Swapping wiper motor in '71 beetle (standard)

Beetle, Karmann Ghia, Thing.

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deschutestrout
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Swapping wiper motor in '71 beetle (standard)

Post by deschutestrout » Sat Feb 14, 2015 2:10 pm

Wiper motor died and I'm almost done with the swap. A couple questions.

New motor has one red wire to switch. Current switch has a dual wire...one to old motor and another to ground the switch. Should I just connect the red from new motor with the current red coming off the switch ... so the switch retains it's current ground?

2nd question. New motor does not have a spade to attach a ground wire (old one did) should I just rig a ground using one of the screws holding the new motor together? Thanks!
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011

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Amskeptic
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Re: Swapping wiper motor in '71 beetle (standard)

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Feb 18, 2015 8:30 pm

deschutestrout wrote:Wiper motor died and I'm almost done with the swap. A couple questions.

New motor has one red wire to switch. Current switch has a dual wire...one to old motor and another to ground the switch. Should I just connect the red from new motor with the current red coming off the switch ... so the switch retains it's current ground?

2nd question. New motor does not have a spade to attach a ground wire (old one did) should I just rig a ground using one of the screws holding the new motor together? Thanks!
Hey deschutestrout,

I am not getting your question. The switch on a '71 Beetle has 6 spades with numeric designations.
31 is main ground from motor to switch to ground lug on speedo cluster (brown)
31b is the park ground
(wiper circuit is energized when switch is off until park position opens circuit ground)
*53 wiper motor
*53a wiper motor
*53b wiper motor
(I don't know which is fast/slow/park supply)
30 hot wire from 16a (red) fuse at #11 position in fuse box

Yes, ground any way that works from wiper gearbox to metal of car. Was old spade ground riveted or part of gearbox cover?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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