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Subject:Re: Rear Window Wiper Retrofit
From:Gary Shea
Date:Tue, 7 Apr 1998 20:44:23 -0600

On Tue, 7 Apr 1998, SBate82659 wrote:
> My question is: What kind of a task is it retrofit the rear wiper/washer into
> a Van that didn't originally come with them?
> Would the wiring already be in place?
> Is modifing the switch just a matter of pulling out the wedge?

I have an '81 Westy without the rear wiper/washer, and I have an '86
rear hatch with wiper/washer.  During the last month I'm gradually
approaching having the rear stuff working.

I have given up on putting in the rear-wiper/washer relay, as the
column switch pins for it aren't there!  As a result, I'm just
wiring it in parallel with the other wiper/washer.  In my van
there are no wires in place for these goodies, so I've had to run
them (a bit of an adventure in itself... on my van it's impossible to
run the wires across the top of the side door, so I ran them along the
bottom... then it's impossible to get from the washer reservoir to
the hole where the wires exit the body for the hatch, so I had to drill
a hole, bring the wires back from inside the body panel to the outside
(sort of inside the top cabinet of the Westy), and run the wires back
on the inside of the van from there (only a couple inches).

It's a pain but kind of fun, and it'll be nice to have the rear
windshield wiper working...

>
> I need to either install these parts or get rid of them - my parts collection
> is such that I'm starting to loose stuff.
>
> Sam Bateman
> Fork Union, VA
> '87 Vanagon GL
>

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Shea                                       shea@xmission.com
Salt Lake City                      http://www.xmission.com/~shea