change steering column

[whynot]

I want to take the steering column from a 99 outback anniversary edition. into a 99 base edition. The difference is that one has an adjustable timer for the wiper delay, and the other is only one setting. Can these be changed with no issues? anything else to watch for when doing this? Thanks

[GeneralDisorder]

I doubt the timer module for the wiper delay is in the column. It almost certainly will not be that simple. The harness plugs may not have the right wires in them, or the plugs may be different. 

GD

[carfreak85]

front wipers or rear?  The fronts are in the combination switch, rear is a separate module mounted in the rear.

[jonathan909]

I'm kinda in the same neighborhood with my wonderbeater '95 Legacy - it's a (stripped-down) Brighton, but a few years ago I was given a new hatchback  to replace the original, which was rusting through.  The replacement has a wiper, which was not present in the original, so I snagged the combination switch as well from the donor car, but haven't yet gotten around to installing it.  As I recall, the rear wiper connector was present in my car's harness, so I'm hoping that the remainder of the harness, and in particular, the connector for the combination switch, will support the rear wiper as well.

I don't have a lot of confidence in the possibility, though, having seen other cases in which you'd think the harness and connectors would be there, but aren't.  I'm thinking in particular of retrofitting seat heaters into my wife's '98 Legacy DD.  I don't get why they don't simplify the inventory at the factory and just use the same harness for every car, which would ease the installation (i.e. by the dealer) of options that a buyer later decided he/she wants.  I get that omitting a few feet of wire and a couple of connectors reduces the cost of that harness by a few pennies, but speaking from the perspective of a design engineer, I think it's a poor tradeoff.

[whynot]

the desired switch has variable on both..  is it as easy as swapping the module in the rear of the cars? I have both of them here. Not sure what I would be looking for.

[jonathan909]

By "module in the rear of the car", do you mean the wiper motor itself?  Because I have no idea where the timer circuit is located - I'd expect it to be under the dash rather than in the motor assembly.

[carfreak85]

2 hours ago, jonathan909 said:

By "module in the rear of the car", do you mean the wiper motor itself?  Because I have no idea where the timer circuit is located - I'd expect it to be under the dash rather than in the motor assembly.

I wanted to convert my wife's 1999 Forester to have an intermittent rear wiper.  The timer for the rear wiper is a separate module and on the later Foresters it is located behind the passenger's side cargo area panel.  You'll need the adjustable intermittent switch, wiring pigtails and the timer module.

The front wiper intermittent timer is located in the wiper switch, so all you'd need to convert an older Legacy/etc. would be to upgrade to an intermittent wiper switch.

[jonathan909]

The timer is in the switch?  That's counterintuitive - I would expect it to be under-dash.  But if you're right, that's easier.

[carfreak85]

41 minutes ago, jonathan909 said:

The timer is in the switch?  That's counterintuitive - I would expect it to be under-dash.  But if you're right, that's easier.

Only for the front wipers.  If you have/want intermittent rear wipers, the module is separate and mounted in the rear (on mk. 1.5  Foresters, at least).

[whynot]

I just wanted to do this for the good key switch, and the better wiper relay. But i think I will just pull the key switch assembly and change that. 

Thanks