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1979 C3 windshield wipers not working

Forum: C3 Electrical, Body and Interior

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1979 C3 windshield wipers not working

Posted: 10/31/25 7:27pmMessage 1 of 2
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Madison, AL - USA
Joined: 1/23/2019
Posts: 3
Vette(s): Original Red 1979 L-82
Crazy issue! My windshield wipers has stopped working. I am not an electrician, but I do know how to check for voltage. I have power going to the motor, so I bought a new motor. I can hear the intermittent relay clicking like crazy. I saw a video on YouTube where the guy bypassed the intermittent relay BUT, his wiring is different.
Has anyone with a 79 run into this issue? Does anyone have information on how to bypass the intermittent relay for a 79?

I appreciate any assistance.
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Re: 1979 C3 windshield wipers not working

Posted: 11/1/25 10:18amMessage 2 of 2
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Loir en Vallee SARTHE, France
Joined: 8/21/2002
Posts: 160
Vette(s): 1978 L48 Auto. Red with Oyster Leather interior. Owned since 1990.
You say that you can hear the relay clicking - where is the clicking coming from? If your car is an early '79 the relay will be under the central armrest/shifter console. If it's later, it will be in the rear compartment behind the passenger seat.

My '78 has the relay and pulse/wasp/delay module under the console. I replaced the relay - they are available now (Corvette Central etc I think) and easy to replace. That cured a lot of issues.

If you do decide to by-pass the relay then you'll need to look at the fuse block. Find the strange "Heath Robinson" looking connection in the bottom right, which looks like a homemade item made with a piece of cardboard!



Pull that and replace it with a fuse. That will give you wipers that have two speeds, but no pulse or delay feature.

But also be aware that the switch itself can be "temperamental"! I had a bizarre early morning episode recently when I could not get the wipers to come on initially, then when they were on, I could not get them to stop! Later in teh day, when everything was warm, they wipers worked perfectly. That was all related to the (incredibly complex!) switch. A friend sprayed contact cleaner into the switch and moved it back and forth quite a few times (with the battery disconnected!) and claims that it has made a big difference and given improved performance.


|UPDATED|11/1/2025 10:18:56 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Stephen J Irons
Corvette Club France
CCCUK Lifetime Member
Corvettes of Southern California
NCM Family Member
Red Corvettes Have More Fun!
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