Ask a Shiter

[NorfolkNWeigh]

 

• Driving down from Scotietland? Monday night rush hour just before Christmas?
• Park at Heathrow Terminal 5 and take the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith.
• 30 mins on tube from Heathrow or up to 3 hours driving,,,queueing,,,,,faffing about looking for a space in Hammersmith,,,,,walking to gig....getting stressed out and missing the start,
• You will have to pay the toll at Birmingham or that could add hours

Sorry but I have to disagree, driving from Heathrow or the M25 to Hammersmith takes about 20 minutes outside of the morning rush hour. There are plenty of pay and display spaces around The Apollo . They're not cheap (£4.00 per hour) but you only pay till 19.00 then it's free until 08.00 the next day. If you arrive after 18.30/19.00 you can park on single yellows right outside. After the gig you'll be back in the car and fucked off back out on the M4 before the tube people have walked to the station. At night it takes less than 10 mins from Hammersmith to the M25 even with the 3 cameras you'll pass in the 40mph bits.

Last time I was at Hammersmith Apollo we left at 23.30 and I was at home in Milton Keynes before 01.00 and that was with lane closures on M25 causing delays.

[red5]

I have to be pedantic otherwise my customers get annoyed when I send them screws that don't match what they have already got.

As a lot of people don't know the difference I thought I would explain. I am very sorry if this upsets you.

 

Doh, sense of humour failure....I think you will find I was poking fun at myself (I work in a Engineering dept)..sorry if that passed you by*..

 

 

 

 

*It's a joke, like the last one. Admittedly not a good one, but a joke nevertheless. Honest

[mat_the_cat]

You say pedantic like it's a BAD thing!

[skattrd]

Export marker ... How do I check to see if a car has an export marker against it, what does it mean, and if it has one how do I get it removed?

[spike60]

Export marker ... How do I check to see if a car has an export marker against it, what does it mean, and if it has one how do I get it removed?

Put details into Vehicle Enquiry GOVT UK. 2 of my old ones have markers but I sold 1 to Stuttgart.

https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

The other I don't know, but where and why would a 110k 10 year old Nissan 200SX RHD be exported to?

[skattrd]

Cheers Spike60, I'd never noticed that on the DVLA site.

 

So the car is showing as having an export marker against it, any idea how I get it removed?

[spike60]

Sorry, never needed to find out as I don't own either anymore. Has it been registered abroad and come back?

[skattrd]

Yep, the car was UK registered, gone abroad and come back ... I may phone Swansea on Monday

[spike60]

 I may phone Swansea on Monday

Good luck!

[fordperv]

The other I don't know, but where and why would a 110k 10 year old Nissan 200SX RHD be exported to?

Probably Ireland for drifting

[spike60]

Probably Ireland for drifting

My first thoughts but it went in 2001 before the D word was uttered, I also thought road tax sky high on anything over about 1100cc.

[Danblez]

Probably been asked a thousand times so apols in advance but does a car still need to be MOT'd to tax online?

[skattrd]

Probably been asked a thousand times so apols in advance but does a car still need to be MOT'd to tax online?

 

Yes

[philibusmo]

If I was to make a new diaphragm for a mechanical fuel pump out of the short of detritus that is likely to be lying around the house, what would work best?

 

I'm considering a bicycle innertube or a crisp packet currently but aren't sure on how they would stand up to petrol or under the constant pumping motion.

[meggersdog]

Stupid question as I am an MOT tester.

Had a Transit in today with a taped up hole in the windscreen and several large cracks and although all of which are in "zone B" they are not in the driver's view of the road.The owner is in dispute with the highways agency over the low hanging branch that caused the damage.His insurance say the damaged 'screen is evidence and as this is not in the driver's view last year the tester passed it.

The hole (not a chip) is about 40mm in diameter and all the cracks eminate from it, most of the cracks are more than 300mm long.The hole is within 300mm of the A pillar and as the 'screen is bonded I've failed it due to structural integrity of the vehicle.

The previous owner of my business and the last one to test the van phoned up this afternoon saying I shouldn't have failed it as the damage is not in the driver's view of the road.

Do I tell him to take it up with VOSA or was I wrong to fail it ?

[Inspector Morose]

I'd say you're not wrong. As the dispute is nothing to do with the MoT process, all you can do is test it as normal for road worthiness at the time of presentation.

 

If the insurance wants to keep the windscreen as is for evidence, it's up to them to provide him with an alternative roadworthy vehicle for the duration and not your problem.

[Pillock]

Tell him to go and see VOSA.

They probably need a laugh, and the one about the guy with the taped up windscreen will keep them going for months.

[TimothyClaypole]

If it's been damaged for 12 months then they need to move on and give it up, a year arguing over a tree branch, they should pay the excess and get a new one.

[Asimo]

If I was to make a new diaphragm for a mechanical fuel pump out of the short of detritus that is likely to be lying around the house, what would work best?

I'm considering a bicycle innertube or a crisp packet currently but aren't sure on how they would stand up to petrol or under the constant pumping motion.

tym.co.uk sell a nylon reinforced nitrile for this purpose. Some inner tube is nitrile type rubber so maybe worth leaving a sample in a jar of petrol for a week to see if it stands up to it or turns to goop.

 

I'd buy a bit of the right material if I were you though. Or a pump if at all possible. No want fuel pump failiure and subsequent long walk home.

[panhard65]

I am inclined to think that you shouldn't of failed it just a pass and advise. I does depend how much of a pedant your customer is. I can't see how you can fail it on structural integrity as it isn't going to collapse in a heap if it didn't have a screen. I personally agree that it should fail but if it isn't in the book then it isn't a reason for rejection. VOSA get quite picky about that.

[twosmoke300]

Agreed . vosa usually go pass and advise on grey areas

[meggersdog]

The hole is not in the swept area but atleast three of the cracks run top to bottom that are.Depending how tall you are one of the cracks could be in the driver's view of the nearside of the road.Must be horrendous to drive at night though.

I agree VOSA can be picky but an actual hole and six or seven large cracks I would hope the vehicle examiner would agree it's unsafe.

[Richard]

I was under the impression that damage over 40mm anywhere on the windscreen was a fail, I'm not a tester though.

[mat_the_cat]

Section 6.9...reason for rejection:

"A crack or surface damage in glass or other transparent material that presents a danger to any person on the vehicle"

 

That may be arguable in this case?

[CreepingJesus]

If I was to make a new diaphragm for a mechanical fuel pump out of the short of detritus that is likely to be lying around the house, what would work best?

I'm considering a bicycle innertube or a crisp packet currently but aren't sure on how they would stand up to petrol or under the constant pumping motion.

Motorbike shops used to be great places to ask after random bits like that. I wouldn't try a shiny BMW Motorrad type place, but an old school place might be able to help.

[willswitchengage]

Ten year old EOS 20D

 

Struggling to focus well, picture quality diminishing giving a distinctively blurred look on all photos, particularly around the edges. Gives a somewhat '90s' look.

 

Ultrasonic 17-40 mm lens.

 

This is fairly typical:

 

 

Which is most likely to need servicing, lens or body?

[saucedoctor]

^Dugong to the beige phone. He's your man.

 

BTW I read your post and though "His head's cut. VW never did a 2.0 diesel EOS"

[Stroller133]

Has anyone put jump leads on wrong way around and got away with? Tried to jump start wife's tdci C-max with my saab 9-3 and crossed the leads. Lot of sparks, smoke snd heat and then took them back off.

The Saab started and returned no faults, but just charging C-max with charger now and hoping for the best.

Might buy c-max battery anyway, it is the second time this month it failed to start.

[willswitchengage]

Has anyone put jump leads on wrong way around and got away with? Tried to jump start wife's tdci C-max with my saab 9-3 and crossed the leads. Lot of sparks, smoke snd heat and then took them back off.

The Saab started and returned no faults, but just charging C-max with charger now and hoping for the best.

Might buy c-max battery anyway, it is the second time this month it failed to start.

 

Yes, the current shorted one of the leads instantly so got away with it. Similar to how leads will short if you put a starter motor current over them - they'll just burn out as its too much. These were crappy Halfords leads, mind

[spike60]

I jumped a V70 D with my Merc CLK320 and got it wrong. Both survived fine, despite the Merc having more electronics than the space shuttle.