Ask a Shiter

[bub2006]

That's my issue,i haven't got any certificate to prove my competence when in reality i have probably forgot more than what most lads at Kwik fit know. I learnt most of my knowledge through my dad and grandad. Everything else is self taught

[catsinthewelder]

I have a spanner monkeys qualification (ABC diploma) from 10 years ago but never received the certificate.  Triggers post the other day is about the first time I've thought it worth the bother to chase up.  It would probably be a bit of a sod to prove things but the college that I trained at took over the college that I work at last year so it might be worth a shot now that I'm staff.  Cheap spanners FTW.

[bub2006]

That's exactly it. I need a new set of ratchet spanners and a torque wrench. Also jack could do with replacing as when i changed water pump on the car it decided to lower the engine towards my head.

[drum]

I've had a search but can't find any info about this year's shitefest like when and where.

[Richard]

It's a sticky at the top of the page.

[drum]

It's a sticky at the top of the page.

Ah - so Wales Shitefest is the Shitefest? I assumed it was an additional event.

[alf892]

I did pop into my local Halfords last night, I had my C&G certificates with me and explained to the store manager that I worked from home on cash jobs and that I have these certificates as proof, he had a read of them and said that as they are a level 2 it meant I could trade apparently so it was fine.

 

The only trouble was that they didn't have any cards left and said that I'd have to go to the store in town to get some which means going through all that again...

I think it depends on store...........I got mine on my business card but they didn't seem very arsed at all. I think the level 2 bit is balls anyway.......

 

In reality it is a passport to pain. You should look on the discount as a down payment on the fuel you will use returning the incorrectly supplied parts. Then the operative will insist you are wrong because the computer says blah. When I first got the card I used to it to pick up a battery for the Mrs alf wagon and parts for 2 services the next day. Nice ordinary cars. Neither set of parts was fully correct.

 

Have never bothered since although recently called in for wiper blades as they were nearby and they did a new variation on not fucking helping

 

Checked on web to make they did them.....flat jobbies

 

Went in shop.......operative worked computer and said no.

 

But the web said yes I plead.......

 

Well you can see the screen mate says op.......

 

Back home.........check..........reserve online.

 

Back to shop and operative has to re invoice because of trade card (can't use on click collect!)

 

Useful for their better batteries.......sometimes.

 

Far better to get a good working relationship with a proper local factor so you get proper discount.

[trigger]

I have a couple of cheap motor factors nearby, one of them i used to work for so i get trade anyway but they close at 1pm on a Saturday where as Halfords is open all weekend.

 

Funnily I've just got back from the place, I went in a the store manager who looked at my paperwork, he said that's all fine, i had a few questions to ask, where do i work from (home address), who told you about the card, I said friends and he said he'll put work instead, I signed a piece of paper and he handed the card over.

 

So i bought myself a 1 litre of Castrol GTX and a torx bit set which should have come to £23 but instead came to £19 with the card so I'm happy. 

[laser wheels]

Transmission question:

 

When I am stationary and on the footbrake in the Sierra (3-speed auto) I get a lot of vibration, but it's fine in neutral or park - it's purely when, for example, I'm at the traffic lights with my foot on the brake pedal, or in a queue. As soon as I take my foot of the brake and start moving again all is fine! Just assumed it was a case of 'they all do that, sir' but if it's something worn out I may as well try and get it fixed. Any ideas?

[tooSavvy]

.... if the engine is pulling the car against the brakes.... think about the prop in the equation

 

TS

[Richard]

I was going to ask a similar question, as I'm new to automatic driving.

 

When waiting at junctions should I sit in Drive with the handbrake on or put it in Neutral?

[cort1977]

I believe that it is better to leave it in drive, shifting back and forth causes more wear.

[twosmoke300]

Probably your idle a bit low . Possible adjustment or vac leak, slight misfire etc.

[Asimo]

Engine mounts, prop shaft joints, including centre beaing, transmission oil level as well as general engine health / tune. Much less tolerance of things being a little off with auto because you the driver can't adapt to things like tickover speed wrong. Leave in drive at lights etc.

[Mr Livered]

I was going to ask a similar question, as I'm new to automatic driving.

 

When waiting at junctions should I sit in Drive with the handbrake on or put it in Neutral?

I too acquired an automatic car recently, after several years of not having one, and I was wondering the same thing.

 

My Mercedes has one of those "economy" gauges which are supposed to tell you how fuel-efficient you're being. When the car is stationary and ticking over in Park or Neutral, the economy gauge needle is right over the green side, but if you leave it in Drive and hold it stationary with the footbrake, the gauge moves a little (about a sixth of the way up the gauge).

 

From this I assumed that it's not so efficient to leave it in Drive. After all, it is trying to creep forward and as Savvy says, it's pulling against the brakes which implies it's using more fuel than at tickover shurely?

[Tayne]

Sitting in an auto in drive and holding it on the brakes will place more strain on internal bits of the gearbox.

Putting it in park is like putting a manual into neutral. 

[DeeJay]

First time I drove an auto I nearly went through the windscreen.

Went to change gear and stomped on the brake.

[HH-R]

Having never driven an auto, will it not stall regardless of how steep a hill is when you take your foot off the brake? Or on the steepest hills does it require a quick right foot on the accelerator?

[Spiny Norman]

Shouldn't do, no.

Some can even roll slightly down the hill against the direction of travel if there's no creep or if the hill is steep enough.

 

As for the putting it into neutral or park at junctions thing, in a new-ish car I never bother. In another one of those 'I heard that'.... statements, it may* cause more wear and tear on the innards of the box disengaging and re-engaging drive all the time.

 

In some older cars I've had where they struggle to idle smoothly in park I'd knock the lever into neutral if I thought I'd be waiting a while but I never bothered in my Merc.

[Tayne]

Having never driven an auto, will it not stall regardless of how steep a hill is when you take your foot off the brake? Or on the steepest hills does it require a quick right foot on the accelerator?

The hill needs to be very steep.

I had a hire car go backwards in San Francisco once.

[laser wheels]

Brace yourselves for a question of epically stupid proportions.

 

I have within the last hour replaced the distributor cap and HT leads on my Sierra - you no where this is going, don't you? - and now I don't have the foggiest which lead plugs into what. In my naivety and enthusiasm I figured the new dizzy would be marked or labelled in some way, but it's not. Nada. Nowt.

 

So, could someone please oblige this overly enthusiastic and well intentioned mongtard and tell him where he needs to stick his leads ...

[mat_the_cat]

Turn the engine until number 1 cylinder is at TDC. You then have a 50% chance that the distributor arm is pointing to no. 1 HT lead. If you can check that the valves are both closed on no.1, then you know for certain that it's pointing to the right lead. Then just follow the firing order round the cap. Been there, done that...

[Richard]

Line up the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley, as mat says that will be the firing position for 1 or 4. Follow the firing order from 1, and if that doesn't work move all the leads round two spaces.

[laser wheels]

Thanks guys, just nipped out to give it a shot - woudn't start first time at all so moved all leads round just one space (following 1-3-4-2 clockwise as per HBOL) and It's running!  Now, as it's running does this mean I've done it properly, or could I still be wrong. It's definitely running better than before I swapped in the new bits so I must have done something right, er, right?

[laser wheels]

Turn the engine until number 1 cylinder is at TDC. You then have a 50% chance that the distributor arm is pointing to no. 1 HT lead. If you can check that the valves are both closed on no.1, then you know for certain that it's pointing to the right lead. Then just follow the firing order round the cap. Been there, done that...

 How would I go about checking if the valves are closed or not - I really am a noob!

[cort16]

I did this once in Halfords car park at 7pm at night on a 1.3 Lancia Delta. I ripped all the leads all off and in my enthuisasm didn't look to see how they went back on. I just fucked around for ages until it run (badly) enough to get me home. I then just pissed around with them until it stopped shooting fire out the exhaust.

 

Edit, there's bound to be a picture on the interwebs somewhere that shows how the leads go onto the distributer on a pinto. Like this..

 

[Richard]

You want to try it in an Alfa 33 with its Boxer engine.

[mat_the_cat]

 How would I go about checking if the valves are closed or not - I really am a noob!

 

You might be able to check by looking through the oil filler cap hole, but easiest to try one way then the other, if it doesn't start first time. It'll either be at TDC on the firing stroke, or exhaust stroke so reasonable odds of getting it right! Or just do what you did - it wouldn't start with them 90 degrees out  so if it runs, you have it correct.

[tooSavvy]

Troo Storriesss.....

 

..the EX's [s.N.M] Pa had a Cretina 1.6 auto (coss of his havinn no leg....!) & she had a GO!

 

She basically hit the Gas / stompped Brake, simultaneously..... I am sure the prop took two oaths of allegeance to 'Darth Vader'!! [well... it sounded like him..lol]

 

 

I had told her to put her 'clutch foot' away.. like under the seat.. to be able to 'go/stop'...

 

aye, well, she's gone and so has the FiL & Cretin....

 

 

my life has never been so uncluttered..........

 

 

TS

[Noel Tidybeard]

autos are easy on a hill- just learn left foot braking simples

 

many moons of driving/teaching forklift makes one quite adept at it