Ask a Shiter

[xkjaguar]

Have S3 XJ6 Jags got inboard rear brakes?

I have had a couple of these and the rear pads are a mare but not impossible if you get the car high enough you can do them by feel from underneath. On the kitcar jag i only had about 5ins ground clearance so got it as high as poss on stands only took about 6 hours!!!

[skattrd]

Antifreeze - mixing types, whats the worst that could happen when blue/green is mixed with the orange/pink stuff?

[Spiny Norman]

I've heard it can turn to a slightly jelly-like consistency, clogging up the waterways in the engine.

Possibly crap, like most of the "I have heard..." tales but anti-freeze is cheap enough that it's never seemed worth the risk.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

No, you're right. If you mix traditional antifreeze with modern OAT stuff, it can turn into goop. There's plenty of pictures of goop clogged cooling systems if you Google for them.

 

Antifreeze is cheap, flush and refill.

[willswitchengage]

^You completely lose the anti-corrosion properties, according to when I posed this question on the BX forum many moons ago. Blue and green, however, are compatible.

[DSdriver]

I didn't know there were different types, having always bought and used blue of which I keep some diluted in a container for topping up purposes so that the cooling system remains correctly protected. Could it be that the garage used pink in the Pug? I will phone the garage and find out which type they use.

Latest news on the Pug is that they fitted a new thermostat and it might be alright. Mrs DSdriver's brother has taken it for a long drive to see (last heard of somewhere in the Cotswolds).

[skattrd]

Cheers guys.

The expansion tank was empty, so I couldn't tell what was in the system without undoing something (which I couldn't be arsed to do at the time) so I've just topped it up with water for now.

I was in Sainsburys earlier and I saw some "universal antifreeze" which was clear ... I'm guessing this a new thing, or expensive water at £4 a litre.

[garycox]

Couple of stupid questions:

 

1 - How much do we think as a ballpark figure for a dizzy and rotor arm (supplied and fitted) on a '98 1.4 Polo? I dropped my friend's off at a garage for this today, it should be ready tomorrow but I forgot to call before they closed to find out how much it would be (cos I am a twat).

 

2 - How do you check the coolant level on a Fiat 126BIS?

[cort16]

Are fiat 126's not air cooled?

[garycox]

Not the BIS, 704cc water cooled.

[Station]

No, you're right. If you mix traditional antifreeze with modern OAT stuff, it can turn into goop. There's plenty of pictures of goop clogged cooling systems if you Google for them.

 

Antifreeze is cheap, flush and refill.

 

You can get 5l of pink or green or purple for £10 from euro car parts.

[Pillock]

Couple of stupid questions:

 

1 - How much do we think as a ballpark figure for a dizzy and rotor arm (supplied and fitted) on a '98 1.4 Polo? I dropped my friend's off at a garage for this today, it should be ready tomorrow but I forgot to call before they closed to find out how much it would be (cos I am a twat).

 

 

Assuming you mean the dizzy cap and arm then twenty quid for the parts, and if they charge more than half an hours labour then they're taking the pish. Fifty quid all in tops.

If you mean the actual distributor unit then they're closer to 70 quid when I did mine and can be a complete pain to fit - took a ham-fisted idiot like me all day for reasons I can't quite remember but I seem to recall it wasn't the exact unit and I had to swap bits over into the old shell. I suppose if they make sure it's the right one and don't twat around like me, an hour labour plus £100 parts (cos you'll still want a cap on)

[garycox]

Cheers Pillock - I just meant the cap (as far as I know) so that should be fairly cheap. It's a place I've used several times before and he's usually reasonable so I don't expect it'll be overpriced. Thanks.

[Pillock]

Well for a cap and arm it just depends on their lowest unit of labour. Actual work is probably just shy of a minute, two if you count opening the bonnet and closing it afterwards

[messerschmitt owner]

On my 126s I have just filled up the water and hoped the coolant level was right. You can tell when you are getting close to the top as the sound changes as the coolant level rises up the pipe on the rear c pillar.

[garycox]

Thanks - I thought there must be some way of checking but apparently not!

[cort16]

Are the items listed on an MOT failure sheet picked from a list on the MOT computer system or can the tester write in their own description?

 

I.e. Nearside rear shock absorber has a serious fluid leak [ 2.7.3]

 

Is the code 2.7.3 against the shock absorber fail a specific reference to that failure item?

[dollywobbler]

Automatic gearboxes. I love a good one, and the Merc has one of those. An absolute delight. But, when stationary, how long should you leave it in D? The Merc's handbook says 'temporary' is ok 'ie a set of traffic lights.' I find myself cringing after about 10 seconds. Am I fretting about nothing? To me, it feels like I'm sitting there slipping the clutch. I don't like it but, probably because it's still running too rich, it gets a bit 'thunk' like if you keep going to neutral and back to drive when the lights change. Mind you, it's not as bad as my Rover P6B was...

 

EDIT - answered my own question. The hilariously outdated RoSPA website was useful. As there's no mechanical link, there's no damage. The website also states that modern automatic gearboxes have three to six ratios. No, try eight these days! What annoys me about leaving it in D is that I have to keep my foot on the brake and therefore annoy people behind me. The handbrake isn't quite up to it and being a foot-on, hand-off system, you can't release it smoothly. That does annoy me.

[Pillock]

Are the items listed on an MOT failure sheet picked from a list on the MOT computer system or can the tester write in their own description?

 

I.e. Nearside rear shock absorber has a serious fluid leak [ 2.7.3]

 

Is the code 2.7.3 against the shock absorber fail a specific reference to that failure item?

 

The [2.7.3] refers to the section in the handbook containing the reason for refusal.

If you look at http://mottesters.co.uk/files/special%2 ... Manual.pdf (which is a couple of years old, but same difference) you'll see that Section 2 is Steering and Suspension, 2.7 is Shock Absorbers, and when you go to that section, 2.7.3 is regarding fluid leaks - Reason for Rejection is "A fluid leakage serious enough to indicate that the fluid seal of a shock absorber has failed."

[cort16]

Thanks Pillock

[Spiny Norman]

Automatic gearboxes. I love a good one, and the Merc has one of those. An absolute delight. But, when stationary, how long should you leave it in D?

..

What annoys me about leaving it in D is that I have to keep my foot on the brake and therefore annoy people behind me. The handbrake isn't quite up to it and being a foot-on, hand-off system, you can't release it smoothly. That does annoy me.

 

I leave my Merc in D at the lights and it never seems to mind. In the past I've always gone with the theory that if the car doesn't sound like it's straining at the leash or starts idling poorly then it's OK. My old E28 BMW didn't seem to like sitting in D for too long, the engine would bang on a few extra revs at random intervals causing some creaking of the handbrake.

 

But at least it had a 'handbrake'...

Like you, I find the Merc's pedal-for-on, release lever-and-pedal-for-off (if you want a smooth release) parking brake just too much like hard work except when I park up at the end of a journey, so I just dazzle people with my brake lights while stationary too.

I take some solace from the fact that everyone else seems to do the same thing these days, even those in cars with normal handbrake levers, and at least my brake lights are just traditional 21w bulbs, not the row of high intensity chav LEDs you get on new shit these days, so fuck 'em!

[Pillock]

Fuel Cards. Any professional drivers (or even unprofessional ones!) use these?

I'm going from paying for my own diesel and claiming it back (I put in perhaps 280 quid a month, and claim back at 13p per business mile) to being given a fuel card. Now I suppose it flips it all around, now the company will pay for ALL my diesel but I'll have to pay them for my own miles.

 

Question is, do fuel cards have any limits on what fuel you can buy? It'll say "Diesel and oil" and my reg number so I know I can't go round filling my mate's petrol cars up (and I wouldn't, that's naughty) but can I start using posh fuels that supposedly give better performance? Or rather more suited to me, can I get double Nectar points on BP Ultimate? Or do the cards just buy the regular boggo stuff and reject expensive fuels.....?

 

Also, I can't work the maths out - at the moment, I drive like a doddery old fool to get the best MPG, because that way I claim back a bigger chunk of my outlay. Once I'm on a fuel card, if I drive like a hooligan do I lose out at all?

[tooSavvy]

Fuel Cards. Any professional drivers (or even unprofessional ones!) use these?

I'm going from paying for my own diesel and claiming it back (I put in perhaps 280 quid a month, and claim back at 13p per business mile) to being given a fuel card. Now I suppose it flips it all around, now the company will pay for ALL my diesel but I'll have to pay them for my own miles.

 

Question is, do fuel cards have any limits on what fuel you can buy? It'll say "Diesel and oil" and my reg number so I know I can't go round filling my mate's petrol cars up (and I wouldn't, that's naughty) but can I start using posh fuels that supposedly give better performance? Or rather more suited to me, can I get double Nectar points on BP Ultimate? Or do the cards just buy the regular boggo stuff and reject expensive fuels.....?

 

Also, I can't work the maths out - at the moment, I drive like a doddery old fool to get the best MPG, because that way I claim back a bigger chunk of my outlay. Once I'm on a fuel card, if I drive like a hooligan do I lose out at all?

 

Well, I have a DERV ONLY for mine. Its Keyfuels. No 'oils/others'.

 

Driving my Caddy like an 'ooliggann' doesn't seem to make much difference to MPG.

 

I get no points at Morrisons.

 

We don't seem to need (not policed vigorously) to declare private miles. [none 4 me..I only drive the Savvy as we have the gdttr with us always].

 

tooSavvy

[Jim Bell]

One for the current MOT testers among us.

Airbag light illuminated (or bulb missing), is a fail (and not an advisory) now?

 

Or has the script changed again (again) ?

[oldford]

Airbag light illuminated indicating a fault - fail, airbag light not working - advisory.

[Jim Bell]

Airbag light illuminated indicating a fault - fail, airbag light not working - advisory.

 

Thanks oldford.

 

Good new is good. News.

[holbeck]

Found a new* container of Castrol GTX in the back of my shed. It must be at least 10 years old.

 

Would you put it in your car??

[M'coli]

At worst I'd buy a new one and car-boot the old stuff in the new container...

[Albert Ross]

Dur!!! Of I'd use it. If it were paint, would you tip it away?

[JohnDeere]

Tracking / wheel alignment gurus -- had four new boots on the CR-V last week, plus whatever passes for wheel alignment thrown in for free. Since then, it's been nice and straight on some roads - but on the M'way has tended to need the steering wheel cranked leftwards a bit. But not always. And most weird, even on sweeping right hand bends I'm also still steering left sometimes. But not always. There's no obvious pull though.

 

So can't work out if it's just the new tyres acting oddly on the camber (225/60 R18 Michelin Latitude Sports ... not cheap), or that the tracking has been ballsed up somehow (though I have no idea in what way). Any thoughts? Thanks!