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How to vac to electric windscreen washer
psimitar - August 18th, 2012 at 11:07 PM

So i though I'd just put up some photo's of how I've used a microswitch to make a vac operated 78 T2's windscreen washer into an electric washer.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC03045.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC03046.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC03047.jpg

Two wires to solder to the common terminal of the switch and to the NO (normally open) terminal and heatshrink the NC terminal.

Run one to a switched live fuse in the fusebox and the other to the positive term of the electric pump you've bought to plumb into the reservoir down by the pedals. Negative pump term goes to chassis ground (zero volts).

Maybe use bullet connectors in the steering column so you can remove the switchgear easily in the future.

Hey presto, you now have electric washer jets :)

Shuffs - August 19th, 2012 at 06:24 AM

Don't you love it when something works!Is the miicroswitch rated to carry the load of the pump?If not,you could get the m/switch to activate a relay and run the pump through the relay(fused of course)

psimitar - August 20th, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shuffs
Don't you love it when something works!Is the miicroswitch rated to carry the load of the pump?If not,you could get the m/switch to activate a relay and run the pump through the relay(fused of course)


10amp microswitch but yes you could use a relay if you wanted too :)

Shuffs - August 20th, 2012 at 08:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by psimitar


10amp microswitch but yes you could use a relay if you wanted too :)

Wow 10amps,normally those small microswitches have piddly little points in them,and are only used for switching,but you won't have a problem if it can carry a 10amp load.

psimitar - August 21st, 2012 at 12:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shuffs
Quote:
Originally posted by psimitar


10amp microswitch but yes you could use a relay if you wanted too :)

Wow 10amps,normally those small microswitches have piddly little points in them,and are only used for switching,but you won't have a problem if it can carry a 10amp load.


Yea I was prepared to have to use a relay but there were a few that had 16amp contacts. Seriously reduces electrical life to 10,000 switches but fairly easy to replace in a few years or more :)

Phil74Camper - August 21st, 2012 at 07:45 AM

Nice job. I did a simiilar job on my '74 Kombi years ago. I used an electric washer pump from a Mk1 Golf (just to keep it all VW).

Leigh Harris wrote two articles on converting old VWs to electric washers in the Club VW magazine back in '05. Read them here (scroll down to the bottom):

http://www.clubvw.org.au/oldart014 

psimitar - August 21st, 2012 at 10:04 PM

that article is pretty good. I had to make the bracket as a previous owner had managed to lose one of the pressed in brass inserts that the vac valve screwed onto. Otherwise those inserts woulda made my life a bit easier :)