Ask a Shiter

[Cavcraft]

We used to call them 'cold start levers' I know the 2009-ish Hiluxes we had had them, ditto an old Iveco pick-up I had in my tyre fitting days. What I didn't know at the time though was that because the pick-up had to be stalled to stop it, it wasn't a good idea with the cold start lever out, and I VERY nearly totalled the boss's new car.

[Richard]

The Mk2 Astra diesel (which remains the most unpleasant car I've driven) had one of those "choke" knobs.

[forddeliveryboy]

I think the tickover rises because they advanced the timing for cold starts, at least some did. In Arctic weather best started with the knob in, then pull out once starting to fire.

[Pillock]

It's for a handbag, duh.

[mat_the_cat]

My LT has a similar knob, which just advances the timing for sub-zero starts - no effect on idle speed though.

[steve_earwig]

I had a Navara with one of those (horrid, horrid car), it always reminded me of that bit in The Big Sleep where the cops fish the Sternwood's Buick out of the sea:

 

Drunk, hell," the plainsclothesman said. "The hand throttle's set halfway down and the guy's been sapped on the side of the head. Ask me and I'll call it murder.

[messerschmitt owner]

We used to call them 'cold start levers' I know the 2009-ish Hiluxes we had had them, ditto an old Iveco pick-up I had in my tyre fitting days. What I didn't know at the time though was that because the pick-up had to be stalled to stop it, it wasn't a good idea with the cold start lever out, and I VERY nearly totalled the boss's new car.

sounds like there was one more knob in the cab that day!!!

[Station]

I have an idle up button on my Hilux. It's when you need extra power from the engine when you're using accessories like winches/tippers. That's what the handbook says.

[DS20]

Can diesels be converted to run on LPG?  Not that I'm minded to, but I've been wondering for a while.  

[steve_earwig]

Er yes, apparently. Although they still need diesel to actually run.

[skattrd]

Can diesels be converted to run on LPG?  Not that I'm minded to, but I've been wondering for a while.  

 

Yes, but it doesn't work like in petrols, it's a performance mod in diesels iirc

[wuvvum]

My diesel Troopers had a windy knob to raise the idle speed.  Came in useful when trying to jump start a Ford D-series.

[dave21478]

LPG on a diesel for economy is possible, but apparently not really worth it.

iirc you set it up to run about 70% diesel and 30% gas. LPG is half the price of diesel, so you are saving 50% on 30% of your fuel bill, ie not very much. Would take a long time to recover the installation costs.

It does apparently give a boost in performance though, but I could tell you how useful it might be.

[cort16]

Who is it on here does the pool ball gear knobs? I fancy one for my Cortina.

[skattrd]

Who is it on here does the pool ball gear knobs? I fancy one for my Cortina.

Jakebullet?

[The Moog]

Why don't we have the Mr Lube type chains in the Uk?

 

It was on undercover boss Canada and surely it makes sense to have here.

[HH-R]

Not sure about Canada, but in America they seem very keen on frequent oil changes. Here it seems to be "ah the oil light's come on again, I'll maybe buy some oil next pay day", then reversing out of parking spaces at 4000 RPM on a cold engine.

[dave21478]

^^^That.

 

On some forums I read, the Septics like to change oil every 4 - 5 thousand miles, and some even sooner. They are also big on tyre rotation, which I am trying out on the Freelander in an effort to prolong tyre life.

 

Plenty of places over there offer cheap changes while you wait, costing less than it would cost to buy the oil and filter and do it yourself. However quality varies massively and there are lots of tale of half-assed jobs and stripped sump nuts.

[bub2006]

Can anyone tell me the oil capacity including oil filter change on a 1.4 2004 ford Fiesta?

[cort16]

The yanks also seem to refurb brake discs when we just tend to lob them away.

[Inspector Morose]

The yanks also seem to refurb brake discs when we just tend to lob them away.

Speak for yourself! (Okay, they might just be bus discs and not car discs but, hey, what does size matter?)

[fred]

Can anyone tell me the oil capacity including oil filter change on a 1.4 2004 ford Fiesta?

4.5 litres is usually the norm

[rml2345]

Speak for yourself! (Okay, they might just be bus discs and not car discs but, hey, what does size matter?)

Do they come off in one piece? I once spent a few days in the Royal Mail workshop in Edinburgh where they spent the better part of a day trying to get a worn disc off the front hub of a DAF CF that was due MOT the next morning. They eventually resorted to cutting them off with an angle grinder, which is probably not in the DAF workshop manual.

[bub2006]

4.5 litres is usually the norm

Not what I wanted to hear but thanks mate.

[steve_earwig]

Speak for yourself! (Okay, they might just be bus discs and not car discs but, hey, what does size matter?)

I had the fronts on the toyoyo refurbed last year (they looked like something brought up from a shipwreck) but this is probably more to do with not wanting to pay a fortune for new disks here, plus a little bit of not giving a crap about the car. I had the rears on my old 406 done too, but I changed all 4 on my new 406 because I went to GB where they're less than half-price.

[Richard]

Has anyone heard of the law that you can't do more than 11 hours in a day if your day's work involves any driving? That's what this document seems to say https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules

 

I might have to show it to my boss.

[Pillock]

That page is entitled "drivers of lorries, buses and goods vehicles" though so not sure it applies to everyone who drives anything just as part of commuting though,

[Richard]

I can't look properly on my phone but I'm sure the last time I looked I found a page saying it, or a similar rule, applies to anybody whose job involves driving. I'm sure it was 12 hours so maybe I'm on the wrong page.

[chaseracer]

Why don't we have the Mr Lube type chains in the Uk?

 

We do, in a way - http://www.in-n-out.co.uk/product/xpress-service/

 

Not especially cheap, though.

[phil_lihp]

Spring compressors: what's best?  The very thought fills me with mild dread but I need to change the saggy springs and shocks on the Escort.

 

eBay is chock full of this sort of thing:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-of-Heavy-Duty-Coil-Spring-Compressor-Clamps-380mm-Professional-/281242304930?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item417b5901a2

 

Is this likely to be safe?  I have horrible visions of them failing or slipping and the spring exiting through my head, the car's wing and 250ft into the air before landing in someone's garden half a mile away.  Granted, this is a somewhat dramatic vision but in all seriousness are the cheaper ones like this safe enough?