Ask a Shiter

[castros_bro]

Why do we still have clutches in cars? Surely the automatic transmission has evolved into a better and more reliable solution and for those who want to change gears themselves then why not have a fluid coupling? Surely topping up with oil is easier than replacing worn clutches and dual mass flywheels?

 

You mean the Ford/Mazda Durashift the wonderfully modern automatic pox fitted to smaller cars Festa, Fucus  errrrrrrr Transits controlled by a box of electric elfs ??  Yes the automatic gearbox is so advanced and suitable for modens that Ford/Mazda got a manual gearbox and clutch and fitted a few old Bosch wiper motors (I kid ye not) in place of the gearstick then the electric elfs decide when to start the hydraulic clutch pump and run the Bosch wipers motors to select a gear.  WCPGW ?  Here's one I repaired earlier.

 

[cobblers]

Jesus, Those really are wiper motors, that's amazing! it's like something they put together on scrapheap challenge to allow them to make a sierra remote controlled in order to drive it off the side of a quarry but they couldn't get hold on an automatic one.

[dave21478]

Aye, my C2 VTR shat its clutch actuator. I took it apart and the actual motor looked about the right size for an electric toothbrush, with a massive set of plastic gears to generate enough force to pull the clutch lever. Obviously the gears had stripped and that was it buggered.

[mercrocker]

Is making a car smoke unnecessarily now a thing?  

 

I ask in all innocence of what Modern Yoof do with their "rides" I believe they call them.   

 

Is it another form of OMGRATLUK?  

 

Only asking because I was buzzed by two fakely rusted sticker-bombed, rubber-band tyred, comically lowered Civics yesterday coming back from Bournemouth.   They both had fart cannons of the type you hear before they come past, are vaguely silent as they go alongside and then reverberate several moments later after they pass.   Both of them were smoking fairly heavily but it didn't look or smell like oil or fuel.  

[dave21478]

"rolling coal" is very much a thing. 

 

https://youtu.be/6wfzUAF2X5s?t=68

 

And it seems to be catching on over here now. As if we didnt need more reasons to hate the septics.

[mercrocker]

Oh dear. 

 

And here was me malevolently assuming that their engines were a McDonalds burnout or two from grenading.....

[Dippy]

Is there here any other explanation for my dad's old V70 D5 deciding to stop charging after a month of sitting other than a shagged alternator? I don't want to replace it only to discover it's still not charging.

Is there a way to test it while it's on the car?

The non-charging is accompanied by an electrical systems fault message.

TIA

I would swap the battery first as it may not be able to take a charge, dont buy a new one just use one off something else you have as it doesnt have to fit properly to test it on the drive.

Could be easier and cheaper than the alternator.

[Timewaster]

Had to Google Rolling coal.

 

Morons. Right up there with vaping twats who insist on making as much "smoke" as possible.

Usually accompanied by an ill fitting beard.

 

I've turned this into Grumpy old Man. Sorry.

[doobietoo]

Had to Google Rolling coal.

 

Morons. Right up there with vaping twats who insist on making as much "smoke" as possible.

Usually accompanied by an ill fitting beard.

 

I've turned this into Grumpy old Man. Sorry.

 

It is just Newton's third law in action.... (  see Brexit,  BNP, renewable energy, healthy eating et all....)

[AMC Rebel]

Anyone good at interpreting vac gauge readings?

 

This is at idle and the needle is jittering around - but the deflections are very small and quick.

 

 

I have so far -

 

Checked Compressions (good on all 8 cylinders)

Changed all plugs, HT leads, Rotor Arm and Dizzy Cap (yesterday).

Checked timing - OK, but tried advancing a little on standard - no different.

Fitted a new carb (last week).

 

Symptoms -

 

Very reluctant to start and run when cold, once warm, better, but dies on anything other than very moderate acceleration.

 

 

I was hoping the vac gauge would show a an air leak somewhere, but it doesn't seem to be conclusive.

 

Not sure what to check next.  I would drop the spare engine in, but I am worried that if it's actually fuel system (tank, pump etc) that's going to be a lot of work for nowt.

 

One of the old plugs looks like this which is a bit worrying - do I need to do (another) comp check on that cylinder?

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

The vacuum gauge should have a damper in the pipe. Do that up a bit until it stops wobbling. The wobble you're seeing is the changes in intake vacuum as the intake valves open & close.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I have so far -

 

Checked Compressions (good on all 8 cylinders)

Changed all plugs, HT leads, Rotor Arm and Dizzy Cap (yesterday).

Checked timing - OK, but tried advancing a little on standard - no different.

Fitted a new carb (last week).

 

What state is the distributor in ? Does it have a vacuum advance ?

[Guest Hooli]

spray carb cleaner all around the intake manifold, if the engine revs up then that's where the air leak is

[AMC Rebel]

What state is the distributor in ? Does it have a vacuum advance ?

Not sure about the state of the Dizzy - I bought it off a mate of mine as it's had the points replaced with electronic ones - car ran better when I initially fitted it.

 

It does have a vac advance as well as a mechanical one via those little balance weights (which I have checked).

[AMC Rebel]

The vacuum gauge should have a damper in the pipe. Do that up a bit until it stops wobbling. The wobble you're seeing is the changes in intake vacuum as the intake valves open & close.

 

Thanks - pleased about that - so it looks like I am just low on vac at idle - I will try the card cleaner spray test next them.  

 

Thanks all - this place, etc

[Guest Hooli]

You'd expect low vacuum on idle, the engine isn't breathing much.

I'm not sure how you expect to see an air leak tbh, doesn't matter where the air is getting in the vacuum will be the same as that's what the engine is sucking in. Without readings from it when healthy you won't know if it's out anyway.

[philibusmo]

VW door locks, yeh i know, possibly the flimsiest and most troublesome door locks known to man.

 

A 2001 Polo 6N2, has had intermittent working central locking and the gubbins inside the drivers lock barrel were busted. I've rebuilt the drivers lock barrel and all seems to be working smoothly and changed the drivers door lock for a second hand unit. Put it back together and it was all working fine yesterday.

Today it isn't. I can't get the central locking working at all now and when the key is moved in the barrel it just seems to open the front electric windows and not much else. Using a flat blade i can manually lock and unlock the doors from the slot that the barrel usually sits in but i cant get it to work from key/barrel itself.

[spike60]

VW door locks, yeh i know, possibly the flimsiest and most troublesome door locks known to man.

 

A 2001 Polo 6N2, has had intermittent working central locking and the gubbins inside the drivers lock barrel were busted. I've rebuilt the drivers lock barrel and all seems to be working smoothly and changed the drivers door lock for a second hand unit. Put it back together and it was all working fine yesterday.

Today it isn't. I can't get the central locking working at all now and when the key is moved in the barrel it just seems to open the front electric windows and not much else. Using a flat blade i can manually lock and unlock the doors from the slot that the barrel usually sits in but i cant get it to work from key/barrel itself.

Polo door locks are indeed made from chocolate, cheese and buscuits. Aftermarket ones are about £8 on Ebay but probably overpriced at that.

The wiring loom from the A post into the door tends to fray and snap as well, worth pulling the boot back and having a good look and wiggle...

[The Moog]

K11 Micras - are the 1.3s 16v?

 

I have got a hankering for one as starlet replacement

[320touring]

K11 Micras - are the 1.3s 16v?

 

I have got a hankering for one as starlet replacement

Fffs!

[The Moog]

Fffs!

What??

 

I have got space outside... And someone has bought one on here....

[bub2006]

Yes, all k11 micras were 16v. I had a 1.0 and it was bloody nippy but wobbly in the bends. I would recommend one. Timing chain too if I recall.

[AMC Rebel]

You'd expect low vacuum on idle, the engine isn't breathing much.

 

I'm not sure how you expect to see an air leak tbh, doesn't matter where the air is getting in the vacuum will be the same as that's what the engine is sucking in. Without readings from it when healthy you won't know if it's out anyway.

Good points, well made - I guess I expected the red sector of the gauge would indicate the vac was low for any engine at idle - but you're right of course, I have no clue what it was like before.

[Sigmund Fraud]

VW door locks, yeh i know, possibly the flimsiest and most troublesome door locks known to man.

 

A 2001 Polo 6N2, has had intermittent working central locking and the gubbins inside the drivers lock barrel were busted. I've rebuilt the drivers lock barrel and all seems to be working smoothly and changed the drivers door lock for a second hand unit. Put it back together and it was all working fine yesterday.

Today it isn't. I can't get the central locking working at all now and when the key is moved in the barrel it just seems to open the front electric windows and not much else. Using a flat blade i can manually lock and unlock the doors from the slot that the barrel usually sits in but i cant get it to work from key/barrel itself.

 

To me, it sounds like a problem with the central locking vacuum pump. The pump is in the boot, behind the trim panel on the offside.

[cobblers]

These look quite rich yeah?

 

 

Van smells like it's running rich and can be very hard to start if you restart it when lukewarm. Winding it over with ECU disconnected (so no fuel) for 10 seconds or leaving it 10 minutes stood will get it to start again.

 

I've never had to read plugs before, most stuff I owned has had closed loop O2 control.

[Kiltox]

Anyone ever managed to rent a vehicle from Enterprise without having their photocard licence to hand? I can produce one of those check code things and passport / proof of address....

[Eddie Honda]

Yeah, years ago (1998?) before all this online nonsense and my paper licence was otherwise engaged. I think they'd just changed their name from National to Enterprise.

 

They telephoned the DVLA - I authorised them to speak to the rental clerk, handed over the phone back to the clerk and job jobbed. 

[Eddie Honda]

Another time I rented in the 90s was from Avis in Mayfair, that there London. No credit card (with enough slack) for the deposit, guarantee card only went to £100 - I had to TransAx a cheque for 250 quid - plus come up with two referees to phone. Hard work on the Sunday in question as the first two were engaged and I was running out of numbers to call.

 

Sorry to sound like an auld cunt going on about how we used to do things before internet.

[3VOM]

To me, it sounds like a problem with the central locking vacuum pump. The pump is in the boot, behind the trim panel on the offside.

In a pool of water.

Which has soaked the circuit board and corroded all the connections.

(It's all coming back to me.....)

[cobblers]

Cheers Ben. New ones are fitted, it does start easier. I have wound the idle CO screw out to lean the idle off as it was definitely stinking. It shouldn't affect off idle running much