The windscreen washer on our 214 suddenly stopped working today. I've done a few checks. The motor is fine as I connected it up to the battery and it did its stuff. I checked the fuse and it is OK, as I expected since the wipers were all working and they run off the same circuit.
I suspect the switch is faulty in the steering column stalk. It feels a bit floppy as if something has gone.
Does anyone know how to remove this? I've taken out the two crosshead screws underneath the steering column cowling and thought the two halves would separate so I could get at the switches, however they still seem to be clipped together. I don't want to force it and wonder if someone else has done this and knows how to separate the two halves. I can then check the switch operation to see if it needs to be replaced or repaired.
For the 200 I think the part is XPE10012 and there is also a similar part used on later cars (bubbles) XPE00030. Does anyone know if these are interchangeable?
Thanks for any help. Need to fix the problem at this time of year!
Hugh
Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
There's also an encircling wire snap ring around the cowling boss behind the steering wheel. Unfortunately, for neatness, this is recessed into the rear of the wheel and can't be got at easily without taking the wheel off. That then requires taking the horn push out, which was easy when the wheels were new, but the material has stiffened and become less resilient with age, and I could no longer do it a couple of years ago on my 1991 car. It is just possible to slide the ring off the cowling with a couple of small screwdrivers. You'll find assembly is not the reverse of disassembly!g259fsg wrote:I've taken out the two crosshead screws underneath the steering column cowling and thought the two halves would separate so I could get at the switches, however they still seem to be clipped together. I don't want to force it and wonder if someone else has done this and knows how to separate the two halves.
BTW, the complete assembly for both sides, XPB10006, appears to be about half the price of XPB10012 at the moment.
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Thanks very much for the help, Crepello. I could see the steering wheel needs to come off anyway to get at the fixing screws for wash/wipe switch.
Managed to get the horn boss out of the centre of the steering wheel - with great difficulty. In the end, the top cap with the Rover badge came off (unclipped from the base). I think I can repair that. I could then see the base is behind a lip on the steering wheel padding which makes it difficult to remove. Managed to prise it out without damaging the steering wheel surface. You need to be a bit ruthless - don't be shy. Then I undid the steering wheel with a 19mm socket. Came off quite easily. You need to remove the fuse box cover under the dashboard to access the screw holding the cowling to the steering column.
Once I got it all apart, I was able to confirm the switch is faulty so I'll need to replace it. I'll add some photos later.
Cheers,
Hugh
Managed to get the horn boss out of the centre of the steering wheel - with great difficulty. In the end, the top cap with the Rover badge came off (unclipped from the base). I think I can repair that. I could then see the base is behind a lip on the steering wheel padding which makes it difficult to remove. Managed to prise it out without damaging the steering wheel surface. You need to be a bit ruthless - don't be shy. Then I undid the steering wheel with a 19mm socket. Came off quite easily. You need to remove the fuse box cover under the dashboard to access the screw holding the cowling to the steering column.
Once I got it all apart, I was able to confirm the switch is faulty so I'll need to replace it. I'll add some photos later.
Cheers,
Hugh
1990 Rover 214 GSi (VIN 222977)
1964 Humber Super Snipe Series V
1965 Humber Sceptre Mk.1
1966 Hillman Minx Series VI
1964 Humber Super Snipe Series V
1965 Humber Sceptre Mk.1
1966 Hillman Minx Series VI
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Here's a further twist I wonder if anyone can help with. Following the tip from Crepello, I ordered the full steering column switch assembly XPB10006 from Rimmers. It looks identical to the old one which had a faulty front screen-wash switch, with the same part numbers moulded into the plastic. When I connected it up, everything worked except the flick-down wiper function which also seems to be affecting how the wipers work. There can be a sizeable pause before the intermittent wipers start up and when you are in normal 1 and 2, flicking the lever down pauses the wiper as if the circuit is being interrupted. Switching from 1 to 2 (full speed) there is also a pause before it gets going.
To check I haven't got a wiring fault, I refitted the old switch and it all worked correctly. Looks most likely an electrical fault in the flick-down switch which also feeds power through to some of the other wiper functions. Probably need to send it back for replacement, but thought I'd see if anyone else has come across this problem.
I assume there were no known revisions to this part. The old one is dated Feb 1990 and the new part 1995.
Thanks,
Hugh
To check I haven't got a wiring fault, I refitted the old switch and it all worked correctly. Looks most likely an electrical fault in the flick-down switch which also feeds power through to some of the other wiper functions. Probably need to send it back for replacement, but thought I'd see if anyone else has come across this problem.
I assume there were no known revisions to this part. The old one is dated Feb 1990 and the new part 1995.
Thanks,
Hugh
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Rover would, it seems, re-number a part at the drop of a hat, so a functional revision would definitely have got a new part number. I've just checked an ancient pre-Rimmer EPC and the part number you ordered is listed against the whole 3/5 door range for 89-Oct 92.g259fsg wrote:I assume there were no known revisions to this part. The old one is dated Feb 1990 and the new part 1995.
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Thanks for checking that. Probably the same list I have - Infomill Parts Arena up to 1992 which I got through the Club some years ago. Got it on my hard-drive now.
The new assy arrived from Rimmers wrapped in bubble-wrap but without a part number attached, so I wondered if there could be any incompatibilities. Since posting my last message, the flick-down switch has started to work but the wipers are still a bit strange though basically working. Thought I'd leave it until after the holidays and see how it performs with a bit of use. Might be some oxidation on the switch contacts after hanging around for 20 years! The circuit is quite complicated and goes through several switch contacts with the MFU also involved, so plenty of scope for bad connections.
I'll report back in the new year.
Hugh
The new assy arrived from Rimmers wrapped in bubble-wrap but without a part number attached, so I wondered if there could be any incompatibilities. Since posting my last message, the flick-down switch has started to work but the wipers are still a bit strange though basically working. Thought I'd leave it until after the holidays and see how it performs with a bit of use. Might be some oxidation on the switch contacts after hanging around for 20 years! The circuit is quite complicated and goes through several switch contacts with the MFU also involved, so plenty of scope for bad connections.
I'll report back in the new year.
Hugh
Last edited by g259fsg on Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
As promised, here's a bit more on the steering column switch replacement. The new assembly continued to be a bit temperamental, so I got in touch with Rimmers and bought another switch assembly with the plan to return the first under warranty. The replacement was also intermittent, so I seemed to be no further forward.
I dismantled the original wiper switch fitted to the car. It seemed to be well designed but had quite a lot of grease on it for lubrication and possibly to prevent oxidation. Having seen that, I tried operating the new wiper switch many times, back and forth, with the ignition on. This seemed to clear the problem, so I've done the same again since and all seems to be OK. The part has been lying around for 20 years, so perhaps it needs a bit of exercise! I decided to keep the second XPB10006 for a spare as it wasn't expensive and has quite a lot of MOT critical functions.
Here are some photos of the job to help anyone else who needs to take this apart - also applies to things like the ignition switch and horn. The most difficult part of this is getting the horn push out of the middle of the steering wheel. I used a flat-bladed screwdriver to push down the side of the horn button. You need to get outside the housing not the horn button itself, so you have to push the steering wheel material outwards. There is a small lip and the housing is behind it:
Once the horn-push is out you can undo the lock-nut holding on the steering wheel and remove it. Then remove the metal ring behind the steering wheel so you can separate the two halves of the switch cover.
This unclips apart and there are three crosshead screws holding the lower half to the steering column. You need to remove the fuse box cover to access one of the screws.
More pictures in the next message ...
I dismantled the original wiper switch fitted to the car. It seemed to be well designed but had quite a lot of grease on it for lubrication and possibly to prevent oxidation. Having seen that, I tried operating the new wiper switch many times, back and forth, with the ignition on. This seemed to clear the problem, so I've done the same again since and all seems to be OK. The part has been lying around for 20 years, so perhaps it needs a bit of exercise! I decided to keep the second XPB10006 for a spare as it wasn't expensive and has quite a lot of MOT critical functions.
Here are some photos of the job to help anyone else who needs to take this apart - also applies to things like the ignition switch and horn. The most difficult part of this is getting the horn push out of the middle of the steering wheel. I used a flat-bladed screwdriver to push down the side of the horn button. You need to get outside the housing not the horn button itself, so you have to push the steering wheel material outwards. There is a small lip and the housing is behind it:
Once the horn-push is out you can undo the lock-nut holding on the steering wheel and remove it. Then remove the metal ring behind the steering wheel so you can separate the two halves of the switch cover.
This unclips apart and there are three crosshead screws holding the lower half to the steering column. You need to remove the fuse box cover to access one of the screws.
More pictures in the next message ...
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
Here's a picture of the switches with the cowling removed. There's a plastic bush over the steering shaft with cams to cancel the indicators. This just lifts off before removing the switch assembly which attaches to the steering column with two large crosshead screws.
The switch assembly connects with four multi-way connectors. When putting back together, make sure the lugs on the cam bush align with the corresponding slots on the back of the steering wheel. Of course there are lots of positions for the steering wheel on the splined shaft, so I set the steering at straight ahead when I put the car in the garage before taking the wheel off.
As we had to wait a few days for the parts to arrive, I held the horn push in place with some masking tape, so I didn't have to prise it out again:
My wife wasn't impressed. "This car looks a real wreck now, it's embarrassing when I go to Asda. A steering wheel held together with masking tape is not a good look, and neither is all that exposed wiring round the back."
The Rover looks and feels great now, so no more embarrassment at Asda!
Cheers,
Hugh
The switch assembly connects with four multi-way connectors. When putting back together, make sure the lugs on the cam bush align with the corresponding slots on the back of the steering wheel. Of course there are lots of positions for the steering wheel on the splined shaft, so I set the steering at straight ahead when I put the car in the garage before taking the wheel off.
As we had to wait a few days for the parts to arrive, I held the horn push in place with some masking tape, so I didn't have to prise it out again:
My wife wasn't impressed. "This car looks a real wreck now, it's embarrassing when I go to Asda. A steering wheel held together with masking tape is not a good look, and neither is all that exposed wiring round the back."
The Rover looks and feels great now, so no more embarrassment at Asda!
Cheers,
Hugh
1990 Rover 214 GSi (VIN 222977)
1964 Humber Super Snipe Series V
1965 Humber Sceptre Mk.1
1966 Hillman Minx Series VI
1964 Humber Super Snipe Series V
1965 Humber Sceptre Mk.1
1966 Hillman Minx Series VI
Re: Wash/Wipe Switch How to Remove?
I’ve got a minor issue with my front wash/wipe but I’m not sure if it’s controlled by the switch or perhaps a relay or unit elsewhere. Essentially if you pull the stalk it squirts but doesn’t trigger the wipers. Does anyone know what is programmed to tie the two operations together?
