If the windshield wipers do not work, and a voltage drop check at the wiper motor reads 0 volts, the problem is likely:

• A. a blown fuse.
• B. a bad wiper switch.
• C. an open in the hot side of the circuit.
• D. a short to ground on the motor.

Answer: (C)

Voltage drop testing is used to locate where power stops in a circuit. If the windshield wiper motor shows 0 volts, the motor isn’t being fed at all. The power path to the motor goes from the battery through the fuse and the wiper switch to the motor, so an open anywhere on that hot side prevents current from reaching the motor. That makes an open in the hot side the most likely fault. Other possibilities like a bad switch or a blown fuse could also stop power, but the specific symptom of 0 V at the motor points to an interruption on the hot-side supply path before the motor.