Cool CatTM
Windshield Wiper Controllers
Now available for all series
Alpines.
WHY WE NEED A WIPER CONTROL UNIT
A true story By Ed "Cool Cat" Esslinger
The Symptoms
This all started with that funny feeling you get, when you smell
something burning, as you are driving down the road. You roll
the window down and hope it's coming from outside the car. No
such luck for me this time. I pulled over to the side of the
road and stopped the engine. Upon investigating, I discovered
the smell was coming from the area of the wiper motor. I
touched the motor and found it to be extremely hot. I
discovered that I had left the wiper switch on from the last time I
had driven the car in the rain. I turned the wiper switch
off, got back in the car and started down the road, after a few
blocks that smell was back, as bad as ever. Can't be the
wiper this time as I have turned off the switch. Stopped the
car again and touched the wiper motor, discovered that it was still
getting very hot. About this time I discovered that the wiper
blades were not quite to the normal park position. I tried to
lift the wiper blades and found they were stuck to the windshield I
have no idea what caused them to stick. After freeing up the
wiper blades, I turned on the ignition switch the wipers went to
the park position and the motor did not heat up again.
The Problem
I decided to find out how this problem could occur. The Lucas
Wiper motor is controlled by grounding the wires at the wiper
switch or at the park switch on the motor. 12 volts is
supplied to the motor anytime the ignition switch is on.
Rootes assumed that you would always turn off the wiper
switch before the ignition switch was turned off. If this is
done the controlling ground at the wiper switch is removed and the
ground in the parking switch keeps the motor running until it
reaches the park position and opens the ground connection.
The problem arises when the ignition switch is turned off
before the wiper switch is turned off. The wiper motor will
stop wherever it happens to be at the time. The next time the
ignition switch is turned on, the wiper motor will start and drag
the blades across that dry and dirty windshield at best, or if
stuck will over heat and destroy itself. If it does not blow
the fuse first. This will happen even if you discover you
left the wiper switch on and turn it off before the ignition switch
is turned on, due to the ground being supplied by the park switch.
This is what causes most Sunbeams to have scratched windshields.
The Fix
- We need to insure the wiper motor will always go to the park
position whenever the ignition switch is turned off.
- We need to insure that the wiper motor won't start if you turn
on the ignition switch with the wiper switch still in the on
position.
- We need intermittent operation to prevent further scratching of
windshields when there is only a light mist to obscure your
vision.
The Solution - The Cool Cat Wiper Controller
- Provides Intermittent Operation
The chattering of the old Lucas wipers running at high or even low
speed while there is only enough mist to obscure your vision can be
very annoying and also cause windshield scratching. Like
modern cars this unit provides an adjustable, intermittent wiper
setting that allows the water to build up to a point where there is
lubrication between the moving blades and the glass.
- Prevents Scratched Windshields
Let's say it is raining , you turn on your wipers and every thing
is OK. Now you park and you forget to turn off your wipers
to let them park before you turn off your ignition switch.
When you turn off the ignition switch , everything stops (if you
put on your brakes) including the wipers - wherever they happen to
be at the time.
Now a few day's later, the windshield is dry and dirty, or worse,
the blades are frozen to the windshield. the wipers will
start, or try to, as soon as the ignition switch is turned on.
Even if you turn off the wiper
switch before you turn on the ignition switch the wipers will run
or try to run to the park position across that dry and dirty
windshield as soon as the ignition switch is turned on!
THIS UNIT INSURES THAT THE WIPER BLADES WILL PARK, ANY TIME THE
IGNITION SWITCH IS OFF - REGARDLESS OF THE
POSITION OF THE WIPER SWITCH and it will not run again until
the wiper switch is turned off.
- Easy Installation
- This unit can be installed or removed
in 30 minutes with no permanent change to the cars existing
wiring. (For most cars). Order now by clicking on your car in
the list on the left.