Ask a Shiter

[Albert Ross]

Damn right, but if (like '80s Fords) the covers are missing, and white light shows to the rear, it's pass and advise.

[philibusmo]

The rear trailing arm bushes on the Y10 are looking a little past their best so I thought I would replace them.

 

These seem to be a little difficult to get hold of, as in I can't find them anywhere. Now I know that the Y10 has what's called an Omega rear axle which is fancier and found on the later Fiat Pandas, so can any of you knowledgeable gents let me know if the rear trailing arms bushes are the same on the Lancia Y10 and the late original Fiat Pandas?

 

Nope, thought not.

[cobblers]

Finally ran the tank down the Golf the other day, and slung 10 litres of veg in it to see how we go. Once warm it seems great but it's deffo a bit more of a bugger to start (It's always needed a good pull on the glow plugs to go at all) but now it needs a quick rev to clear it's throat.

Anyway it seems to be a lot more clattery when cold, and the "cold running" stage seems to last longer. Is this something I need to worry about/sign of impeding pump asplosion? I'm really not good with diesels, they all sound like they are broken to me so I don't know how to pick out genuinely bad noises.

[Cavcraft]

What year of Golf is it mate and it's not a shitty PD engine one is it? They don't like veg but to be fair to VAG I think all their 'pre-PD' diesels love the stuff.

[cobblers]

Nah, its a mk3 1y non turbo 1.9 thing, they're apparently the best vehicle to run veg on EVAR but it's done 190k so I'm a bit worried about it shitting the insides out of the pump or something.

[skattrd]

Cobblers, just run it with a bit of diesel in.

I have run my golf saloon on 100% veg in summer before but I think it runs better with it slightly diluted. Even 10% diesel can make it easier starting.

Oh, and yes they do take a while to warm up as well

 

208k on my boring now. I've done the last 48k of those, and it's seen more veg than diesel in that time

[Cavcraft]

In most cases it actually works better because it has better (pump) lubrications SKILLZ, or so people used to say. It's possibly because you have no diesel in the car and it's usually best to have a mixture, even in summer. That said my old BX loved the stuff and would run 100% veg most of the year and it also made the car slightly quicker (yep, for real) and cleaner.

My 306 hatch is quite agricultural sounding anyhow but I think veg makes it noisier and it certainly does in the DW8 engine estate I have. Perhaps your car needs to adjust to running on it, sort of breaking in a bit if you like, and I reckon the addition of some diesel will help it. The mileage shouldn't make the slightest bit of difference as those lumps do massive miles and will continue to run on veg.

[willswitchengage]

Anecdotally it may work but you should really stick away from veg oil in any DI engine.

 

Unlike IDI injectors, DI engines have numerous tiny holes to spray in fuel. The increased viscosity and likeliness to carbonise on exit increases the probability of these clogging = new injectors. The burn rate in DI engines is also cooler and faster, which is less favorable to non-fossil fuels.

 

Use veg in 1.9D and turbo D engines, sure, but be wary of advancing to TDI/SDI, even the early mechanical pump models.

[outlaw118]

Now it's altogether possible that I'm going mental, but I'm sure I saw a 2 door OPEL Omega estate this afternoon. Type B.

it was dark green, and on foreign plates, and buggered off into the distance too quickly for me to get a photo.

I've googled it, and according to the font of all knowledge that is Wikipedia, I'm mad as a badger with a hat on.

 

Any ideas?

[Pillock]

 

VOSA enforcement officers - you MUST stop if they indicate that they wish to inspect your vehicle.

 

failing to stop for VOSA is treated the same as failing to Stop for HATO ,which is treated the same as failing to stop for Police.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 070565.pdf

 

OK, so without being a funny bugger - how are we meant to know this?

Once you've passed your test, and committed the contents of the highway code to memory (and the book to the bin), what mechanism is in place to update motorists of new traffic laws? If it's the news, then I usually don't watch it. I don't go on the .gov websites unless it's to hand over cash. If I'm at work and new processes come in then they have briefings and memos and stuff..... yet driving, which is a pretty technical process when you factor in all the laws and rules, you're expected to go 50+ years without checking what you're doing is right.

 

If I had a FluoroWomble come up behind me with the "ambers and twos" on, I'd probably pull over but only because I'm very trusting. I can imagine a large number of people not doing so, because of the over-use of amber lights. It could be anything, just assume it's some backstreet breakdown recovery firm and carry on.

[Richard]

Whenever I see VOSA they're in a layby with police officers handling the business of pulling drivers in.

[Shep Shepherd]

Does anyone know where to buy automotive clips and widgets cheaply? I've just paid £1.06 each for 20 of these buggers at PFS Parts in order to reattach TV2's roof trims, as the factory-fitted clips had mostly rusted away, leaving said trims to flap around in high winds and at high road speeds:

 

 

At least they are securely attached to the car now

[skattrd]

Whenever I see VOSA they're in a layby with police officers handling the business of pulling drivers in.

I was pulled over by the police to be taken for a VOSA inspection.

[panhard65]

Is there a cheap way of getting an engine back from Central France?

 

Also - is anone here who can speak decent French willing to ask a seller a few questions for me?

 

If so, please PM me, thanks.

Hi try shiply.com I had an engine brought over from near Bordeaux to Essex for £80. Can't help with the french I am afraid try google translater. Sometimes if you make a bit of an effort you will find a lot of the french speak very good english. They just like it if you try to converse in their own language. I don't suppose its anywhere near Le Mans as I am off there in june

[Cavcraft]

Whenever I see VOSA they're in a layby with police officers handling the business of pulling drivers in.

I was pulled over by the police to be taken for a VOSA inspection.

 

 

Ditto. It was years back but the 'rule' was the copper had to pull you and direct you to where VOSA were, though that could have changed now I suppose.

[Lacquer Peel]

Anecdotally it may work but you should really stick away from veg oil in any DI engine.

 

Unlike IDI injectors, DI engines have numerous tiny holes to spray in fuel. The increased viscosity and likeliness to carbonise on exit increases the probability of these clogging = new injectors. The burn rate in DI engines is also cooler and faster, which is less favorable to non-fossil fuels.

 

Use veg in 1.9D and turbo D engines, sure, but be wary of advancing to TDI/SDI, even the early mechanical pump models.

 

I've just bought a Skoda Octavia 110 TDI, the pre-PD VW TDI engines have a good reputation for running on veg oil on the vegetableoildiesel forum - it's because they have a 'bowl' in the piston that's similar to an IDI combustion chamber, so they don't just chuck unburnt fuel down the cylinder walls.

The main problem with running direct injection diesels on veg is engine oil contamination, it turns the engine oil into jelly if left unchecked.

[Wilko220]

Does anyone know where to buy automotive clips and widgets cheaply? I've just paid £1.06 each for 20 of these buggers at PFS Parts in order to reattach TV2's roof trims, as the factory-fitted clips had mostly rusted away, leaving said trims to flap around in high winds and at high road speeds:

 

 

At least they are securely attached to the car now

 

Try Bresco

www.bresco.com

[Station]

Why do engine sizes come in 1498 for example? Why is it always under 1500 - tolerances/tax reasons?

[Pillock]

The old tax system was up to 1549cc was a "cheap" car to run, 1550cc and over was an "expensive" one. So a "1.5" model was cheaper to run by thirty quid or so a year.

As for the odd numbers, it's just because round things make odd numbers when you start calculating volumes.

[Lacquer Peel]

Why are so many 1990s European diesels around 1900cc?

[willswitchengage]

Is LHM hydroscopic?

[skattrd]

One of my little Daihatsu's has a bit of mayo on the oil cap. The car runs fine, and doesn't appear to lose any coolant, I don't use the car much though.

I don't think it's condensation as I have changed the oil and the mayo comes back relatively quickly. I'm thinking head gasket on the way out - any other suggestions?

 

Next question, what's the best way to test for a dodgy head gasket? compression test or one of those chemical tests?

[wuvvum]

VOSA enforcement officers - you MUST stop if they indicate that they wish to inspect your vehicle.

 

failing to stop for VOSA is treated the same as failing to Stop for HATO ,which is treated the same as failing to stop for Police.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 070565.pdf

True, but the rules also say that VOSA officers are not allowed to exceed the speed limit in order to chase vehicles down and stop them. So if I'm doing 70 on a dual carriageway and a VOSA Galaxy comes hooning up behind me with its amber lights on wanting to pull me over, it's breaking the law and I will ignore it.

[240gl]

Is LHM hydroscopic?

 

Good question that I didn't know the answer to a few minutes ago, so I had a look on Wikipedia.

 

No LHM isn't, but LHS does.

[wuvvum]

Oil-related question: the AX is in dire need of an oil change, but I don't want to fork out any more money on it than I can help, in case it fails its MoT dismally at the end of July (which it probably will). The handbook says I should be using 15W40. I've got a load of cheap Asda 20W50 that I bought when it was on offer at four quid a gallon - will I get away with using this or will it be too thick and gloopy and gunge things up? Bear in mind the engine's done over 150K so is probably quite worn internally, although it doesn't seem to burn any oil at the moment.

[trigger]

20w/50 should be fine, It's designed for older, higher mileage cars. I use that in the Cortina and when I sold oil we was told by Comma that 20w/50 was better than 15/40.

[Lacquer Peel]

I've used 20w/50 in a couple of HI-TECH multivalve engines with no issues (in the summer).

[greengartside]

Probably a stupid question, but does anyone know the hard facts about saving a car from the scrapyard after a COD has been issued?

 

I have read elsewhere that it's possible, but involves a lot of hard work and possible bollockings from the doovla.

 

The reason why is that I'd like to save this...

 

 

....highly unlikely as the yard owner probably wouldn't sell. I would like to know what the score is though regarding this matter.

[SambaS]

I've barked up this tree before.

 

I think you will struggle to get any yard to sell anything with a COD.

 

This is what the environment agency told me:

 

Certificates of Destruction are administered by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). A copy of the certificate is passed directly to the owner. From this point onwards, the owner no longer holds liability. The ATF (Authorised Treatment Facility) are responsible for alerting the DVLA and advise whether the documentation can be reversed. Information can be accessed on the DVLA website at:

 

 

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla

 

 

 

I trust that this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact me on the number below.

 

Then something happened that made me stop caring anymore, cant remember what that was.

[SambaS]

Pretty sure that the COD can be reversed but also pretty sure it's a pain for the yard in question, and therefore unlikely to happen. But please give it a go as I'd love to see a vehicle with a COD put back on the road.

 

Dumfries Polonez, or Motorhog X reg Samba were the ones I was inquiring for.