'64 Wiper Switch

[Brian Brooks]

Re: '64 Wiper Switch - FOUND

Your information paid off. I went to the Hildene Meadow car show in Manchester, Vt. today and found a used switch (minus the knob) in a box of parts marked fifty cents! There was another dealer there with switches with knobs and his were $10. So fifty cents for a part that most catalogs list for $55 new. I can live with it! Thanks again.

[Brian Brooks]

Re: '64 Wiper Switch - FOUND

Your information paid off. I went to the Hildene Meadow car show in Manchester, Vt. today and found a used switch (minus the knob) in a box of parts marked fifty cents! There was another dealer there with switches with knobs and his were $10. So fifty cents for a part that most catalogs list for $55 new. I can live with it! Thanks again.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Brian -- You definitely have a head scratcher. Your turn signal checks indicate that the rear wiring and bulbs are OK. Yes, there is only one ground wire for all rear lamps, and it makes its ground on the under dash support above the radio (shares a common wire with the radio ground). There is only one wire from the outlet of the brake pedal switch (black w/ white stripe in '65) to the crescent shaped multiplug on the top of the steering column, and from there to the turn signal assembly. You might be able to separate this plug and (with jumpers) check that voltage on the black/white gives you return voltage on the dark green wire to the right tail light (the black w/yellow stripe is the left; the wires serve both brake and signal functions) -- if not, your problem is higher, in the turn signal area, as Bill has indicated. Then, you must pull the steering wheel and remove the turn signal cancelling cam to expose and check out the contact pins for your right rear brake lamp. Good luck.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Brian -- You definitely have a head scratcher. Your turn signal checks indicate that the rear wiring and bulbs are OK. Yes, there is only one ground wire for all rear lamps, and it makes its ground on the under dash support above the radio (shares a common wire with the radio ground). There is only one wire from the outlet of the brake pedal switch (black w/ white stripe in '65) to the crescent shaped multiplug on the top of the steering column, and from there to the turn signal assembly. You might be able to separate this plug and (with jumpers) check that voltage on the black/white gives you return voltage on the dark green wire to the right tail light (the black w/yellow stripe is the left; the wires serve both brake and signal functions) -- if not, your problem is higher, in the turn signal area, as Bill has indicated. Then, you must pull the steering wheel and remove the turn signal cancelling cam to expose and check out the contact pins for your right rear brake lamp. Good luck.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Brian, the best way to check the ground at the rear, between the wiring harness and the sockets is to try the turn signals on the side you're having trouble with when the headlamps or parking lamps are on. If they work normally, that is the parking filiment remains lit when the turn signal is blinking "off", and the turn signal light is bright, much more so than the parking light, then you have verified that both filaments are being lit and that the "turn signal" you're seeing isn't back-feeding through the parking light filament due to a bad ground. If the car passes this test, you can safely assume that the wiring is good back to the T/S switch.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Brian, the best way to check the ground at the rear, between the wiring harness and the sockets is to try the turn signals on the side you're having trouble with when the headlamps or parking lamps are on. If they work normally, that is the parking filiment remains lit when the turn signal is blinking "off", and the turn signal light is bright, much more so than the parking light, then you have verified that both filaments are being lit and that the "turn signal" you're seeing isn't back-feeding through the parking light filament due to a bad ground. If the car passes this test, you can safely assume that the wiring is good back to the T/S switch.

[John H.]

Re: One more Problem!

Brian -

Just went through a similar problem with my '57; people in traffic would tell me that my right brake light didn't work, and when I checked it in my garage it worked fine. I went through all the usual wiring analysis, checked grounds, connectors, and finally decided it had to be in the turn signal switch, which was apparently interrupting that circuit intermittently (I finally got it to fail in the garage by very slight movement of the turn signal lever, which was a little sticky-feeling). Pulled the steering wheel, and sure enough, cancelling mechanism was bound up with 40-year-old dried-up lubricant; pulled it out, cleaned it all up, re-lubed it at all wear points with Lubriplate, reinstalled it, and now it works like a champ, self-centers properly which positions the slider in the switch correctly on center, and no more right brake light problem. Hope this helps.

[John H.]

Re: One more Problem!

Brian -

Just went through a similar problem with my '57; people in traffic would tell me that my right brake light didn't work, and when I checked it in my garage it worked fine. I went through all the usual wiring analysis, checked grounds, connectors, and finally decided it had to be in the turn signal switch, which was apparently interrupting that circuit intermittently (I finally got it to fail in the garage by very slight movement of the turn signal lever, which was a little sticky-feeling). Pulled the steering wheel, and sure enough, cancelling mechanism was bound up with 40-year-old dried-up lubricant; pulled it out, cleaned it all up, re-lubed it at all wear points with Lubriplate, reinstalled it, and now it works like a champ, self-centers properly which positions the slider in the switch correctly on center, and no more right brake light problem. Hope this helps.

[KEITH SEIWELL]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Biran, I had this problem too with my 65 roadster. For some reason, it seemed to be a combination of minor failures that I had to eliminate one at a time. The biggest thing I learned is that if you don't have everything grounded correctly, you wil have the devil of a time getting the lights to work correctly and consistently. Sooo, make sure that the grounds are secured as well as ensuring that they are not corroded at the contect points. I had this problem with my brake lights. Look under the dash at the brake light switch. You should see two wires with thin rectangular shaped copper male ends that connect to the switch. They pull out easily. Check to see if they are corroded-if they are, clean em up and re attatch. This was my final problem with my lighting and now my brake lights work just fine. All the advice by the experts you have received in this thread were also key to fixing this series of problems. Hope this helps. KAS

[KEITH SEIWELL]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Biran, I had this problem too with my 65 roadster. For some reason, it seemed to be a combination of minor failures that I had to eliminate one at a time. The biggest thing I learned is that if you don't have everything grounded correctly, you wil have the devil of a time getting the lights to work correctly and consistently. Sooo, make sure that the grounds are secured as well as ensuring that they are not corroded at the contect points. I had this problem with my brake lights. Look under the dash at the brake light switch. You should see two wires with thin rectangular shaped copper male ends that connect to the switch. They pull out easily. Check to see if they are corroded-if they are, clean em up and re attatch. This was my final problem with my lighting and now my brake lights work just fine. All the advice by the experts you have received in this thread were also key to fixing this series of problems. Hope this helps. KAS

[Jack H.]

Do The Check....

The '64 shop manual supplement contains a section on diagnosing wiper/washer 'funnies' (just spent weekend with fellow RMC member who had similar symptoms on his '65 -- washer would not turn on and wipers erratic at turn-on/off in step with switch actuation).

Shop manual advises to check tightness of switch at dash because it takes ground ref there for input to control relays in WW assy. Looking we found not only loose switch but broken/loose wires. When repaired, did NOT fix problems....

Back to shop manual. Gives step-by-step on how to bypass switch (both on car and on bench) to manually force motor to run in each speed and engage washer. Running through diagnostic told us the 'funnies' were in the WW motor assy. Pulled motor and effected repairs using 'spare' parts from scrap yard 'similar' WW assy (used on Chevy, Buick and other passenger cars in '59-61 era).

While motor was off (reasonable job to R&R), took the opportunity to blast the plated pieces and re-cad. Now, looks/runs like a champ. Not saying what your problem(s) are and you clearly state the switch went 'bye bye'. Just saying switch may NOT be the full extent of problems and shop manual does a real good job of giving you a cook book on how to fault isolate, diagnose, and repair....

[Jack H.]

Do The Check....

The '64 shop manual supplement contains a section on diagnosing wiper/washer 'funnies' (just spent weekend with fellow RMC member who had similar symptoms on his '65 -- washer would not turn on and wipers erratic at turn-on/off in step with switch actuation).

Shop manual advises to check tightness of switch at dash because it takes ground ref there for input to control relays in WW assy. Looking we found not only loose switch but broken/loose wires. When repaired, did NOT fix problems....

Back to shop manual. Gives step-by-step on how to bypass switch (both on car and on bench) to manually force motor to run in each speed and engage washer. Running through diagnostic told us the 'funnies' were in the WW motor assy. Pulled motor and effected repairs using 'spare' parts from scrap yard 'similar' WW assy (used on Chevy, Buick and other passenger cars in '59-61 era).

While motor was off (reasonable job to R&R), took the opportunity to blast the plated pieces and re-cad. Now, looks/runs like a champ. Not saying what your problem(s) are and you clearly state the switch went 'bye bye'. Just saying switch may NOT be the full extent of problems and shop manual does a real good job of giving you a cook book on how to fault isolate, diagnose, and repair....

[Everett Ogilvie]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Had no brake lights, but everything else worked on my '66. Finally fixed it by removing the brake light switch and spraying it thoroughly with electrical contact cleaner through all the openings I could find. Doing this the first time fixed the problem for about one day. Doing it the second time, followed up by spraying WD40 inside, has fixed it more permanently.

[Everett Ogilvie]

Re: Rear Brake Light Problem!

Had no brake lights, but everything else worked on my '66. Finally fixed it by removing the brake light switch and spraying it thoroughly with electrical contact cleaner through all the openings I could find. Doing this the first time fixed the problem for about one day. Doing it the second time, followed up by spraying WD40 inside, has fixed it more permanently.

[Brian Brooks]

Re: One more Problem!

My continues to fail even in the garage. Thanks for the tip on the turn signal connection. That may be where to look. I can't explain it any other way. Wish me luck!