Riddle me this! Windshiled washer sloved by Turn Signal?

[josh72ooh2]

Here is an electrical riddle that made my head scratch...

The previous owner had the parking light and the turn signal light wired backwards on the passenger side.

He also did not connect the pump/motor for the windshield washer fluid system.

When i first got the car, i connected a pump up and it didn't work. I have not yet had time to trouble shoot it....

But now i don't have to.

Today i was installing a Euro turn signal ( i adapted a second lamp socket to the turn signal via a thread started by Emyers).

My 8 yr old daughter was helping by turning off and on the turn signal and headlights while i was testing continuity and reversing the two wires on the turn signal. She pulled on the stalk and out of nowhere, blammo, the washer motor kicked in and the small amount of fluid in the washer bottle came shooting out.

How the heck did that happen?

I've pulled on that stalk about 100 times between today and when i got the car 2 months ago and nothing has ever happend.

-josh

[jerry]

the windshield washer pump is activated by pushing inward, towards the steering column, on the lever button, is this what you were referring to when you commented on pulling on it 100 or so times previously? these levers are unique to the 71 1/2 - 73 years as far as i know.

[Mike Self]

perform several functions:

up & down give you left and right turn signals

push in and your wipers come on--speed is determined by dash switch

pull lever toward you and you get a washer squirt and six wiper strokes

Congrats on your daughter's helping her dad with her discovery

cheers

mike

[josh72ooh2]

Maybe i didn't explain it properly... I know how to work the windshield washer...

i have pulled that lever in to activate the washer about 100 times over the past few months. got nada.

while changing the turn signal she does it inadvertently, and blammo.

something happened while i was changing the turn signal...

Are they on the same closed circuit or something?

-josh

[Mike Self]

are notorious for their fragility...what usually happens is the two little wires that control the wiper on/off switch break (from the flexing that comes with using the turn signals).

In your case I suspect you have dirty contacts or broken wires at the lever's base. Try some old-fashioned tuner cleaner first and see if that helps. If you, you'll need to remove the lever from the car and check the contacts for continuity; clean/repair as necessary. I'd also check the wiring and especially the plug that connects the wiring harness to the switch.

If it can't be fixed, you should be able to score a good used lever assy from a board member.

cheers

mike