Ask a Shiter

[brickwall]

email Virgin and tell 'em the guy is selling on their services. They don't like that.

[barefoot]

VED question - apologies if this has been covered before.

 

If, next week, I buy a car from one of you lot on Wednesday evening, hand over my wad and drive home.

Is there any reason why I can't simply tax it the following day?

The slip on the V5 won't get to DVLX until the Friday, they're unlikely to action it before the following Monday.

Am I missing something?

Or do I really have to attempt to tax it using my prehistoric wind-up phone on a dark, rainy street somewhere?

[brickwall]

Question: Where can I get a set of slim spanners? Like the real thin ones.

[myglaren]

Weightwatchers?

[twosmoke300]

Thats where the fat spanners are surely ?

[myglaren]

Only when they sign up

[Danblez]

Is a non working speedo an MOT failure?

 

MOT next week and the bloody speedo cable has just snapped which is a pain in the arse to fix!

[Danblez]

Question: Where can I get a set of slim spanners? Like the real thin ones.

 

Cheap spanners+bench grinder=slim spanners

[Sigmund Fraud]

Is a non working speedo an MOT failure?

 

No, not a testable item AFAIK.

[mat_the_cat]

It never used to be on the test but it was included in the recent changes. It's not specifically tested now, but the wording is something like a reason for rejection would be an "obviously non-working speedometer". So you'd probably get away fine with a broken cable, but not if the speedo is visibly damaged. Certainly I went through a test fine before I got a speedo cable made up for the Stellar, and nothing was said.

[DSdriver]

If it still had the same mileage on the clock as last year they might get a bit suspicious.

[Danblez]

Best get the speedo out and wind it on a bit then! Cheers!

[saucedoctor]

Quentin Willson can help you with that.

 

Actually, no, he makes 'em go backwards. Silly me.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I've had various shitters with broken odometers, and it's never been a problem for the MoT. They're also GR12* for limited mileage insurance policies

 

*well, at least up to the point of needing to make a claim... then you may be in some major trouble !

[Dave_Q]

That's what I thought.

 

The S40 still isn't boosting. Tried replacing the solenoid, but to no avail. Someone on one of the Volvo fora suggested it could be due to the wastegate actuator arm becoming worn and the hole at the end of the arm becoming oval - which has happened on my car, but this means that if anything the arm is exerting less pressure on the wastegate - so couldn't be having any adverse effect on the boost. Unless I'm missing something???

The wastegate is held closed by the actuator. The wastegate itself is just a flap on a lever.

 

Is there any adjustment in the actuator lever to take up the slack caused by the ovalling?

 

If not new actuator, do check all vacuum/boost hoses first though.

[TimothyClaypole]

I need a Mk4 Astra 1.6 track rod end, does anyone know what they look like without me going outside with a torch and crawling about so I can order one on Ebay?  

[skattrd]

I need a Mk4 Astra 1.6 track rod end, does anyone know what they look like without me going outside with a torch and crawling about so I can order one on Ebay?  

 

Not much help, but why not wait until the morning when it's light? It's not like anything you order now will be despatched before Monday.

[myglaren]

Not much help, but why not wait until the morning when it's light? It's not like anything you order now will be despatched before Monday.

Oh, I don't know.

Last Saturday night I ordered a tablet for the wife (a 7"-er, no less )

Dispatched Sunday, in her hands Monday morning. Free postage too.

Her flabber has never been so gasted.

[spike60]

I've had various shitters with broken odometers, and it's never been a problem for the MoT. They're also GR12* for limited mileage insurance policies

 

*well, at least up to the point of needing to make a claim... then you may be in some major trouble !

Until they ask the recorded mileage as Footman James just asked me. Made me fix it which was quite satisfying, had read 8903 since at least 2010, reached the dizzy heights of 9254 now!

[mat_the_cat]

Not much help, but why not wait until the morning when it's light? It's not like anything you order now will be despatched before Monday.

 

Because you never order anything from eBay the morning after, when you're sober!

 

Until they ask the recorded mileage as Footman James just asked me. Made me fix it which was quite satisfying, had read 8903 since at least 2010, reached the dizzy heights of 9254 now!

 

I do that for my limited mileage policies, but what happens if you let someone else drive the car, covered by their insurance policy? It's no extra risk to your insurance company, yet it's eating into your allowance.

[Station]

Good news! My Starion fuel tank isn't full of rust, it's full of horrible black varnish which came off easily thanks to Sainsbury's jet wash machine.

I also got the fuel pump spinning thanks to a hammer.

 

However, there are some bits I can't get at and would like to use a 'mildly acidic' liquid, such as drain cleaner or patio/path cleaner.

The driveway cleaner stuff would be ideal as it eats grease/oil, but want to know if there are any side effects or better ideas?

[Station]

Going to go for driveway cleaner (phosphoric acid).

[Asimo]

Have a look at Ratdat's Datsun epic including tank ressurection here:  http://autoshite.com/topic/16693-la-cinq-cent-dix/page-10

[Hendry]

Are the Talbot Alpine, Solara, Minx and Rapier all the same car but rebadged?

 

What will car dealers now put on the windscreen of cars to advertise their company now that theres no need for tax disc holders with their branding on them?

[twosmoke300]

^^^ save about 50p per car ?

[Skizzer]

Are the Talbot Alpine, Solara, Minx and Rapier all the same car but rebadged?

 

Minx and Rapier were just run-out model variants of Alpine and Solara.  Two-tone paint, trim tinsel and various 'extras' as standard.  If I remember rightly, at the very end they dropped the Alpine and Solara names and just called them Minx and Rapier, but they were still the same cars - by 1985 they'd long since stopped doing any actual product development on these.

[Asimo]

 

What will car dealers now put on the windscreen of cars to advertise their company now that theres no need for tax disc holders with their branding on them?

 

Child No.2 popped round today, to show off his first company car, delivered new yesterday.

 

Empty tax disc holder proudly on display. 

 

It's an  Audi, so I expect the dealer charges for the holder anyway, tax disc or no.

[Richard]

Does an automatic car have to have a working handbrake for the MOT or does Park satisfy the requirements?

[Sigmund Fraud]

It's an Audi, so I expect the dealer charges £500 for a Kraftwerk tribute group to ceremoniously remove the holder .

 

EFA

[red5]

Does an automatic car have to have a working handbrake for the MOT or does Park satisfy the requirements?

Yes, No.