Ask a Shiter

[New POD]

If you know a dick head who has a driveway outside his house but insists on parking in the road taking a valuable space in a limited parking area, how would you make sure they stopped being a dick head ? As far as I know insurance isn't valid if you don't park on the drive when at home.. He's one of them modern Mercedes drivers that is all cocky and you can't talk to him..

My insurance is valid for parking in the street for 2 of 3 cars and the other is garage or drive.

[New POD]

If you buy a second hand car from a main dealer and it throws it's hand in (under warranty) the next day, who's responsible for getting it back to the dealer if it's not driveable?

Given that I am in the RAC its not likely to be a discussion i'd need to have with a dealer

[tommytwo]

"Yeah, so my Buick is broken.

 

Went to go out in it last night, it fired up straight away, ran for two seconds then cut out, and it's not shown any interest in starting since.

 

With the help of a neighbour and a can of Easystart I've been able to ascertain that it's sparking, so the problem is evidently fuel-related.  Helpfully* the OBD is showing no faults, despite the MIL being on .

 

When I turn the ignition on, the in-tank fuel pump whirrs for a couple of seconds, as it should do.  However when I use a screwdriver to press in the Schrader valve on the fuel line under the bonnet, it just sneezes out a few ml of petrol and that's it.  Surely there should be more pressure than that in an EFI system?"

 

Your Buick problem may be due to a ballast Resistor in the ignition circuit. I had this once on a Dodge Aspen in Canada. It always blows when the weather is extremely cold. Its worth checking and the Resistor is usually easy to replace.

 

The way it works is as follows:

 

The car is fitted with a coil that needs less than 12 volts to give a healthy spark. In normal running, the feed to the coil is via a resistance. During starting. the starter motor hogs everything that the battery can supply and there is not enough current fed to a normal 12 volt coil to generate a healthy spark, hence the feed is routed direct to the coil. When the start key is released, the coil feed is via the resistance in the circuit. This system was once very common on 70ies, early 80ies cars. Usually identified by two wires to one side of a coil and the other side to earth. I have no idea if this system or a variant of it is still used in modernish cars.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Would a DPF just block up with very little warning?

2015 Renault van 1.6 diesel

Symptoms. Low power, whistling noise like a worn turbo.

Then, it cut out. Oil over end of engine. Not massive amount but hard to see where it comes from. Made worse by aux belt spraying it.

Now when started it tried to very briefly but no smoke out of exhaust. Fumes in intake pipes.

It's got to be blocked DPF, can't be much else can it? It looks a right arse to do. Subrame and driveshaft out by the looks of it.

Sounds like it’s either split or popped off a boost / turbo hose

Well, it's turned out to be a knackered turbo.

 

Thanks anyway

[Lacquer Peel]

Ratchet strap, job done

There, I fixed it. I used a bungee cord before to secure my old Nissan Vanette's battery, don't know why I was even looking at the proper clamps.

 

[wuvvum]

The way it works is as follows:

 

The car is fitted with a coil that needs less than 12 volts to give a healthy spark. In normal running, the feed to the coil is via a resistance. During starting. the starter motor hogs everything that the battery can supply and there is not enough current fed to a normal 12 volt coil to generate a healthy spark, hence the feed is routed direct to the coil. When the start key is released, the coil feed is via the resistance in the circuit. This system was once very common on 70ies, early 80ies cars. Usually identified by two wires to one side of a coil and the other side to earth. I have no idea if this system or a variant of it is still used in modernish cars.

 

Yeah, my Volvo has a ballast resistor in the ignition circuit - only worked out what it was when I inadvertently wired an electric fuel pump in to the coil side of the resistor and wondered why the pump wasn't doing much.  Plugged it in to the battery side and away it went.

 

I'll have to check to see if the Buick has something similar - although it's distributorless / coil packs so if there is a resistor it might be built in to the ignition module rather than a separate unit on the bulkhead like the Volvo.

[D Spares & Tyres]

1999 Mercedes W202 2.2CDi. Anybody here know what the immobiliser works on? Can it be by-passed? I'm so crap at auto electrics but if I know the fuel pump is immobilised or whatever then I stand a chance of sorting it. Got key but not the one with a chip in it

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Not that a mate ever found...… Sprinter IIRC - he ended up with a fantastically expensive re-programmed key from the dealer. I do know he then tie wrapped the RFID key inside the cowl (or dash after moving  the RFID ring) and then used the second key - and got spares cut so he had extras.

He reckoned that losing a none RFID key and just grabbing another was worth the potential risk of being stolen with a 'plain' key.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Yeah I've done that on an old Golf once. Just wondered where the immobiliser is on one of these. I'm used to XUDs and hacking off the cage to get to the stop solenoid but I'm guessing these are more complicated than that. Might see what a Mercedes dealer would charge. I once had a Citroen main dealer make me a key just from the chassis number. Only £20!

[Guest Hooli]

I suspect it's built into the ECU at that age.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Me too...

[Pillock]

Me three, but that does mean that the same places that offer remaps can sometimes disable the immobiliser in software.

 

I think Cobblers was saying he can do it on VAG ECUs so worth asking around, the hard bit will be finding someone who believes it's your car.

[somewhatfoolish]

Are there any shiters habitually reading 'Old Glory', the periodical for all old mechanical things and associated shenanigans? Could I cadge a copy of an article in the december edition? It's not available on the shelf, the news cycle appears to have reached feb or march and back issues are £££ for what I want it for.

[omegod]

Can anyone do a fee hpi check pls, I got the log book back for the focus I got from copat and there's no mention of it being recorded as a cat N, tried making an autotrader advert and still nothing showing as being recorded

 

I'm not that arsed but am curious WP59 UJC 

[DodgeRover]

I suspect it's built into the ECU at that age.

Should be able to remove it with a computer.

[DodgeRover]

Can someone tell me what the current equivalent of KC day lighters or Cibie Super Oscars are, I'm doing a lot of back lane driving and a bit more visibility would have saved me smashing into a downed tree branch at roof height

[rainagain]

Led light bars?

 

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32852187913.html?pid=808_0000_0131&spm=a2g0n.search-amp.list.32852187913&aff_trace_key=&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=6539_8bsOxGzYANy66X_W_yKAYKMBjrZvkhRz4ECjKqD-YXQIp7lmYUMTRliHeagKfxa1549488500923

[Guest Hooli]

Can someone tell me what the current equivalent of KC day lighters or Cibie Super Oscars are, I'm doing a lot of back lane driving and a bit more visibility would have saved me smashing into a downed tree branch at roof height

 

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

[MorrisItalSLX]

How well do V6 badermatic Rover 75s handle high mileage? (200,000+) What should you look out for?

 

Bump

[Sir Snipes]

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

www.specsavers.co.uk

[DodgeRover]

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

Fair point I can see stopping distance at 30/40 mph on the road in front, what i can't see is stuff looming in the hedgerows and at 7 foot above the road surface which is the issue.

 

Seriously though who is responsible for cutting back the growth from the road side? The land owner or highways? In a couple of points it's that overgrown that you are forced to use the centre of the road on blind bends, obviously this slows traffic to stopping speed unless it's an Audi.

I've been onto highways who didn't seem interested tbh.

[Dave_Q]

Can anyone do a fee hpi check pls, I got the log book back for the focus I got from copat and there's no mention of it being recorded as a cat N, tried making an autotrader advert and still nothing showing as being recorded

 

I'm not that arsed but am curious WP59 UJC

Isn't cat N the old cat D, cat D never used to show on the logbook only cat C.

[Guest Hooli]

Fair point I can see stopping distance at 30/40 mph on the road in front, what i can't see is stuff looming in the hedgerows and at 7 foot above the road surface which is the issue.

 

Seriously though who is responsible for cutting back the growth from the road side? The land owner or highways? In a couple of points it's that overgrown that you are forced to use the centre of the road on blind bends, obviously this slows traffic to stopping speed unless it's an Audi.

I've been onto highways who didn't seem interested tbh.

 

The landowner I think, but that's just going on hearing of people getting done for their hedge blocking paths.

[panhard65]

The landowner I think, but that's just going on hearing of people getting done for their hedge blocking paths.

With roadside hedges there is a bit of a grey area in that the landowners used to cut them up until they were told they would have to use white diesel in their tractors to do the job. Obviously they got the hump and stopped doing it leaving it in the safe hands of the local authority. Which is why you are lucky if the hedges get cut at all now. Most farmers do like to keep the hedges tidy but due to the additional bureaucracy placed on the job they tend to not do it anymore. I went to a farm sale many years ago and overheard 2 old boys talking about a snow plough that was in the sale. They both agreed that it was a daft idea to own one as you could get in so much grief if you did use it on the road that it was better just not to bother.

[Guest Hooli]

I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised how bloody daft it is these days for such things.

[Tetleysmooth]

Has anyone on here had a Mercedes W202 c200 of around 1995 vintage?

If so, give a review if you wouldn't mind.

Seen one for sale that's quite taken my fancy.

It's an auto naturally, so was this in the days before the problematic solenoid plate autobox?

Ta in advance.

[dozeydustman]

Can a slightly soft tyres trigger a false warning re: ABS, TC & ESP faults? Did my weekly tyre pressure check earlier this week using a different airline from the one I normally go to, and since then the ABS etc on the Saab warnings have buggered off, whereas using my 'regular' inflator they stayed on.

 

Just makes you think if petrol station tyre inflators aren't particularly great. I used the calibrated one at work in the workshop instead this week

[wuvvum]

OK, this Buick is starting to get on me tits.

 

It FTP'd just over a week ago now and has not run since.  Last weekend I ascertained that it was sparking OK, as it fired up on Easystart, so a fuelling issue was suspected.  Unfortunately I ran out of both daylight and feeling in my hands before I could investigate any further.

 

Been out there today and took the fuel inlet hose off the fuel rail, intending to blow through it with a compressor to clear any blockages.  Thought I'd just check how blocked it was, turned on the ignition and a veritable geyser of petrol spewed forth.  It stopped after "priming", but started again as soon as the engine was cranked over.  So it's definitely not a fuel blockage.

 

So it's got fuel, sparks and compression, so it should start, right?  But it isn't even trying to start.  My only conclusion so far is that the injectors must not be firing - but I'm not sure what triggers them.  If it was a knackered crank sensor or whatever, then presumably that would stop the ignition from sparking as well?  I pulled the plug off one of the injectors and stuck my multimeter in - it was showing about 8.5v with the ignition on, but I have no idea if that's normal or not - I basically have very little idea how EFI actually works. 

 

Any suggestions before I drop a match in the tank?

[Fat_Pirate]

Has anyone on here had a Mercedes W202 c200 of around 1995 vintage?

If so, give a review if you wouldn't mind.

Seen one for sale that's quite taken my fancy.

It's an auto naturally, so was this in the days before the problematic solenoid plate autobox?

Ta in advance.

I had a '96 one, these had the reliable 4-speed 'box and proper paint; facelift models from around 97 had the 5-speed box and water-based paint.  Failing cats was a thing (it would break up and rattle), mine inexplicably popped a head gasket too, but apart from that it was a very nice thing.  Not fast but smooth and composed.  Obviously check for rust.

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks for that FP.