Ask a Shiter

[sierraman]

Fitting idle control valve on focus tomorrow. Does it need a gasket? It didn't come with one but some people online say it needs one.

 

Also is there an easy way to get yo the bottom bolt? Top I can get to, bottom looks a pig

Yes it has a thin metal gasket, there might well be 2 rubber o rings also. You can re use this though doesn't need any hylomar or whatever.

 

I'm guessing you are on about mk2 focus, or s mk1 1.8/2.0? The 1.4/6 mk1 is a 30 sec job it's at the front whereas the 1.8/2.0 is under the inlet throttle body at the back round that way. You should be able to do it with a 1/4 drive extension with a u/j. 10mm IIRC

[scdan4]

What's this monstrosity based on? Askmid is no help.

 

[scaryoldcortina]

It's a Fleur de lys and therefore mostly transit.

[scdan4]

It's a Fleur de lys and therefore mostly transit.

 

Are they expensive and spectacularly shite? Wifey likey.

[scaryoldcortina]

Yes to both. There is a wedding hire firm near here has two of the things done out like huge white charabangs but minus all the style of an actual 30's bus.

 

[tooSavvy]

My PooJoe Partner has cruise... Why does it 'drop out' if I blast thru a deep puddle?

 

 

TS

[Lacquer Peel]

Safety feature? If it detects a wheel slipping it turns cruise off.

 

Also, tedious stuff about French electrics.

[skattrd]

That makes sense about cruise control in the wet. A mate was recently telling me about a near miss he had in the wet with cruise control spinning the tyres and him almost losing the car.

[The Moog]

Yes it has a thin metal gasket, there might well be 2 rubber o rings also. You can re use this though doesn't need any hylomar or whatever.

 

I'm guessing you are on about mk2 focus, or s mk1 1.8/2.0? The 1.4/6 mk1 is a 30 sec job it's at the front whereas the 1.8/2.0 is under the inlet throttle body at the back round that way. You should be able to do it with a 1/4 drive extension with a u/j. 10mm 

Sorry it is a 1.8 Mk1. 

 

Top bolt seemed easy but bottom looked a real pain. I could barely see it. 

[Skizzer]

Safety feature? If it detects a wheel slipping it turns cruise off.

 

Also, tedious stuff about French electrics.

 

I used to have a (then new) mk1 Audi TT* which would sometimes shut the engine down completely if you used the cruise control in heavy rain.  You had to coast to a halt, switch off and restart the ignition to reboot the car.  Nice.

 

All modern cars / VAGs / Audi drivers / hairdressers etc etc

 

 

 

*Yeah? So hate me.

[Lacquer Peel]

Did you have an early one without the rear spoiler? If so you must be immortal.

[sierraman]

Sorry it is a 1.8 Mk1.

 

Top bolt seemed easy but bottom looked a real pain. I could barely see it.

Might make it easier if you take off all the trunking and whatnot round the throttle body. Usually they'll clean out with carb cleaner but if you are going to the trouble of taking it off and it's a pain you might as well swap it. What's causing you to think it's the ISCV?

[The Moog]

Might make it easier if you take off all the trunking and whatnot round the throttle body. Usually they'll clean out with carb cleaner but if you are going to the trouble of taking it off and it's a pain you might as well swap it. What's causing you to think it's the ISCV?

 Idle is hunting a bit and I think it might help with the LPG issue. 

[sierraman]

The Zetec isn't the smoothest at idle anyway, it will hunt to find lowest emissions at idle anyway. I had similar problem recently and turned to be the plugs which were shot. Usually the ISCV manifests itself with cutting out when you slow down at junctions etc. Further possibilities with the 1.8 for a poor idle can be the PCV hoses that run round the underneath of the coil particularly the T piece. The EGR rarely gives trouble on these fortunately.

[The Moog]

The Zetec isn't the smoothest at idle anyway, it will hunt to find lowest emissions at idle anyway. I had similar problem recently and turned to be the plugs which were shot. Usually the ISCV manifests itself with cutting out when you slow down at junctions etc. Further possibilities with the 1.8 for a poor idle can be the PCV hoses that run round the underneath of the coil particularly the T piece. The EGR rarely gives trouble on these fortunately.

Just been serviced with new plugs.  I bought the valve as it was cutting out (but I think that is the LPG rather than pez) so I was just going to fit it. I stripped all the air trunking off and got the top bolt easy enough, bottom is a little fucker. 

 

Will have a look at the pcv hoses and see if it is that. 

[Skizzer]

Did you have an early one without the rear spoiler? If so you must be immortal.

 

Nah, not that early I'm afraid - 2002 vintage.  Either that or I did have a spoiler-less one, am now in a coma because of OMG oversteer, and you're all in my imagination like in Ashes to Ashes.  Which is quite possible.

[robinmasters]

Is changing a clutch cable really as much of a ball-ache as people make out, or is it as easy as I imagine it is? Can I not just put a washer under the end to counter the stretch?

[Station]

I've never had a problem with it - it's just unhooking the end off the top of the pedal which is tricky.

[twosmoke300]

As long as it's not a xantia one it won't be too bad

[catsinthewelder]

The BX was a bit of a ballache (in a pubic carpark in the snow). With the camper I added an old socket to the collection of washers that were already there, was fine for the next 8 years.

[skattrd]

Cleaning the inside of a windscreen, what's best? Water & vinegar, windolene? or is there something that stops them misting up badly in the mornings?

[gordonbennet]

Cleaning the inside of a windscreen, what's best? Water & vinegar, windolene? or is there something that stops them misting up badly in the mornings?

 

I bought a gallon of pro glass cleaning stuff when i got some other stuff from Chemiclean, its the dogs bollocks better than windowlene, most of the spray type you can buy clean the glass but leave a residue that attracts a film of moisture in no time, the pink stuff like proper windowlene that dried to a haze and left them sparkling seems to be bloody near impossible to find now, Autoglyms glass cleaner is good but expensive.

 

If the car has underlying damp you'll not stop condensation till you dry it out.

[Asimo]

Is changing a clutch cable really as much of a ball-ache as people make out, or is it as easy as I imagine it is? Can I not just put a washer under the end to counter the stretch?

 

Depends what you are working on.

If it is a RHD, rear-engined  VW Beetle, you will go to hell and back, If it is an early Golf it is probably the bulkhead that is split so don't bother.  Etc.

 

Anyway, take the seats out to start with, for the upside-down-under-the-dash part of the job.

[scdan4]

Cleaning the inside of a windscreen, what's best? Water & vinegar, windolene? or is there something that stops them misting up badly in the mornings?

 

lidl's w5 glass cleaner. good stuff, no haze or crap afterwards.

[catsinthewelder]

I've just wiped mine with a rag that I was using to polish the dashboard with furniture polish and it's a lot better than it was.  I had enough sense not to spray polish straight onto the glass.

[D Spares & Tyres]

The BX was a bit of a ballache (in a pubic carpark in the snow). With the camper I added an old socket to the collection of washers that were already there, was fine for the next 8 years.

Wasn't there an issue with bx clutch cables? Can't remember what but I remember them being cursed back in the days when there were loads about

[Sigmund Fraud]

My headlining is beginning to succumb to the force of gravity... Any recommendations for a decent glue that I can use without removing the thing from the car (i.e. not a spray) ?

 

Or should I just use the AS-approved method and steal borrow some drawing pins from the office ?

[steve_earwig]

Wasn't there an issue with bx clutch cables? Can't remember what but I remember them being cursed back in the days when there were loads about

Didn't they pull through the bulkhead like the mk1 Glof? I seem to remember on the Glof there was a repair plate that was double sided to the bulkhead. No idea if they were effective or anything.

 

I don't remember the clutch on a Beetle being too bad, not as bad as loosing the fuel line anyway.

[DSdriver]

Erm, paid my car tax 5 days late... likely outcome?

[sierraman]

Nothing. You will be fine.