Wow.  That was exciting!  That which was wonky is no longer.  More time to enjoy one's surroundings as one drives.   So handy to keep spare part around.
Dave B.the Boston one

-----Original Message-----
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Fri, Mar 25, 2022 11:10 am
Subject: [VANAGON] Rear wiper relay story

Trivial little thing. But it’s Friday and not much list traffic .

Past few years, on occasion, my rear wiper would work slowly. As if it it had mechanical resistance. Then sometimes it would work normally. I checked the linkage, the electrical connections at the motor, all good.

Then this last winter it would stop working. If I reseated the relay on the fuse panel it worked again.

Aha, bad connection there.

Cleaned that up, contact cleaner etc.

It continued to act up. I could reach down and reseat the relay while driving….

Took the relay off and popped off the cover. Maybe , maybe I could see a bad solder trace. Good friend Greg, electronics guy thought he saw the same and took it home to reflow.

Back in van and it worked. For a week…

I thought I hadn’t any spare rear wiper relays, I looked again and found two. Popped one in and the wiper works perfectly, and continues to work perfectly for the last month.

Exciting story eh?

:-)

Alistair