'68 Wiper Door Limit Switch

[Joel K.]

What's the correct wiring to the '68 wiper door limit switch? I'm looking at one that has a black wire in the pigtail connected to the switch's "NO" terminal, and a brown wire connected to the "COM" terminal. I'm used to seeing black wires used for grounds and I want to be sure I have it right before replacing the switch.

[Jack H.]

Re: '68 Wiper Door Limit Switch

That convention (black= ground; red= power) is pretty common in the electrical/electronic industry. But, here we're dealing with an automobile and they walked to the beat of their own drummer (E.g. brown = negative & black = positive battery cable).

So, don't trust the convention(s) used elsewhere. To get the answer, just crack open your copy of the AIM, go to the wiring diagram and look up the color code convention at that point in the electrical system...

[Bryan M.]

Re: '68 Wiper Door Limit Switch

What's the correct wiring to the '68 wiper door limit switch? I'm looking at one that has a black wire in the pigtail connected to the switch's "NO" terminal, and a brown wire connected to the "COM" terminal. I'm used to seeing black wires used for grounds and I want to be sure I have it right before replacing the switch.

Joel,
I believe the black wire originates from the wiper motor and the brown wire feeds back to the wiper service switch completing the wiring path to ground when the wiper door engages the limit switch and the service switch knob is turned to the right for normal operation.

[Joel K.]

Re: '68 Wiper Door Limit Switch

That convention (black= ground; red= power) is pretty common in the electrical/electronic industry. But, here we're dealing with an automobile and they walked to the beat of their own drummer (E.g. brown = negative & black = positive battery cable).

So, don't trust the convention(s) used elsewhere. To get the answer, just crack open your copy of the AIM, go to the wiring diagram and look up the color code convention at that point in the electrical system...

Jack,
I did go to the AIM before posting my question; it shows the brown wire connecting to a brown/white wire leading to the wiper override switch and the black wire going back to the wiper motor. BUT the wiring diagram shows the wires (assuming the diagram reasonably approximates what one sees looking at the car) directly opposite the way my switch is wired. So my question really was to try to determine the switch terminals the two wires actually go to, to verify that this switch is correctly wired.