Just my yearly anyone-want-instructions, personally I hate the fact that I cannot spritz the windshield without the wipers starting (especially when I've accidentally run it out of fluid), and that I get a perfect wipe after spritzing and then they go ONE MORE TIME WRECKING MY VIEW.

Easy as pulling the switch and cutting a surface track on the exposed circuit board.

 

 

Thanks for this.

Where do I find that PCB?

And would it work on a 2017 Forester?

No idea how many other years it would work on. For all I know on a 2017 the wiper switch goes through the ECU!

The PCB is stuck to the side of the switch, under a clear cover.

 

For a 2017 you might be better off wiring the washer motor through a diode then after the diode connect a pushbutton.

*Note* No idea if it's got +12V all the time and then grounded to work, or if it's switched on the +12V side.

is this on the 03 LL bean?

 

would like to do this on the Forester.

Yea, what's this on? I've often thought about it on my cars, but never followed through.

The wiper stalk mod was the same on my 03 outback LL bean and my 2005 forester.

I don't think the wiper stalk was different for regular outback or legacy, unless on a car with no rear wiper.

 

The forester stalk does one thing the OBW didn't- it has a 'stay on' position for the rear wiper.

 

I do have my outback stalk kicking around, but it's only about a half hour job total.

Is there a reason why you cut the trace vs. removing "183" outright? Is 183 a resistor? 

For me cutting the trace was easier, and not hard to repair with a small wire. Pulling the resistor requires getting 2 joints hot at the same time, or completely desoldering one then heating the other.

 

I am not 100% sure there is not a via under the right-hand pad of the resistor, if so pulling the resistor would disconnect the trace to the right and whatever the other possible connection would go to (and leaving the other branch connected to whatever the trace on the right goes to).

I noticed on my 14 Legacy that there seems to be a delay between the spritz and the wiper action.  I like this.  On older cars, by the time the cleaning solution hit the windshield, the wiper was more that half way through its cycle and made a mess of everything.  I wouldn't change anything about the windshield washer on this vehicle.