Has anyone ever replaced the wiper (multifunction) switch?

Last summer I posted a question about my wipers on my 96 Roady wagon occasionally blowing the 25 amp fuse. On a hunch, I took out the wiper motor, and all the grease inside it had dried out, and it was pretty gross inside. I replaced it, and a short time later, it happened again. 6 months pass, and it never blows the fuse. Now, in the last week, it has blown it twice. I have physically checked the wires, and don't see any cracks, although last year my mechanic thought one of the wires to the wiper motor was split, so he wrapped it with shrink wrap. Other than a shorted wire somewhere in the harness or column, does anyone think it could be the multi function switch itself? Each time before the fuse blows, the final wipe is really slow, regardless of the wiper setting. And, on to my question-how hard is it to replace the switch? I have a steering wheel puller, and if I remember correctly, doesn't that plate with the snap ring have to come off to get to the switch? If I get the snap ring and plate off, how does the wiring connect to the switch? Can anybody list the steps, or provide any suggestions as to why my wipers are doing this?

Have you checked your wiperarm mechanism for some sort of binding that may cause the fuse to blow?

It has to be electrical because it will work perfectly at any speed or setting, then one slow wipe and the fuse blows. Today it blew five fuses in my driveway before I gave up and just drove without wipers. An hour later I tried again and it worked.

It might be easier and just as cheap to swap steering columns, because you are going to be digging into it to replace the switch. If swapping columns fixes it, you can repair and sell the original column, and recoup you costs.

Fred, how far digging are you talking about? Does the column need to come out of the car to change the switch? And, do you think, given what I've described, that it is the switch?

The switch requires the removal of the bezel with the switch attached. Then you have to press out the pin that holds the switch to the bezel. You are going to remove the column switch, and the turn signal switch to get the bezel off. The key sensing contact for the chime is fragile, and easy to damage while removing.

It is easier to work on when it is out of the car, but can be done with the column in the car. I believe you have to remove all of the wiring from the column to get the bezel off. I have a bezel off of a column in Ruby Red. I was chasing the dimmer switch activator connector, and had to go that far to get it.

Getting to the switch is simple. Just takes a little time and patience. You do have to dig in deep and it requires a tool to remove the steering wheel and one for the lock plate.








The smaller blade you see on the lower left is the wiring for the turn signals.



When I last had my column apart I installed a Multi Function Stalk I had for my former 89 Trans Am. It looked exactly like the BBody stalk but had a separate harness that I routed into the column and plugged in in place of the factory harness. Worked perfectly.

94Woody, thanks. I guess I'm still a little unclear how it actually attaches. I understand the tool to remove the lock plate, and I have a steering wheel puller. Does the wiper switch have a long pigtail that attaches to the base of the column? Is taking the column out necessary, or easier? I'm trying to get an idea if this is a project I want to tackle, or take to my local mechanic. Anybody have an idea what a new wiper switch costs, and what the labor hours might be if I choose to go that route?

It can be done on the car. There is a pigtail that goes down the tunnel on the bottom of the column. I cannot imagine it taking less than 2 hours, if you have not done it before. The switch attaches to the bezel with a pin. You have to use a drift to remove the pin. Like I stated above, be careful with the key sensor contact part, because the clip that holds it in is easy to break. I checked on Rock Auto for a wiper switch, and they are about $62.99-70.79.

When you pull the wiring up through the column attach a wire so you can pull the new wiring back
through. Jeff

I did mine with the column still in the car. The pic of the column not in the car is from the day I started my Imp Console/Column install.

The harness is thick and pretty stiff. It easily slides in and out of the column.

I seem to have lost my picture of the bezel and how the switch attaches to it.

If you remove the translucent plastic cover on the bottom of the column, it is relatively easy to get the wiring through.

Yes it does. if that thing didn't come out, the job would be much harder.

It is so weird, the wipers are acting like they did last fall. Last fall it blew the fuse, like this time, 4-5 times in a row, then a fuse didn't blow, and now they are working just fine. I'm just glad this didn't happen last week when we drove from Florida to Pittsburgh over a 2 day 1100 mile trip that included a few hours of heavy rain.

It acts like a wire that is rubbed through, and is making sporadic ground contact with something.

Exactly what it is. When I did my Column swap it blew the wiper fuse, twice. Then it was fine. About a year later it did again, so I did some digging. I had a wire smashed against a screw.