Ask a Shiter

[steve_earwig]

I think they'll probably be getting the component manufacturers part numbers and their system will link all the cars fitted with the part together with maybe the numbers those car's manufacturers use. A foolproof way of accessing this sort of detail would indeed be most useful, the best I have so far is using Google and finding places that may or may not be giving reliable information.

 

Yeah, same question, me too.

[skattrd]

I asked about bull bars the other day, but didn't get a firm answer, however I have now come across:

 

 

From 25th May 2007 for motor vehicles categorised as M1 (a passenger carrying vehicle not exceeding 3.5 tonnes and not more than 8 passengers) or N1 (a goods vehicle not exceeding 3.5 tonnes) it will only be legal to manufacturer and sell bull bars that comply with EU Directive 2005/66/EC.

It will be illegal to manufacture and sell bull bars that do not conform to this legislation punishable by a maximum penalty, to be imposed within the UK, of 12 months imprisonment and/or a fine of £20,000.

Operators of vehicles already fitted with these devices will not be affected

 

So if the vehicle is pre May 2007 and they were fitted pre May 2007 then it's ok .... I think.

[Des]

I have a rare front stub axle with a damaged thread, I can clean it up and it would probably be ok, but I'm just too damn fussy. Has anyone had experience of getting such an item repaired by metal spraying or should I just spunk weld all over the bastard and grind it back to shape?

[saucedoctor]

When I ring up the local motor factors and give them my reg, they then look up the parts I want on their computer. From this they can look up parts number and cross check them with parts that will also fit the same vehicle made by different manufacturers. 

 

How does this work? Is this a listing they receive from each manufacturer or is there a combined listing? Do they just type in the reg 3 times for each supplier?

 

Is there an easy way of doing this online? 

 

My mate's shops use this, and it does basically what you and Mr Earwig surmise. It throws up the car from the reg, and then the parts enquired about show up by other vehicles that they fit too. Then another tab will show makers, e.g. oil filters: FIAMM, MANN, Motorcraft, etc.

 

http://www.mamsoftware.com/usa/autopart#    Loads of plugins and very customisable. Plus it's called MAMS fnarr!

 

http://www.mamsoftware.com/usa/autocat

 

It won't work at all if the internet connection goes down (as it did yesterday!)

 

 

[HH-R]

My local factors don't have anything like that, they just start sucking through their teeth and saying "haven't got one of them mate, need to order one in and it will be three days" as soon as you say "Do you have a...". The other one in the area has the added bonus of always suppliying the wrong bits.

[Craig the Princess]

Unipart's old system for doing that was rubbish, quite often giving the wrong part. I wonder if that is GSF's problem.

[castros_bro]

I got a car on Sunday and did the V5 thing so the seller posted the paperwork to DVLA.................................then I sold the car on Sunday so handed the new owner's slip in my name to the new-new owner.   I didn't do the tax thing for the car.    The new-new owner will have to wait for the V5 to arrive in my name then fill it in and then wait for the V5 to arrive in their name. 

 

As I understand it if the new-new owner were to tax it now their tax will get refunded to me when we do their V5 thing.    Comme ci comme ça ????

[alf892]

^...that is going fry the mainframe at good old DVLA............too much logic required to just send v5 to new new owner.

 

No such box available for ticking..........

[Station]

What is going on in the intro to Minder?

He buys a car and they appear to not knowing each other but it keeps cutting to old photos of them together?

WTF is going on?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

What is going on in the intro to Minder?

He buys a car and they appear to not knowing each other but it keeps cutting to old photos of them together?

WTF is going on?

It must completely blow your mind in later series when that R plate Capri 2 changes into a Mk1 facelift but still with the same number.

[alf892]

Most stupid question ever.....

 

What are we supposed to do with the new garage thing?

 

I have waited and watched........all I see is someone puts up a pic of their car........bit like they used to/still do on the main board. Except there is no chat about the motor.......it's just kind of 'there'.

 

Am I missing the point? Is there a point? Have we just got it because we can have it?

[D Spares & Tyres]

Just why does it appear to be illegal to overtake people these days????

 

I live in a rural area with long sweeping roads that you can see for miles on so why do I either get flashed at when I overtake some old sprout in his rover doing 25 mph? either that or they speed right up so it makes it much harder.

 

why would you do that ??????????

[D Spares & Tyres]

As long as the Unremarkable Clio is taxed, tested and insured here (which it will be), there shouldn't be a problem with it living in Euroland for a few months, should there?

I'm thinking mostly of France, but Germany is lurking too.

It's one of those things where I've checked, but I'm feeling I've missed a detail that could be a problem! Like the non-functional speedo.

Any advice from well-travelled Shiters appreciated.

The only problem I had was in a Sierra when the clutch cable went and LHD versions have different cables and not many of them in French motor factors if you can find one. so drove back to UK with no cable. which went suprisingly Ok apart from on the ferry

[Minimad5]

I was driving the 760 today on a smooth flat road, and had quite a lot of steering wheel wobble.

Just wondering if any 700/900 owners have experienced this, before i lay on my back on the cold wet concrete and have to prod everything.

edit:
Forgot to say i don't think it's the front brakes, as they seem free and bite well.

[KruJoe]

Mark, check your front tyres really well, I mean jack up the front at least, full lock on, and check all around carefully. Maybe one is wearing oddly / is miss-shapen / has an egg or summert.

[daveb47]

Most stupid question ever.....

 

What are we supposed to do with the new garage thing?

 

I have waited and watched........all I see is someone puts up a pic of their car........bit like they used to/still do on the main board. Except there is no chat about the motor.......it's just kind of 'there'.

 

Am I missing the point? Is there a point? Have we just got it because we can have it?

If the owner clicks modifications he can update any maintenance,repairs etc,also anyone can comment etc.

Its a trial & if it dont work it will go

[Mr Lobster]

Anyone know much abour Kia Ceed brakes? 

 

Father Lobs has his 2010 Ceed at the dealers for MOT. After they had rung and told him that it needed discs and pads all round (£450!) they then range back and said that the handbrake is operated by seperate brake shoes which also needed replacing (extra £90).  I can't see a Ceed having some fancy rear brake set up and this sounds a bit fishy to me (not to mention expensive).

 

Anyone throw any light on this?

[D Spares & Tyres]

Its perfectly normal these days. like a tiny drum with handbrake shoes in then disc as normal on outside. I think its actually cheaper for them to do it this way

[twosmoke300]

And usually leads to a better handbrake

[alf892]

.......although while handbrake shoes shouldn't wear out the lining will get rejected by the shoe due to corrosion.

It does sound dear but then we are on AS so most dealer maintenance bills will sound high.

 

Good quality factor sourced parts and an good indy repair shop would cut a load off that bill

[Mr Lobster]

Its perfectly normal these days. like a tiny drum with handbrake shoes in then disc as normal on outside. I think its actually cheaper for them to do it this way

 

Cheers! You learn something new every day!

[D Spares & Tyres]

No probs!

 

The only drawback is that because they aren`t worked as often as if they were part of the actual breaking system they tend to seize up a bit sometimes, thats what has worn the shoes out

[meggersdog]

Is father Lobs car in for a service aswell ?

Brake discs are only a fail if they are cracked or seriously weakened.Brake pads are only a fail if 1.5mm or less.Everything else is a pass and advise.Unless they have taken the rear discs off how can they tell the car needs handbrake shoes ?

 

Service items are different to MOT pass/fail items

[gordonbennet]

Kia Ceed.

 

e-parts shop on ebay (i've bought from them before, proper stuff) are showing Mintex discs and pads @ £83.30 fronts and £53.94 rear the lot free del...you'll have to source parking brake shoes elsewhere but unless they are delaminating like the shit Volvo use they do not wear out, bare in mind changing the rear shoes if needed can be fiddly, so if you want to have a go yourself check on Kia forum or Youtube first just in case you need any special tools and to find out how to slacken the usually manual shoe adusters to get the disc/drums off easily...found this out the hard way when i renewed the rear brake shoes on the Merc, 'kinell, took weeks for the bloody grazes blood blisters and scars to heal, should have bought a special little tool for a tenner to release the shoe hold down springs first.

 

If you ring e-parts Cheltenham  direct they will do you a slightly better deal over the phone.

 

£450???, they're taking the piss.  edit, double kinell another £90 for the shoes, better than printing money greedy twats.

 

drum inside disc is a bloody good handbrake system, better than rear calipers with parking brake built in which usually fuck up needing new calipers @ £££, got that system on the Merc Subaru and Landcruiser, all work well.

[Stroller133]

Does the work have to be done at Kia dealer to keep the 7 year warranty? I suspect not, but dealer may imply so to get the money out of you. It might be that original parts are required though.

[Matt]

Do amber strobe lights give any road users any extra rights?

 

I was just thinking over something I witnessed last week; a wide load escort van was approaching a small roundabout I was stopped at to my right. Just before reaching the roundabout the driver put the van into the oncoming lane, turned it so it was pointing back at the correct lane and stopped. I think they were trying to stop the traffic entering the roundabout to give the truck carrying a static caravan more space but it struck me as a totally inappropriate thing to do.

[rml2345]

^ Unless it's something really disruptive or needs roads closing, outsize loads no longer automatically get a police escort so the haulage company has to provide their own. Unfortunately quite a few drivers ignore it only to find a bloody great low loader coming towards them that they can't get past.

Still a bit of a strange thing to do but they're probably fed up of being ignored.

[KruJoe]

Anyone else really hoping it was actually an Escort van?

[Rusty Pelican]

How exactly do you check if a registration is being used when you dont know what cat it might be on ( or not ) 

[skattrd]

How exactly do you check if a registration is being used when you dont know what cat it might be on ( or not ) 

 

Use one of the free car data checks online, which should tell you what vehicle the reg is on

 

http://www.instantcarcheck.co.uk/ for example..

 

Then when you have the make, if there is one, you can check DVLA to see if it's still taxed