Ask a Shiter

[Richard]

You want 50 on the DC Voltage scale (left side). The battery voltage should be about 12 with the engine off and about 14 with the engine running (might have to rev a bit higher than idle).

[Station]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

[HH-R]

What setting do I need to have the multimeter at to check if a battery is charging? I really don't understand what any of these things mean:

 

Point it at 50 on the left hand side with the V and a line and dots (DC voltage). V on the other side is AC.

 

Top blue left is resistance and bottom blue bit is current. The Batt part is just for 9V square batteries or AA/AAAs.

[HH-R]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

 

Two different members once claimed that their dad had bought BRAND NEW LAND ROVER D701SWL in a thread, or Boll's credit card got scammed and someone bought D701SWL with it, I forget.

[HillmanImp]

Thanks for that guys. Turns out I don't need it. I had the multimeter at hand and thought I would figure it out before I went outside but it soon became pretty obvious what was wrong. The battery is definitely not charging as the fan belt has come off/snapped so no clever multimeter diagnosis is needed.

 

Will sort it out Saturday morning.

[HillmanImp]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

 

It was this thread:

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/5049-free-v8-lr-win/

[HH-R]

That thread still gives me a good laugh!

[Danblez]

Going to view a car tomorrow that the garage says is a trade only sale and there is no warranty. Now the cynic in me worries it may die in a cloud of steam on the way home as I don't trust any car dealers and it is 6.5ks worth of my hard earned I am playing with.

 

If they claim that nothing is wrong with it and some turns out to be very wrong with it I would still be covered by Sale of Goods act right?

 

What if they claim they don't know anything about it and there could well be something wrong with it? Not covered at all right? I feel they are already covering themselves because even though it looks immaculate nothing is mentioned of condition at all.

 

 

Take a gamble or walk away?

[cobblers]

I suppose you've got to try and ask yourself why they are trying to cover their arse - is it something old and fancy that is not their usual fare that they have ended up with through a PX or something? if that;s the case I would give them the benefit of the doubt, but if it's something relatively mainstream then they probably know something you don't.

[Craig the Princess]

I can understand that a garage would be nervous about being liable for a £300 shiter, but at £6,500 they shouldn't be looking to wriggle out of anything.

[Tayne]

Is it a black V8 BMW 5 series?

Already advised against that for a variety of reasons.

 

As above, if £6.5k is bargain money and its outwith their usual type iof stock then fair enough but if it's worth £6.5k s d they won't warrant it then run away.

[xtriple]

Can you ask non car related stupid questions here?

 

If so....

 

If you chew something but don't swallow it, do you get any calories?

[The Moog]

Do airbags go out of date?

 

The civic is 1997 car and has got a drivers airbag. In theory should it need servicing/replacing?

[willswitchengage]

If you chew something but don't swallow it, do you get any calories?

 

My girlfriend keeps asking me that

[Tayne]

Do airbags go out of date?

 

The civic is 1997 car and has got a drivers airbag. In theory should it need servicing/replacing?

 

Yes, I believe they have a 10 year life.

[Richard]

Mine are almost double their design life then, I'll just have to continue my strategy of driving round stuff.

[Tayne]

Yes, I believe they have a 10 year life.

 

Turns out its 14 years (merc and Skoda).

 

Or the life of the car if you have a Volvo.

[spike60]

There are quite few cars about that a 14 year lifespan airbag is well over engineered!

[Danblez]

I suppose you've got to try and ask yourself why they are trying to cover their arse - is it something old and fancy that is not their usual fare that they have ended up with through a PX or something? if that;s the case I would give them the benefit of the doubt, but if it's something relatively mainstream then they probably know something you don't.

Sage advice cheers. It is a px and not their usual fare. By the magics of the interweb I have managed to track down the last owner and all appears above board.

 

Tayne, no it's not a BMW. It's England's finest shonkily made fibreglass v8. Off to see it now.

[cort16]

Just make sure to check the chassis isn't made out of puff pastry.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. If it's a Blackpool special, the chassis rot can be horrific. Have a good feel behind the sill, especially in front of the rear wheel.

 

As for airbags, I'm pretty sure Practical Classics asked a load of manufacturers and some said 'they'll be fine.' When airbags were first fitted, they wouldn't have known if they would still work after ten years, so it was arse-covering really.

[skattrd]

Italian parts supplier - I am after a thermostat for my Delta, which I cannot source in the UK, it appears to be a Delta 2 only part ... Any suggestions?

I have found it on ebay.it and asked the seller if he will ship to UK, but am not holding out much hope .... item http://www.ebay.it/itm/201179666640

[Sigmund Fraud]

Italian parts supplier - I am after a thermostat for my Delta, which I cannot source in the UK, it a ppears to be a Delta 2 only part ...

 

Have you checked part numbers ? I would be very surprised if the thermostat is not shared with at least the Fiat Coupe and the Thema ?

[spike60]

At least it's cheap, the one for my 2.4 Alfa was twice as much and fucked again in 5k miles. Why do Italian 'stats look like an artificial heart, not a thermostat? Some older cars (Renault 12 etc) used an in line stat inside the main top hose, worth looking into?

[skattrd]

Have you checked part numbers ? I would be very surprised if the thermostat is not shared with at least the Fiat Coupe and the Thema ?

 

Yes I have ... it is different.

I was surprised/annoyed as I have one of the gen1 Delta/Thema/Coupe thermostats here

 

The one linked above was the only Delta 2 16v thermostat I could find on Italian ebay.

[skattrd]

For illustration purposes ..

 

Thermostat on my Delta

 

Delta 1/Thema thermostat

 

Ebay.it Delta 2 thermostat

 

The main difference I can see is the three senders on mine compared to the one on the earlier one.

[skattrd]

Crisis over ... Italian seller will ship to UK for 20 euro ... even with shipping it's still cheaper than the wrong thermostat I have to return.

 

Yay, I can dismantle the Delta again when that turns up.

[M'coli]

Does anyone near Wetherby have a 9-inch grinder I could borrow for a day or so, or perhaps a power saw? Need to cut bits out of the Cavalier to see if it's possible to save it.

[tooSavvy]

As for airbags, I'm pretty sure Practical Classics asked a load of manufacturers and some said 'they'll be fine.' When airbags were first fitted, they wouldn't have known if they would still work after ten years, so it was arse-covering really.

 

..... should you have a serious prang and leave your teeth embedded in the wheel, no bag/boom, in any car so fitted but 14yr old. Is there a case to answer?

 

ABS lights check in MOT/Air Bag 'light' check in MOT.... what if Eurocrats go for 'time expired' status on these.....

 

TS

[KruJoe]

..anyone near Wetherby have a 9-inch grinder I could borrow..?

I'm up for seeing the 1.3 Cav being saved Cameron!

We have a BFO grinder knocking about. It doesn't get much use as it's so scary. It's a 110V job, but we have the transformer for it which weighs about as much as a Mk2 Cavalier. If you're lucky there'll be a disk in it, and we may even be able to find the tool for putting a fresh one in. Fire a text off to wor Will if you fancy a play with it, I'm still away for a few more weeks.