Ask a Shiter

[cort16]

I bought some rust killer stuff from lidl in a can that you can spray like wd40. I sprayed quite a lot of the cortina with it. I hope it's not dissolved the car when i go back.

[sierraman]

It's probably been on a spare - both my* yoyos had spares that have never been used, the current heap has a lovely Yokohama M+S all terrain jobbie which is now 9 years old, I do wish I could buy them here.

 

Brake fluid - you're meant to change it every 3 (or is it 5?) years as it absorbs bullshit from the air. They test it on the MOT* here, not sure if they do that in the UK yet.

In practice it remains acceptable for much longer, though I get what you are saying, I'd sooner get someone to do it for the sake of £25.

[Danblez]

My VAG VAN has a few grotty bits that I need to attend to. Really not keen on fiddly cosmetics but I want to nip it in the bud.

What's the easiest rust remover to use, that I can slather with white Hammerite when it's done?

 

Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80, really very good rust converter and avoids the faff of deox-c. Obviously Deox- C'd first is better but a quick rub down and application of hydrate 80 is good enough. It isnt UV stable though so does need a top coat. Has kept the dreaded away from my focus door bottoms for years so I have proof it's good!

[HH-R]

Drove through about 4/5 inches of flood water slowly yesterday and the interior fan slowed down, then there was a squeal and it sped back up again. I'm guessing the alternator belt got wet and was slipping for a few seconds. Is it likely to have broken anything? Drove about 70 miles since then with no issues.

 

Everyone else was just belting through it at 30 MPH!

[sierraman]

No, not if the tensioner has kept out of the water.

[cort16]

Does anyone know what colour my cortina is? It's not a trick optical illusion question, it's not purple. It was originally highland green and it's been painted a darker shade of green. I think it's a Ford colour but I don't know what it is. I need to paint the sills so need something vaguely close.

Anyone any ideas?

 

Cortina by cort16, on Flickr

[Asimo]

 

I can't help with the colour, but I like it very much. Such a good looker as 2 door.

 

Was there ever a saloon that did NOT look better as a two door? (Oh yes, Marina coop).

[cort16]

currently

 

Cort by cort16, on Flickr

[D Spares & Tyres]

Nice motor!

 

Take a piece of car to a paint shop, even if they don't have a chip they should be able to mix you a one off colour

[cort16]

I'm thinking it's maybe modena green

 

[LC Torana]

Does anyone know what colour my cortina is? It's not a trick optical illusion question, it's not purple. It was originally highland green and it's been painted a darker shade of green. I think it's a Ford colour but I don't know what it is. I need to paint the sills so need something vaguely close.

Anyone any ideas?

 

Cortina by cort16, on Flickr

I see you got the door open

[cort16]

This picture is historic it's still a shut in

[egg]

If a car you are buying is taxed, is the consensus it is ok to drive the thing home the day you buy it and tax it when you get in? Or do you frequently fliers pay the tax in advance of handing over the cash?

 

Is there any way of SORN'ing a car from the day of purchase - or do you have to buy tax and then get it refunded back?

 

Breakers normally say they want the 'whole car' - does that prevent you taking out the valuable bits of trim/radio etc that you can sell on ebay!?

[garbaldy]

That Tina is ace and I'm now away to look on euro sale sites,

 

Re tax, I drive hame then tax the following day, if the seller does the v5 over the net then its out of tax straight away though so I dare say a harsh cop may have you.

[scaryoldcortina]

Breakers normally say they want the 'whole car' - does that prevent you taking out the valuable bits of trim/radio etc that you can sell on ebay!?

They won't care if you took the radio, but if you obviously remove all the quickly saleable bits then they won't give you any money for it. Scrap price isn't covering overheads anymore so you can see why.

[bub2006]

Ford escort van fuse box question. Last night the van popped fuse for sidelight circuit. Replaced fuse but noticed the fuse next to it (30a heater fan) wasn't blown but the terminal on the fuse box looked slightly melted and warm to touch. Pulled it out just in case. Checked it today and couldn't see any visible issue with the fuse box and needed to clear the screen and get some heat in the cabin so put the fuse in. Within five minutes the fuse itself felt read hot so pulled it out again. What could be the issue? Heater fan motor on way out maybe?

[Pillock]

Was it the fuse itself getting hot or the fuse box?

 

The fuse is the weak point, and it gets hot when it's doing it's job. So that will mean the blower motor is drawing too much current so yeah, struggling a bit.

 

The connections should be a perfectly good connection and not get hot at all as they're ten times bigger than the fusible element. So if these are getting hot, it usually means a corroded connection building up resistance and generating heat.

[bub2006]

The fuse was warm,the connection on fuse box even more so. Stripped it down and couldnt see no issues in the fuse box though.

[Pillock]

Could take the fuse out and use a current tester to see what it's drawing. Needs to be nicely under 30A but I'd still be curious why the fuse box is getting hot.

 

Can you get to the back of the fuse box? Could resistance check from one terminal throughout fuse to the other - should be pretty much zero.

[sheffcortinacentre]

mk5 on fuseboxs are notoriously troublesome.

[bub2006]

There's few wiring/electrical issues I need to sort anyway. The temp gauge doesn't work,only one wire going to sensor,god knows where the other is,the cooling fan comes off and on when it feels like it,always comes on with ignition for a few seconds then goes off and the battery charge light doesn't come on but flickers when you crank engine,also the handbrake light flickers on and off or stays on. There is enough brake fluid in it so I know its not that. Thanks for suggestions folks.

[Richard]

I think there should be only one wire going to the temp sensor. Take that wire off and touch it on the engine, if the gauge goes to max you need a new sensor.

[sierraman]

Some fords have 2 senders, one being the CTS, other being the sender itself. I'd just swap the sensor they are only a couple of quid anyway. 22mm IIRC. You could rule out the earth though first by creating a known good one to rule this out though.

[bub2006]

Regards temp gauge,I earthed it to block and gauge didn't move. I considered there just being one wire so I unplugged it from the pin it was on and put wire to the other pin on the sensor and gauge sprung to life. Great advice thanks

[drum]

The wifey's just phoned and, going by her description, it sounds like the brake servo isn't working on her alfa. I told her to switch off the engine, press the brake pedal, restart the engine to see if the pedal drops. It didn't.

 

Why would a brake servo stop working? Previous to this, the turbo actuator hasn't been doing anything. I believe it works off the vacuum pressure created by the brake servo. I could be a mechanical retard of course.

 

[sherlock] Could these problems be related? [\Sherlock]

[dave21478]

yeah, lots of stuff run a vacuum system that works turbo, EGR and other stuff, all plumbed in with the servo. A hose might have rubbed through against something or more commonly the ends split where they are pushed onto connectors and leak and eventually fall off. 

[steve_earwig]

The wifey's just phoned and, going by her description, it sounds like the brake servo isn't working on her alfa. I told her to switch off the engine, press the brake pedal, restart the engine to see if the pedal drops. It didn't.

 

Why would a brake servo stop working? Previous to this, the turbo actuator hasn't been doing anything. I believe it works off the vacuum pressure created by the brake servo. I could be a mechanical retard of course.

 

[sherlock] Could these problems be related? [\Sherlock]

Vacuum created by the servo? What magickery is this? If it's a petrol it'll use the vacuum from the inlet fannymould, if it's a diseasal it'll have a pump. As you have a turbot there I assume diesel, so pump it is. As Dave6546465464346546354 says, pipe off or worn through, but the pumps can die too.

[drum]

Vacuum created by the servo? What magickery is this? If it's a petrol it'll use the vacuum from the inlet fannymould, if it's a diseasal it'll have a pump. As you have a turbot there I assume diesel, so pump it is. As Dave6546465464346546354 says, pipe off or worn through, but the pumps can die too.

Thanks, for some reason I had it in my head that the brake servo produced the vacuum pressure.

 

The brakes seem to be working ok again so I'm further confused.

[dave21478]

The shitlander has a vacuum reservoir - a reinforced plastic bottle that "stores" vacuum. When I last had a perished vac hose the brakes (assistance of the brakes i should say) became intermittant as the pump tried to create vacuum to be stored and it leaked out just as fast.

[DavidB]

If you keep something drawing 30a on it will heat up.