Low point for a Hi-lux

**artful bodger** · 20th July 2016, 09:03 AM

I have got a 2012 Toyota Hi-lux 4x4 Work mate that I purchased a couple of years ago.
Generally I am happy with it except for one glaring problem, the windscreen wipers. It is unbelievable in such a modern vehicle that the wipers have no intermittent switch, there is fast and slow settings but both are a continuous wipe and unless the rain is really hammering down even the slow setting results in a chattery wiping action. There is another option on the control stalk that says "mist" for that one you have to flick the switch manually to get one wipe of the wiper. What that in affect means is that most of the time in rain you find yourself having to flick the mist switch every time you want the wipers to wipe once to avoid the chattey action caused by wiping a not wet enough screen. It is incredibly frustrating! and a big fat FAIL for the designers at Toyota.
I went and asked the Toyota dealer if they could fit a control stalk from a SR series Hi-lux that has got intermittent settings on it but was told that is not possible.
Went to a renowned auto electrician to see if he could fit something like this to the circuit to give an intermittent wipe setting Hella 7010 Windscreen Wiper Control Rotary Switch - Intermittent, 12V DC but they are no longer made/available and it seems there is no one else that makes a similar item anymore.
Really hoping I do not have to get rid of an otherwise excellent vehicle for the sake of a stupidly equipped wiper switch.
If anyone happens to have one of those Hella intermittent relay switches kicking around(as in the link) they would be happy to sell or knows of any alternative please let me know.

**Uncle Al** · 20th July 2016, 09:13 AM

I understand your frustration. Wipers that judder across the screen are a long way from my favourite things!
Have you tried replacing the wiper blades with silicon blades?
Worth a try, and a bit cheaper than a new vehicle.

Alan...

**chambezio** · 20th July 2016, 10:56 AM

I have an 83, 60 series Landcruiser. In standard form it have fast slow and an intermittent setting that is often too fast for the amount of rain sometimes. We used to go up into the forest a lot and up there you often drove through a foggy cloud with very fine rain in it. Yes it did drive me mad to have to keep tuning the wipers on/off. I got an auto electrician to fit the Hella model you have linked to(from Ebay Australia, I think) . It must have been a little difficult for him to fit because he worked on it for more than an hour while I waited. The end result is that it works really well. You can match the wiper with the amount of rain that you get.

Maybe you should look up Narva to see if they have a similar unit. It is really worth pursuing because it works so well. I wonder whether Ebay Europe may have something that Ebay Australia doesn't.

Just as a side note.....my daughter has a 2007 VE Commodore. The designers must have gone to watch Saturday football matches. You know where the kids are outside in the cold while you stay in the car parked at the edge of the field so you have a good view. These designers have allowed the Accessories position, to activate the intermittent wipers as well as the heater fan. Very civilised way to watch a football match

**artful bodger** · 20th July 2016, 12:08 PM

Thanks chambezio. The local bloke from Sparco checked out the Narva catalogue for me and it drew a blank too. There is lots of these type of switches fitted to older cars but it just seems like no one is making them anymore.

**A Duke** · 20th July 2016, 12:32 PM

Hi,
Have you tried the wreckers? Someone may have left an after market one on a car that got striped.
Regards

**NCArcher** · 20th July 2016, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by RoyG

Hella still make a general purpose intermittent windscreen wiper relay ......

Hella Australia Onlne Catalogue

That is the same one linked in the original post. No longer available.

There is this: KitStop electronic kits and modules for hobby schools and industry - Timers Clocks Count & Control Kit MXA041

**artful bodger** · 20th July 2016, 06:04 PM

Ok, so it seems using a different few words in the search on US ebay has come up with a promising result Wiper Delay Switch With 2 35 Second Delay Made FOR Universal FIT | eBay
Just waiting from the nod from the auto electrician before I buy it.
Thank you for the input.

**Lappa** · 20th July 2016, 09:44 PM

Jaycar do a kit that they say can be used to add wiper intermittent operation. A variable resistor in R1 or R2 (would need to see the circuit) would allow you to alter the intermittent period.

**artful bodger** · 21st July 2016, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by Lappa

Jaycar do a kit that they say can be used to add wiper intermittent operation. A variable resistor in R1 or R2 (would need to see the circuit) would allow you to alter the intermittent period.

Just looked through the online catalogue for jcar Lappa and could not see the kit.
Any hints as to exactly what it is called?

**KBs PensNmore** · 22nd July 2016, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by artful bodger

I have got a 2012 Toyota Hi-lux 4x4 Work mate that I purchased a couple of years ago.
I went and asked the Toyota dealer if they could fit a control stalk from a SR series Hi-lux that has got intermittent settings on it but was told that is not possible.

Just because the dill-er said it wasn't possible, bet my last dollar that they haven't even bothered to check it out, if it was possible. JUst looked up google and it seems to be a problem world wide, some seem to have come up with a way of fixing it. HTH
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...bmUBrKKES9tVog
2014 Toyota tacoma adding intermittent wipers - YouTube

▶ 2:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSBVABpEkU4

Jan 9, 2015 - Uploaded by Ron1987
2014 Toyota tacoma adding intermittent wipers ... 2012-2015 Toyota Tacoma – LED Daytime Running Light ...

Kryn

**Lappa** · 22nd July 2016, 10:51 PM

It's a multi use kit that can be adapted for your purpose, according to Jaycar. It's called a "Flexitimer Kit"

**Tonyz** · 15th August 2016, 05:28 PM

Another old thing Id like to see again....the floor dip switch. Living in rural land, come around a bend all 8 lights burning their way through hell and a oncoming car gets blinded cause you have the hands on the wheel and nowhere near the stalk.

Young things today have no idea what we are talking about.

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