A bride recently booked our 1948 Bentley MK VI for her wedding day. Her father was enamoured with the car and asked if he could become a driver for our other weddings.  We agreed and after a test drive the car was fully explained to him and he set off on his first wedding last Saturday with a full tank of petrol and on a warm summer day.

Half a mile before arriving at the brides house, he stopped the car and put on the ribbons across the bonnet.  Being rather early he did what all small and bigger boys do - he acquainted himself with every button on the dashboard.  After a few minutes,  it was time to go.  The car had different ideas though. The engine turned over fast and furious but just would not fire.  After much telephoning to myself, I had to call the bride and tell her the bad news and that there was no way that we could get another car to her in time so she made her own travel arrangements to the venue.

Later examining the car, we noticed that the fuel gauge was now showing empty, after less than 10 miles.  Strange I was almost sure that the car had been filled up the previous day.  Then I noticed that the electric fuel pump was not working.  The fault lay in a blown fuse, this was replaced and the car started.  But what caused the fuse to blow initially?  Looking at the wiring diagram, I noticed that the same circuit also fed the windscreen wiper motor and I then recalled a comment made by the driver that when playing with the various buttons the wipers seemed slow and sluggish (on that warm day.)

Reading the Service manual, there is a comment that the early model MKVI’s such as mine, were fitted with a very basic wiper motor – just a motor and gearbox and nothing else.  Subsequent wiper motor models were fitted with a Thermostatic cut out switch that cuts in/out when the motor either overheats or is under a strain.  The earlier models as mine when under strain from a dry windscreen, simply either burn out or blows the circuit or blows a fuse. 

Moral  - Don’t Play.

We will get our own back when his daughter gets married in 3 weeks time.