Ask a Shiter

[rml2345]

^ That sounds like good fun.

Power steering stupid question;

I've been running around in Swampy21's 940 and noticed his steering is a great deal lighter than mine. The belt doesn't squeal and isn't loose but has glazing on the side and is clearly past it.

Ordered a new belt as a matter of course but would a worn but not squealing belt cause the power steering to be significantly heavier? It had rack/track rod ends about six months ago.

[DSdriver]

/\ different tyres?

[Asimo]

^^^Or tyre pressures, or wheel alignment, (camber / trail, not just tracking), Steering ratio - same number of turns lock to lock?, steering wheel size or the properties of the power steering valve itself.

 

Pressures are the easiest thing to change!

[steve_earwig]

When everyone else is travelling in driverless cars with automatic dimming headlights will I be able to drive around on main beam not stopping at traffic lights because they will take avoiding action?

Sure, until you come across someone driving the same way...

[rml2345]

I think the tyres on both 940s are 195s and steering wheel both the same size. Will check pressures on the way home tonight. Steering doesn't pull or wander but having castor/trail checked wouldn't hurt either.

Hoping it's not PS pump as that's an awful job.

[alf892]

^ That sounds like good fun.

Power steering stupid question;

I've been running around in Swampy21's 940 and noticed his steering is a great deal lighter than mine. The belt doesn't squeal and isn't loose but has glazing on the side and is clearly past it.

Ordered a new belt as a matter of course but would a worn but not squealing belt cause the power steering to be significantly heavier? It had rack/track rod ends about six months ago.

Change the oil maybe.......is there a filter in the reservoir ?

[alf892]

Also check column uj is free.........but this usually makes it feel lumpy

[rml2345]

Doesn't seem lumpy, just heavy. They are known for sticking column UJs though. I presume fluid was changed when the rack was replaced. There's no filter that I'm aware of and the fluid seems pretty clean. A change wouldn't hurt of course. All good suggestions though so I'll start with the cheap/easy stuff and work up.

[Noel Tidybeard]

You found a 406 HDi 90 with a DPF? Hold on to it, it's rare!

dunno he just said one day a light had come on the dash

it was a y reg 406 rapier estate and has been replaced with mundano st155 tdci estate

[Noel Tidybeard]

the aldi auto headlight thing is prolly similar to the speed restrictor in a nissan gtr- mirrors, magnets & witchcraft

[rml2345]

^^^Or tyre pressures, or wheel alignment, (camber / trail, not just tracking), Steering ratio - same number of turns lock to lock?, steering wheel size or the properties of the power steering valve itself.

 

Pressures are the easiest thing to change!

 

Checked pressures tonight and both front tyres were 5psi under what they should be... 

Back up to the correct pressure and it was much lighter again but I'll do the belt at the weekend anyway. Oh, and check the tyre pressures more often 

[Chas4545]

Checked pressures tonight and both front tyres were 5psi under what they should be... 

Back up to the correct pressure and it was much lighter again but I'll do the belt at the weekend anyway. Oh, and check the tyre pressures more often 

I learnt the hard way to check tyres when cold at home. Many peeps run around on low pressures cos they checked them at the fuel place when they were hot. Bad news for bikers especially. BTW  I miss my  740 very much.

[oman5]

This may seem like a stupid question. When you drive backwards, is the mileometer supposed to wind backwards, ie count down towards 0?

I only ask as I've just changed the non working speedo head in the allegro for a working one and it does exactly this. Front end jacked up, engine running with wheels trundling away in mid air in reverse, and it's counting down "Christine" style. The car isn't magically healing itself though, and mrs Oman hasn't choked on a hamburger in it. My jack Russell was sick in the back, mind.

[andy18s]

Not quite a California 250 GT but an interesting image non the less

[explosive-cabbage]

Need help and advice ASAP! Posted this once but no replies etc etc.

 

Need to know weather I am upping my Gixen bids on compressors or not.

 

Please watch the video and all is explained.

 

Contains shite content!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iomOhGKRR1g

 

 

Please help!

 

Should I just purchase another compressor off eBay?

[sheffcortinacentre]

yes mechanical speedos work backwards when in reverse, duno if electrickery ones do?

[Alan_Green]

yes mechanical speedos work backwards when in reverse, duno if electrickery ones do?

 

My mate Ferris says it doesn't work with all cars: 

 

[dave21478]

Need help and advice ASAP! Posted this once but no replies etc etc.

 

Need to know weather I am upping my Gixen bids on compressors or not.

 

Please watch the video and all is explained.

 

Contains shite content!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iomOhGKRR1g

 

 

Please help!

 

Should I just purchase another compressor off eBay?

 

 

No idea re the motor, but in my experience a motor that will start if flicked by hand generally has a problem with the capacitor.

 

However - isnt welding on the tank more than a little bit dangerous? Especially if you ran out of gas....if those welds have made weak or brittle points in the metal, well....these things run at about 8 bar normally? If a weld fails while you are standing near it, it will quite possibly kill you.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZxmIBkaU

 

 

I would bin that one pronto and buy another, and if you have to weld something onto it, weld to the wheel supports, handle etc and not the tank.

These things are inspected at manufacture and tested to much higher than their working PSI to verify the integrity of the tank, but all bets are off once you have prodded it with a MIG. The video I posted shows what can happen - ok thats a tyre, but its what happens when something under large pressure suddenly fails. That flicked a lorry wheel, which is much heavier than your wee compressor, 10 feet in the air and sent the guy flying too.

The garage I used to work at had mandated inspections every year where a dude would inspect the compressors with a bore-scope, check tank wall thickness etc to be sure that they were not likely to pop.

[Inspector Morose]

That guy in the vid was lucky. All that happened there was. That the tyre had not seated properly on the rim and blew off. If the tyre carcass had failed then there wouldn't be much left of, at least his leg or lower half of his body. That's why

a) tyre cages are too be used when inflating tyres after disturbing the bead (best practice) and

 

b ) split rim wheels were outlawed as they were notorious for the locking ring to blow off under tyre re inflation, usually killing or mameing the person involved.

 

Going back to air tanks. If you have welded onto the tank, what has happened is that you have introduced extra stresses into the metal. When the tank inflates and deflates it does expand and contract a small amount. The extra stress areas you have introduced, eventually, will not be able to cope with this movement and a failure of the metal will occur and due to the pressure inside the vessel will cause catastrophic failure of the tank. If you're lucky, the tank will just burst and 120-150 psi will come rushing out. This could potentially damage your hearing and if you are nearby damage flesh, depending on your clothing.

If the tank fails explosively, which is likely due to the metal being made brittle around the welded area you have yourself a shrapnel bomb. All bets are off on the chances of survival with low injury.

 

Compressed air is stuff that can be really dangerous and can kill in the right circumstances yetnearly all of us overlook its danger. All I am saying is just be careful.

[Lacquer Peel]

Are old car batteries worth weighing in?

[andy18s]

Are old car batteries worth weighing in?

Hope so, I've been hoarding them all year as well as.all my old brake discs and stuff!

[Asimo]

I got 50p / kg a few years ago. Easier way to get lead than nicking it from roofs.

[sheffcortinacentre]

£5-10 each at mo.

[HillmanImp]

I am looking at getting some new tyres. I see they cost the same delivered as they do fitted on Blackcircles. 

 

I assume that you will then have to pay for balancing so its worth ringing up the place first to check how much that is?

 

However as its Meg the Visa I am looking at getting tyres for it doesn't really matter as nowhere can balance old Citroen wheels can they?

[spike60]

I found the tyres through blackcircles then dealt direct with the fitting place, cutting out the middle mans commission.

[doobietoo]

How do you use a picture as a link  ....... for an ebay or gumtree advert.... I see it done on Ebay tat all the time but cannot work out how to do it.....

TIA

[Sloth in a bowl]

1. Add the picture to the post as normal

2. Click on the picture in your incomplete post so it shows blue

3. Click on the link chain icon and drop the link details into the pop-up box

 

The picture becomes the display for the link details, as below.

You can probably highlight any part of a post and use the same trick to turn it into a link

 

 

[phil_lihp]

I have a fairly major problem, the 940 is currently marooned on my driveway and is urgently needed tonight.  I went out to it this morning and pressed the fob button, realising as I did that it was already unlocked (oops) so I'd just locked it.  I pressed the button again to unlock it and nothing happened - in fact, the fob made the '3 clicks' locking sound instead of the 5 clicks it normally makes when unlocking.

 

I unlocked it using the key and this set the alarm off.  Nothing I did with the key or fob would stop the alarm.  It won't start as the immobiliser has kicked in and won't deactivate.  As the alarm is unstoppable I had no choice but to leave it to time out.  After 20 minutes, setting the alarm off about 10 times and a LOT of swearing I gave in, got a lift to work and left it sulking on the driveway.  I really, really need it working this evening so am quite worried now.

 

I've tried reseating the fob battery, reprogramming the fob (turn key in ignition 4 times then leave on II the 5th time, press fob button repeatedly) - nothing.  It would only ever click 3 times, suggesting it was locking the car and now it doesn't do anything at all.

 

I will get a new battery for the fob at lunch time and hope it sorts it although it was new a couple of months ago and the range was quite decent so it didn't seem to be a battery problem.

 

Anything else I can try, either to bypass the alarm/immobiliser or get the fob working again?  Alas, I don't have a spare fob which is of course my own fault.

 

All fixed, it was the key fob battery.  Hard to believe such a tiny little battery could stop a car working but there you go.  

[Richard]

Does the new Transit come in a medium roof, medium wheelbase RWD version?

[DSdriver]

Key fob works when it feels like it in the XM despite new battery. My SQ is why does the tailgate need the key turned anti-clockwise to unlock and the drivers door need the key turning clockwise?