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Wiper Switch Wiring Question

Can somebody help me with a wiring configuration?

My 1961 Beetle has the original single speed 6V wiper motor.

When I needed to replace the washer parts and couldn't find what I needed, I was able to salvage an assembly from a '68 (which has the switch designed for a 2 speed motor).

I assume with wires on appropriate terminals, I ought to be able to get it to work...

My wiper motor has just three leads (black, brown, black/purple).

The switch has terminals: 30, 31, 31b, 53, 53a, 53b

The original switch had 31b, 54, 54d only.

Looking at a couple of wiring diagrams from the two car years, I thought that I could wire it as follows:

Power in on terminal 30 MOTOR black to terminal 53 MOTOR brown to terminal 31b MTR blk/purple to term. 53a

Or, should I bring the power in on terminal 53 with a double terminal adapter? The old wiring had the power and the MOTOR black both going to terminal 54.

I tried it with the above configuration but no blown fuse and no motor action... perhaps I just have a bad ground for the motor and need to check that... Still, any and all help would be appreciated!

Reply to
Red Bug
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'68 was 2-speed, but 12V. If your '61 is still 6V it won't run well at all.

Go to my web site and look for: "Wiring of 12 Volt, 2-speed wiper (dash-mounted switch). " That's a simplified diagram that may help.

To test just the motor: Disconnect *all* wires. Ground the wiper frame. Connect 12V to either the Red or Green wires which come right out of the motor (for 2-spd motor). Should run at each of the 2 speeds.

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

Note that just the SWITCH is off the '68... my MOTOR is still the original 6V single speed one... Is there something special about the '68 SWITCH that would make it not workable???

No red or green wires on mine as it is the single speed 6V MOTOR that came from the factory and so has the set of wires. I'm just trying to use it with a later switch out of a '68...

I guess the test for my 6V motor is what you said but connect the "black/purple" wire coming out of the motor to 6V to see if it runs.

I may just try and bug my buddy that turned a '63 into a parts car and ask for his switch so that the wiring is more obvious...

However, should I need to continue to use the switch I have, do my connections seem like they should work?

For an older 6V single speed motor, do I understand the wire identies? It seems that black is power IN, black/purple is switched power from the switch and brown is... I'm guessing that when one turns off the wiper when it is still mid-cycle, power feeds from the black wire, out on the brown, through the switch and back on the black/purple wire -- UNTIL the arms return home and a switch in the motor gets opened... is that why there is three wires instead of just one on a single speed motor? Have I got the identity of those wires figured out?

What I'm hoping is that the '68 switch is nearly the same except for the extra terminal needed for a second speed and that I can use it once I have the connections correct for this adaptation...

Reply to
Red Bug

Aha! Sorry I misunderstood about just using the switch. Here is the 6V single speed wiring I had hidden away:

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(Blk/Gry is what looks like Blk/Purp).

Yes, Blk is Hot all the time. The cam switch (inside the gearbox) continues to feed power to the motor even after Blk/Gry has been switched Off until the cam reaches the PARK position. Then the cam switch GROUNDS the motor in order to brake it to a quick stop.

It looks like, if you use the LOW speed connections on the '68 switch, it should work OK.

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

Well, I was working originally with just a colour VW wiring diagram from the shop manual... but that isn't a schematic of the INSIDES of the switch and the wiper motor.

That's where Jim's diagrams came to the rescue... should have looked there right from the beginning!

I noted that things changed around quite a bit from the earlier one but I saw a way to make them nearly the same... I now have working wipers again... Actually on my two speed switch, going either way from the middle position is now effectively the same as "OFF". ;-) ;-)

I ended up with these connections:

6V power from fuse to terminal 53 MOTOR BLACK also to terminal 53

MOTOR BROWN to terminal 31b

MOTOR BLK/PURPLE to terminal 30

This makes the '68 two speed switch act like the one speed switch with the second position unused (and so acts like a second "OFF" position effectively).

Thanks again Jim!

Reply to
Red Bug

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