Dash wiper switch to colum wiper switch swap

[Bonnewagon]

That's why I used the AC duct in the upper left corner of the SS pod. It's easilly popped out and an AC louver put back in if needed (My Malibu had no AC). I just epoxied the old dash switch right in, but rotated 90 degrees. Fugly but functional. The wiper swap is actaully very easy. Pulse wiper switches use a 5 wire harness and the green wire is the pulse. The wiper motor has the circuitry for the pulse function so you must use the right one. It goes for about $80 at Rockauto rebuilt. The switch on the column goes for around $110 new so don't break one! A non pulse wiper system uses only four wires and GM maintains it's color coding-black,grey,pink,purple. My 83' Bonneville had the 5 wire connector in the factory harness with the 5th (green) wire already in there and the connector on the non pulse wiper motor had the 5th wire (green) in it as well. So it was a simple matter of useing a pulse wiper motor and a pulse column switch that plugged right in to the cars wiring which was there waiting for it. GM figured why make 2 harnesses, just include the optional wires. If your car did not have the pulse option available you would then need to add the green wire that goes from the column switch connector all the way to the wiper motor connector. The hardest part of all this is if you need to change the switch in the column then the whole freakin thing needs to be opened up and it's a bitchy job. On my car the switch was bad and just to pass inspection and be safe I replaced it. I wasn't about to pay $110 and open it again so I got a tilt column with pulse switch for $50, much easier.

 

[Longroof79]

Mark,
I'll have to give a go again. I think I might have lost my patience the last time and said the hell with it.
If I recall correctly, some of the colors were different. I'll take a look again tomorrow.
I think my column has the pulse switch. It does have the green wire which I spared back at the time.
Of course my old wiper motor is a non-pulse unit and is in need of being replaced. A friend of mine gave me his wiper motor from an '84 El Camino. I'll have to see if it's a pulse motor or not. The plug and wiring are different for the later motor. However, I do have a plug and wiring section cut out a later G-body car. It actually came from the firewall plug from the fusebox.
To be be continued.

Jack

 

[Bonnewagon]

Jack, pull the plastic cover off the motor and look for a little circuit board with a bunch of tiny components-that's the pulse circuit. You'll know it when you see it. I got one from a board member parting out his wagon.

 

[Longroof79]

Mark,
I took a look-see at both of my wiper motors, and neither one has the delay function. Also looked at my wiring. I actually have a pigtail form the column wiper plug with of course colors pink, purple green, grey, and white.
Originally, I thought by putting spade connectors on the pigtail wires, I'd be able to plug them into the plug going into the dash mounted wiper switch (after disconnecting the plug from the switch, of course).

Well, the wire colors going to the existing plug are: purple, pink, grey, and black. I think the black is supposed to go to ground...according to the Haynes wiring diagram.
As you see, there's a white and green wires that are extra coming from the pigtail. The green, I think we determined is for the delay function. The white, I thought goes to 12 volts.

I have the newer type wiper motor with a pigtail that I thought could be converted. The colors are: pink, grey, green, purple, there's also a yellow wire which is a jumper from going to the pump from the motor.
The existing wires coming from the firewall are: white, grey, purple, orange.

So as you see, it's not a color for color swap (which I originally thought it would be). It's going to entail some creative wiring.
I'm open to suggestions and further input.

Jack

 

[Bonnewagon]

Wow, jack, you've got me seeing colors spinning around in my head and I don't mean a flashback to 1967 either! I'm thinking we need to find a 79' (right?) wiring diagram and figure what corresponds to your new switch. I'm sure the basic wiring is compatable , they just fudged the color codes. That's unusual for GM.

 

[Longroof79]

Wow, jack, you've got me seeing colors spinning around in my head and I don't mean a flashback to 1967 either! I'm thinking we need to find a 79' (right?) wiring diagram and figure what corresponds to your new switch. I'm sure the basic wiring is compatable , they just fudged the color codes. That's unusual for GM.

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Sorry about that, Mark... :lol: I did go off on a tangent there... :lol:
My Haynes manual has the diagrams for earlier and later A/G-body Chevy's. ('78+up) Perhaps I can bring them to a copy center (Kinkos, etc.) and have them enlarged. My eyesight isn't what it used to be at my advanced age.. :?
More than likely I will have to substitute different color wires in order to get this thing working.
I haven't given up..just have to approach it in a different light.

Jack

 

[Bonnewagon]

Hey Jack I use my Gandma's magnifying glass. Works great! Everything Grandma said would happen-did. I looked in my 1980 Chevy manual and it is the same as I saw my 83' Pontiac wiring to be, color codes and all. I'm thinking the colors changed in later years. For 80' I see the white which is power to the motor, and black is ground. Pink is the washer motor,purple is the wiper relay (for park), grey is wiper motor itself. On the pulse wiper it's the same except for the green which is the delay module. Then I looked at an 86' GP column and it's as you said, white, grey green, purple, and pink. We need to find an 86' or newer wiring digram to solve this. Edit- I found a wiring diagram for an 86' Monte. It seems they moved the power source to the column switch (white wire). It goes to the motor on the older cars. That explains the white wire in the column harness. Now there are six wire connections on the motor. Some are like before,pink,purple,grey,green.There should be 2 yellow wires on the motor. They make a U-turn at 2 connections on the motor. It showed them as circuit "1" connector "A" and "B". They are merely an external connection to internal wiring on the motor. So that leaves us with white, grey, green, purple, and pink going to the column switch, and grey, green, pink, and purple going to the wiper motor. Two yellows make a loop on the motor. I still haven't found an orange one, unless it's another color that is discolored. I hope that does it Jack.

 

[Longroof79]

Mark,
Thank you for your further input. It's most appreciated. I don't know whether my column has a delay/ pulse switch or not. I bought it minus the turn signal/ wiper handle. (I think he sold that separately because it had cruise).
I thought I could still probably get it working regardless. Just eliminate the delay function.

I'll let you know if I make any progress.
Thanks again!

Jack

 

[Bonnewagon]

Jack I think it still holds that if it is a pulse switch it will have a green wire. The switch is buried under a lot of stuff in the column so I don't think anyone swiped it, they just pulled out the handle called a "multi-function turn signal switch", ya gotta love GM. It works the turn signals, high beams, wipers, and cruise. The cruise part has an additional tiny 3 wire harness on it. It just pulls straight out so next time you're in a junk yard, grab one. So in the harness where the column meets the dash if there are 5 wires, and one is green, you have the delay switch in the column and all you need is the correct pulse wiper motor and probably have to run the white wire to the column connector. Be glad, because it is an expensive sucker.

 

[Longroof79]

Mark,
I believe the stalk mounted switch accomodates the delay function. It also has the green wire coming from the switch itself. Although, neither of my wiper motors have the pulse circuit board in them. My old motor is hosed anyway, I thought I might be able to convert the newer style wiper motor which is a reman'd unit with washer pump included.

The "orange"wire coming from the firewall plug is more than likely a pink wire. I don't see mention of an orange wire used for the wiper motor/ pump anywhere.

Jack