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  But Wait! ... There's More!

  Jul 15, 2025

  We usually name our cars.   My VW Passat is named Max, while Jans VW Tiguan is named Maxine. OK, no points for imagination but there it is.  My old Saturn VUE was "Scooter" and Jans old Saturn Aura was "Lola".  My old 1938 Chevy street rod was simply "The 38."  It didn't warrant more effort due to the demanding nature of it.  My GTO is now firmly in that camp.  I now simply refuse to give it a proper name.  But if I do, the most likely candidate is "BWTM."  It translates to But Wait...There's More.  Here's why:

  As a rule, I don’t take the GTO out in the rain.  However, should I ever get caught out in the rain, the wipers need to function.  Back in 2019 when I took delivery of the car, the wipers worked but the washer fluid pump didn’t.  So, that was the first thing I replaced on the car.  Since then, I try the wipers periodically simply to ensure that they work correctly. 

  Fast forward to 2025.  I’ve done just about everything I wanted (or was forced) to do to the car.  There isn’t a system on the car that hasn’t received some attention in one form or another.  That said, when I discovered the wipers to be inoperative while prepping the car for its annual inspection, I was really ticked.  While I was at it, I also attempted to test the dash mounted switch only to discover that half-century old Bakelite housings are delicate and crispy.  So, a new switch was required too (hence the refusal to now give it a name).  

  Further research and testing brought to light some other interesting facts.  First, the motor control board was toast (smoke during bench testing was a sure give-away) and it also refused to “park” properly when shut off.  The second thing was that the washer pump was different.  Third, the GM A-body style encompasses the Tempest, Le Mans, and GTO models.  Depending on the model, the wiper system was hidden or exposed at the base of the windshield.  This difference in design necessitated two different styles of wiper motor.  And, because the washer pump mounts on the wiper motor piggy-back fashion, there are two different washer pump models too.  The GTO uses the hidden style wiper and washer pump system.  You guessed it – “But Wait…There’s More!” 

  I ordered a correct new wiper motor from Ames Performance Engineering, the most complete source available for Pontiac specific parts that I know of.  Upon receipt of the new motor I noticed some significant differences, chief among them were that the contacts were in a different place.  It seems that for the hidden style wiper systems, there are also Gen1 and Gen2 versions with correspondingly different washer pumps.  Apparently, this GTO was equipped from the factory with the Gen1 version of the hidden wipers. Below, the old motor is on top while the new motor is on bottom.  the difference is in the location of the connections to the wiring harness.  Otherwise, they're identical.

  It took a good bit of research to fully visualize the differences between the various units that might fit.  Part of the difficulty is that the service manual uses pictures of the various models when illustrating diagnostic procedures.  Complicating the issue is that the pictures, being basically a photo copy of a photo copy, are quite dark and lacking in detail.  Between referring to the shop manual, browsing the Internet and then the Ames catalog, I discovered that not only was the wiper motor the previous owner installed a Gen2 version, but that it was also a Chinese-made universal version of a Gen2 unit.  Well, doesn't that just suck.  Nothing would change over to the new motor, least of all the washer pump.  

  Speaking of pumps, while the wiper motor I got from Ames was great, the washer pump was not.  The metal stamping was terrible which made for a bad fit.  Drilling out and filing holes got it to eventually go on, but I decided to get a better one and keep this one for the pump parts. In the picture below, the old incorrect Gen2 unit is on top while the new, correct old style Gen1 pump is on bottom.

  The important thing is that the GTO now has a brand new (not rebuilt) correct version wiper motor and washer pump, along with a new switch.  I saved the used washer pump as well as unused new one for parts should they ever be required. 

  I think I'll leave naming the GTO to the next owner.

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