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First off, let me make this clear – I strongly dislike Nissan electrical. It’s not “change” friendly. This was far more work than I think it should be.
My 4cyl Hardbody did not come with interval wipers. It also did not appear to have it as an option. Like Cruise Control, I think it was a V6 or Pathfinder option.
You will need the following components:
- Wiper Switch (appropriate for your model year, and snag the wiring pigtail while you’re at it)
- Intermittent Wiper Amplifier (snag the wiring pigtail)
In the factory application, the Intermittent Wiper Amplifier is clamped to the wiper motor itself. This cannot be fitted with the KA24E because the air filter housing is in the way. It could be located elsewhere, however I found that the wiring ordeal was much easier by mounting the Amplifier at the steering column (no stringing wires to the engine bay).
First, study the wiring diagram. There are a number of connections to un-pin:
Disassemble the steering column covers, unplug and remove the switch:
The interval wiper switch should fit in place easily (switches from different dash styles might not fit – I had picked up a square dash switch, but I ended up using a round dash switch):
Remove the plastic clip and un-pin the connectors in the switch pig tail (the new switch has more connections – you need these ends and their colours). You need to insert a wee pin through the connecting side of the plug to remove the connector – it’s easy once you get the hang of it:
Some wires will be moved within your truck’s plug, and some will have to be added. The BLUE (heat-shrink coming soon), BLACK, WHITE-BLUE and RED-BLUE wires are going to the Amplifier. The extra BLUE-RED (used for “mist”) is disconnected and unused (I sealed it off later):
I needed to tap into the BLUE wire, so I pulled the pin and just soldered to it (yes, that’s my Palm-Pilot – a reminder I need a 1-5/8″ hole saw for another project):
The BLUE-YELLOW wire needs to be tapped in at the fuse box. Start by removing the fuse box, and pulling back and towards the floor so we can deal with it:
Pull this white plastic clip out of the side of the fuse box:
Unpin the BLUE-YELLOW side of the wiper fuse and pull it out the back. Solder another BLUE-YELLOW wire from here to the Amplifier:
Replace the fuse box:
Here’s the mess so far, ready for wrapping in electrical tape and zap-strapping out of the way:
I strapped the Amplifier to the column with two large zap straps:
Replace the steering column plastic and you’re ready for light rain!
I can hear the Amplifier clicking when the Intermittent Wipers are on (truck not running), however I don’t know if I will hear it when I’m driving. If it’s bothersome, I’ll lengthen some wires to put it in the engine bay, or wrap it in something to quieten it down. Time will tell.