Ask a Shiter

[Tayne]

Thanks chaps.

 

The two things concerning me were the rear wiper (I may bung a new blade on) and the passenger door catch. I know the catch isn't just a grease/adjustment issue as the same thing went on the driver's door. It works fine about two thirds of the time but sometimes the inside handle doesn't return to the closed position and the door doesn't want to latch, it needs several new bits to fix it*.

The rust is above a plastic finisher panel(which traps water)*, bubbling and few brown spots, but wouldn't injure a pedestrian unless I ran them over whilst handbraking/oversteering. Audi fixed the other side under their 12 year anti-corrosion warranty but wouldn't touch the passenger side as that had been worked on by non-audi approved types.

The water leaks are causing the lack of lights on the dash* and the heater to only blow hot*, I suspect it will probably decide to only blow cold when winter comes.

The vibrations are down to lo-pro tyres and shit roads. It gets sorted when tyres are changed but comes back over time. I suspect my 18month old refurbed alloys are somewhere near scrap now.

 

But it was cheap, is economical even when thrashed and veg-friendly.

 

 

 

*Legendary VAG build quality.

[r.welfare]

I was intrigued to note that my brother-in-law's car passed the MOT a few weeks back with a complete absence of rear washer nozzle - water got through but just trickled down the outside of the bootlid, nowhere near the rear window.

 

Didn't this used to be testable, or is it just that the rear wiper (not washer) needs to function?

[Albert Ross]

Rear wiper has never been part of the test. Same as front foglamps, spare wheel (but not security thereof if suspended underneath) and other things.

[CreepingJesus]

Re Tayne's door handle issue: this might be the curse of the VAG mechanisms... Easily sorted tho'.

Take the door card off, have a look at the mechanism inside the door, it should be composed of a number of fingers, cranks etc., (it is unnecessarily complicated for what it is) which have little white nylon wear pads on. Bet you find some wear on them. If so, file them flat (a nail file will do), and superglue little discs of plastic onto the wear pads to take up the gaps. I've found that plastic bottle caps make ideal donors.

Ten minutes work, and free to do, providing you've got a bottle cap, nail file and superglue. and something to cut the cap up with.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

WTF is a 'diesel mineral motor oil"? Surely the grade and the API spec are the only relevant things?

 

http://direct.asda.com/Asda-15W40-Miner ... lt,pd.html is on 'special offer' but, rather helpfully, the description's been merged with that for a 5w-30.

[Rod/b]

Mineral oil. For a diesel.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Mineral oil. For a diesel.

 

I can see that. The question is, will putting it in an engine that burns petrol/lpg/wood pellets/lamb chops cause said engine to go BANG?

[trigger]

Is your car a diesel?

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

No. But what difference does the fuel type make in terms of lubrication? Why isn't there an 'LPG/CNG oil' for engines of those persuasions?

[trigger]

Because LPG is still a petrol engine, There's cleaning additives inside the oil to clean the engine, Diesel engine carbon up more then petrol engines so there's stronger additives in diesel oil to clean them, (This could be bollocks but i think that's right).

 

Your car is a petrol so go and buy petrol oil, It's quite simple.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Because LPG is still a petrol engine, There's cleaning additives inside the oil to clean the engine, Diesel engine carbon up more then petrol engines so there's stronger additives in diesel oil to clean them, (This could be bollocks but i think that's right).

 

Cheers! I guess that makes sense. I surely don't want very abrasive stuff rubbing against the VTEC. BTW, google does seem to be able to find some oil specifically formulated for LPG engines, but I'll stick to Motorcraft 10w-30 for the Scorpio.

[loserone]

MX5 failed it's MOT today, including two main points; a (5p sized crack) hole in the sill which I knew about but hoped would be OK, and NSF brake binding. Tester tells me that it's been binding a while - so presumably it's been heating up and being generally useless for a while, and I've been relying on the other side to slow me down.

 

Stupid question: How the hell did I do a 1200 mile drive around Scotland last week and not notice this? I wasn't exactly taking it easy, and I do try to pay attention to the poor thing as I'm ragging it around!

 

Surely it would pull under acceleration/braking, the brake performance would deteriorate drastically, the world would collapse &c.?

[pdg]

I've used 'diesel motor oil' in a petrol car - for over 90k - in a year - it was my taxi...

 

It's not got any abrasives, otherwise it'd be called 'grinding paste' or 'cutting fluid' or something more obscure instead of oil.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Because LPG is still a petrol engine, There's cleaning additives inside the oil to clean the engine, Diesel engine carbon up more then petrol engines so there's stronger additives in diesel oil to clean them, (This could be bollocks but i think that's right).

 

Cheers! I guess that makes sense. I surely don't want very abrasive stuff rubbing against the VTEC. BTW, google does seem to be able to find some oil specifically formulated for LPG engines, but I'll stick to Motorcraft 10w-30 for the Scorpio.

 

VTEC or not I wouldnt worry too much about what oil brew you put in, you shouldnt have any problem with 'abrasive oil', just put something in which says 'OIL' on it and is not ridiculously cheap or expensive and you'll be fine.

[pdg]

I'm still about the term 'abrasive oil'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sorry

[Pete-M]

No. But what difference does the fuel type make in terms of lubrication? Why isn't there an 'LPG/CNG oil' for engines of those persuasions?

 

Don't need it. LPG burns very cleanly indeed and doesn't tend to leave all kinds of manky deposits in the oil.

 

One thing to watch for is old oil in LPG cars (skipped oil changes) because the oil still looks clean doesn't mean it is fresh. Change it at the standard intervals for petrol engines. Don't just pull up the dipstick and think "That's clean, must be new". OIl does degrade over time and with use.

[Cavcraft]

DMF WILL EAT ITSELF:

 

Any way of telling if the DMF on a new shape (2001) Transit is about to chew it's way free and destroy all and sundry around it? Fair to assume if the engine starts up without any unwarranted noise and there's no nasty sounds from the clutch and box that all will be well?

It's the 2.0 dizzler by the way, ta.

[scaryoldcortina]

Tech bulletin on DMF

 

Clutch tends to feel "slippy" for a second when changing gear, a bit like a laggy automatic, bad ones rattle like hell. More info in the PDF link

[Cavcraft]

Ta very muchly SOC.

[scaryoldcortina]

Ok, question from me.

 

A customer asked me to today to fix the heater blower on a rover 400. From the description (it went clonk clonk then stopped) I'm thinking the fan fell off the motor and jammed up.

 

Can you get the heater box out of the car without LR Discovery levels of pain (dash out etc)?

[Rod/b]

The fan housing is right behind the glovebox so it should be easy enough, i'd have thought.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

No. But what difference does the fuel type make in terms of lubrication? Why isn't there an 'LPG/CNG oil' for engines of those persuasions?

 

Don't need it. LPG burns very cleanly indeed and doesn't tend to leave all kinds of manky deposits in the oil.

 

One thing to watch for is old oil in LPG cars (skipped oil changes) because the oil still looks clean doesn't mean it is fresh. Change it at the standard intervals for petrol engines. Don't just pull up the dipstick and think "That's clean, must be new". OIl does degrade over time and with use.

 

Excellent point, and one I had never come across/thought about before. The oil in the Scorpio has been there for 2.5k and looks brand new.

[Cavcraft]

Anyone here got a boat? Just scored myself a small dinghy with an engine and want to know what sort of licence I'll need for canal and river use and how much it's likely to cost.

I can get insurance (which it seems I need) but looking round I need some sort of licence or whatever so any ideas (especially ref. costs) how to get it set up would me much appreciated, ta in advance.

[Rod/b]

BOSH:

 

http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/ ... /licensing

[Cavcraft]

I thankyou.

[chaseracer]

Gents, I have another DMF question.

 

Mid-03 manufacture Blingo 2.0HDi 90: will it have one, or is it the usual PugCit story of the lads on the line just grabbing what falls to hand?

[scaryoldcortina]

Gents, I have another DMF question.

 

Mid-03 manufacture Blingo 2.0HDi 90: will it have one, or is it the usual PugCit story of the lads on the line just grabbing what falls to hand?

 

The best way to find out is probably to phone a motor factors (with the reg) and price up a clutch kit.

[Cavcraft]

There's a new shaped Transit petrol with LPG somewhere on eBay and in the description it mentions the clutch is starting to go but 'my local garage said it's only about £200 to put right'.

Still not quite as good as the 174,000 mile diesel on AutoTrader described as being 'formerly owned by a parcel delivery company so you know all the miles were done on the motorway'. I mean obviously all the fucking drops they did were to houses on the M6.

[pompei]

Why is it that if I open a rear window (or two) there is a buffering sensation with ears popping whereas when I open the front windows it's fine? It's happened in at least 4 cars I can think of.

[Morgan84]

Gents, I have another DMF question.

 

Mid-03 manufacture Blingo 2.0HDi 90: will it have one, or is it the usual PugCit story of the lads on the line just grabbing what falls to hand?

 

I am told a Peugeot 307 HDi 90 BHP is the only one which doesn't have a DMF,so I'm assuming that would be pretty much the same for all other 90 BHP cars in the Peugroen family