[audioholic]

In short: Very few cars in the Maruti Stable came with adjustable intermittent wipers. While providing intermittent function for wipers is standard in most cars today, very few cars especially in the Maruti family provide an option of adjusting the frequency of the intermittent wiping. Given this scenario, to be frank most people are not even aware of such a function and hence is never complained about. These days, automatic wipers have made their way into small cars whereas some cars like the i10 did not even earlier come with an intermittent function. My SX4 has this function which is extensively used while the Celerio came with a fixed intermittent mode.

The variable INT is a perfect bridge between Automatic and non automatic wipers. Especially in Bangalore, when I commute between one end of the city to the other, it so happens that it will be pouring cats and dogs near my office, while it will be completely dry near my house. And on the way, the rain varies from a drizzle to a slightly heavier rain. During this, the INT function was a little too frequent when the rain was not so heavy. During a drizzle, I ended up operating the wipers manually. In a similar condition if I were driving the SX4, all I had to do was adjust the variable knob from min to max. This was a feature that once you got used to, you would dread its absence.

Last monsoons I did not use the car since I was out of country most of the time, but this time, I got annoyed with the wiper operation. Hence, went on to do some research and based on my belief that there will be a common electrical architecture between models, I proved myself right by getting to know that the connectors for most switches between models were the same within Maruti. Especially when the configuration was the same. Hence, I compared the wiring diagrams of my Celerio, SX4 and the S-Cross and found it to be similar.

Next step was to find out which car has the variable INT function. I found out that none of the cars except the S-Cross(only in the Zeta variant) and the Baleno were currently having this function. I guess the newer cars might have it too, but I ended my scouting at that point. After this, I compared the stalks of the Baleno and S-Cross and realised that the Baleno has a different looking stalk which wont match the one on my Celerio.

Hence, the donor was found.

With the help of Leoshashi, I was able to get the part number of the wiper switch of the S-Cross Zeta. Also, with the service manual of the Celerio(which was again sourced to me by him) I could verify the pin configuration. Thanks Shashi, for the same. Hence, went to my neighbourhood MGP outlet and checked the part availablity. They did not have it in stock and ordered it for me. After two weeks, I had not followed up and went today, to find it available and purchased it. It was a meagre 980 rupees which is a Maruti advantage.



Until this stage, I have to admit that I had no confidence that the swap would work out, apart from the fact that the pin diagram was the same. The only assurance I had was that I wouldn't blow up the car electrical system with a wrong connection.

[audioholic]

The actual install was a cakewalk. I finished it in 15 mins flat. No hungama. Here is a short pictorial description:

The existing control stalk:


The lower trim of the dash is removed by opening two screws. The lower column cover can be removed with a single screw which is found above the steering height adjustment lever. To remove the latter, the job is made easier by removing the dash trim. Else it will have to be squeezed out which might lead to scratches on the trim.


Here is the underside of the column exposed. The connector to the wiper stalk is marked here which was the first time I actually saw it in real life. I was able to do a mock test of connecting the new stalk and verifying if it works and it did work.


The upper trim of the steering column can be removed by unscrewing two screws marked here:
Left screw




Right screw:


After removing both the screws, the steering column will be exposed:



To remove the control stalk, there is a lock that has to be snapped out with the help of a screw driver. If you insert the screw driver here, the control stalk can be pulled out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAk_Xi7oD-0

Here is a comparison of the switches:



The connectors of both the switches are the same. Thanks to part sharing and modular architecture. I had a worry that the BCM might have been controlling the wipers, but it was not the same. I am not sure of how the automatic function is realised in the S-Cross. If that too happens within the switch, you might see me going for another upgrade soon. That is a next research project for me.



The installation process is simple. Slide the new stalk assembly into the metal plate. The lock will snap into place. Reconnect the harness and check if everything works. After that, the removal process has to be reversed. First, the upper column cover is replaced and then the two screws should be screwed back to place.

After that, the lower column trim and dash trim have to be fixed.



Perfect fit, no jugaad wiring or shoehorning:



Thats it and voila, we now have an upgraded wiper switch.

The switch has an INT function for the rear wiper as well, but that is currently not working. I will check the wiring diagram if there is a fix for that. Apart from that, everything else works perfectly. Here is a video of the switch in action:

https://youtu.be/ylA1gglS9fs

That said, I guess this DIY should be possible for the other carlines like Ciaz, Ertiga and also an upgrade for the lower variants of the S-Cross. If there is anything that I have not covered, then please shoot questions. If I had gone into too much details, it would have taken more time than the actual DIY itself and I couldnt spare more time. Hence please excuse me on that regard.

[paragsachania]

Very useful DIY Audioholic. With this I see immense quotient when it comes to the actual usefulness while driving on roads and in rains.

The actual delay as part of Stock INT setting is something that one may find too slow or too quick depending on the nature of rains. Unlike regular rains that lash the before monsoons, it is the super small droplets that get sprayed over the windscreen in monsoons which require customized setting for the wiping speed. This is exactly where you feel the fixed intermittent speed is way too slow and you need to manually keep switching to faster speeds.

Glad the wiring was simple and you even managed to get the part of a car that probably sells the least units per month from Maruti Stable. That's the kind of after sales support we would love to have on some less sold or older generation cars.

Would love to experience this in person when we meet up soon.

[greenhorn]

I was expecting some mods to the bcm or the wiper controller. Nice that you could achieve this with just a stalk swap. Parts bin engineering for the win!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Very useful DIY Audioholic. With this I see immense quotient when it comes to the actual usefulness while driving on roads and in rains..

Would love to experience this in person when we meet up soon.

Thanks Parag! Have to agree with all your observations. Firstly, I didnt follow up with Essar to fetch the part. When I went to purchase the oil I casually enquired and told them to get it for me. They had a different part which belonged to my Celerio but I explained the difference. I even offered to pay in advance thinking that they will take it seriously then but they refused. Today I casually paid a visit and they told they had it in stock. I asked if it was the same part they showed me earlier and they refused and remembered I had asked for this one specifically. The stalk without variable INT function is readily available since it's common for most of the other cars. This one was rare.

The other funny thing is the cost of the existing stalk is just around 200 less compared to this one. I am not sure what prevents them from providing such small but significant features which hardly cost anything.

Lets catch up sometime and you can try it out and if required add it to your ertiga as we discussed

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I was expecting some mods to the bcm or the wiper controller. Nice that you could achieve this with just a stalk swap. Parts bin engineering for the win!

Regarding the BCM, I would have loved to do some functional mod but in this case there was a need to have an adjustment feature for which no jugaad would look good. Hence, the part swap was the cleanest and simple fix. HAIL Parts sharing!

On the other hand, I am actually pleased to see the changes manufacturers like Maruti are doing in terms of electricals. I was always amazed by what one can achieve out of a VW car with respect to part swaps. This is a micro replication of the same. Sadly we don't have tools like VAG COM etc to tweak better.

[Cooltronics]

This is one of the best and most useful DIY job as I live in Bangalore too and know the rains pretty well
Come Maruti and LeoShashi ought to be some where , I first thought it is written by him as he knows every single nut & bolt but then found your name, only to be later pleased to see his involvement.
He rocks !!

Coming to this simple DIY, what goes into the minds of MUL for not providing a advanced wiper cluster when wiring and connectors are all provided. why to leave it on end users to do it for them.

[Jeevith]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Especially in Bangalore, when I commute between one end of the city to the other, it so happens that it will be pouring cats and dogs near my office, while it will be completely dry near my house. And on the way, the rain varies from a drizzle to a slightly heavier rain.....

This is precisely the issue I have faced on a number of occasions. Further accentuated by the fact that I experience the convenience while driving my wife's S-Cross. I now intend to swap out my Ciaz's stalk. Hard to fathom that a 10L car did not have this small upgrade.

Thanks a million.

[spanner777]

wow... that's an amazing find and looks like you read my mind.
Last weekend, missed this while driving in Kerala, was telling my wife how nice the old Tata Indica's wiper lever used to be, with an adjustable intermittent wiping mode.

The TATA Indicas used to come with this feature in the early days.

I shall try this in my Baleno soon.

[unni246]

That's a pretty nice and an easy DIY thread audioholic.
I'm surprised to know that the variable INT is not available in modern cars. Probably this is only with the budget cars of Maruti as I have seen this in most models of the competitors. Even my 2006 model Baleno Lxi has this option, which as you mentioned is very much required in Bangalore rains.
So I guess the Baleno, SX4 ..etc were well ahead of their times in these cases.

[G V Krishna]

Thanks a lot @Audioholic for giving us this DIY idea. I had sold off my gen1 Figo Titanium and bought a Dzire ZDI AMT this April. From day 1 (It had rained on the way to home from showroom after taking the delivery), missing this feature was a sore point for me. Figo had a variable 6-Speed intermittent control versus Dzire. Definitely will explore this DIY. However, not sure if this would work ASIS in Dzire because, Dzire doesn't have the rear wiper. So I have to look at the options... In the mean time, any other suggestions that work for Dzire?

[Prodigy07]

Excellent DIY there Audioholic

Sadly, Baleno doesn't have this wiper stalk. I believe only S-Cross has!

[dass]

Excellent DYI. My 2006 Indica DLG had this feature and I was surprised when my 2013 Dzire did not have this feature. I will probably go this way as well, Thanks for sharing.

[Jeroen]

Nice job, thanks for sharing. As you say,most cars these days have this fitted as standard. Interesting to see you could get a replacement stalk. In the past I have fitted a few intermittent switches.They were always separate to the existing stalks and required a bit of rewiring. Simple enough on old car.

Enjoy

Jeroen

[audioholic]

Thanks guys for the appreciation. I never knew that this DIY would have been useful to so many people. I was about to just add it as a part of my ownership review and felt it was too simple to warrant a new thread but felt someone else would be in a similar situation as me and now I realised that I was not wrong.

Originally Posted by G V Krishna

Definitely will explore this DIY. However, not sure if this would work ASIS in Dzire because, Dzire doesn't have the rear wiper. So I have to look at the options... In the mean time, any other suggestions that work for Dzire?

If you use the same part it will just give you a dummy rear wiper switch. Apart from that there is no other option as far as I know since no other car currently in the current generation of Suzukis that come with this feature. I realised that the Baleno doesn't have this option either. Hence, here is a short compatibility list:

S-Cross(Part 37310M74L40) stalk can go to following models with only rear intermittent function not working:

• Celerio ZXi and Zdi
• Swift Z versions
• Ertiga Z versions

With rear wiper switch dummy:

• Celerio L and V versions
• Swift L and V versions
• Dzire - All versions (type 2)
• Ertiga L and V versions
• Ciaz all variants
• S-Cross Sigma and Delta

SX4 stalk (Part 37310M75J20) can go to the following cars:

• WagonR K10 LXi
• Alto K10
• Zen Estilo Lxi
• Swift type 1(except Zxi)
• Ritz L and V versions
• First Gen Dzire

The same part from SX4 can go to the higher end versions, but the rear wiper will become non functional, hence I have omitted the cars with rear wiper for the above part.

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

Excellent DIY there Audioholic

Sadly, Baleno doesn't have this wiper stalk. I believe only S-Cross has!

Yes, I too realised it now. Unfortunately, you dont have an option with the Baleno.

Originally Posted by Jeevith

This is precisely the issue I have faced on a number of occasions. Further accentuated by the fact that I experience the convenience while driving my wife's S-Cross. I now intend to swap out my Ciaz's stalk. Hard to fathom that a 10L car did not have this small upgrade.

Thanks a million.

You're welcome. This is exactly the position I was in when I drove either car back to back. Hope it solves your problem.

[dpaul]

Very useful mod for places which have variable intensity of rainfall within a zone.

I would like to ask audioholic and other senior DIY'rs whether this mod can be done for Wagon R too?

Thanks and regards
Debasish