Ask a Shiter

[Richard]

Remember that for licensing purposes it's the plated weight of the trailer that counts not the actual weight of the trailer and it's load. Most plant trailers or car trailers will be plated at 2500kg or even 3500kg. Since this figure must be less than the kerb weight of the tow vehicle they're not legal on a B licence.

 

I've a feeling that's now been relaxed. The truth is that literally nobody really knows what the towing laws are, you could ask 20 officials and not get the same answer twice.

[worldofceri]

^How could that be legal ?

As wouldn't it be me (driver) who requires the entitlement ?

 

Mad, but true.  You will have provisional B+E entitlement so, provided you display L plates, any driver who has held full B+E entitlement for over three years can 'supervise' you.  Subject to your insurance, natch.  You can even go on motorways and everything.

[Pillock]

 

 

 

• Is £1,000 reasonable?
• Should I get rid once repaired?

No, yes. Definitely in that order.

It's perhaps a regular price, doesn't make it reasonable. Ask what the £1000 covers, because a turbo replacement on these is not just a case of bolts - as you've found.

 

Look across the Focus forums for tales of woe with repeated turbo failure. You have to replace all sorts of pickups, pipes and meshes as well as thoroughly flush.

 

So if their £1000 covers this, perhaps it's worth it. Assuming they bung a warranty on it.

[gordonbennet]

 

What is going on with my modern?

• 1.6HDi Peugeot Partner Origin 600 van.  47,000 miles.  Oil and filter changed every 12K.  
• New turbo in Sept 2013 at a cost of £1,128 (paid by last company owner).
• Turbo has blown again today - just 15 months later.
• Been quoted £1,000 for new turbo/pipes/flush by local garage (SE prices).  
• 2 Questions:

1. Is £1,000 reasonable?
2. Should I get rid once repaired?

 

 

Focii with this engine have a history of repeated turbo failures, there's a tech bulletin about this but i don't have access.

 

There's some sort of filter in the feed pipe that gets clogged with crud from shitty oil and unless the pipes and filter get changed and their fittings cleaned out properly it's destined to repeat, part of the problem IMO is stupid service intervals, and despite 12k being better than many modern requirements i thinks it's still bollocks and i'd half that figure, and use proper Diesel engine oil with all the detergents from someone like MIllers.

Oils might last but the crap in suspension in the oil is still there, it should end up in the filter, but if the filters so good where is this crud coming from and more importantly where's it getting stuck, if the van were mine i might be inclined to whip the sump off or get a camera lens on a flexi stick have a bloody good poke nose at the oil pick up in the sump.

 

I agree with letting turbos warm up and cool down too, for all the years i ran turbo Diesels, and driven them in lorries for literally millions of miles i've never had a single turbo failure, and i simply refuse to follow the fashion of today which says that warm up cool down is no longer required because modern oils and designs are so good, well effin bollocks i say, years ago before Gucci oils were de rigeur we didn't have annual fuggin turbo changes so why now?

[Wilko220]

What you need is a Citroen C15D...

[bub2006]

Is there a new road tax regulation change just come in? Browsing through classified ads in practical classics magazine. 1996 Mercedes c180. Advert states free tax from next year. I'm impressed, makes a change from rolling 25 year exemption usually spoke of

[Alan_Green]

• Thanks for your replies about the serial-turbo-blowing Pug van.  

I emailed the company that owned the van originally (FAO "The Transport Manager") and, amazingly, received a reply straight away.  The new turbo had come with a 6-month guarantee from Sep 2013 but, annoyingly for them, had partially failed again in April 2014 just out of guarantee and needed another £500 of "turbo repairs".  

So that'll be £2,600 of turbo repairs in 15 months on a 2010 van with only 47K!  Thought these vans were good for 200K.

The workshop is going to follow a long 40 step procedure that is listed online on various forums. So I suppose the £1,000 is OK if they do all that.

Will then follow advice and get rid of it anyway. This might be my last modern diesel. Might switch to running disposable petrol Nissan Almeras or some other Bangeromicsmobile. 

[Alan_Green]

^^^ After some deep Googling here is the "Technical Bulletin" on 1.6 HDi PSA turbo replacement referred to by GordonBennet above. 

Tech Bulletins 453420 750030.pdf

[Danblez]

^^^ After some deep Googling here is the "Technical Bulletin" on 1.6 HDi PSA turbo replacement referred to by GordonBennet above. 

 

Crikey, this looks like a lose lose situation to me. If I were feeling unscrupulous I would be bunging a second hand turbo on, nothing else and flogging on. Don't think I could live with my conscience though.

[twosmoke300]

PSA 1.6HDi TURBOS, 2004- ONWARDS

753420-5005S & 49173-07506 110 & 90 bhp

The PSA 1.6HDi, DV6TED4 engine is a highly sophisticated low emission, high power diesel unit. It is used in many different

applications Citroen, Ford, Mazda, Mini, Peugeot and Volvo.

 

 

Means :- " we designed this engine as cheaply and as close to the edge as possible and its fucked over owners of the following cars "

[myglaren]

No, yes. Definitely in that order.

It's perhaps a regular price, doesn't make it reasonable. Ask what the £1000 covers, because a turbo replacement on these is not just a case of bolts - as you've found.

 

Look across the Focus forums for tales of woe with repeated turbo failure. You have to replace all sorts of pickups, pipes and meshes as well as thoroughly flush.

 

So if their £1000 covers this, perhaps it's worth it. Assuming they bung a warranty on it.

 

Common topic on the FCF Citroen and Pug forums.  There is also a chance that the vacuum pump is contrubutory to turbo failure.

Fix and dump.

[steve_earwig]

PSA 1.6HDi TURBOS, 2004- ONWARDS

753420-5005S & 49173-07506 110 & 90 bhp

The PSA 1.6HDi, DV6TED4 engine is a highly sophisticated low emission, high power diesel unit. It is used in many different

applications Citroen, Ford, Mazda, Mini, Peugeot and Volvo.

 

 

Means :- " we designed this engine as cheaply and as close to the edge as possible and its fucked over owners of the following cars "

DV6s are Ford DLDs. That's a bloody nightmare nonetheless. I'd fix it on the cheap, 2nd hand turbot, do my best to clean all the pipes out and change the screen but still flog it to someone I don't know who lives miles away.

[Alan_Green]

• Emailed the technical report and some other stuff I found on forums to the workshop. They pondered for a bit then decided to "requote" at £1,500! (up from £1,000)  
• Spoke to a big turbo supplier and asked them to recommend an installer in my area. They recommended a local guy who knows his stuff and quoted £850 with 12 month guarantee.

Plan A - Repair and use for 11 months then sell on with a reasonably clean conscience.  

Plan B - Ebay as is (with busted turbo) for £2,500 No VAT.  Jun 2010 Pug van. 47K, FSH (LOL) SLD Air con.

[wuvvum]

Anyone know how to remove the gear knob on an automatic Vel Satis?

[panhard65]

Anyone know how to remove the gear knob on an automatic Vel Satis?

Plasma cutter whilst chopping the rest of it up prior to the crusher ?

[Bobthebeard]

Anyone know how to remove the gear knob on an automatic Vel Satis?

Remove the autobox, cut a hole in the floorpan then reach up from underneath and hurt your hands. Get an assistant to stand on the passenger seat and pull upwards. It may* come free. If it remains fixed just leave it there and put it down to experience.

[HillmanImp]

What setting do I need to have the multimeter at to check if a battery is charging? I really don't understand what any of these things mean:

 

[Richard]

You want 50 on the DC Voltage scale (left side). The battery voltage should be about 12 with the engine off and about 14 with the engine running (might have to rev a bit higher than idle).

[Station]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

[HH-R]

What setting do I need to have the multimeter at to check if a battery is charging? I really don't understand what any of these things mean:

 

Point it at 50 on the left hand side with the V and a line and dots (DC voltage). V on the other side is AC.

 

Top blue left is resistance and bottom blue bit is current. The Batt part is just for 9V square batteries or AA/AAAs.

[HH-R]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

 

Two different members once claimed that their dad had bought BRAND NEW LAND ROVER D701SWL in a thread, or Boll's credit card got scammed and someone bought D701SWL with it, I forget.

[HillmanImp]

Thanks for that guys. Turns out I don't need it. I had the multimeter at hand and thought I would figure it out before I went outside but it soon became pretty obvious what was wrong. The battery is definitely not charging as the fan belt has come off/snapped so no clever multimeter diagnosis is needed.

 

Will sort it out Saturday morning.

[HillmanImp]

What is that D701SWL reg plate (or whatever it is) all about?

 

It was this thread:

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/5049-free-v8-lr-win/

[HH-R]

That thread still gives me a good laugh!

[Danblez]

Going to view a car tomorrow that the garage says is a trade only sale and there is no warranty. Now the cynic in me worries it may die in a cloud of steam on the way home as I don't trust any car dealers and it is 6.5ks worth of my hard earned I am playing with.

 

If they claim that nothing is wrong with it and some turns out to be very wrong with it I would still be covered by Sale of Goods act right?

 

What if they claim they don't know anything about it and there could well be something wrong with it? Not covered at all right? I feel they are already covering themselves because even though it looks immaculate nothing is mentioned of condition at all.

 

 

Take a gamble or walk away?

[cobblers]

I suppose you've got to try and ask yourself why they are trying to cover their arse - is it something old and fancy that is not their usual fare that they have ended up with through a PX or something? if that;s the case I would give them the benefit of the doubt, but if it's something relatively mainstream then they probably know something you don't.

[Craig the Princess]

I can understand that a garage would be nervous about being liable for a £300 shiter, but at £6,500 they shouldn't be looking to wriggle out of anything.

[xtriple]

Can you ask non car related stupid questions here?

 

If so....

 

If you chew something but don't swallow it, do you get any calories?

[The Moog]

Do airbags go out of date?

 

The civic is 1997 car and has got a drivers airbag. In theory should it need servicing/replacing?

[willswitchengage]

If you chew something but don't swallow it, do you get any calories?

 

My girlfriend keeps asking me that