Ask a Shiter

[Richard]

Mine are almost double their design life then, I'll just have to continue my strategy of driving round stuff.

[spike60]

There are quite few cars about that a 14 year lifespan airbag is well over engineered!

[Danblez]

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.

Sage advice cheers. It is a px and not their usual fare. By the magics of the interweb I have managed to track down the last owner and all appears above board.

 

Tayne, no it's not a BMW. It's England's finest shonkily made fibreglass v8. Off to see it now.

[cort16]

Just make sure to check the chassis isn't made out of puff pastry.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. If it's a Blackpool special, the chassis rot can be horrific. Have a good feel behind the sill, especially in front of the rear wheel.

 

As for airbags, I'm pretty sure Practical Classics asked a load of manufacturers and some said 'they'll be fine.' When airbags were first fitted, they wouldn't have known if they would still work after ten years, so it was arse-covering really.

[skattrd]

Italian parts supplier - I am after a thermostat for my Delta, which I cannot source in the UK, it appears to be a Delta 2 only part ... Any suggestions?

I have found it on ebay.it and asked the seller if he will ship to UK, but am not holding out much hope .... item http://www.ebay.it/itm/201179666640

[Sigmund Fraud]

Italian parts supplier - I am after a thermostat for my Delta, which I cannot source in the UK, it a ppears to be a Delta 2 only part ...

 

Have you checked part numbers ? I would be very surprised if the thermostat is not shared with at least the Fiat Coupe and the Thema ?

[spike60]

At least it's cheap, the one for my 2.4 Alfa was twice as much and fucked again in 5k miles. Why do Italian 'stats look like an artificial heart, not a thermostat? Some older cars (Renault 12 etc) used an in line stat inside the main top hose, worth looking into?

[skattrd]

Have you checked part numbers ? I would be very surprised if the thermostat is not shared with at least the Fiat Coupe and the Thema ?

 

Yes I have ... it is different.

I was surprised/annoyed as I have one of the gen1 Delta/Thema/Coupe thermostats here

 

The one linked above was the only Delta 2 16v thermostat I could find on Italian ebay.

[skattrd]

For illustration purposes ..

 

Thermostat on my Delta

 

Delta 1/Thema thermostat

 

Ebay.it Delta 2 thermostat

 

The main difference I can see is the three senders on mine compared to the one on the earlier one.

[skattrd]

Crisis over ... Italian seller will ship to UK for 20 euro ... even with shipping it's still cheaper than the wrong thermostat I have to return.

 

Yay, I can dismantle the Delta again when that turns up.

[M'coli]

Does anyone near Wetherby have a 9-inch grinder I could borrow for a day or so, or perhaps a power saw? Need to cut bits out of the Cavalier to see if it's possible to save it.

[tooSavvy]

As for airbags, I'm pretty sure Practical Classics asked a load of manufacturers and some said 'they'll be fine.' When airbags were first fitted, they wouldn't have known if they would still work after ten years, so it was arse-covering really.

 

..... should you have a serious prang and leave your teeth embedded in the wheel, no bag/boom, in any car so fitted but 14yr old. Is there a case to answer?

 

ABS lights check in MOT/Air Bag 'light' check in MOT.... what if Eurocrats go for 'time expired' status on these.....

 

TS

[KruJoe]

..anyone near Wetherby have a 9-inch grinder I could borrow..?

I'm up for seeing the 1.3 Cav being saved Cameron!

We have a BFO grinder knocking about. It doesn't get much use as it's so scary. It's a 110V job, but we have the transformer for it which weighs about as much as a Mk2 Cavalier. If you're lucky there'll be a disk in it, and we may even be able to find the tool for putting a fresh one in. Fire a text off to wor Will if you fancy a play with it, I'm still away for a few more weeks.

[M'coli]

Thanks, Joe. He'll get to see the Muffy the BX if it all goes well!

[Wilko220]

What is the best way of eliminating dog hairs from a car's upholstery? Not being a pet owner, it's not something I've had to think about before - but a previous owner of my 45 obviously was...

[Pillock]

You can get a rubber bristled brush - I think to actually groom pets, but I find it pulls pet hair out of carpets really well.

[HillmanImp]

I have a grinder you can borrow. No idea if its a 9 inch one or not though. Its just a grinder to me.

 

In fact I think its this one if thats any help. No guard disc or handle though.

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb283grd-9-angle-grinder-230v/40362

 

[dave21478]

What is the best way of eliminating dog hairs from a car's upholstery? Not being a pet owner, it's not something I've had to think about before - but a previous owner of my 45 obviously was...

 

Yeah, horsey places sell various rubber grooming brushes, which work fine.

A pair of marigolds will do in a pinch, just rub your palm over the seats and the hairs should lift and bunch up into clumps.

 

I cleaned out this Corrolla using these methods after most valet places refused to touch it.

[Wilko220]

^ Had you been transporting a horse in it?

[KruJoe]

marigolds

Dampen your Marigolds for enhanced satisfaction.

(Is that one?)

[KruJoe]

Thanks, Joe. He'll get to see the Muffy the BX if it all goes well!

WTF you have a BX? I've been out of the loop too long. And a perfect weapon for transporting heavy kit, I'm sure it is too.

I was going to suggest you don't go up for it in Mrs_Coli's new Kia Picanto anyway!

[DS20]

If disconnecting the battery in preparation for leaving a car for a while, is it better to remove the positive lead, the negative lead, or should it be both?  I think I've always removed the negative lead in the past, but am having a moment of self-doubt and wondering if this is the right thing to do.  

[Pillock]

I always do negative, because you do negative first anyway - anyone who has clouted the bodywork with a spanner undoing the positive first will tell you this is a great idea.

 

And once the negative is off, your battery can't discharge so might as well leave it at that.

[steve_earwig]

Everything you read says negative first, everyone you talk to says negative first, even Haynes says negative first, so why do cars that have a quick release always have it on the positive terminal?

[Hendry]

Went through a fairly large puddle earlier and now I'm struggling to go from 2nd to 3rd gear, as in it will go into third but not very smoothly and going from 1st to 2nd or 3rd to 2nd the way I'd usually put it in its not going in, I've got to almost force it in to 2nd, sometimes it just grinds when I try to get 2nd (clutch pressed all the way) and other times it hits resistance, which I know is normal but usually when you press against the resistance in the levert it goes straight in, only now sometimes no matter what I do I can't push past the resistance and make it go into gear, it just wont go into gear, ive got to go back into another gear and try again and it will go in 2nd time, what have I done?

 

(2009 Clio 1.2, 53K miles, gearbox was working as well/smooth as you'd expect from a small French shitbox)

[steve_earwig]

Water in the gearbox? Seems unlikely. Water in the clutch? Is the clutch releasing fully? Can you get it into reverse without it complaining?

[red5]

Stone/crud stuck in gear linkage?

[rainagain]

At least it's cheap, the one for my 2.4 Alfa was twice as much and fucked again in 5k miles. Why do Italian 'stats look like an artificial heart, not a thermostat? Some older cars (Renault 12 etc) used an in line stat inside the main top hose, worth looking into?

Yep had to change mine as well, found one on cheesebay for £40ish seller assured me it would fit, thought great this seller is cheaper than everyone else, big surprise when it arrived and was completely wrong. Had to send it back, the the correct one from the same seller cost just under £100 and like Spikes the next winter it was not working right again (engine not quite getting to temp). Grrr

[Luckythirteen]

It's possible you've knocked the linkage on the Clio, they're bad for that. They get out of alignment, like how your tracking goes. It's easily adjusted, if you can get the measurements from the Renault service manual.

It's also possible the cable's had enough after its quick bath. Again, not hard to do, but you'll need to adjust the linkages after.

Also check if yours has rubber bump stops by the box, sometimes they come adrift and cause problems.

Good luck!