Fly tipping, windscreen wipers, and the importance of a good earth

Yesterday I drove 26 miles to the person who fixes my old Volvos. I needed a replacement windscreen wiper motor for my 24-year-old 240. I checked the wipers didn't work before I went; and I checked that they still didn't work when I got there. Nope, definitely not working. Brian, the PWFMOV, verified that that was the case. We connected up the replacement motor to make sure that worked OK - just a matter of pulling out a plug and pushing it into the new motor, and earthing it - yes, it worked. I pushed the plug back into the original, still-in-situ, motor. I was all ready to unbolt the old and bolt in the new (Brian had assured me that it was a simple job and that I could easily do it myself), when Brian suggested that I could check the motor was properly earthed. So I got out the jump leads, ready to strap between the motor body and the car earth - and switched on the wipers.

Now you will have guessed what happened. Jump leads in one hand, wiper control in the other. Yes - they worked! I hadn't even touched anything - the mere threat of making a good earth did the trick. I didn't know whether to be cross or pleased! Cross that I'd gone on a needless 52-mile round trip, or pleased that I'd saved myself 35 quid. Cross also that I didn't think of double checking the earth before. I mean, when there are three chunky bolts bolting the motor to the metalwork of the car you tend to assume that there will be a certain amount of metal-to-metal contact, don't you?

The wipers continued to work, even when I demonstrated them to Jan when I got home. My next task is to put in an extra earth bonding strap, to ensure the wipers don't fail again.


Now to the flytipping. On my way back from Brian's I pulled off the road for a wee break. I was horrified to find that a load of asbestos waste had been flytipped, along with a fridge, car battery and other rubbish.


I have reported it to the council, but haven't heard anything back from them.


This lot looks like it's been here for a while. And the council tip is no more than four miles away.