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1969 amc ambassador, wiper switch

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Pmconstruction View Drop Down
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    Posted: May/02/2021 at 11:55pm
Sorry if this has already been gone over, searched with no luck.

Recently purchased a 69 ambassador x code 390 sst, father had one when I was a teenager and I had to have one.

I'm going through fine tuning some stuff, and the wiper switch is weak at best, but tries to work. If I jump the wires direct everything works but always at full speed, I assume the boxy electrical components on the exterior of the switch are resistors of some sort to slow the speeds down.

Has anyone tried replacing them before and if so do you know the values of the ??resistors??   Or is it easier finding a new switch, any help or direction is much appreciated, thanks much
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote george w Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/03/2021 at 9:13pm
Look for billd's explanation here on the Forum, about a year ago, of how the wiper motor and the switch operate. The variable resistor built into the wiper switch actually serves to speed the motor up. It's been awhile but Bill mentioned that it has to do with the wiper motors main and shut windings. The switch also requires a good ground to the dash.
I can't be sure by looking at the 69 TSM but it doesn't show/mention any resistors on the exterior of the wiper switch
Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pmconstruction Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/04/2021 at 2:33am
Still learning to navigate the forum, thanks I'll try n dig it up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/04/2021 at 11:12pm
Yeah, the search function of the forum I find very cumbersome. You pretty much have to use advanced search for everything, as the default search only looks at the last 12 months of posts or something. There's a lot of options and pulldowns, you gotta look at them all. 

I wish there was a way to save default search settings, but better, just make them more liberal in what's returned. Too many results just means you need to get more specific; no results at all, my usual circumstance, is just baffling.

The thing is, the stuff i need to search for is OLD stuff! If it's recent, I remember! lol

That said, when you get all the knobs and dials turned right, there is a lot of posts and experience in there. It's worth figuring out.




Edited by tomj - May/04/2021 at 11:14pm
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/15/2021 at 12:03am
Originally posted by Pmconstruction Pmconstruction wrote:

Sorry if this has already been gone over, searched with no luck.

Recently purchased a 69 ambassador x code 390 sst, father had one when I was a teenager and I had to have one.

I'm going through fine tuning some stuff, and the wiper switch is weak at best, but tries to work. If I jump the wires direct everything works but always at full speed, I assume the boxy electrical components on the exterior of the switch are resistors of some sort to slow the speeds down.

Has anyone tried replacing them before and if so do you know the values of the ??resistors??   Or is it easier finding a new switch, any help or direction is much appreciated, thanks much

The resistors SPEED it up. These are compound wound motors. It's a series/parallel setup. Series wound motors tend to go fast and run away with themselves. So a shunt field winding is added which slows the motor. The resistor cuts voltage to the shunt and causes the motor to run FASTER. 
A broken shunt wire at the motor will cause the motor to run fast with no low speed. 
I've repaired motors restored by other sources where there were cold solder joints and the customer told me the motor only ran on high. The cold solder joints meant the shunt winding wasn't working. I repaired the harness to motor wiring solder connections and it worked properly (other than park, they had that messed up, too)

Here's how to trouble-shoot these - (and if it passes this test, the motor is fine, the issue may be with the switch or the switch GROUND)

For LOW speed - 
Connect battery + to black AND red
Connect battery - to yellow wire AND motor ground/motor frame
If the motor is off the car, and you look at the crank from the cowl side, you'd see the crank going counter-clockwise (or that's what you SHOULD see)
I test with motor face down on a cloth so I'm looking at the output or crank side of things.
It it isn't running slow - there's a motor field coil wire issue, broken wire or bad connection.

For HIGH speed - pretty much same as low but with a 14 ohm resistor - 
Battery + to black
Battery + to red also but put a 14 ohm resistor between the + and red lead 
Battery - to yellow wire and to wiper motor ground/motor frame.
Should see the crank counter-clockwise again, same as above but faster of course. 

For PARK - 
Battery + to blue lead
Connect the black and yellow leads together but do not ground them or supply power to them - simply jump black to yellow
Battery negative (-) to motor frame/ground and to red lead.
Motor should go in REVERSE, crank should now turn clockwise when looking at it from the back side and move to a position pointing to the motor itself, not away from the motor housing. 
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