quote Originally posted by Mr.Chipps: Just today mine started to ghost activate (it is ghosting on the longest pause in internittant mode) in the off position. 87 with 114K and tilt steering wheel. And you do feel detents when rotating it through the intermittant positions.

Hmmmm
No problem yesterday or today so far. But I think it's just a matter of time.

Thanks for the instructions on removing the stem and spraying cleaner in.

quote Originally posted by JimmyS: Sounds like a deal to me depending on how you plan to work the ingnition switch and key. Will the new column come with a switch and key?

That's one of the issues that isn't worked out firmly yet. The current working plan is to ship them without ignition lock cylinders so that you can transfer yours over and keep your current keys. That makes it a little less convenient, though...

Got my new wiper switch and installed it today!! It was pretty simple. I replaced it in 1 .5 hours. I first disconnected the battery.I left the column in the car and just pulled the steering wheel, turn signal switch, ign. lock cylinder, turn stalk and the outer part of the column. Pushed out the pivot pin and installed the new switch. I then assembled the column in reverse order. After numerous starts of the car I get NO ghost wipes!!! The motor doesn't get hot in the off position anymore either. Then I thought what the heck I might as well disect the old switch. What I found is the terminals got warm and melted the plastic which let the springy contacts touch the stationary contacts in the off position.

Now I can drive in the rain again.

What a happy FIERO day I had!!!

Steve

[This message has been edited by 86soon3.4 (edited 09-02-2006).]

i just got done getting my wipers working. my switch was bad then the board went bad and finally the motor wanted its turn. i think that the motor caused all the problems in the first place as it wouldn't go very fast, compared to the new one. more than likely it was causing the heat in the swich from drawing too much amps and it more than likely fried the board

Just did a search with the part number and found Rockauto.com had it for $52!

ACDELCO Part # D6372A
Category: Windshield Washer Switch {#26002547}
**Non-stock item--shipping delayed up to 12 business days** More Info
$51.99 $0.00 $51.99

88 coupe, intermittant wipers tilt stearing. When I bought the Fiero 10 years ago it had no intermittant, changed the switch. Still working great.

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Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto.
Turning white on top, like owner.
Leaks a little, like owner.
Doesn't smoke, unlike owner

My problem is slightly different. My wipers work fine in the normal and fast positions, but when it's turned to any mist position it swipes once and that's all she wrote.

[This message has been edited by rpro (edited 02-09-2007).]

1. 88 Fiero GT
2. Intermitten wipers and tilt
3. One swipe when brake pedal is depressed but only with brake pedal

after dealing with this problem on several cars i've found that usually the switch itself isn't bad - maybe not up to new quality but it hasn't failed - the problem is the diodes on the wiper circuit board and the sometimes the capacitors.. My father helped find this out and emailed rodney dickman about adding the diodes to his wiper circuit rebuild kit.

switch didn't fix it, capacitors didn't fix it, but each made it a little better, the diodes fixed it permanently

Kohburn, that's exactly what I found. The diodes were the cause of ghost wipes on two different vehicles I own. I replaced the switch in one and the problem continued unil I replaced the large diodes. Those age just like the capacitors and I agree that they are the cause of many problems. I also suggested that Rodney add those to the kit.

Here's what I wrote on my web site:

quote The large diodes can also age and exhibit an increase in reverse current conduction. On the 88 Fiero circuit board mentioned above, diode CR1 conducted in the reverse direction, slowly charging capacitor C2 until the timing circuit triggered. This "ghost wipe was really an extremely long time delay which shortened as the diode aged. A pack of four similar diodes rated at 6 Amps and 50 Peak Inverse Volts (PIV) is sold by Radio Shack as P/N 276-1661. Also found the same diode causing different symptoms on a 92 Sonoma. Thought for sure it was the wiper switch because ghost wipes would happen when the turn signal was used (but would also occur at other random times). Replaced the switch, problem continued. Installed Rodney's kit, no help. Put the repaired 88 Fiero board in, problem went away! Checked the diode on the Sonoma board and sure enough, it was leaking.

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 08-13-2008).]

Here's how I fixed mine in the 87 coupe with delay wipers.

I bought a small toggle switch from RadioShack, removed the stock fuse, installed a blown fuse, (stay with me here ) used a tabs that goes over both fuse blades into the fuse block. Then I wired those tabs to in-line fuse then to the small switch, which I mounted under the dash, in easy reach, but out of site.

Now when I need the wipers, I flip the switch, the ghost wipe is still there, but now is controlled by the switch.

A cheap $ 2.34 fix !!! Hey, it works !!!!

My wipers have a problem that I don't see listed here.

They only work on High, and they don't park. Intermittent and low speeds don't work at all. Washer still works, but only if wipers are on.

It's an 86GT, auto, delay wipers.

86' Fiero GT (4.9L) with tilt column - I get one wipe when I turn right or left. Cruise control does not work anymore either (not because of the swap, stopped before the old engine went bad).

87' Fiero GT (2.6L) with tilt column - still works fine

I see this link all the time on ebay for wiper control cruise lever arm for $11.45 buy it now plus $8.90 shipping. Almost bought one but wasn't sure about how hard the replacement was.

Here's a current link today:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-PONTIAC-6000-FIERO-WIPER-CRUISE-CONTROL-LEVER-ARM_W0QQitemZ290041619516QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33595QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Anyone know if this will work in our Fiero's? Seems the cheapest of them all and they are brand new.

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Engineer Bill

EngineerBill.net

quote Originally posted by EngineerBill: 86' Fiero GT (4.9L) with tilt column - I get one wipe when I turn right or left. Cruise control does not work anymore either (not because of the swap, stopped before the old engine went bad). 87' Fiero GT (2.6L) with tilt column - still works fine I see this link all the time on ebay for wiper control cruise lever arm for $11.45 buy it now plus $8.90 shipping. Almost bought one but wasn't sure about how hard the replacement was. Here's a current link today: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-PONTIAC-6000-FIERO-WIPER-CRUISE-CONTROL-LEVER-ARM_W0QQitemZ290041 619516QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33595QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Anyone know if this will work in our Fiero's? Seems the cheapest of them all and they are brand new.

That Ebay wiper stalk works OK - but it's not the wiper switch. The stalk is just the handle; the wiper switch itself is buried inside the steering column.

86 gt 4 speed tilt and delay

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Are the wiper switch and the blinker switch the same part?

quote Originally posted by pollock: Are the wiper switch and the blinker switch the same part?

No. They're both operated by moving the turn signal stalk, but the blinker switch is much, much easier to get to. The wiper switch is a couple more layers down in the steering column...

I have a 1985 SE Coupe V-6 with intermittent wipers, cruise control, and tilt wheel. Mine typically does the wipe on right turn but occasionally happens just spontaneously.

86 SE 2.8L V6 with tilt wheel and intermittant wipers

quote Originally posted by pollock: My wipers have a problem that I don't see listed here. They only work on High, and they don't park. Intermittent and low speeds don't work at all. Washer still works, but only if wipers are on. It's an 86GT, auto, delay wipers.

You've got a bad wiper motor. They're still available as new parts or you could probably find a used one. They're not too difficult to change; takes about 10 minutes to do.

Add another to the list. 1986 Fiero SE, cruise, tilt, delay wipers. Ghost wipe on use of turn signal, sometimes when car starts.

I have an 86 GT with variable delay wipers and cruise control. My wipers come on by themselves often when I hit bumps, not just "ghost wipes" but the continuous wipe cycle. If I turn the switch back toward me I can sometimes hear an audible click and the wipers turn off....until the next bump I hit of course.

86SE collum and switch, random goings on similar to other problems listed.

OK, for those following this thread it should be obvious by now - it's the 85 and 86 Fieros that are affected by this problem.

The cure is to replace the wiper switch. The correct part to use is the wiper switch for an 87 or 88 Fiero; they are electrically and mechanically compatible and a WHOLE BUNCH more reliable. The only difference with the newer switch is that instead of having a constantly variable delay, it'll click through several delay settings.

The change from continuously variable to the click stop settings was prompted by a patent suit; to work around the "continuously variable delay" patent, GM changed to a click stop system. At the same time they were redesigning the wiper switch, they made some changes to make it significantly more reliable AND less expensive.

I looked into ways to make the repair easy - even investigated the possibility of making rebuilt steering columns available. However, the cost of shipping (bad HxWxL) and preserving the same ignition key makes this option impractical. I doubt anyone would be willing to pay enough to cover the costs and a little profit...

For those who are willing and able to change a wiper switch on their own - go get yourself a wiper switch for an 87 or 88 Fiero and put it in. That'll solve your phantom wipe problems for good. For those others who don't feel comfortable tearing down the steering column to replace the wiper switch (it's not easy), keep checking this thread. I'm still looking at ways to make it easy - maybe a "repair your column" service will be workable...

quote Originally posted by Whuffo: OK, for those following this thread it should be obvious by now - it's the 85 and 86 Fieros that are affected by this problem. The cure is to replace the wiper switch. The correct part to use is the wiper switch for an 87 or 88 Fiero; they are electrically and mechanically compatible and a WHOLE BUNCH more reliable. The only difference with the newer switch is that instead of having a constantly variable delay, it'll click through several delay settings. ... For those who are willing and able to change a wiper switch on their own - go get yourself a wiper switch for an 87 or 88 Fiero and put it in. That'll solve your phantom wipe problems for good. For those others who don't feel comfortable tearing down the steering column to replace the wiper switch (it's not easy), keep checking this thread. I'm still looking at ways to make it easy - maybe a "repair your column" service will be workable...

I changed my switch today. My car is an 86GT. I bought the cheaper switch for the 88GT, and it works great now. No more swipe on start up. I will say that the switch change seemed daunting at first, but with the detailed pics and write up on tearing into a column, I found it pretty easy. From start to finish it took me 2 hours, and that was going real slow. I had put this off for over a year beaise I did not want to tear into the column.

Thanks for the time you took to research and come up with a cheaper solution to fix this problem. The swith for the 86 is way more than I was willing to pay for a switch.

Cheers

[This message has been edited by topcat (edited 11-24-2006).]

Where did you get your switch & how much did you pay? Does it look like this?

http://info.rockauto.com/ge...om/Airtex/1S1063.jpg

I have an 84 and an 86 with tilt and intermittant wipers. Both have the smooth intermittant, but no problems. Is something different in the 84's? I know the delay board is on the column, not the wiper motor, but is the wiper switch different? They feel the same.

I wonder why the 88 switch is so much cheaper? About a year ago, the switch on my 88 stuck on and wouldn't turn off. I replaced it with a switch from Autozone for about $40. Works fine now.

Now my 86 GT has the phantom wipe problem. I figure, no biggie....$40 at Autozone, right? Imagine my surprise when they wanted $107 for the switch.

If the 88 switch will work, I'll get that. Autozone's website says $36 for the switch.


Muuuuuch better.

[This message has been edited by Frizlefrak (edited 02-07-2007).]

quote Originally posted by normalicy: Where did you get your switch & how much did you pay? Does it look like this? http://info.rockauto.com/ge...om/Airtex/1S1063.jpg

Yep, the switch I bought looked like tht one, and I paid around 40 bucks (if my memory is correct) for it at Autozone. It was not a normal stock item so they had to order it. It took two days to come in. The nice part about ordering from the store itself is I did not have to pay for shipping.

[This message has been edited by topcat (edited 02-07-2007).]

I have a 1986 SE 2.8L V6.....I have the same issue as the ya'll, Phantom swipes. I disconnected the plug to the wiper motor and put it back on when there is a forecast for rain. A pia but I'm waiting for an econo fix. I think this will do it...Will the 87 or 88 wiper switch work on my vehicle? What is preferred, 87 or 88?? Is there some type of modification needed to install the Rock auto store switch or the AutoZone one?? Thanks..this sure is a really helpful thread.

The 88 switch is a plug and play, no mods reuired to make it work. That is the one I got from AutoZone. I am sure the 87 switch is the same, but since I did not buy one, nor have I cross referenced the parts to see if they are the same so I can not comment on the 87 switch. Why not pull the wiper fuse to disable them instead of the plug?

[This message has been edited by topcat (edited 02-07-2007).]

quote Originally posted by FieroCT: I disconnected the plug to the wiper motor and put it back on when there is a forecast for rain. A pia but I'm waiting for an econo fix.

That's a pretty damn good temp fix, especially considering how dry Texas is. Would work even better out here in the deserts of West Texas....although we have gotten a LOT of rain in the last 6 months.

I'm off to Autozone to order an 88 switch. This will be the second one I've changed. Not fun, but not that bad either.

[This message has been edited by Frizlefrak (edited 02-07-2007).]

quote Originally posted by Kohburn: after dealing with this problem on several cars i've found that usually the switch itself isn't bad - maybe not up to new quality but it hasn't failed - the problem is the diodes on the wiper circuit board and the sometimes the capacitors.. My father helped find this out and emailed rodney dickman about adding the diodes to his wiper circuit rebuild kit. switch didn't fix it, capacitors didn't fix it, but each made it a little better, the diodes fixed it permanently

I'm aware of the Rodney Dickman pulse wipe rebuild kit - I designed it.

What I've been collecting data on here is another problem - there was a bad batch of wiper switches that ended up in '85 and '86 Fieros with tilt wheels and delay wipers. They cause phantom wipes when you use the turn signals, hit a bump, etc. If you've got one of these cars you know what I'm talking about; what a nuisance.

If your car has one of the bad switches then even a brand-new pulse board won't solve the problem - it needs a new wiper switch to make it OK. I just received my first shipment of replacement switches and have installed one in my wife's 86. For this repair, I'm using the later design wiper switch as used in '87 and '88 Fieros. Those are much, much more reliable and this should be a one-time replacement. For what it's worth, the newer design switch looks identical to the early design; the only way to tell them apart is to rotate the wiper control through the delay settings. If it turns smoothly throughout the range, it's an early design control (and probably bad). If it has a series of click positions through the delay range it's a later design control.

The capacitors on the pulse board fail because of age - those little electrolytic caps dry up and die. Since every pulse board will suffer from this problem sooner or later, a replacement capacitor kit made good sense.

The wiper switch on '85 and '86 cars is also a very common problem and well worth finding a solid repair for.

Other problems; bad transistors or diodes on the pulse board, traces burned off the rear corner of the pulse board, etc. are best resolved by replacing the pulse board. The same board and motor were used in many GM cars of that vintage - and they're also available as new parts. Repairing pulse boards with problems other than bad caps - tricky at best. The pulse board design is a very sophisticated analog design and resistant to simple analysis. They made use of some secondary characteristics of the components so even a full schematic doesn't tell the whole story. Very impressive that they got all the functionality from so few components...

Since you have a bunch of new switches...how hard is it to change the non-delay to the delay type?

quote Originally posted by Hudini: Since you have a bunch of new switches...how hard is it to change the non-delay to the delay type?

You'd have to change the wiper switch, turn signal stalk and wiper motor. The wiring harness is the same on 85 and up cars. Changing the wiper switch can be a hassle if you've never done it before (and even if you have, I suppose). Changing the motor is pretty straightforward; you'll need to remove the grille at the bottom of the windshield (on the outside) to get access to the linkage to disconnect the wiper arm.

OK, here's the possible donors for Fiero delay wiper parts:

Buick Skyhawk '84-89 with pulse wiper
Cadillac Cimarron '84-88
Blazer S10/GMC Jimmy S15 '85-93 with pulse wiper
Blazer S10/GMC Jimmy S15 '94
Chevy Cavalier '84-94 with pulse wiper
Chevy S10/S15 '85-93 with pulse wiper
GMC Astro '85-89 with pulse wiper
GMC Astro '90-93
GMC Safari '85-89 with pulse wiper
GMC Safari '90-93
GMC Sonoma '85-93 with pulse wiper
GMC Syclone '91
GMC Typhoon '92-93
Olds Bravada '91-94
Olds Firenza '84-88 with pulse wiper
Pontiac 2000 '84 with pulse wiper
Pontiac Sunbird '85-94 with pulse wiper

Lots of possible candidates; should be able to find several at any junkyard.

Whuffo...I sent ya a PM...a few days ago..didn't tell ya here though..

OK....update.

I replaced the wiper switch (with "phantom wipe") on my 86 with the switch for an 88. Cost $36 at Autozone. Works perfectly, and no more phantom wipe.

Of note....while not brain surgery, this job isn't particularly fun. I wouldn't call it hard, but it is time consuming. I've done two of them now, and can do it in about two hours taking my time and being careful.

If you've never changed one, allow yourself an afternoon. You'll need a steering wheel puller, and a lock plate compressor, both of which are available at any parts store. Remember to tie a string to the old wiring before pulling it through the column, and then tie the string to the new wire harness to pull it back through the column. Take your time, and note carefully where everything goes as it comes apart. Wouldn't hurt to take some notes.

Anyhow, it sure is nice to turn on my signals and not get the mystery wipe.

I have all the above symptoms in my 86 gt tilt, delay wipers, and cruise control but I get mine at start, bumps, and random times. On top of that when I have the cruise on and I turn on the brights i get phantom wipe and my cruise turns off. Taking the steering column apart is not a problems since I have replaced my turn signal, steering wheel, control stock.

i have an 84 with tilt steering and wiper delay. my wipers were frozen by the ice on spring day and i didnt notice that i had turned the wipers on. something broke and now they are on all the time - no delay wipers - no off wipers, so i have to remove the fuse to turn the wipers off. any ideas on my problem?
jn

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I'm the original owner of a white ' 84 2M4 purchased Dec 10, 1983 from Pontiac. Always garaged, no rust, 4-wheel drifts are fun!