Ask a Shiter

[Noel Tidybeard]

As been mentioned elsewhere he is just having a small break.

 

Barbara Cartland Dog is on a Christmas book signing tour so he is driving her around in a ropey red transit with copies of her latest thriller "Viva las Transit- an in-depth view of the rise and fall of Griffin badged motoring".

trading standards have pulled him in "for questioning" about "quality" used cars

[MorrisItalSLX]

Question: Do MGB headrests fit Marinas/Allegros/Princesses/Minis/Itals/etc.?

 

I ask this because there are many MGB headrests around as they were standard fitment and many other BL products just have blanking plates.

[Bucketeer]

Surprisingly an electrical malady has surfaced in my French car. The lights on my Citroen AX are flickering/fluctuating when the engine is running, not badly but noticeably, and this is all the lights, ie; headlights, instrument lighting, etc. This does not happen when the engine is turned off which makes me think possibly a fault in the alternator department. Also, when driving with the radio on, any other electrical usage/input (eg; using indicators, applying brakes) causes the radio to turn off for a split second before turning back on again. Also also, sometimes when using the wipers there is clicky/buzzy noise from somewhere footwellish (poss fuse box).

I'm okay at fixing faults I've come across previously but this is a new one to me, and as I leave for work at 6am and get back after 7pm I have little time or daylight to conduct a fault finding marathon so if this shouts out a specific likely cause to anyone your suggestions would be much appreciated.

[steveo3002]

check all the battery /alternator cables are clean and tight  , then id be looking at the voltage regulator 

[Guest Hooli]

Earth lead to the alt? if it's got one.

 

Could be worth fitting a new brush pack those normally contain the reg/rec too.

[Eddie Honda]

then id be looking at the voltage regulator

This.

 

Have the same thing with the Jizz, but I'll live with it for now. Too cold to fix it.

[steveo3002]

can also check the fan belt isnt flapping around ..

[Bucketeer]

Thanks everyone. I've got a small window of opportunity this afternoon to get elbow deep in French car and you've given me plenty to go on.

[SiC]

My money would be on the alternator regulator too.

[Talbot]

Is there anything that particularly causes calipers to stick? I usually get this problem with every car I own, regardless of age or make. I used to blame it on doing sub 5k miles a year and braking lightly but I do 20 miles a day minimum 5 days out of 7 now and it still happens.

I get the car serviced every 6k, am I doing anything wrong? Still cleaning the stains off the seat from today when my front brake was binding on and I didn't know until it was like trying to brake on black ice. One front wheel was red hot so I'm assuming it's binding on.

You need to do more laddish stops. A bit of warmth in the discs, pads and calipers keeps everything dry. Sounds a lot like you barely use the brakes, so any condensation or damp is not being dried out on a regular basis.

[SiC]

I've never had sticking calipers before and I'm a light braker. So light that my spaceship Civic pads + discs were replaced all round at 97k 4 years ago when the clutch was done. I had the front pads replaced a couple of months ago at around 140k. And no, they weren't down to the metal then either.

 

Could it be they're just not greasing it all up enough?

[bunglebus]

Could be build up of brake dust/rust where the pads locate in the calipers - unlikely to seize to the extreme of overheating the wheel though. Normally it's corrosion of some description, is the brake fluid changed regularly? It loves to absorb moisture and rust stuff.

If you have sliders they can get rusty/sticky if the seals aren't great too.

[twosmoke300]

Letting the pads go wafer thin exposes more piston area to go rusty as well as allowing the piston to tilt in its bore too

[sierraman]

Also runs the risk of scoring the discs as well if not caught in time. That said that’s advice from when you’d see a few sets of pads before needing to swap discs.

[jonathan_dyane]

My trolley jack needs more oil. Why shouldn't I just top it up with 10/40 motor oil?

[Tickman]

Engine oil is a multigrade oil so will not necessarily have a predictable response to the pressure involved.

Also a thinner grade oil could pass the seals where the correct jack oil wouldn't.

[Guest Hooli]

Where's the filler on a trolley jack? I've never found it on mine.

[Lacquer Peel]

Van insurance is less than half the cost of car insurance for me. Y tho? I'm getting a bit sick of driving a van but it seems the only option now.

[sierraman]

Where's the filler on a trolley jack? I've never found it on mine.

 

You can fill it either from the release valve or on the breather on the pump body.

[Guest Hooli]

Thanks, now I just need to get some jack oil.

 

Fill it till it's full? & the excess comes out the breather?

[sierraman]

More or less should hold about half a pint on a DIY type jack, then bleed it out.

[AMC Rebel]

I have a feeling this is a very very stupid Q - but what are all the reasons using a marine tank like this -

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-Hulk-30L-Plastic-Marine-Outboard-Fuel-Tank/282032330525

 

in the boot of my AMC would be worse than brexit? injure lots of Nuns and Ickle Kittens?

[Supernaut]

Glass polish.

 

Basically, I've noticed on the Mondeo when I'm driving in the dark and there are cars driving towards me, their headlights catch little specks on my windscreen. It's not dirt, as they don't wash off.

I don't see them the rest of the time either, it's just oncoming lights that catch them.

 

Would glass polish help? I've never had this on other cars, and also the Mondeo has a heated windscreen. I've also never used glass polish before so don't know how one applies it, and don't even know where to buy it from / what brands are good.

 

I may be barking up entirely the wrong tree and the specks on the 'screen could be something else though. Yes, I've cleaned the inside of it too!

[twosmoke300]

On a ford im gonna take a wild stab at grinder fallout - polish wont help

[Kiltox]

Clay bar might help?

[DodgeRover]

I have a feeling this is a very very stupid Q - but what are all the reasons using a marine tank like this -

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-Hulk-30L-Plastic-Marine-Outboard-Fuel-Tank/282032330525

 

in the boot of my AMC would be worse than brexit? injure lots of Nuns and Ickle Kittens?

It wouldn't bother me, there's no level gauge though is there? 30l seems a bit small

[bunglebus]

Glass polish.

 

Basically, I've noticed on the Mondeo when I'm driving in the dark and there are cars driving towards me, their headlights catch little specks on my windscreen. It's not dirt, as they don't wash off.

I don't see them the rest of the time either, it's just oncoming lights that catch them.

 

Would glass polish help? I've never had this on other cars, and also the Mondeo has a heated windscreen. I've also never used glass polish before so don't know how one applies it, and don't even know where to buy it from / what brands are good.

 

I may be barking up entirely the wrong tree and the specks on the 'screen could be something else though. Yes, I've cleaned the inside of it too!

I've bought some because there are marks on my rear windscreen from scrapers etc. It is hard work and slow to get rid of them, glass is hard! I may try using a polisher rather than doing it by hand - but what you describe sound like stone chips, my relatively new windscreen already had a fair few and I don't think you'll get rid of them with polish. Like most things, car glass does not seem to be as hardy as it once was. My old screen was absolutely peppered with them, and that was already a replacement for the original. By all means try it, cheap enough off eBay but it will be a slow process, be warned! Rule of thumb is, if you can feel the damage with a fingernail, forget it.

[Guest Hooli]

Glass polish.

 

Basically, I've noticed on the Mondeo when I'm driving in the dark and there are cars driving towards me, their headlights catch little specks on my windscreen. It's not dirt, as they don't wash off.

I don't see them the rest of the time either, it's just oncoming lights that catch them.

 

Would glass polish help? I've never had this on other cars, and also the Mondeo has a heated windscreen. I've also never used glass polish before so don't know how one applies it, and don't even know where to buy it from / what brands are good.

 

I may be barking up entirely the wrong tree and the specks on the 'screen could be something else though. Yes, I've cleaned the inside of it too!

 

Fully comp insurance & a hole punch gets rid of those...

[pompei]

What has happened to Cavcraft?  Once prolific on the tat thread, nothing for ages.

[Pillock]

Taking a break for a bit I hear.