Clear Hooter Switch Project

 We all probably have this challenge. The OEM wipers switch, the Clear Hooters brand has gone bad and is impossible to find. In fact there was a factory recall. There are superseded parts available but they don't fit in the dash and don't look correct. The pile of switches on the right are all toast, some with holes burnt through the side where the contacts got hot.

 This does work but can be very confusing.  The Clear Hooters wiper switch is a unique animal. Ground goes to the center terminal and 2 others are high and low speed.  the switch function in an OFF - One terminal ON - Both terminals - ON. Pictured right is my dash. The headlight switch function in a similar way except the ground terminal is on the bottom.

 I have started a 3D design and my current thought is to keep your original toggle but replace the back end with more modern switch gear. Join in the fun as we collectively try to solve this challenge. 

 The switch itself is fairly clever. It has two challenges that I can see. 

(1) The rocker pivot pins and holes are not well made and very thin on top and in places, leading to breaks where the small pivot pin connect. This renders the switch almost completely useless.  The spring inside forces the rocker to pop out .

(2) If the wiper motor stalls for any reason, heat builds up in the contacts as the current spikes and melts the internal parts of the switch. I have two in my collection that have holes burnt in their side right next to the contact.  The insides are toast.

So what is our solution. Again, this depends on how your switch failed. It is fairly easy to repair the pivot and I have found several pages online that talk of, drilling out ( very small drill) and replacing the two small pins with one that goes across the bottom section. <link here>. This seems very doable but again the switch housing is very thin in this area and if broken will have to be repaired. You might have to clip the spring a little as the hole in the rocker passes thru the spring pocket. Too much spring pressure will make the switch hard to operate. Use a section cut from a large paper clip or short length of stiff wire to form the pivot. You might have to slip the bezel off to assemble the rocker. Slip it back on once the pin is in place. Great if this fix works for you. These switches are impossible to find and really even if you fix it, we should address the over current problem. In the next section I will look at ways to make the stock switches safer and more reliable as well as replacing the OEM innards with new switching gear. 

I'll be using the CAD design and a 3D printer to try a few methods to redesign the innards to more modern micro switches. I'm not sure where this will lead but let's give it a go. With any solution, I intend to limit the current through the switch by using relays to carry the load. The fact that the switch is on the ground side should not affect their use in any way. The goal is to look OEM on the dash side and find a reliable and safer solution for behind the scenes.  Please jump in if you have an interest or ideas to help in the design.