Ask a Shiter

[SiC]

Everything is standard on the car. No automatic lights or wipers.

Just guessing or hoping that the battery is old and has been flattened twice by inactivity. Three months standing unused. Before my ownership. Would that cause the issue?

Yes.

 

3 months would have flattened the battery. Once a lead acid battery has been run flat, it damages the internals of them. They often will take a charge but the plates inside have been degraded. So you won't get the original rated capacity out of them.

 

Car starting batteries are especially affected as they have thin plates in the cells to allow them to deliver high starting currents. But this makes them more fragile to abuse than say leisure lead acid batteries.

[Guest Hooli]

Disconnect the battery & see if it still goes flat, that'll prove if it's a drain or just a knackered battery.

[tommytwo]

Check the battery voltage with the engine running, by measuring across the two battery terminals, to see what voltage your alternator is putting out. Around 14 volts is fine for a lead acid battery but most replacement batteries today are calcium batteries, and need a higher charging rate. I recently had this problem, solved by replacing the alternator regulator, with one set to 14.7 volts. ATS or any large chain can check if your battery is good, its usually a free test and takes about 10 seconds to do.

 

Your alternator could also have developed an intermittent fault and that can be a sod to track down. Could be draining back through the diodes over a few days. Most auto electric shops can test this for you.

[New POD]

I'm leaving my current job, my notice period is meant to be 3 months, however when i submitted notice i asked if i could leave in 5 weeks, which tied up with the end of the calendar month Nov.

They're happy with this as when other people have left, they've had 3 months gardening leave.

 

I've had a expense claim in for a few weeks for my own out of pocket expenses, which add up to £776 quid, what can i do apart from continually call and email them (Evidence trail) ?

Whats procedure if not paid by the end of my employment

 

 

Ta

28 day warning letter followed by money claim on line ( the old small claims court )

[wuvvum]

Is there any way of checking what engine a diesel Rover 75 has?  Mine says on the original bill of sale that it's a CDTi 131, but the badge on the boot says CDT (and I can't see any sign that an i has fallen off), it certainly doesn't feel like 131bhp to drive and Totalcarcheck reckons it's 115.  There are a couple of other discrepancies with the OBOS, e.g. one of the options listed (and charged for) is power folding door mirrors, but I can't find any evidence of these ever having been fitted to the car.

[dean36014]

Just get hold of the guy of the rover 75 forum and get it remapped to 160bhp. Last time I looked it was about 100 quid to have it done. I'm sure mine had a sticker somewhere with vehicle details on it which listed which power output it was. Rover 75 forum is the best place to find stuff out, some good guys on there.

[Mally]

There's a few on here have the knowledge. Can do it off the reg no I think.

I'm not one of them.

Mine just starts and stops.........mostly.

[MorrisItalSLX]

I was watching the Wheeler Dealers Suzuki SJ410 that failed it’s MOT “on rust”.

 

 

Now I have a sneaking suspicion that it failed on a bit more than just rust, so would someone please look up the fail sheet and see if the buyer did get it back on the road.

[Mrcento]

I was watching the Wheeler Dealers Suzuki SJ410 that failed it’s MOT “on rust”.

 

 

Now I have a sneaking suspicion that it failed on a bit more than just rust, so would someone please look up the fail sheet and see if the buyer did get it back on the road.

 

There's no MOT record on the database, not even a record of a fail!, The vehicle itself is on there but just saying it's due it's first MOT.

 

The tax records suggest it hasn't seen the road since 2007 as that's when the last tax expired. So looks like it did see the road again at some point, (episode was recorded in 2004).

[Lacquer Peel]

2004 predates electronic MOT recording.

2007 could be when the SORN expired.

[Mrcento]

2004 predates electronic MOT recording.

 

Wasn't 2006(ish) when it came in?, Tax record says expired in 2007 so possible it's 06 MOT just missed the first batch. Hence tax record but nothing relating to MOT.

[Guest Hooli]

I was watching the Wheeler Dealers Suzuki SJ410 that failed it’s MOT “on rust”.

 

 

Now I have a sneaking suspicion that it failed on a bit more than just rust, so would someone please look up the fail sheet and see if the buyer did get it back on the road.

 

Rust sounds likely to me. I had a SJ410 & I'm surprised some didn't fail their PDI for corrosion!

[michael t]

PCP or Hire purchase?? Current daily, 2008 Polo 1.2 petrol with 160,000 miles on it. Starting to become a money pit with 2 new rear shocks, recently serviced with new brake pads at front, brake pedal now suddenly going to the floor. It's had the ECP warning light on for months now (which mechanic reckons is a faulty sensor) and had a temperature warning light appear on a frosty morning last week (hasn't re-appeared). 

 

Thinking of trading it in or scrappage but money is tight at the moment what with Christmas and a holiday coming up over the next few months. I'm thinking of a new Skoda Fabia but I'm really not sure as to how to finance it. Haven't the cash and I'm already paying a small bank loan on the Polo.

 

PCP seems ok with cheap monthly repayments but I'm concerned about the mileage limit, at the moment I plan to keep the car after 3 years and just pay the guaranteed final value of the car. I did the maths and It works out cheaper than hire purchase. Big benefit of HP is of course owning the car once the final installment is paid.

 

Really unsure as what's best to do so any advice would be greatly appreciated 

[sierraman]

Have you got money in the hand to just buy a car?

[clayts450]

There's a big old thread over at Pistondirectors with latest leasing deals in - there seems to be a good deal going on Skoda Octavias on leasing at present (you might want to skip to the end and go back a few pages - think it was mentioned earlier this week)

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=1754204

[michael t]

Have you got money in the hand to just buy a car?

 

Could probably get myself something sub-£2000 but don't want to be in this situation again in a years time

[tooSavvy]

..... Get yourself a Klunker Corolla m8

 

*have it gone over underneath :/

 

[thumbup]

[sierraman]

If your buying £2000 cars that are fucked in a years time you are paying too much.

 

The PCP depends if you are happy to be committing to a couple of hundred a month to something you won’t ever have any equity in.

[CrapCarNerd]

Really starting to fancy an Auto Classic... never owned an Auto car but driven a few (a Mustang, Camero & a 88' Nissan Sunny  )

Basically... what are good classic Autos between the late 70s - 80s that wouldn't cost the earth? I understand that might be quite an ask these days looking at ebay prices 

[Eddie Honda]

PCP or Hire purchase??

Neither.

 

Some perfectly good chod available* in Ireland for not much coin. Just have to buy smart.

 

At least pay the bank loan off first.

 

*say he who has only bought two Irish-registered vehicles in ten years, the rest have been imported from the UK.

[dozeydustman]

Really starting to fancy an Auto Classic... never owned an Auto car but driven a few (a Mustang, Camero & a 88' Nissan Sunny  )

Basically... what are good classic Autos between the late 70s - 80s that wouldn't cost the earth? I understand that might be quite an ask these days looking at ebay prices 

 

 

There is only one answer. Allegro with the chrome snout. Because Plah

[MikeR]

found these ....  how old ?

 

[Jim Bell]

This may have been asked a thousand times before, but what turgid and flexible impliments do folk use for unsnotifying water drain holes round cars?

 

Asking for a me.

[tooSavvy]

This may have been asked a thousand times before, but what turgid and flexible impliments do folk use for unsnotifying water drain holes round cars?

Asking for a me.

Poondies WeedWakka plastic string....

[wuvvum]

There is only one answer. Allegro with the chrome snout. Because Plah

But OP said "good classic Autos"...

[Bren]

Poondies WeedWakka plastic string....

Cable ties of the long variety.

[Jim Bell]

Poondies WeedWakka plastic string....

Ooooo good shout. Will ask advise egen.

[dozeydustman]

But OP said "good classic Autos"...

 

 

I like Allegros.

[Guest Hooli]

I like Allegros.

Your name iz now on ze list

[Dead_E23]

I need a 'sticky fixer' type adhesive pad to fasten a DAB radio adaptor to the dashboard such that it stays put.   

 

Where can I obtain ones that'll stick like shit to a blanket rather than just being shit?   

 

Who makes the Tiger Seal of the double sided sticky pad world, wise ones?