Ask a Shiter

[Tamworthbay]

Which engine oil flush should I use? Trying to lose a very slight tick and hoping something like Wynn's will do the trick? Apparently not recommended on engines over 75k miles though and the Probe has done 131k.

 

I wouldn’t risk any flush on an engine unless you have done it from new at every change (and to be honest I don’t do it even then) as it can loosen all sorts of crap and do a lot more damage than good. Just keep changing the oil regularly. I have heard people suggest using oils for diesels as it has a mild detergent in it but personally I would just stick to the normal stuff and change often.

[dozeydustman]

Just realised Corolla's cam belt is due soon. Is the 4E-FE engine interference or safe in the event of losing at roulette?

[dieselnutjob]

If I rocked up at Dover and asked for a return to Dunkirk without having booked it in advance would I get screwed on the price?

I would be going on Thursday and coming back Monday. The Thursday is a school day but the Monday isn't because it's inside half term.

The vehicle is just an ordinary car, no trailers or roof racks or anything.

 

I hate booking stuff because it hurts my brain but for many years I have anyway on the suspicion that it's cheaper.  Due to to much work I haven't had time to get organised this time.

[Lacquer Peel]

The Volvo 940 Wentworth failed it's MOT. In fixing the brakes they have seen the wheel spacers on the front wheels. These have apparently been fitted because the Volvo steel wheels on the car are wrong and the wheels don't rotate without the spacer.

 

Because of this they won't MOT it with the spacer on, are these wheels...

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232961867518

 

... likely to fit without the spacer?

 

Oddly they are in the same small Suffolk town as the car came from.

Is it currently fitted with FWD Volvo wheels? Those 940 wheels will fit without spacers.

[Guest Hooli]

If I rocked up at Dover and asked for a return to Dunkirk without having booked it in advance would I get screwed on the price?

I would be going on Thursday and coming back Monday. The Thursday is a school day but the Monday isn't because it's inside half term.

The vehicle is just an ordinary car, no trailers or roof racks or anything.

 

I hate booking stuff because it hurts my brain but for many years I have anyway on the suspicion that it's cheaper.  Due to to much work I haven't had time to get organised this time.

 

Yes, the booking office is a rip off.

 

I once stood in the Calais booking office & used their free wifi to buy a ticket online for the next crossing at about half the price I could get the same ticket from the sales desk.

[tooSavvy]

Just realised Corolla's cam belt is due soon. Is the 4E-FE engine interference or safe in the event of losing at roulette?

http://www.toyotalexusforum.com/toyota-technical/604678-toyota-corolla-4efe-belts.html

 

E family are NON bankrupters

 

*in good company with my 4A-F

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

If I rocked up at Dover and asked for a return to Dunkirk without having booked it in advance would I get screwed on the price?

I would be going on Thursday and coming back Monday. The Thursday is a school day but the Monday isn't because it's inside half term.

The vehicle is just an ordinary car, no trailers or roof racks or anything.

 

I hate booking stuff because it hurts my brain but for many years I have anyway on the suspicion that it's cheaper.  Due to to much work I haven't had time to get organised this time.

 

 

Price wont't be massively different (or it wasn't for me) - but security don't like it. You'll have at least a PNC check done on the vehicle, definite search and contents check - probably the full on job....... merely as they have no prior indication so checks can't be done in advance...... 

If you take the relevant owners docs and insurance it'll save a lot of hassle......

 

EDIT - mine was only €20 more at the desk - but I did show them that the online wasn't working - so that may have had something to do with it......

[w00dy]

Ok, I think I won't risk the flush, thanks for the thoughts!

[Bobthebeard]

Has anyone used PartsGateway for, err... parts? When looking for a used brake servo for the Saab 9-3 this site popped up on Google. Assume that parts suppliers have to sign up/pay commission etc but it seems to work ok. Any experiences?

[Craig the Princess]

Is it currently fitted with FWD Volvo wheels? Those 940 wheels will fit without spacers.

Quite possibly, the central hole is too small for the 940 so it won't rotate. Do Volvo only have FWD or RWD wheels?

[Stroller133]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

[bub2006]

ATF question. The proton is going to have an ATF fluid change. It recommend Dex 3 in the Haynes manual. Is Dex 4 and above backwards compatible? Thanks

[Stroller133]

Ford Etis - a while ago someone posted a link (Pillock maybe) to a website where you can find build specs of Fords. I think it was the ETis site, but it’s now restricted to registered users. Does anyone here have access and could look at a vehicle for me?

[DodgeRover]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

Yes scraps fairly good at the mo.

Check the usual websites

Cartakeback

Scrapmycar

There's loads more.

Ring your local frag yard too

[sierraman]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

£150-180 or thereabouts assuming it’s fitted with the Cat and the battery. Plus whatever you make from selling bits off it.

[Lacquer Peel]

Quite possibly, the central hole is too small for the 940 so it won't rotate. Do Volvo only have FWD or RWD wheels?

As far as I know the only difference between the 5x108 Volvo wheels RWD and FWD is the offset.

[dieselnutjob]

I haven't done anything about the SORN status of the 604 for ages (I could actually tax it for free but can't bothered). I thought that you had to do SORN every year but there doesn't seem to be any expiry date on the checking website.  Have they changed the rules again or am I just wrong?

[Stroller133]

Yes scraps fairly good at the mo.

Check the usual websites

Cartakeback

Scrapmycar

There's loads more.

Ring your local frag yard too

Thanks local yard is £80 tonne dropped off some of the websites reckon £170 collected and up to £212 dropped off

I don’t think I can take it to be scrapped though, might still WBAC if it nets £100 and let them decide it’s fate!

[sierraman]

Doubtful WBAC will offer you what they say on the website. The £100 will suddenly become £50.

 

I’d offer it to the scrapyard offering most. Take the radio out and all the bulbs, fuses and relays (handy to keep), the jack, stick the space saver on and take off the best wheel. If it’s got good tread it’s got to be worth a tenner to someone. If you know how, take off any ancillaries that will sell on easy like the EGR etc. Take the hubcaps off, full sets still sell well.

 

I’d take the diesel out of it if it’s got a decent quantity in it. It won’t syphon as it’s got a check valve in the neck, take out the in tank pump under the seat and use a jiggle hose to drain it. Might need to jack it up. Ideal time as well to use it to get rid of any old oil etc, once you’ve drained it, chuck it in the tank.

 

Thinking on keep the space saver and jack, these sell well to people who haven’t got a spare for an easy £20.

 

Who gives a fuck what happens to it, go for what’s going to net you the most money in the pocket.

[The Moog]

I haven't done anything about the SORN status of the 604 for ages (I could actually tax it for free but can't bothered). I thought that you had to do SORN every year but there doesn't seem to be any expiry date on the checking website.  Have they changed the rules again or am I just wrong?

Doesnt expire now until change of keeper. 

[xtriple]

Help! The gauges on the XJ-S are driving me nuts! Oil pressure: reads high all the time, moves up as soon as you turn on the ignition (without starting the engine), so I disconnected the wire from the (new) sender expecting the same as above, instead, the gauge no longer reads at all.  Does this point to a fault with the sender unit? If so, why? as it's a brand new one from David Manners spares, cost a bomb and is a sod an three quarters to change!

 

Also, took the dash out to clean/check all the connections and nothing looks wrong at all! Still cleaned everything and checked the ribbon thing, it has no breaks and all looks good. Why do my gauges all play silly buggers? Oil reads high, amps, fuel and water all read low - about a third as high as they should I reckon.

[Heidel_Kakao]

If all the dials are affected could it be a voltage regulator for them if it has one?

 

One of these doohickeys?

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/smiths-voltage-stabiliser-cb-vstab

[Noel Tidybeard]

So two reversing lights and only one fog? I guess that's better than one of each - reversing in the dark is a pain with only one light. But why not make the nearside lower lens red, for symmetry and LHD parts sharing?

 

looks like 2 red & 2 white on newer version

[SierraMikeHotel]

I have made a cock up of my timings.

 

Is there any reason why my Saab might fail its MoT because the SID (display unit) is missing from the dash?

 

It means there's a loose cable dangling there, and no audible warnings (including the indicator tick, which is really weird).

 

The horn has stopped working and I've asked the garage to look into that, as it's an obvious fail, but I don't think the missing SID could be the cause of that... Could it?

[The Moog]

The saab 9-5 I had needed the SID display as it had a speaker built in for the indicator tick. 

 

I think there needs to be an audible noise for indicators as part of MOT.

[SierraMikeHotel]

The saab 9-5 I had needed the SID display as it had a speaker built in for the indicator tick.

 

I think there needs to be an audible noise for indicators as part of MOT.

That's what I was afraid of, thank you!

[DodgeRover]

I don't think there does as long as the idiot lights are working on the dash.

 

Maybe check the online mot regs if you can find the applicable section or message one of the mot testers on here?

[SiC]

I have made a cock up of my timings.

 

Is there any reason why my Saab might fail its MoT because the SID (display unit) is missing from the dash?

 

It means there's a loose cable dangling there, and no audible warnings (including the indicator tick, which is really weird).

 

The horn has stopped working and I've asked the garage to look into that, as it's an obvious fail, but I don't think the missing SID could be the cause of that... Could it?

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-4-Lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment.html#section_4.9

 

A direction indicator ‘tell-tale’ can be audible or visual.

 

A hazard warning ‘tell-tale’ must be a flashing light.

 

The way I read that, as long as the dash direction indicator light flashes you're ok. Or it beeps. But doesn't have to be both.

[robinmasters]

Could I get a slightly sheddy ('94) AX on a classic policy? Never had one before, because the mileage limits are to restrictive for a daily. 

[Christine]

I saw a Lada Niva on an 18 plate , thought they stopped making them years ago ?