Im a dummy... There arent really any good write ups for swapping delay wipers around..and there is one very important thing that gets overlooked in the conversations. Here it is...

The motors from non-delay wipers and delay wipers are NOT EXACTLY THE SAME. Mechanically they are. They'll both function as non-delay and as delay. But the non-delay motor doesnt have the little metal contacts that make the connection to the motor cover. There are terminals there, but the actual contacts are missing. Its not as simple as slapping a delay cover on a non-delay motor.

You can easily swap the contacts from the delay wipers over to the non-delay motor though. Its just something that I didnt even notice...mainly because Im an idiot from time to time. haha.

Swapped those terminals and now everything works 100%. Wipers work perfect, washers spray perfect, mist works again. The 4th gen washer tank and pump can really push some fluid...seems to work very well.

Anyway...just thought Ide update.

J.

rhalpin20

thx

82TransAM84

Even if it is a old one, I have found your topic very helpful, as I am currently doing the same thing. Thanks to your messages, I noticed I was also missing the 2 contacts.

But I am not sure the wipers are functionning correctly.

In mist, LO-HI speeds and park it works fine, like when it was a non-delay setup.

But when I use the washer pump, it doesn't work exactly the same. When it was a non-delay setup, as soon as I released my finger from the lever, the washer pump stopped to work.
Now, when I release my finger from the lever, it keeps working for maybe 2-3 seconds and then it stops.

About the delay, the longest cycle lasted about 1 m 15 s and the shortest about 2-3 seconds.
Between these 2 values, the delay was hardly adjustable.

Is it normal ? In the owner's manual, they say the longest cycle in delay is about 16 s.

Thanks !

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

1m 16s on the longest delay seems a bit extreme. Im not sure how mine acted on the delay. Pretty sure the wiper switch inside the column sends the resistance to the motor control and that tells it how long to make the delay. So either there is something going on inside the switch, or your delay control board is faulty. It sounds like the switch inside the column might be wonky...or probably dirty.

I THINK the washer pump staying on after you replease is normal. Mine only sprays as the wipers are coming up too, its not a constant spray. It squirts for a couple cycles then stops. I think the whole point is so that it clears your windshield without you having to hold the button. I remember it working a little strange compared to other cars I owned.

J.

82TransAM84

Thanks for your answer ;-)

About the switch inside the column, where is it located ? Is it inside the lever or really inside the steering column ?

I have rebuilt it few years ago but I don't remember a switch for the delay.

Concerning the delay board, from what I know and from what I have seen when installing it, it is a NOS one. I would be unlucky if it was faulty :-(

EDIT : I've found the switch, I didn't remember it was at the end of the wiper lever... :-o

82TransAM84

Apparently the switch was bad... I have tested another old one I have since years and it works better with it... So I had to order a new one.

Hope it works better with it

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah the switch itself is kind of far in the column. I have pictures on one of my build threads of digging for it. But not great detail. It was sort of a pain Im not gonna lie. And would be much easier with the entire column out of the car and on a bench.

But glad you sorted it out!

J.

82TransAM84

No, it will be fine ;-) I rebuilt the steering column several years ago, it is not a difficult job with the right tools but it is kinda long and you have to be focused if you want not to forget a piece or part when you put the parts back together lol