Hi All,
Well as some of you may know I've started to add the Variable Intermittent Wiper to my Mk3.5 Fiesta.
I will update this guide as and when I do more as it's not quite complete yet, but thought it best to start writing up while it's still fresh in my mind.
Usual guide warnings and arse covering applies, this is the way I did it. I'm not saying its the best way to do it or the right way to do it so carry this out at your risk.
Tools Needed:
Philips Screwdrivers (Large and Jewellers size small one)
Small flat blade screw driver
Soldering Iron
Solder Sucker/Solder Wick
Solder
Time Taken:
2 hours so far (including pictures)
Difficulty Rating:
2 out of 5
Fiddely Little Fucker Rating:
4 out of 5
How to do it:
Here we have the stalks I got out of a Mk5 Escort
Which has the 6 Speed Intermittent option installed
This is the part number of the one I have
You can see on the back that it has two connectors which both have 11 connectors. The Fiesta one only has 8 pins on the Washer connector.
Initially I had planned to re wire the connectors by removing and replacing the pins in the correct location on the wiring loom and installing the full Escort wiper stalk assembly but upon further investigation this presented a few problems:
1) The Escort stalks, although they physically fit in the space have a different configuration where they interface with the cowling so wasn't sure if they would fit.
2) This would then mean I couldn't go back to the Fiesta stalks should I need to in the future
3) Getting the pins out of those plugs, sitting in my living room with a spare one, is a right royal PITA
So, I decided to modify the stalks to incorporate the Variable Dial into my Fiesta stalks and wire in the Variable Dial seperate to the OEM loom.
First thing to do is take the Escort Stalks and ensure that the Hazard switch is in the Off position (pushed all the way down). Other wise it'll ping out later on.
Turn the assembly over and remove these two screws
Then use your small flat blade screwdriver to prise these little clips free around the assembly
It is up to you as to whether you take care doing this or not as we won't be using the assembly so it doesn't really matter if you burst them.
Then slide the back panel off and you will be presented with this. Take care that the two screws at the bottom don't go flying
These are the five wires that we will be dealing with here.
Ignore the black wire at the bottom it is just the two blue wires, white, green and black wires nearest the top we are after.
De-solder them and they will look like this
Then, you need to grip onto the Variable Dial and Washer switch assembly and gently but firmly pull it free from the stalk assembly.
This is where it will start to seperate from
And when you pull it free it will look like this
And that is you now finished with the Escort Stalk assembly, you can put it back together or launch it across the garage as you see fit!
Now here is my Fiesta Stalk assembly
With the Intermittent wiper but not variable
And this part number
When you hold the two wiper stalk assemblies together you can see they are held together differently
To take apart the Fiesta assembly you first need to undo these 4 screws and then again prise apart the small plastic snap lugs.
The Fiesta one is a bit flimsier and is therefore easier to remove the snap lugs without damaging them, which is a good thing.
When you get the cover off this is what it'll look like
The stalks themselves just lift clear of the circuit board and you then need to remove the black plastic clip in the top left corner and the white plastic ramped clip in the bottom right corner along with two little switches that sit behind the stalks and a small metal connector in the top left corner.
) any which way you choose. Solder and heat shrink was my preferred method.
