Ask a Shiter

[Talbot]

I think the pins of a 13A plugtop would get hot quickly running at full 13A (assuming the fuse holds) and possibly fry the insides of a 13A socket. A 13A switched fused spur is likely to get hot too. It may well work fine but instincts and previous experience say no.

I find it makes a big difference what make the plug is. Some nasty cheap chineese plug that came on a set of fairy lights, instant melty-melty at anything over about 3A. A decent solid plug with brass pins (MK or other decent make) and it will hold 13A all day.

 

Also, the hotplate in question is presumably thermostatic, and hence wouldn't be pulling all 13A all the time. a hotplate draing 3KW continuously would end up thermonuclear hot!

[JeeExEll]

^ Both points very true. Important to check / tighten domestic wiring connections to the socket or spur point too.

 

As has been mentioned above, the hotplate is 'probably' designed to run off a 13A fuse but right at the very upper end of it's range. I'm maybe being a bit over-cautious but it's just the way I'd do the installation, 3kW 'feels' to be too much for a 13A plug or fused spur. I did this type of work for years for paying customers so always played safe and ran things well within their capabilities.

[Pillock]

3KW is 13A, a 13A plug and fuse can run that continuously, not that it needs to for a hob.

 

But yes, there's a non-car general question thread in the open forums and we should carry on there. Sorry, guilty as charged.

[MorrisItalSLX]

My white 405 is going in for MOT on Monday.

 

I've noticed one of the rear doors doesn't open from inside, I'm going to attempt to rectify it, but is it still a failure if there's no back seat....?

Child lock on?

[taxi paul]

OK thanks everyone. I think for me it's too much hassle. I shall probably offer it on here for free if anyone can make use of it or donate it to a good cause. Would have to be collected though has its bloody heavy.

[New POD]

 

I doubt it's any worse than a 1.6 Note. A quick Google suggests some Jukes "3 of 4 plugs are easy / 1st plug located on the left side / remove the cast intake tube / less than 30 min from start to finish...". Note 1.6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrhY-x5z8EU

 

If the cars are Coil over Plug, DON'T use a magnetic spark plug socket (like in the video). Use a crap rubber or proper metal spring clip one and get a decent skinny one that'll slip down a deep hole.

 

Take me 30 mins to do a Honda Jizz, because 8 coils to pop off and 8 plugs to do and some covers and wiring crap to remove/push out of the way to get at things.

I can get all the inlet manifold bolts off. There are numerous bolts and clips. I can get the inlet manifold off. I just can't get the inlet past the radiator expansion box.

It looks like I need to remove the radiator which would be stupid design work.

[New POD]

Thank you very much jee. Beyond my capabilities to be fair. Luckily for me the thing arrived damaged, big dint in the hotplate. I have told them but they are asking what I want. To do. Think I shall send it back and stick to the smaller plug in hotplate.

I would buy a bbq

 

A real one with real fire, not a gas one.

 

Real men cook with real fire outside.

 

Electric cooking should be confined to a microwave.

[taxi paul]

Maybe. But I will be cooking under my porch type thingy. Have a chimnea for in the corner that will be smokey. So didn't want a smokey barbie has well. Plus I have already got my metal things for making my eggs round on the fryer.

[320touring]

Planning to put Hydraflush in the GSA today. (Managed to leave the Haynes book of lies at the house!)

 

Trying to depressurised the system - have undone this bolt :

 

But car is not dropping.

 

Can anyone advise if I'm missing something/the correct procedure please?

 

Thanks

[JeeExEll]

Maybe. But I will be cooking under my porch type thingy. Have a chimnea for in the corner that will be smokey. So didn't want a smokey barbie has well. Plus I have already got my metal things for making my eggs round on the fryer.

Try a 13A plugtop on the fryer and plug it into the ring circuit. You have the fryer now, may as well try it. It's borderline 13A so may / may not pop the fuse. Check the plugtop for heat build-up while the fryer's being used. Hopefully get some bacon and eggs sizzling

That's a great looking porch for having fry-ups in, I can imagine the lovely cooking smell wafting across the other gardens.

[Dead_E23]

My kettle is 3kw and doesn't blow the fuse.  The toaster next to it is 1500w; I run both together from the same double socket, and it doesn't hurt anything because the kitchen ring main is rated 32A.

 

I would just stick a plug on it and run an extension lead outside.  To be on the safe side, use an RCD if there isn't one in the fusebox.  It'll be fine.

[Talbot]

Trying to depressurised the system - have undone this bolt :608]IMG_20190119_112607.jpg[/url]

 

But car is not dropping.

 

Can anyone advise if I'm missing something/the correct procedure please?

You've dropped the pressure in the feed to the Height Correctors, but the HCs themselves are closed, and hence there is trapped pressure "after" the HCs, keeping the car up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gs/Gsa don't have a "low" position, so it's not possible to force the HCs into "lower please" mode. On a BX/CX etc. you'd just put the lever in LOW and the pressure would be gone.

 

One thing you could do is slightly jack up the car, which will make the HC's go into "lower please" mode, and bleed all the pressure away. Only issue being that when you drop the jack, the car will go all the way down, possibly trapping the jack.

 

I don't know Gs well enough to know if there is another procedure to bleed the pressure after the HCs, but I have used the jack trick before effectively.

[dozeydustman]

Does anyone know if the 305 estate had different gear ratios to the van ?

I was wondering if the van had lower ratios because, erm, van.

 

Year, engine type and number of forward gears please. I have a reasonable knowledge of the side-on gearboxes PSA fitted to XU(D) but if it's an earlier XL/XID engine then pass. Haynes manual should tell you if you have one.

[puddlethumper]

Year, engine type and number of forward gears please. I have a reasonable knowledge of the side-on gearboxes PSA fitted to XU(D) but if it's an earlier XL/XID engine then pass. Haynes manual should tell you if you have one.

I've got an 88 1.9 GRD van XUD9 5 speed. I don't have a Haynes. Any info welcome.

[Crusty Sills]

I need my learned shiters help.

I need to change the O2 sensor on the beetle cabriolet 2003.

I've spent a while looking and can't work out how the fuck you remove the chunk of plastic (inlet manifold) from the top of the engine.

Obviously the sensor is behind this!

Do I remove remove these Allen bolts?

 

Under this chunk of grey plastic?

 

Any help appreciated.

[dozeydustman]

I've got an 88 1.9 GRD van XUD9 5 speed. I don't have a Haynes. Any info welcome.

 

Gearbox will almost certainly be a BE1/5 (Reverse next to first). From memory the van & estate both had the 4.06:1 final drive ratio, the saloon had the 3.8:1 ratio fitted with the typical diesel set of ratios.

[catsinthewelder]

My 405 has a slightly iffy drivers door lock (because Peugeot).  When you unlock you often need to turn it a bit then turn it again before the central locking catches.  A couple of times it has really failed to work and I've had to climb in through the passenger door. 

 

Today I tried to fix it and dismantled the doorcard, access was still crap so I applied a small cable tie to a pivot that appeared loose (to no effect) and sprayed lots of chain lube type spray which appeared to help a bit in that it now doesn't feel like the key might snap.  Unfortunately the door pin came off the threaded wire wotsit, it goes back on but just pulls off if pulled up to try and unlock the door.  Does anyone know a way to fix it back on?  I could do with an extra one too as the passenger side pin was missing when I bought the car.  An actual fix for the locking would also be handy.

[mrbenn]

2002 (51) Vauxhall Astra G 1.6 8v manual, 87k miles, think engine code is Z16SE.

 

Has codes as follows:

 

1) P0340 (cam sensor)

2) P1405 (EGR valve)

3) P0335 (no rpm signal/intermittent - crank sensor)

 

Codes can be cleared but all three come back quickly.

 

Car starts from cold then dies if you don't feather the throttle to keep it running, ok after running for a couple of mins or so. Can hesitate quite badly during normal driving but sometimes drives fine for a bit. Rev counter seems to jump occasionally when sitting with ignition on but engine off.

 

Looked at wiring to cam/crank sensors. Seems ok so intend to replace both sensors. EGR valve has been removed and blanked off, intend to replace valve. Thermostat also stuck open so will sort that. Thermostat is behind the cambelt so plan on putting a Renault 5 'stat in the top hose, common practice on these it seems.

 

Any further thoughts on the above?

 

Many thanks!

[twosmoke300]

Timing belt been done recently and a tooth out or jumped maybe?

[mrbenn]

Timing belt was replaced a while back. These running issues have occurred more recently so would guess not connected.

[twosmoke300]

Guess?

[mrbenn]

Yeah. The timing belt was replaced some time ago, the car ran without issue afterwards just as it did before. I do know the running issues are more recent, but whether they have become evident in the last month or over the last 12 months I do not know. I do know it has had lots of short runs and local driving, but has been serviced and passed MOT's without issue.

 

Current running issues and fault codes are as observed by me yesterday.

[SiC]

2002 (51) Vauxhall Astra G 1.6 8v manual, 87k miles, think engine code is Z16SE.

 

Has codes as follows:

 

1) P0340 (cam sensor)

2) P1405 (EGR valve)

3) P0335 (no rpm signal/intermittent - crank sensor)

 

Codes can be cleared but all three come back quickly.

 

Car starts from cold then dies if you don't feather the throttle to keep it running, ok after running for a couple of mins or so. Can hesitate quite badly during normal driving but sometimes drives fine for a bit. Rev counter seems to jump occasionally when sitting with ignition on but engine off.

 

Looked at wiring to cam/crank sensors. Seems ok so intend to replace both sensors. EGR valve has been removed and blanked off, intend to replace valve. Thermostat also stuck open so will sort that. Thermostat is behind the cambelt so plan on putting a Renault 5 'stat in the top hose, common practice on these it seems.

 

Any further thoughts on the above?

 

Many thanks!

Don't those engines have problems with their ECUs crapping out (especially when engine is warmed up) giving rough running and a whole load of random codes?

[sierraman]

Don’t know if these are same as later ones but can get damp in UEC module. Before changing the sensors I’d just check the connectors and clean them.

[mrbenn]

Don't those engines have problems with their ECUs crapping out (especially when engine is warmed up) giving rough running and a whole load of random codes?

 

I believe they can suffer from ECU problems, not sure how we'd check that out beyond removing the ECU and sending it to be tested. I think that would spell the end of this particular car tbh!

 

 

Don’t know if these are same as later ones but can get damp in UEC module. Before changing the sensors I’d just check the connectors and clean them.

 

Good call, thanks for that.

[SiC]

2002 (51) Vauxhall Astra G 1.6 8v manual, 87k miles, think engine code is Z16SE.

 

Has codes as follows:

 

1) P0340 (cam sensor)

2) P1405 (EGR valve)

3) P0335 (no rpm signal/intermittent - crank sensor)

 

Codes can be cleared but all three come back quickly.

 

Car starts from cold then dies if you don't feather the throttle to keep it running, ok after running for a couple of mins or so. Can hesitate quite badly during normal driving but sometimes drives fine for a bit. Rev counter seems to jump occasionally when sitting with ignition on but engine off.

 

Looked at wiring to cam/crank sensors. Seems ok so intend to replace both sensors. EGR valve has been removed and blanked off, intend to replace valve. Thermostat also stuck open so will sort that. Thermostat is behind the cambelt so plan on putting a Renault 5 'stat in the top hose, common practice on these it seems.

 

Any further thoughts on the above?

 

Many thanks!

Actually thinking about it we had similar on our Z16XE (the 16v engine). Was it like this?

[Video]

 

That ended up being the EGR valve. Even blanked off it still did it. Notice how it was always around roughly the same time it nearly stalls. Turns out that if the EGR sticks, the ECU gets confused by it's incorrect position and drops the revs. Also did it with it disconnected. I believe they fixed that in a software update at the time.

 

The cheap EGRs had a massive tendancy to fail very quickly too. Either brand new OEM or known good genuine second hand part.

[SiC]

Oh the crank and cam sensors are known problem parts on them too.

[mrbenn]

Thanks SiC. The EGR has been blanked off but has not had any software update done to tell the ECU about this. Current plan is to replace the EGR valve with a new one.

 

I think replace cam and crank sensors plus EGR valve with decent parts, or known good used, would be a good starting point here.

 

The engine itself actually sounds very sweet, and there are no rattles or clunks from interior or suspension so it would be nice to save this car if possible. A friend has taken it on from a family member, before that it was owned by a neighbour. The last few years have seen it only used locally and it now needs some TLC. Plus points - it had a clutch fairly recently and the a/c compressor clicked on when tried yesterday!

 

ETA: It seemed to idle quite well when warm tbh, better than shown in your video, though with the thermostat sticking open how warm the engine actually was is another matter....

[sierraman]

Try cleaning the connector to the ECU if it’s the one behind the bumper. Disconnect the battery though. If you’ve gone through a puddle, could have caused damp in the connection. Clean it with proper electric cleaner though.

[Timewaster]

eBay tat has thrown up a Ford Bantam.

South African Escort MK4 pick up.

 

The picture shows a bench seat with a little cut out for the gear lever.

 

What is the handbrake arrangement?

Anyone every come across one?

 

I've seen one at a show but never closer up.