This intermittent wiper control unit is designed to be connected to your vehicle without modifying any of the existing hardware or wiring, except to relocate a few wire ends. As such, this new device may be removed later and the car returned to it's original configuration with no sign that it was ever changed. All of the electronics of the basic control module are contained in one discrete package with its own small wiring harness. The interval time delay control is built into the module. It can be preset to the delay time of your choice, or, if the new module is mounted in an accessible location the delay control can be adjusted manually at any time. There is also available an optional remote control module (rotary potentiometer with knob) that may be mounted in the dash or in any convenient location, or even hidden under the dash in some accessible location.

When used with a multi-speed wiper system this device is wired into the low speed circuit for intermittent operation, leaving the high speed function untouched. When used with a single speed wiper system this device requires an additional switch contact to bypass the intermittent function for continuous operation. This could be done by changing the original single speed wiper switch to a two speed switch, then used for either intermittent or normal operation. If you order the optional remote control module this additional switch contact can be incorporated into the remote unit. The MGA has single speed wipers, and I opted for the remote control device with the extra switch contact included. This is a low cost upgrade that is not only convenient but is also cheaper than changing the wiper switch or adding another separate switch.

This is the control unit as received. At the top of the picture is the main control circuit housed in a heavy plastic tube with all of the wires extending out of one end. At the very top you can see a long plastic tie wrap which is looped through a pair of slots in the housing. This makes it easy to mount this unit by attaching it to any fixed brace or possibly on the steering column. Inside of the tube, accessible through the end opposite the wires, is a rotating adjustment for the time delay for the intermittent operation of the wipers. This can be preset to a fixed delay interval of your choice. If you have chosen a control unit without the remote control feature, then you may want to mount the main control unit in a location where you can have access to the internal delay adjustment (perhaps mounted on the the steering column). If you have a unit with the remote control, then you can ignore the internal adjustment, as it should be preset for a reasonable minimum cycle time of about 2 seconds, and the external remote control unit will be used to adjust the delay for the cycle time.

Just below the main control unit is the remote control unit. This is a rotary potentiometer with a knob suitable for mounting in the dash in a location of your choice. If you don't want to change the original appearance of the car you may want to mount this device below the dash or in a less visible location, in which case you may have to fabricate a mounting bracket. For a multi-speed wiper system this control may be a simple pot with only two wires attached. For the single speed wiper system this control may also contain a switch (at one end of rotational travel) that bypasses the delay circuit for continuous operation of the wipers. The one pictured here has this switch and has four wires connected.

There are also six more color coded wires shown here with various connector terminals. These are the wires that will connect to your car. (A unit intended for use in a different car may have a different assortment of wires). This was a prototype unit for the MGA, and these wire terminals were installed by the builder for test purposes only. As received the wire leads were also about two feet long. During my installation I cut all of the wires considerably shorter (to about 15 inches) and threw out all of these wire terminals. The MGA (as original) is equipped with a lot of screw post type wire connectors that will connect bare end wires with no wire end terminals required. (I will note some possible exceptions to this later). There will be a few places where wires need to be connected end to end. My personal choice for this is the crimp-on butt connector terminal (three shown at left in the picture). These work well if you have the right crimper tool, and they are quite durable in the protected environment inside the car. If you are going to shorten the wires or add/change the end terminations, then you will need a wire cutter/stripper tool and possibly a terminal crimper. The common variety of this tool is shown lying on the wires in the picture. You might otherwise choose to solder the required butt connections and cover them with shrink tubing. None of this will affect the originality of the car if you should decide to remove this new device later, as the wires can simply be cut and stripped again as original, and there is plenty of extra length in the original harness wires. None of the original wires will be cut during this installation.