Ask a Shiter

[nacho man]

H4 headlight bulb with three prongs: 1prong=earth 2=dip 3= main.

If you have only two wires, one will be 12v to either the dip or main beam filament, the other will be earth. Remove the bulb then Measure the voltage between earth ie the car body / engine etc and the two terminals for the  headlight bulb. One of these should be 12v, the other should be zero. If they are both 12v, there is an earth connection missing. Compare with the other side that works.

 

Cheers, I was flumoxed as my new bulb also wasnt working, but bulb number 3 now lights up. So was a dodgy bulb x2.

[alf892]

Bully for you, but for those who like to anticipate traffic correctly, being able to see what's going on is an important part of the skill of driving.

 woo! sensitive!! Never realised the skill of driving involved such an inability to deal with minor distractions.......live long warrior

[Bucketeer]

Is it illegal to hitch-hike in the UK?

Something in a seldom used corner of my brain says it is, and I don't recall seeing any UK hitchers since I was a lad.

It's prevalent in mainland Europe and a great way to get about for ZERO DOLLA plus you meet some interesting characters.

It's even better having an attractive lady with you to flag cars down whilst hiding out of sight.

[Mr Livered]

Nah, I'm pretty sure it's not illegal. I see quite a few round here, about 70% of them are holding trade plates but quite a few vaguely hippyish types too, especially on roads that lead further west.

[TimothyClaypole]

Does anyone know what the Autoshite logo font is please?

[Bobthebeard]

Does anyone know what the Autoshite logo font is please?

No idea, but hopefully it is from the early 1980's and possibly designed by Clive Sinclair. If it is post 1997 it may be total rubbish and may well break down when you actually try to use it.

[catsinthewelder]

Is it illegal to hitch-hike in the UK?

Something in a seldom used corner of my brain says it is, and I don't recall seeing any UK hitchers since I was a lad.

It's prevalent in mainland Europe and a great way to get about for ZERO DOLLA plus you meet some interesting characters.

It's even better having an attractive lady with you to flag cars down whilst hiding out of sight.

 

It's illegal to hitch hike on a motorway,  if that's what you were thinking.

 

The first time my Renault Migraine blew it's engine I hitched the 10 miles to work for a few weeks,  set off 30 mins earlier and started walking up the road with a bit of cardboard and was only a bit late once.  One guy picked me up in a 70s 911 Targa ,while a friend from work who spotted me a bit late on an iffy corner was turning round to come back for me.

[willswitchengage]

Is it illegal to hitch-hike in the UK?

 

A mate of mine does it around the country, it's interesting hearing how he does it, tips and techniques etc. Most are pretty sensible really. He said the only people who pick him are up are those who have hitched in the past, so there's a little community going on.

[catsinthewelder]

I had no luck hitching up in County Durham where there are plenty of buses to catch but out here in the sticks people know that there won't be a bus for hours (or even days) so are happier to pick you up whether they've hitched themselves or not.  An old dear picked me up on an unlit back road at 10.30pm and insisted on driving a few miles past her house to drop me off on 2 or 3 occasions,  I offered but she wouldn't take any petrol money for doing so.

 

Obviously I now pick up hitchers whenever possible (though the car is often full as I have 3 kids).

[MrDuke]

I picked up a hitchhiker near Blairgowrie once.

Mainly because he was hot.

 

 

That's the problem with being straight: 1) fit females don't tend to hitch without male company these days, and 2) even if they did, I seriously doubt they'd get into a car next to a leching oaf like me.

 

Unless you just meant that you wanted to share your air-con with him in the middle of summer?

[Bucketeer]

Thanks for (sort of) clearing that up. I don't know where I got the idea it was illegal in Britain.

I'm delivering my Volvo to it's new custodian this weekend so I'll give it a go on the way back.

 

I had a foolproof way of getting picked up in Bulgaria.

EVERYONE stops for Miss_B whereas not so many stop for just me. I really don't know why.

 

My hitching aid.

[twosmoke300]

I've only hitched once from taunton to truro. Was waiting at the services for about 10 mins when a lovely young lady in a flash range rover picks me up . Took me straight to where I wanted to go and wouldn't take a penny.

Later I found out that it was a very flash range rover. A project kahn.

That was a good day.

Being smartly dressed and trade plates helped I think

[cort1977]

Thanks for (sort of) clearing that up. I don't know where I got the idea it was illegal in Britain.

I'm delivering my Volvo to it's new custodian this weekend so I'll give it a go on the way back.

 

I had a foolproof way of getting picked up in Bulgaria.

EVERYONE stops for Miss_B whereas not so many stop for just me. I really don't know why.

 

My hitching aid.

Can recommend this technique, have used it a few times with the missus when we were students, good in remote parts of Scotland, not so good in the South East.   For added giggles i used to stand back a bit while she did the actual thumbing.   Think several drivers were disappointed when i jumped in as well as the wife.

I now always pick up hitchers when i have room, I learned a lot about building sweat lodges and skip diving last time i picked up a couple of crusty types, all very interesting.

[twosmoke300]

If anyone hid while their missus thumbed a lift I would drive off once they appeared.

[cort16]

I hitched from Oxford to hull once but couldn't get any further. We got picked by a guy in a freezer lorry . Just chuck your stuff in the back lads. Cue an hour later dragging 2 backpacks full of frozen solid jumpers and under pants out the back.

[mat_the_cat]

When transporting a car on a trailer, is it best to use the towing eyes or get some proper tyre straps? I've done a bit of moving before but it's usually been scrappers, in which case I've just looped the strap through the shell! Gut feeling says lashing/towing eyes as you'll get less bounce in the suspension.

[trigger]

I don't know if it's the correct way or not but every time my dad's moved a car for me he's used a ratchet strap and a short link strap around the wheels to hold it in place.

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Yes, Father Trigger has got the right idea. Always strap the wheels, towing eyes/'lash down' hooks etc can pull off , it's unlikely all 4 wheels will.

I did a bit of recovery/ repo work with a mate a few years ago and had to do some bollocks course , so we could do RAC/AA work ( cost £500 each ,just a common sense test) and the instructor had lots of horror stories,mostly hard shoulder deaths, but quite a few about badly secured cars nearly always involving people using winches to hold cars on or towing eyes ripping out of rusty heaps.

[mat_the_cat]

Rusty heaps? What in the world makes you think I would be carrying round anything like that?

 

 

towing eyes/'lash down' hooks etc can pull off , it's unlikely all 4 wheels will.

 

You say this *now*, but that sounds remarkably like tempting fate to me...

[panhard65]

I think it is law that you have to strap down around the wheels. I think there is a website with lots of usefull information about this but can't remember now. I know I went out and bought the correct straps after reading it though.

[Ratdat]

When transporting a car on a trailer, is it best to use the towing eyes or get some proper tyre straps? I've done a bit of moving before but it's usually been scrappers, in which case I've just looped the strap through the shell! Gut feeling says lashing/towing eyes as you'll get less bounce in the suspension.

 

The main reason for NOT strapping a vehicle down by towing eyes or parts of the body is that if you should hit a big enough bump or dip, the cars suspension could compress enough for the straps to fall off. To pull the car down hard enough to prevent that is not only difficult, but also exerts enormous stress on the straps and lashing points on both the car and trailer.

 

Wheel straps secure the vehicle to the trailer and allow the body and suspension to move freely. I actually bought some new straps when I went to fetch the Cherry Europe. There are special short straps with the wheel loop and cost about £48 for the set of four.

 

[mat_the_cat]

/\ Cheers for that - makes a lot of sense. Probably the majority of cars I've moved have been hydraulic Citroens i.e. sunk to the bump stops so I've probably got away with a less than ideal method previously.

[cort1977]

If anyone hid while their missus thumbed a lift I would drive off once they appeared.

Yep, but it's not so easy once she is half way in the car.   I wasn't exactly hiding just standing back a bit...

[twosmoke300]

Dishonest. Stuff like that is why loads of people won't stop for hitchers.

Half way in the car or not your both out .

[MrDuke]

Re. wheel straps - if you're taking it any distance, remember to stop after a few miles and check the strap tension. If any of the tyres are less than airtight, they can work loose and need ratcheting down again.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Does anyone know what the Autoshite logo font is please?

 

Jazz Gothic is very close. But you'll have to modify it a bit because some of the letters aren't right (the H and I are too tall). I wasn't happy with it when I did the calendar covers so I ended up drawing the text in illustrator. 

[messerschmitt owner]

tyre straps are £55 a set and worth every penny. 

 

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/car-transporter-straps-in-holdall-4m-x-50mm-4-piece-set/48950

 

They even come in a bag - that will take even more straps (I have another three straps and ratchets in mine). Sorry, but if I'm transporting a car it isn't worth the risk of not doing it properly for something that should last a lifetime. It's faster to use these on the wheels too than any other form of strapping down.

[Station]

I saw 50 - 60 year old men trainspotting the other day. I like cars, etc., draw the line at going too far into 'sad hobbying'. If I end up doing that, I'm throwing myself on the track.

Why do men always end up having those typically really shit, sad hobbies (like trainspotting, model aeroplane making, etc), while women do not?

[morris_ital_lover]

I see the DVA in Northern Ireland is being closed and those who must not be named in Swansea are taking over... Will this eventually spell an end to ABC1234 plates specially for Norn Iron?

[Junkman]

I saw 50 - 60 year old men trainspotting the other day. I like cars, etc., draw the line at going too far into 'sad hobbying'. If I end up doing that, I'm throwing myself on the track.

Why do men always end up having those typically really shit, sad hobbies (like trainspotting, model aeroplane making, etc), while women do not?

 

What's wrong with model making, please?

I do this enthusiastically since 10 years old, and know a lot of people also doing it since childhood, so it is hardly an old man's sad hobby.

Oh, and I know a lot of women doing it, too, some of which are rather young and pretty etc etc.