1972 windshield wiper access door

[Michael C.]

Here is the problem and the what to do to fix it question. I turn on the wipers and the door opens and the wipers work fine. I turn the wipers off and they retract, the door closes just like it is suppose to do. But if I pull the lock out switch under the dash first, the door will not open. I can turn the wipers on and then pull the under dash switch, turn the wipers off , the door will stay in the lock out position. Once the wipers are off and the door in lock out, the door will close by pushing the lock out switch back in, with authority.Why wont the lock switch open the door ?? Need some help, Thank You in advance. Happy Memorial Day to all and Thank You to all our Veterans. Respectfully, Mike Chase

[Chas Henderson #28127]

Re: 1972 windshield wiper access door

Mike,

I assume that you are doing this with the engine running so that you will have plenty of vacuum and the head light over ride valve on the left works ok? So if thats so, I would rule out the vacuum lines. I would guess that since you have to activate the system by turning on the wiper switch, that its a good chance that your switch thats on the back of the tach is the problem. It is an electrical vacuum switch that reroutes the air to open the door. I could only guess that its working when electricity is applied to it and only then. That once the door is open and you use the wiper door over-ride switch that it then stays open because now you have kept the system open. It then shuts once you push in the valve. It could be that the port that suppost to vent the air is blocked with crud. I have a 71 and I have worked on mine and it works great. I don't understand all the big dislike for the system.

[Gerry Proctor]

Re: 1972 windshield wiper access door

The vacuum wiper and headlight system are ingenious if everything works right. I know that once I eclipsed the learning curve on the operating and control systems and was finally able to get all of my pieces working as they did when they left the factory...assuming they worked right when they left the factory, that I thought how perfectly vacuum motors deal with opening and closing these doors.

There are two camps on this: 1) Those whose throuroughly understand and have fixed their systems love them, and; 2) those whose systems don't work except to bring them to their knees at night, when it rains, or during inspection time.

I does sound like a solenoid problem since there is nothing else in the system that would do this.