Ask a Shiter

[dollywobbler]

Doesn't a Mitsubishi Outlander have a bit of a weedy towing capacity?

 

I'd imagine so. Just because it's a 4x4 doesn't mean it can tow 'owt. A Lada Niva can't tow as much as my BX (860kg vs 1100kg). You want a big capacity for towing horses. The weight of trailer and horse can be considerable. I've seen a horse trailer on its side on the A14 before now - with the horse still in it. You don't want to go there.

 

I wonder about a Brit-registered car over there for three years too. Isn't the limit here in the UK just six months?

[morris_ital_lover]

TBH, I stupidly hadn't thought about the towing capacity of the Outlander.... I suspect there's a reason why I've never seen one with a towbar. I was trying to point her the way of a Mitsubishi L200 Trojanmabob/Shogun, there seem to be enough decent spec ones of a relative youth and in good nick for half the price of a Outlander. She's been wowed by the low insurance on the Outlander and horsey-forum bollocks, but saving £1,800 over the four years on insurance is bugger all compared to the £6,000 saving on the intial purchase cost. Allegedly they'll tow a horse just fine, but I suspect it's advice from people lugging round small ponies in small trailers, not mega-money dressage horses in monster trailers.

 

The problem with purchasing there is her German is appalling, I'd normally help seeing as I am fluent in Swiss-German (...long story and yeah, it is different) but it'd take serious time to get my German up to car-buying standard and basically, I can't help her then.

 

It is going to be a right old project to swing her the way of proper 4x4s, I'm in the unusual position of having someone ask me about 4x4 and not start off with a Land rover bleedin Defender. I suppose the most obvious answer to her problems would be a Dacia Duster or one of these puppies....

 

[morris_ital_lover]

....I did mean shite old Dacia Duster in jest don't worry I'm trying to persuade her down the big Mitsi line.

 

[Lacquer Peel]

Screenwash - The stuff in the boring is crap and freezes, but its nearly full. Is there anything I can put in it to lower the freezing point of it - some super concentrated stuff or something?

Worst case I suppose I could use a big turkey baster type thing to empty it and then fill it with decent stuff.

 

Vodka.

 

Oddly I was toying with alcohol as when I was a chef I remember making vodka flavoured ice cream that wouldn't set properly.

Unfortunately I only have Absolut in the house, which is too good for screenwash

 

Lidl's is probably a better bet for the recommended screenwash.

 

Lidl screenwash is great, I've tested it down to -13C so far.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

AFAIK, the driving licence change is a recommendation and not a legal obligation. You can drive on your original one.

 

On the other hand, I am convinced that there's an EU-wide law strictly prohibiting permanent residents of one country from driving cars registered in another country. No guarantees that you'll get caught, but Germany isn't the best place for breaking any law.

 

I also use Lidl screenwash. It is ace.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

That should've read "prohibiting .... from driving foreign-resigstered cars in the country in which they reside.'

 

For some reason (related to Chrome?), I am unable to edit my posts. Helpful.

[Mr Lobster]

AFAIK, the driving licence change is a recommendation and not a legal obligation. You can drive on your original one.

 

Correct. If you have a licence issued in an EU member country then you can drive in any other country within the EU for the rest of your days. You don't have to change to a licence issued in the country you move to.

[JohnDeere]

Would the Germans then insist on a separate test for towing, as with newer UK licences?

[John F]

AFAIK, the driving licence change is a recommendation and not a legal obligation. You can drive on your original one.

 

Correct. If you have a licence issued in an EU member country then you can drive in any other country within the EU for the rest of your days. You don't have to change to a licence issued in the country you move to.

 

Hmmm... this wasn't the case when I was stopped by ze Polizei in Nürnberg in the mid-1990s, but I've just double-checked & it now appears to have changed

[jonathan_dyane]

I might have the chance of a backstreet garage, which has been run as a business up until this point. If I bought it to use as a non-business (to garage and work on my own cars and for general storage) would I be liable for business rates/council tax etc? The garage is in a residential area not an industrial estate.

[M'coli]

You might have to apply for a "change of use" certificate or something like that from commercial premises to non-commercial. Other than that, I don't know.

[Rocket88]

TBH, I stupidly hadn't thought about the towing capacity of the Outlander....

 

 

I suppose the most obvious answer to her problems would be a Dacia Duster

 

Some people never learn.

 

Ton and a half.

 

 

Old Landcruiser or Patrol would be my suggestions..............

[morris_ital_lover]

...Yeah don't worry I've compiled a list of big Jap 4x4s (Lancruiser/Patrol/Shogun/Warrior etc) to recommend to her and I'll work from there which I'll pass on tonight.

 

Doing some basic maths it seems 1x horse is about just over 500Kg and a decent Ifor Williams trailer is nigh on 900kg... there's a strong chance that she'll be taking two horses in the trailer at times which will be pushing the towed weight up to nearly 2000kg which, now I've taken my head out of hangover mode, would clearly be a pretty effective way forming a rolling road block with some serious static roadblock potential in an Outlander.

 

We'll see how far this gets, thanks shiters.

[Wilko220]

Of course, I'm being very lazy here, but just to save me pissing about charging up a dead battery, does anyone happen to have the skillz to tell me which of these four relays does the indicators. It's a 306.

 

 

Cheers me dears.

.

[Bobthebeard]

Of course, I'm being very lazy here, but just to save me pissing about charging up a dead battery, does anyone happen to have the skillz to tell me which of these four relays does the indicators. It's a 306.

 

 

Cheers me dears.

.

 

Think it is the grey/black one. Should have three pins IIRC.

[Wilko220]

Thank you mate - much obliged.

[cort16]

Attention MEKANIX.

 

There's a Clio Williams for sale near me that dropped all it's oil on the road and the sellers claiming it's because of a knackered oil pump. He's saying the oil pressure warning lights never came on but who knows.

It's the F7R as found in the Renner Megane coupes as well I believe. Am I better just presuming the engines dead? If it not what sort of jobs involved in changing the pump? Is it an engine out job? I'm shit when things get really oily so I'm not sure I fancy doing it myself.

 

Thanks

[vulgalour]

I'm having Google-fu fail at the moment and cannot figure out who makes these. I moderately certain they're Chinese, but searching for 'chinese three wheeler' or similar isn't helping me out.

 

 

Anyone know?

[Cheggers]

It's a Wuxi Everbright Electric Tricycle

 

Looks like a 'kin death trap!

[jayroller]

It's a Snyder SD600c, and appears to be American, and claims to be a 4 seater...

 

Snyder

[cobblers]

Whenever I see a Matiz, I always thought "that would be much better if it was dangerously unstable"

[vulgalour]

Top work, Jayroller. I wonder if it shares bits with the Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz/Spark?

[cobblers]

There's an almost identical Chinese copy of the matiz - even the doors swap over, it was nice of the people copying it to consider stuff like that I reckon

[Wilko220]

Right, this is annoying.

The indicators click whenever the hell they feel like it on the 306. Naturally, I assumed the problem was the indicator relay, which I have now changed (see above). But it does exactly the same with the new relay fitted, suggesting to me that there was nothing wrong with said part in the first place. So, 15 notes down the drain and the problem remains.

Can anyone offer any ideas as to what else might be causing the problem?

[cms206]

Here's an odd one... because I am lazy and currently have no means of getting under the sodding thing, does anyone have any idea what rating the alternator should be on a 24v 3.0 Senator? Autobahnstormers suggests 70amp which seems bloody low to me, and doesn't tie up with any of the options my local motor factor has turned up (65, 90 or 130). If I were to go for an over-spec alternator rather than under-spec, would any ill-effects occur?

[Tayne]

.

[wuvvum]

I saw several of those Cherry QQ imitation Matiz things in Morocco.

 

There's a review of the Snyder 600 on Youtube

. He doesn't drive it, but you do get an idea of the build quality of the thing. There's a brief driving video

. Needless to say I'd love one.

[cobblers]

If I were to go for an over-spec alternator rather than under-spec, would any ill-effects occur?

 

As long as the alternator can keep up, the amperage is fine, even if way over what you need - they are voltage limited, so cut off charging once the battery is full. So long as the alternator physically fits, you could put more or less anything on and you'd get by, apart from at this time of year when most of your driving is done with the blowers, rear demister and headlights on in which case the more the better, but 70A will be fine really.

[jonathan_dyane]

Right, this is annoying.

The indicators click whenever the hell they feel like it on the 306. Naturally, I assumed the problem was the indicator relay, which I have now changed (see above). But it does exactly the same with the new relay fitted, suggesting to me that there was nothing wrong with said part in the first place. So, 15 notes down the drain and the problem remains.

Can anyone offer any ideas as to what else might be causing the problem?

 

The problem is not the relay, it's the stalk itself; they're made out of chocolate and a bit wears down which allows the current to cross a couple of tracks which results in the clicking. When it happens you may find wiggling the stalk helps it stop.

 

Every 306 I've driven has done this to an extent so i think you would be wasting your time with a secondhand stalk; guess you can either buy a new one, take it to bits and try to fix it or do what I did and ignore it. My loom did go on fire however, although I'm not sure it was directly related...

[Wilko220]

Thank you.

I'll keep a fire extinguisher close by!

 

EDIT: Just found it also explained here: http://www.306gti6.com/forum/showthread.php?id=122196