Ask a Shiter

[skattrd]

Thanks, ordered, luckily the cheap side was the one I wanted.

[billy_bunter]

Fucus woes. Y plate 1600 zetec petrol I purchased about 3 months ago.

Some may remember the manky steering wheel pictures posted earlier in this very thread.  I managed to get the wheel clean enough to use and am now driving it daily without having to wash my hands afterwards. Which is nice.

 

The pproblem - Recently the speedo needle drop down to zero has gone from every so often to frequent. This morning's commute it occurred just after a big hesitation from the engine.

 

When the car goes to idle it drops below 750 rpm and the recovers to 750. It does this every time after the car has been driven and is then put into idle. .

 

Quick google points to faulty speed sensor? Any other common known faults

[dozeydustman]

Fucus woes. Y plate 1600 zetec petrol I purchased about 3 months ago.

Some may remember the manky steering wheel pictures posted earlier in this very thread.  I managed to get the wheel clean enough to use and am now driving it daily without having to wash my hands afterwards. Which is nice.

 

The pproblem - Recently the speedo needle drop down to zero has gone from every so often to frequent. This morning's commute it occurred just after a big hesitation from the engine.

 

When the car goes to idle it drops below 750 rpm and the recovers to 750. It does this every time after the car has been driven and is then put into idle. .

 

Quick google points to faulty speed sensor? Any other common known faults

 

 

You getting enough volts? Smart charge system ok?

[steveo3002]

Fucus woes. Y plate 1600 zetec petrol I purchased about 3 months ago.

Some may remember the manky steering wheel pictures posted earlier in this very thread.  I managed to get the wheel clean enough to use and am now driving it daily without having to wash my hands afterwards. Which is nice.

 

The pproblem - Recently the speedo needle drop down to zero has gone from every so often to frequent. This morning's commute it occurred just after a big hesitation from the engine.

 

When the car goes to idle it drops below 750 rpm and the recovers to 750. It does this every time after the car has been driven and is then put into idle. .

 

Quick google points to faulty speed sensor? Any other common known faults

speed sensor fr the speedo dropping 

 

idle probs ...theres a rubber hose under the inlet that goes weak/splits , worth changing 

[stripped fred]

My new ride, mum's 2006 focus c-max, is in for an MOT. This will be replacing my Sharan which is going on Thursday. It has been in storage for 6 months and the mot has run out.

 

It failed on a coil spring and the abs light being on. Turns out the light is due to the abs ECU recording crash damage, which is true as she was hit from behind on the motorway and bumped the car in front. A local body shop did the work but looks like the airbag ECU was not reset.

 

The garage have told me they can send the ECU off to be reset, cost approx £200. I asked if it is possible to simply replace with a new ECU. The mechanic thought this would be ok. I ordered an ECU for £16 delivered off eBay, which will arrive this week.

 

Does anyone know if it is ok to simply replace the ECU with another one?

[artdjones]

My new ride, mum's 2006 focus c-max, is in for an MOT. This will be replacing my Sharan which is going on Thursday. It has been in storage for 6 months and the mot has run out.

 

It failed on a coil spring and the abs light being on. Turns out the light is due to the abs ECU recording crash damage, which is true as she was hit from behind on the motorway and bumped the car in front. A local body shop did the work but looks like the airbag ECU was not reset.

 

The garage have told me they can send the ECU off to be reset, cost approx £200. I asked if it is possible to simply replace with a new ECU. The mechanic thought this would be ok. I ordered an ECU for £16 delivered off eBay, which will arrive this week.

 

Does anyone know if it is ok to simply replace the ECU with another one?

I would say that would need recoding to the car.

[DodgeRover]

Wouldn't it be an option simply to reset it with some sort of OBD tool?

[SiC]

My new ride, mum's 2006 focus c-max, is in for an MOT. This will be replacing my Sharan which is going on Thursday. It has been in storage for 6 months and the mot has run out.

 

It failed on a coil spring and the abs light being on. Turns out the light is due to the abs ECU recording crash damage, which is true as she was hit from behind on the motorway and bumped the car in front. A local body shop did the work but looks like the airbag ECU was not reset.

 

The garage have told me they can send the ECU off to be reset, cost approx £200. I asked if it is possible to simply replace with a new ECU. The mechanic thought this would be ok. I ordered an ECU for £16 delivered off eBay, which will arrive this week.

 

Does anyone know if it is ok to simply replace the ECU with another one?

Possibly. Depends if it needs coding in. Ford are usually pretty good and don't do that of stuff usually though. I reckon it's worth a try - not likely to cause any more harm. The only thing might be that the engine ECU also knows its been in a crash and might tell the airbag ECU when its plugged in.

 

Wouldn't it be an option simply to reset it with some sort of OBD tool?

Often its programmed into the ECU as a non-clearable code. So a OBD tool won't clear it. Those that do reset it, will clear all the firmware in it and program back in the firmware so the Airbag ECU thinks its new.

[stripped fred]

Thanks for the replies. The garage are going to try it when it arrives and if it doesn't work send the old one off for reprogramming. Fingers crossed!

[Tickman]

If the car was repaired after the crash shouldn't the ecu clearing be part of the fix?

[stripped fred]

If the car was repaired after the crash shouldn't the ecu clearing be part of the fix?

It should do but it was a bloke in a lock up and perhaps he didn't have the right kit. It has never been a problem until now. My mum's local garage passed it for the last two years. I think the mot rules have changed.

[NorthernMonkey]

Dog peeps - why do sheep dogs i.e. welsh border collies have longer faces these days?? the shape of their faces has completely changed in the last 30 years.

It’s because they’ve been banned from ‘spoons...they’ve all got long faces

[New POD]

If the car was repaired after the crash shouldn't the ecu clearing be part of the fix?

 

Isn't it stupid that the thing that isn't broken (the ECU) causes the car to continue to be broken....Why not have a reset button or sequence of buttons.  

 

It was easy enough to reset an airbag fault light, on the BINI via the OBD2 reader, but why doesn't the car just perform a check on start up and realise that it's no longer faulty, and save everyone the hassle.  

Kind of like "turn it off. turn it back on..has that fixed it....from the IT Crowd" 

[SiC]

Isn't it stupid that the thing that isn't broken (the ECU) causes the car to continue to be broken....Why not have a reset button or sequence of buttons.

I remember reading it's down to the fact that the airbag controller dumps a lot of electrical power into the airbags and the ecu manufacturer can't guarantee that good for a second actuation. Of course it could also be planned obsolescence. The crash signal is often sent to the Engine ECU too (depending on manufacturer), to kill the engine+pump+injectors for preventing fire. This is instead of the traditional mechanical crash switch.

 

It was easy enough to reset an airbag fault light, on the BINI via the OBD2 reader, but why doesn't the car just perform a check on start up and realise that it's no longer faulty, and save everyone the hassle.  

Kind of like "turn it off. turn it back on..has that fixed it....from the IT Crowd"

Many car manufacturers do that. I know Renault in particular will clear the airbag light once the fault has been fixed. BMW don't. Nor do VAG. I guess it helps keeps their dealers in business?

[sierraman]

Fucus woes. Y plate 1600 zetec petrol I purchased about 3 months ago.

Some may remember the manky steering wheel pictures posted earlier in this very thread. I managed to get the wheel clean enough to use and am now driving it daily without having to wash my hands afterwards. Which is nice.

 

The pproblem - Recently the speedo needle drop down to zero has gone from every so often to frequent. This morning's commute it occurred just after a big hesitation from the engine.

 

When the car goes to idle it drops below 750 rpm and the recovers to 750. It does this every time after the car has been driven and is then put into idle. .

 

Quick google points to faulty speed sensor? Any other common known faults

Yes sounds like the VSS. Can be a pig to get out.

 

Check the throttle butterfly as well for carbing up, this sometimes causes uneven throttle. May be a separate issue to the VSS.

[billy_bunter]

Yes sounds like the VSS. Can be a pig to get out.

 

Check the throttle butterfly as well for carbing up, this sometimes causes uneven throttle. May be a separate issue to the VSS.

 

Best way to clean the butterfly? Carb cleaner or something else?

[sierraman]

Yes, nothing abrasive though. Clean cloth or something, carb builds up on the leading edge of the throttle spindle. Occasionally on both the 1.6 and more so the 1.8 you can get vacuum leaks from thr myriad of hoses that can cause idle problems.

 

Chances are though the speedo issue is the VSS, like I say removal can be tricky, leaving you with a stub stuck in the gearbox. There’s a pin to pull out then in theory it should pull out but it sticks in.

[mrbenn]

Fucus woes. Y plate 1600 zetec petrol I purchased about 3 months ago.

Some may remember the manky steering wheel pictures posted earlier in this very thread.  I managed to get the wheel clean enough to use and am now driving it daily without having to wash my hands afterwards. Which is nice.

 

The pproblem - Recently the speedo needle drop down to zero has gone from every so often to frequent. This morning's commute it occurred just after a big hesitation from the engine.

 

When the car goes to idle it drops below 750 rpm and the recovers to 750. It does this every time after the car has been driven and is then put into idle. .

 

Quick google points to faulty speed sensor? Any other common known faults

 

Is it just the speedo dropping out? Then it'll be the speed sensor in the gearbox. As it gets worse the engine can cut out. If you listen carefully you'll probably also notice the radio goes slightly quieter as the fault occurs. The sensor can be a pig to get out, or you might get lucky and it'll just slide out without issue.

 

If all gauges are failing at the same time then it'll be the instrument cluster.

 

Cleaning the throttle body has cured a weak idle for me in the past but it has nothing to do with the speedo dropping to zero.

[mrbenn]

What breakdown service do folks use?

 

I've been with the AA for a few years. They're expensive, but on the two occasions we've had to use them they've been very good. One call out was for an engine fault (valve went), car was recovered home. Second time was when a spring broke on the driveway at home. Was threatening to puncture the tyre so AA moved the car to a garage.

 

Was thinking of trying AutoAid this year, partly because I'm skint and they're cheaper. I'd lose the Home Start but on paper the level of cover is similar.

[SierraMikeHotel]

 

 

What breakdown service do folks use?

Britannia Rescue via the CSMA (motoring club for public sector workers, friends and family can also join so I can recommend you).

 

It's not the cheapest (about £100 if you include the club membership fee) but that's a flat rate for any car, no matter how old, and includes European cover.

 

I like the simplicity, no price hikes or odd terms for older cars. I always look around when the renewal comes up and always end up going back to them - however there are cheaper offerings available for younger cars.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

What breakdown service do folks use?

 

Been with the AA for a decade, I think. Required them once to get the 635CSi restarted in North Watford (electrical fault with the starter motor), once to get the diesel Borat started in Ealing (jammed flap in the throttle), and most recently  to recover the CX after the gearbox FTP. They do what they say on the tin, and they take as long as they take. No complaints here.

[Snipes]

What breakdown service do folks use?

 

I've been with the AA for a few years. They're expensive, but on the two occasions we've had to use them they've been very good. One call out was for an engine fault (valve went), car was recovered home. Second time was when a spring broke on the driveway at home. Was threatening to puncture the tyre so AA moved the car to a garage.

 

Was thinking of trying AutoAid this year, partly because I'm skint and they're cheaper. I'd lose the Home Start but on paper the level of cover is similar.

My partner and I have AA through a TSB account. It's about £15 a month but it includes breakdown, phone insurance and IIRC travel for the both of us so works out quite well.

[Tickman]

What breakdown service do folks use?

 

I've been with the AA for a few years. They're expensive, but on the two occasions we've had to use them they've been very good. One call out was for an engine fault (valve went), car was recovered home. Second time was when a spring broke on the driveway at home. Was threatening to puncture the tyre so AA moved the car to a garage.

 

Was thinking of trying AutoAid this year, partly because I'm skint and they're cheaper. I'd lose the Home Start but on paper the level of cover is similar.

 

I have been with the RAC for years using Tesco clubcard points to pay for it however I recently went with Autoaid and at less than £45 for 12 months for personal cover for me and the Mrs I cannot fault them.

[The Moog]

Chances are though the speedo issue is the VSS, like I say removal can be tricky, leaving you with a stub stuck in the gearbox. There’s a pin to pull out then in theory it should pull out but it sticks in.

 

One garage gave up after spending 4 hours trying to remove the one on the focus I had. Absolute nightmare. They get stuck in the top of the gearbox and can be a pig to get out. 

 

The VSS will cause the engine to stall or over rev. 

[SiC]

What breakdown service do folks use?

 

I've been with the AA for a few years. They're expensive, but on the two occasions we've had to use them they've been very good. One call out was for an engine fault (valve went), car was recovered home. Second time was when a spring broke on the driveway at home. Was threatening to puncture the tyre so AA moved the car to a garage.

 

Was thinking of trying AutoAid this year, partly because I'm skint and they're cheaper. I'd lose the Home Start but on paper the level of cover is similar.

Nationwide bank plus - £13 per month. Do it on a joint account and get both people covered. Includes breakdown cover (home and away), phone insurance and travel insurance for family. I've claimed on a broken screen on my Samsung S8+ - repaired and returned within 3 days. Breakdown cover is/was provided by Britannia rescue. They don't fix at the roadside, just transport you to your destination or somewhere you wish to have it repaired. I believe car hire is in that too if they can't fix it. Used it a couple of times, never had a problem.

 

Before I had RAC. I waited 4 hours for recovery on a weekday when stuck on the M4 in Wales. I'll never go with them again.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

What was the final verdict on removing a private plate from a car - does it have to be MOTd? I know it used to be the case, but have a feeling I read somewhere on here that the rules had changed?

[320touring]

Having reached the 5kpa limit on the GSA's policy in 7 months, I've had to cancel down the policy as they couldn't extend the Annual mileage.

 

I got out of it with no fees, so not too fussed as £90 for 7 months insurance ain't bad.

 

Anyways, I now have to find a new policy for it.

 

Preferably classic, Fully comp and NOT with Performance Direct..

 

Anyone any suggestions?

 

Car is not always garaged, and I'm needing commuting on the policy for me and the Burd.

 

All suggestions welcome!

 

Cheers

[D Spares & Tyres]

K11 Micra. Family heirloom. Rotten back end. It would be quite difficult to weld up properly.

 

What about if I chopped the back off it and made it into a pick up? Not just a lane 'chop back bit of roof it'd job but a proper flat bed? Would I incur the wrath of shiters?

[Eddie Honda]

My classic policy has unlimited mileage - FJ.

[Vantman]

What was the final verdict on removing a private plate from a car - does it have to be MOTd? I know it used to be the case, but have a feeling I read somewhere on here that the rules had changed?

 

This may help---

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off