More Xantia rear wiper shennaigans...

[RichardW]

Yes, my first thought was that it was not repairable - it looked like SS steel, and I've tried, unsuccessfully, to solder that in the past, however it tinned up easily in the end - once I stopped buggering about with lead free rubbish anyway! If that had not worked, I ws just going to cut off the earth pin - after all, can't see what it is doing - that or cut the power pin back - then it would have been manual parking

There are lots of things round here that get fixed - my son has even been known to ask "What are we fixing today Daddy?" dunno what 'normal' people do that can't wield a screwdriver / soldering iron etc.

[CitroJim]

dunno what 'normal' people do that can't wield a screwdriver / soldering iron etc.

They spend a lot of money unnecessarily Richard

[Mandrake]

Is that why you like 4HP20's so much Jim?

To be honest Simon, I get a big kick out of making anything that is superficially sealed for life, nominally not repairable or 'no user serviceable parts inside' work again...

It is incredibly satisfying to make these things work again. It's like throwing down a gauntlet to me...

Jim I'm exactly the same, although my skills don't extend to automatic gearboxes. I'm ok with mechanical work, but nothing special. For me its Electronics/Computers.

I can thank my Dad for that, at least the Electronics part. My Dad was notorious and had something of a reputation around town for being able to fix the unfixable, both mechanical and electronic. He worked as a motor mechanic from 15 until his early 30's (working on Citroen's in fact ) then threw in the towel and retrained as a Radio/Electronics Technician which apart from a brief return to motor mechanic again in his 50's, did until he retired.

Many were the hours that I spent helping him fix the unfixable right from a young age, the things that other Electronics Tech's had given up on, couldn't fix, and had brought to him to have a go at, and I think some of it rubbed off on me. The fact that we didn't have much money and had to make do with 2nd hand equipment that had to be fixed before you could even use it helped too. It's amazing how ingenious you can be at solving problems when its that or you just don't have whatever the device is because you can't afford it new...

It certainly is a satisfying feeling to fix something that is supposedly unfixable. My poor stereo amplifier that's now nearly 20 years old (although I've only had it 10 years) has developed about 4 different faults now over the last 5 years, some rather tricky, including 2 since I moved over this side of the world, and I've just had to knuckle down and figure out / fix its problems as I couldn't afford to replace it at the time...(unemployed at the time of the last 2 faults)

I certainly love the challenge with Electronics, although I have to say I find certain types of car related problems more frustrating than satisfying...

[Mandrake]

There are lots of things round here that get fixed - my son has even been known to ask "What are we fixing today Daddy?" dunno what 'normal' people do that can't wield a screwdriver / soldering iron etc.

Good, get them interested from a young age, that's what I say. There were always things being fixed when I was growing up (more electronic than mechanical though) and that's what got me interested in Electronics. I was tinkering with the stuff well before I was 10... If he's eager to help and be involved thats all good.

[RichardW]

You'll have noticed a keen interest when you were over Simon - well, until we went out in and it lulled him to sleep anyway!

We were always fixing things when I was a lad too - mostly driven by lack of cash. These days lack of cash is less of an issue, but I can't help but fix things - it's just what I do. My e-bay account is just a list of bits for cars, houses, conputers domestic appliances....

I haven't actually powered this thing up yet, so I might be beating my chest prematurely....

[CitroJim]

My e-bay account is just a list of bits for cars, houses, conputers domestic appliances....

Same here barring domestic appliances...