Date: Sat, 4 May 2013 15:01:46 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: wiper motor problem
In-Reply-To: <E39A21F4-8181-4686-BC9D-8091C94B8B1C@AOL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
re 'a project' ...
the fun phrase is DPO ..
as in Dreaded Previous Owner.
Traditionally, the self-park feature was inside the wiper motor on many
types of cars.
Last time I fixed that on a vanagon I think it was the control
unit/relay for the wipers.
I had a 54 Oval Window Bug once ...
way before VW ever had a fuel gauge in their cars or vans.
it had Semaphore Turn signals that stuck out of the side of the body by
the doors.
Man.......those cars had a brake master cylinder with only one cylidner
or chamber..
and zero warning device of any kind about low brake fluid or partial
brake failure.
Normal service was to adjust each brake shoe, 8 total, every 3,000
miles. And if you didn't actually remove the rubber plug from the master
cyl res by the spare tire ..you really didn't know that the brakes were OK.
And if you didn't adjust the brakes for a long time..
the parking brake handle button would pop out.
At least they had electric rather than vacuum operated wipers.
On 5/4/2013 2:28 PM, Steve Cotsford wrote:
> Well I was expecting to have to tear into things to make them work. The possibility of finding the relay missing was not on my mind as the wipers did in fact turn on. I thought the self parking feature was a switch inside the motor itself.
>
> Many years ago in Switzerland, I had a Beetle that had no self parking feature. You had to develop a sense of timing to park the wipers. It also had no fuel gauge. You had to reach under the dash and flip a lever to turn the reserve on.......assuming you had turned it off after the last time it was used. Mine was a "base" model. I went to a junk yard and found a fuel gauge (cable operated) and another wiper motor and relay that self parked from a more "fancy" model.
>
> I suppose when you buy a project, little surprises of this type are going to show up.
>
> Steve
>
> On May 4, 2013, at 5:15 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>
>> It's always fun to post of course..
>> and so often people post before they even 'look' .
>>
>> at least posting kept you from digging into the wiper motor like you were contemplating, so that's good !
>>
>> glad you found it.
>> or lack of it.
>>
>>
>> On 5/4/2013 2:05 PM, Steve Cotsford wrote:
>>> Well that didn't take long. I consulted Bentleys, went outside to check the intermittent relay. Hmm no relay. Just an empty space where it used to be. I guess my shopping list just got longer.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> On May 4, 2013, at 4:49 PM, Steve Cotsford wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Scott. I guess I'll have to greasyfinger up a different section of Bentleys.
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>> On May 4, 2013, at 4:49 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> that's not usually where to go first.
>>>>> I have never ever had to actually do anything to or with a vanagon wiper motor, and I have worked on several hundred vanagons, pretty full time, for over 2 decades.
>>>>>
>>>>> check out the control relay for the wiper park system.
>>>>> It's semi-common.
>>>>> each time I fix one it's either wiring contacts or the control unit/ relay ..or ground connections.
>>>>> and seldom the switch.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 5/4/2013 1:27 PM, Steve Cotsford wrote:
>>>>>> My windshield wipers dont self park and only work on the highest speed. Is this a common problem? Can I fix it by taking it out, taking it apart, cleaning out the old grease etc?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks, Steve
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