Date:         Thu, 7 Jun 2001 23:33:54 -0400
Reply-To:     "Christopher T. Berchin" <ctb1@PEOPLEPC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Christopher T. Berchin" <ctb1@PEOPLEPC.COM>
Subject:      Wiper Stalk Advice - Don't Do What I Did!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi everyone.  Some time ago I wrote about my rear wiper not working.  Well,
I took apart my steering column and it appeared that I had a non-rear-wiper
stalk assembly in there.  Luckily, I found one on E-bay for cheap, "new in
box."  The cost was too cheap to pass up, even if mine was actually working.

Well, I received the part today, and sure enough, mine was not a rear wiper
piece.  Evidently someone had replaced the original with this one, since I
have a rear wiper and seemingly all the wiring for it.  This new one would
do the trick.  So I thought I'd function the switch to see how it worked.
BIG GIANT HUGE MISTAKE.  The spring loaded assembly can move so that the
whole thing explodes into a sea of miniscule springs and loose contacts.

It took me 45 minutes with tweezers and using my old switch (which I had to
purposely explode to see where everything went...) as a guide to get this
thing reassembled.  I wired in the new switch and the rear wiper works just
fine.

Moral of the story and my whole point:  DO NOT operate a wiper switch unless
it is fully installed to the turn signal arm and in the bus.  It'll ruin
your night.  : )

Chris