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'75 & '76 Wiper switch

5K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  grungeboy 
#1 ·
I posted in originality but didn't get any productive answers. :(

The question of the day is "did '75 or '76 come with intermittent wipers"?

I have stripped a '77 to install all the goodies from my '75 SS. The '77 had intermittent wipers but the switch from the '77 will not work on the '75 dash panel.

Any help answering will be greatly valued.
 
#2 ·
Hi Dustin,

Yes, there was an intermittent wiper option available on 75/76 Novas.

I haven't seen one of the 75/76 setups in person, but from what I've seen in the service manuals, wiring diagrams, and such they're significantly different than the 77-79 intermittent wiper setup.

I believe the 75/76 intermittent wiper setup is basically an add-on unit that is used in conjunction with the regular wiper switch & motor. The control knob mounts in a separate hole in the dash bezel beside the wiper switch. The wipers are operated in delay mode by leaving the regular wiper switch in the off position and turning the control knob on the delay unit to the desired setting. Placing the regular wiper switch on low or high will over-ride the delay wipers.

The factory 75/76 setup is probably quite similar to those add-on intermittent wiper controls that places like JC Whitney sell.

The 77-79 intermittent wiper setup also works with the regular wiper motor but has a different switch and control module. The 77-79 switch has the rotary delay knob built in rather than being a separate part. This switch also adds a momentary (spring return to off) "mist" position to cycle the wipers once. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to put the 77-79 intermittent wiper setup into a 75/76 without doing some surgery on the dash panel to make the switch fit. You'd also have to change the wiring connector (the 75/76 vs. 77-79 wiper switches ... even regular ones) have a slightly different terminal layout.
 
#3 ·
Thank you Ray.

The dash panel that came with the car has what looks to be an aftermarket intermittent switch set up. I will post pictures to see if you or anyone might know if it is OEM or aftermarket. I was hoping Chevy made a different switch that installed where the normal one goes but o-well.

I disconnected the switch that is in the dash panel now thinking it is what caused the wiper motor to burn out. If both the regular switch and the intermittent were on at the same time would that burn the motor out?
 
#4 ·
If both the regular switch and the intermittent were on at the same time would that burn the motor out?
Hi Dustin,

No, according to the description in the service manuals, turning on the regular wiper switch while the intermittent wipers are on will simply over ride the intermittent feature and make the wipers run normally.

The wipers in these cars (as with most GM vehicles) are on a switched ground circuit. There's a constant +12V feed to the motor whenever the ignition is on. The wiper switch (and/or intermittent/delay module) simply complete the circuit to ground to make the motor run. So there really isn't any way a bad switch could burn out the motor.

When these wiper motors go bad it's usually from worn out brushes ... a result of years of use. They can also burn out if the switch is left on for a period of time while the blades are covered with excess ice/snow or the linkage is bound up from corrosion.
 
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