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Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch!

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VWFoxAutoX

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Okay, so I decided to take the Wagon out in the snow just to see how it'd do, haven't driven it all winter. Well, we got an unexpected snow/sleet storm and my wipers stopped working. I ended up pulling off the road until it stopped. Then I'm on my way again and the wipers just start working. That'd been great except my winshield was covered with salt crud that other cars were kicking up. No problem, just flick on the washer. Darn, no fluid. Stop for fluid, still no washer. I get home and hook the washer up to 12V and it kicks right in. Test the leads to the connector, get 11V. It should work, right? Nope. So, I cut the connector off and put on female spades. It worked twice, then nothing. Plus the wipers were really slooooooow at first, then they started working. My only thought here is that it has to be the switch. It can't be the fuse because the wipers are on the same one. I know where it all connects right on the steering assembly, but I haven't a clue which wires are which. (sp?) The ones at the washer are brown (-) and green/red (+) and I have the same on the harness, but what colors are the (+) and (-) going INTO the switch?
Oh, and while I was under the wheel, I found out that the cruise control I have wasn't factory installed. I had assumed it was because it's on the blinker stalk, but I found an aftermarket "box" just kind of laying under the dash. The cruise doesn't work, but it must have when it was installed.
 
#3 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (Windowlicker)

No Foxes had cruise control from the factory. Not any sold in America anyway. I have CC and it works great, installed by Sears and a previous owner.
Re: wiper problems... quit messing with the wires and take the wiper stalk switch off and set it on a bench. Get in there with q-tips, rubbing alcohol, little brushes, contact cleaner, whatever it takes and clean it all up. Tons of dust, hair, etc. gets built up on the contacts over the years. Once all the contacts are nice and clean, put a light coat of dialectric grease on them and reinstall. Bet ya this will solve your problem. Just my 2 cents.
 
#4 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (Tjax)

Id like to know where the previous owner of his fox got the switch on the tower. Or is it the second switch with an orange light and you dont have a rear defroster?
 
#5 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (Zyzzyan)

Quote, originally posted by Zyzzyan »
Id like to know where the previous owner of his fox got the switch on the tower. Or is it the second switch with an orange light and you dont have a rear defroster?

Huh? Are you talking about the cruise control switch? If you are, mine is on the turn signal arm also. The original is cut short and a new piece with the cruise controls is spliced on. I think that's how they do an aftermarket install. I also have a box basically dangling under the dash. Gotta stuff it back up in there from time to time.
If that's not what you meant, disregard all that.
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Discussion starter · #6 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (Tjax)

Quote, originally posted by Tjax »
Re: wiper problems... quit messing with the wires and take the wiper stalk switch off and set it on a bench. Get in there with q-tips, rubbing alcohol, little brushes, contact cleaner, whatever it takes and clean it all up. Tons of dust, hair, etc. gets built up on the contacts over the years. Once all the contacts are nice and clean, put a light coat of dialectric grease on them and reinstall. Bet ya this will solve your problem. Just my 2 cents.

I'll give that a try. How much do I have to dissasemble to get that off? It is the middle of winter after all and we made the mistake of buying a house without a garage.
Image
Well, when it was built it had a garage, but the people who owned it before had never heard of birth control, so they had to convert it into a bedroom/bathroom.
Yeah, my cruise is on the blinker stalk. When I bought the thing I just assumed it was factory, but then I found that box, made by Fridgate or something like that and knew it didn't match because of it's "industry standard" wire colors. (You know, solid red, solid yellow, black, orange, all the colors manufacturers don't actually use....) Maybe I can find the company and just get a new box. I doubt that's the problem though. This thing seems to have one wiring bug after another. Oh, weren't these things (wagons) supposed to have rear washer/wiper? And my rear defrost doesn't work. Or half my dash illumination. I thought the horn was broke until I realized you have to push the WHOLE wheel in. WTF?
 
#7 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (VWFoxAutoX)

Yes wagons have a rear washer wiper. Look in the back hatch. passenger side, little door that opens up. Voila! There is your tank. On the passenger side, outside of the hatch is your sprayer.
How to get it to spray? Push the windshield washer arm the other way. Unless they screwed that up installing the cruise.
Rear defrost: I would check the connectors on the glass. Or if you need a switch, I have a dozen. Or the fuse.
With the horn problem, you have to have a rats nest of wires under that steering wheel. And to get that off, IIRC, requires a 24MM socket or a 15/16 socket. deep well. pry your horn pad up with a small screwdriver, here is where I would toss the junk stocker (lots of horn problems are in the wheel) and get any other small spline VW steering wheel, like pre 93. loosen the nut 3 or 4 turns, just so that the nut is not off, but is loose on the steering shaft. A sharp tug will pull the wheel off, while the nut still being threaded keeps you from eating the steering wheel when it comes at you at high velocity. Then it is sooo much easier to fix your dash lights, horn assembly, and windshield washer stalk.
Past that, it is all common sense on how to get everything apart/ reinstalled, except for the dash, and that is explained somewhere else in a thread.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Re: Need Immediate Help with Washer Switch! (100HP1.8)

That's weird about the horn though the whole wheel pushes in about 1/4" or so and then the horn goes off. Like, I grab the wheel on both sides and push it towards the firewall and it moves, setting off the horn. I'm not so concerned about that though since I'm turning this into an AutoX car this summer. The washer/wiper situation has to be fixed though because I don't get to the local ones so I'm driving 1-3 hours to get to the ones I do go to. As for the rear, someone must have removed it because there's a black plastic/rubber grommet covering the hole where the wiper arm should have been. Once again, not a big deal. The rear defrost is probably the switch because it doesn't light up to let you know it's on, and the switch is very hard to push, not like the flashers. Something interesting about the washer switch though in reference to the rear washer. You said push it the other way. When I pull it towards me it should activate the front right? I can't push it towards the firewall, it just won't go that way. My cruise is on the left stalk and pushing/pulling that only activates the high beams, which I drive with almost all the time anyways because the lows aren't bright enough (I have Silverstars in everything else I own so I'm used to bright headlights).
Thanks to everyone for their help. On Sunday I'm going to take it all apart and see what I can figure out, I'll let y'all know.
 
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