I'm offering for sale a digital speed-sensitive intermittent rear wiper controller for the third-generation Acura Integra hatchback.
Background and Overview
Because this vehicle has only a simple on/off switch to control the rear wiper, it's quite annoying
when driving in the rain at varying speeds to have to continually switch the rear wiper on and off.
At low speeds, rain falls on the rear window at a high rate, reducing visibility greatly and
necessitating the use of the rear wiper. As speed increases, less water stays on the window, making
an intermittent function desirable. At high speeds, almost no water gets on the rear window.
Therefore, I have designed an electronic controller which senses the speed of the vehicle and varies
the wiper timing accordingly. At very low speeds (such as when stopping for a traffic light), the
wiper has intermittent operation. As speed increases, the operation remains intermittent, with the
time between wiper pulses increasing. At high speeds, the wiper turns off entirely except for the
first time the switch is activated. Lastly, the wiper controller itself is hidden from view under
the dashboard and is controlled only by the standard on/off rear wiper switch, resulting in a clean,
factory appearance and seamless operation.
For those who are curious about its inner workings, the rear wiper controller is actually microprocessor controlled. It uses a small 8-bit microcontroller which drives a MOSFET to switch the wiper motor on and off. I initially tried using op-amps and comparators, but after I learned about this inexpensive microcontroller, I went with that because the programmability made design much easier; all the analog effects in the op-amps made it difficult to get the circuit to do exactly what I wanted.
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| Rear Wiper Controller Kit |
Specifications
This device fits in a small plastic box
with an AMP Mate-N-Lock connector on one end. It fastens to the top of the Maintenance Reminder Unit
under the knee bolster panel of the dashboard with velcro. Each unit is fully tested, and includes
everything necessary to install it (wire harness with connector on one end, instructions, etc.).
The only catch for buyers is that they must handle the installation themselves (or hire someone such as a car-audio installer who knows how to deal with car wiring). This device requires three wires to be spliced into the wiring inside the steering column at the wiper stalk.
Compatibility
Although this controller is designed for the
3rd generation Integra, it appears to be compatible with other Honda vehicles based on the
electrical schematics I've seen. The RSX looks like it is fully compatible. The latest generation
CRX is also compatible, since the rear wiper wiring is identical to the Integra's, but you'd have to
open the instrument panel gauge assembly and connect to the speed pulser which creates an electrical
signal from the speedometer cable output. The 2nd generation Integra is probably the same
way.
Warranty
This product comes with a one-year warranty.
Since most problems lie in installation, reasonable effort will be given to assist the installer in
diagnosing installation errors if a problem is reported. If the problem is diagnosed to be in the
wiper controller unit, the customer will be allowed to send the unit back for repair or replacement,
at my discretion. In this event, shipping charges will be refunded to the customer.
Pricing
The rear wiper controller price is $20 plus
any applicable shipping charges. If you purchase using the Paypal button below, it will calculate
your shipping if you live in North America or Europe, and will give you options for economy and
express shipping. Currently, economy shipping by USPS First Class Mail to U.S. addresses is only
$2.35. If you live in another country not covered by my Paypal options, please email me and I will send you a quote.
Payment
I accept payment by Paypal or by money order.
Ordering
Interested? If you're in North America or Europe,
you can order a unit quickly and easily by clicking on the Paypal link below. If you're in another
country, would like to pay by money order, or have some other special needs, just email me and let me know how I can help you.
Other Information
| Rear Wiper Controller $20 |
If you're interested in my credentials for designing electronic equipment for cars, I'm an electrical engineer with extensive experience with electronic circuit design and printed circuit board layout along with experience designing electronics for vehicles. So you shouldn't be worried about plugging one of these in and having it catch on fire!
