Ask a Shiter

[spike60]

Unplug the motor underneath the seats should do it, or if not, disconnecting the pipe on the sides of the bags (somehow) will quickly deflate them. WTC had a 545 with rear bags and pump had gone. We inflated the bags with a compressor to see if they worked, and he bought a new pump for it. I'd take the weight off the back end before doing it.

Ta for that. I've done one side now and had to disconnect the levelling linkage to drop the wishbone low enough. If you manually push it up the compressor kicks in to lift but pull it down it doesn't lower. I couldn't see any easy way of taking any pipes off but managed anyway, 17 year old and 250k miles gave more chew than 60psi!

[Eddie Honda]

Batteries - This is getting on my tits.

Sounds like a dodgy connection between cells and the battery is shagged. Don't be distracted by the Magic Eye as that only tells you about one cell and not the other five.

[KruJoe]

My trailer is still bollocksed thanks* to idiot brother, (not Will,) so it'd be nice to have the 'A' back, "just in case"

 

Cameron said he wouldn't mind scooping it back up on his way back north on Thurs/Friday. Even if it stays at his place for a couple weeks, it's not so far away if we do need it.

[bub2006]

That's great. Thank you

[New POD]

At lidl this week for £179

 

2800w

 

 

It seems to have 230v and 3 phase type power outlets so you'd need an adapter to run normal tools

 

 

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=33488

 

And you'll need ear defenders at 96 Db !!! Neighbours are going to love that.

[saucedoctor]

Does anyone know where I can get old new car price lists? By that I mean what the new price of a car was in, say, 2002?

[drum]

Stupid question incoming...

 

I picked up some wheels for the disco. Turns out the tyres are decent which is a bonus, but...one of the four is a different size to the other three. 255 65 as opposed to 235 70. They all look the same in diameter so I measured the circumference. The odd one is 20mm bigger in circumference or about 3mm in radius. The equivalent of good tread versus poor tread. Would running these mismatched tyres on the same axle lead to a trail of dead nuns and kittens and a wound up differential while being pursued by the rozzers?

 

I know the advice is not to, but I'm curious why the differentials (axle and centre diff) can't cope with marginal difference in tyre size. Give me the physics please.

[myglaren]

Anyone know what this is called (the handle bit).

This is mine but I lost one at work with a much smaller collet.

I need it to hold a 2mm long form drill and mine is no good.

 

 

Having no luck searching for one.

[gordonbennet]

Stupid question incoming...

 

I picked up some wheels for the disco. Turns out the tyres are decent which is a bonus, but...one of the four is a different size to the other three. 255 65 as opposed to 235 70. They all look the same in diameter so I measured the circumference. The odd one is 20mm bigger in circumference or about 3mm in radius. The equivalent of good tread versus poor tread. Would running these mismatched tyres on the same axle lead to a trail of dead nuns and kittens and a wound up differential while being pursued by the rozzers?

 

I know the advice is not to, but I'm curious why the differentials (axle and centre diff) can't cope with marginal difference in tyre size. Give me the physics please.

 

As i see it, the diffs cope fine with normal variations as turns etc are taken, its sustained straight road high speed running where both the individual axle diff, and in the case of a 4x4, where the centre diff as well are working constantly to mitigate the variation in wheel size where the problems occur.

Worse with centre diff systems made of cheese like Freelander 1.

[dave21478]

Stupid question incoming...

 

I picked up some wheels for the disco. Turns out the tyres are decent which is a bonus, but...one of the four is a different size to the other three. 255 65 as opposed to 235 70. They all look the same in diameter so I measured the circumference. The odd one is 20mm bigger in circumference or about 3mm in radius. The equivalent of good tread versus poor tread. Would running these mismatched tyres on the same axle lead to a trail of dead nuns and kittens and a wound up differential while being pursued by the rozzers?

 

I know the advice is not to, but I'm curious why the differentials (axle and centre diff) can't cope with marginal difference in tyre size. Give me the physics please.

 

No harm done with an open diff....the difference in radius is minimal, but even if it were larger the diff would compensate fine, it would just be like constantly going round a slight curve as far as the diff is concerned as you drive in a straight line.

 

Not legal though. tyres need to be in pairs on the same axle. size-wise.

[dave21478]

Anyone know what this is called (the handle bit).

This is mine but I lost one at work with a much smaller collet.

I need it to hold a 2mm long form drill and mine is no good.

 

 

Having no luck searching for one.

"hand tap holder".....

 

 

 

"Pin drill".....

[GrumpyCat]

Ebay.

 

I have an item listed (a lathe) on a 'buy it now' price with make offer. Someone wants to view the lathe, which is fine but won't be able to view until tomorrow. As he has shown interest and will possibly turn up with the cash how do I stop someone from clicking 'buy it now' whilst he is travelling to view? Is it simply a case of increasing the price temporarily until after he views, then reducing it again if he decides not to purchase?

[gm]

Air bag shenanigans - I needed to shift a load of stuff in the audi so took out the front seat to give me more room. Now I've refitted the seat, the airbag light on the dash remains lit - do I just need a code reader to reset it or have I broken something ?

[Guest Hooli]

No harm done with an open diff....the difference in radius is minimal, but even if it were larger the diff would compensate fine, it would just be like constantly going round a slight curve as far as the diff is concerned as you drive in a straight line.

 

Not legal though. tyres need to be in pairs on the same axle. size-wise.

 

This.

 

A big difference in size will overheat the planet gears, but these sizes are both correct. At least if my memory still works you could get either size on new Discos.

[Richard]

Air bag shenanigans - I needed to shift a load of stuff in the audi so took out the front seat to give me more room. Now I've refitted the seat, the airbag light on the dash remains lit - do I just need a code reader to reset it or have I broken something ?

 

It should just be a matter of clearing the code with a suitable code reader. The Audi must be one of those cars that doesn't put the light out until the fault code is cleared.

[drum]

No harm done with an open diff....the difference in radius is minimal, but even if it were larger the diff would compensate fine, it would just be like constantly going round a slight curve as far as the diff is concerned as you drive in a straight line.

 

Not legal though. tyres need to be in pairs on the same axle. size-wise.

  

 

Cheers Dave et al.

 

I didn't think there could be a problem with diff wind up unless the diffs were locked.

 

 

 

Ebay.

 

 

I have an item listed (a lathe) on a 'buy it now' price with make offer. Someone wants to view the lathe, which is fine but won't be able to view until tomorrow. As he has shown interest and will possibly turn up with the cash how do I stop someone from clicking 'buy it now' whilst he is travelling to view? Is it simply a case of increasing the price temporarily until after he views, then reducing it again if he decides not to purchase?

If he has chosen to view before buying, he'll have to take the chance that someone might buy before he views. I would leave the listing as is. He may not even show up.

[twosmoke300]

Tool pictures earlier is a tap wrench

[myglaren]

Thanks for the replies on the tap wrench - I was completely stumped with it.

Google image search was useless.

[bub2006]

Will hatchback xantia roof bars fit an estate? Going away soon and roof bars may come in handy for kids bikes/kids. Cheers

[Richard]

No, it's a completely different fitment.

[bub2006]

Thought as much but thanks for clarification.

[Richard]

The estate roof bars fit on a track under the rain channel. IIRC there are bits of the channel that slide open.

[bub2006]

Yes there is. But I wasn't sure if there was a way of fitting the hatch ones.

[face]

Does anyone know where I can get old new car price lists? By that I mean what the new price of a car was in, say, 2002?

 

I had a quick look and the only way I could find was on Parkers site - you don't have to sign-up or shit either.

 

Basically look up a model on their company car tax calculator and stuff in some faux details. I did one for a Citroen AX 10E and it came back at £5670 as the P11D value. The only issue is that that model was made over a number of years, which probably craps on what you need. It does let you put a reg year in, but all the P11Ds are the same value.

 

Anyhow: http://www.parkers.co.uk/company-cars/tax-calculator/citroen/ax/hatchback-1987/687/?yearplate=41&taxyear=7&taxrate=20

[saucedoctor]

Cheers, Face.

[Norbert]

Could anyone fill me in on the tell-tale signs that a diesel's fuel filter could do with a change?

 

Mine hasn't been done since I've had it, and probably not for a long time before that, so I may not have been able to notice any performance degradation etc. Any other signs?

 

Thanks!

[Richard]

Mine hasn't been done since I've had it, and probably not for a long time before that,

 

That's the tell-tale sign.

[twosmoke300]

Exactly - fuel filters can start letting water past long before they block with dirt- get it changed !

[KruJoe]

Bub / Cameron... is it likely that my A-frame will be coming back to Yorkshire this weekend?

 

There's a good chance it many have a job this Saturday...

[Rovorsche]

Is Isopon and glass matting still the right choice for mending bodywork on the cheap ?

 

Or is there some new fangled carbon fibre stuff these days that does a better job ?

 

This is to make it road worthy for an MOT or possibly two, its a mechanically reasonable A6 with creeping rot and decaying electrics that belongs to a friend.