Intermittant wiper delay issue

[Turbofiat124]

Immediately after I installed air conditioning in my 1980 Spider (about 5 years ago), I started having issues with the intermittent wipers. When the selector is moved into this position, there is a random clicking sound coming from behind the dash where the delay module is located. At this point the wipers either delay when they want to, run constant or don't work at all. They just have a mind of their own.

So what does this have to do with my air conditioning system? The unit fits under the glove box and is attached to the frame rail behind the dashboard with hose clamps which conflicted with the relay panel.

So like with the dealer installed air conditioning systems, I just removed the connectors from the mounting panel, zip tied the relays along with the delay module together and shoved them up back under the dash.

I'm wondering if the module has to be grounded through the body before it will work. Maybe what's happening is, it's touching something metal and getting a poor ground.

The wiring diagram does not show a ground. Or a ground wire coming off it, but that doesn't mean it's not grounded through the body by the relay panel either.

http://www.allisonsautomotive.com/diagr ... diag_7.jpg

I see that Auto Ricambi sells new ones.

http://www.autoricambi.us/product/EL5-0 ... --1969-82/

But it appears the mounting hole is plastic and it appears to have four wires just like the diagram. So perhaps there is no ground.

So does it sound like the module has just bit the dust? Is what I am seeing happens when they start to go bad?

I'm going to be pulling the dashboard to install a relay for my air conditioning unit and replace the crapped out speedometer so that will be one of the items on my to do list while I'm there.

[spider2081]

I believe the Wipe delay module is a pretty reliable unit. The wiper mechanical parts need to be free and lubricated periodically has that been done recently? The delay module is a timer that produces a positive voltage pules to move the wiper assembly off of the park position of the wiper motor. Once the motor has moved out of park it completes one full sweep. The speed of the sweep is dependent on what speed is selected with the speed switch. The interval between sweeps is a fixed time. The clicking you hear is the delay timer telling the wiper motor to move off of its park position. If it doesn't move then I would suspect either a bad electrical connection, a bad park switch in the wiper motor assembly, of the wiper linkage is too stiff or frozen. Frozen from rust/corrosion not the after market AC you installed.