>What the heck is a programmable wiper relay?

On many cars that have intermittent wipers you'll find either that the
delay is fixed - you always have a 6 second delay between wipes. It works
under most circumstances just fine. My CR-V has this version.

On an old Hyundai I had it used a knob on the dash to set the delay. The
delay was adjustable between about 2 seconds and 45 seconds.

On some VW's the relay that handles the delay function is programmable.
Instead of having a knob to set the delay, the VW uses a procedure. This is
a OEM VW part that came on some cars. Worth looking for on junkyard trips.

You turn on the wipers with the column lever as normal. You set the lever
to the delay position. After a swipe you turn the wipers off again. When
you turn the wipers on again with the lever in the delay position you have
set the delay - the period between the first time and the second time you
set the wipers to delay.

To clear the programmed time you turn the wipers on or off (any position
but delay) longer than 45 seconds and the programmed delay clears.

Apparently this relay is adaptable to most cars that have a delay position
on the wiper selector switch. I'm adding it to a '78 Westy and if I like it
I'll add one to my Honda and my '65 Beetle.

That's my take on this thing. Anyone have anything to add?

Chris M. <Busbodger - "TEAM SLOWPOKE">
Cookeville, Tennessee

ICQ# 5944649
scm9985@tntech.edu

'78 VW Westfalia (67 HP -> that is...67 Hamster Power)
'65 Beetle - Type IV powered
'99 CR-V AWD station wagon
'81 CB900 Custom moto-chickle
2.5 Corvair engines for my Trans-vair Conversion