Date:         Mon, 11 Mar 1996 12:43:09 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         walshp@ippdsgi3.nawc-ad-indy.navy.mil (Pat Walsh)
Subject:      Re: four-position wiper stalk, 78 bus

Andy Erskine <a.c.erskine@lut.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> When I push it down to that lowest
>>position, the wipers don't run and nothing else seems to happen
>>either.  What is it supposed to do?  Am I turning someone's wipers on
>>and off in South Africa?
>
>My '73 is the same. I always thought it could be for intermittent wipers
>that my bus, being a cheapo no-frills 1600 version, didn't get. I know VW
>did that with the reversing lights. My bus has the lights, just with no
>bulbs or holders inside. When I bought it I thought there must just be a
>blown fuse or duff wire or something until I read somewhere that they were
>an option. In reality that meant you had to stump up more cash, on top of
>what you were already paying for your new bus, just for VW to connect them up. 
>I've never bothered to examine the wiper switch but it may turn out that by
>just adding a few extra wires in the right places you end up with
>intermittent wipers for free. Has anyone's bus got a wiper switch that does
>something when you move it down?

You guys aren't by chance refering to the wash function, are you?  I know that
on later busses the hose from the windshield washer tank runs up to a valve
on the column and from there to the jets on the windshield.  If the washer
tank wasn't pressurized, then moving the lever wouldn't appear to do anything.
But I can't remember if this is the same lever as for the wipers, or a
different stalk.

Pat Walsh, '71 Westy, walshp@ippdsgi3.nawc-ad-indy.navy.mil