Ask a Shiter

[purplebargeken]

Craig, the soft top is quite easy to take off, just clips and bolts. Pressure wash the fucker, let it dry and then use Renovo products to finish it off. There should not be a need to fiddle too much to get the windows to fit flush and you may actually not need to do anything at all if you are lucky.

[purplebargeken]

Cos it's the coffee grinder getting set for when high pressure steam is available?

 

Bollocks! I hate coffee. CV joint prob most likely culprit.

 

Ta

[sierraman]

I like the old mini but you can't be blind to how shit they were. My brother had an 850 automatic. Possibly the worst choice.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Why would a 1.4 Rover 45 make a grinding noise when a turn is made?

 

No, it won't the head gasket going! 

Probably just a slightly loose inner arch liner,with all this rain a large puddle could be enough to dislodge it

[Richard]

At the last insurance renewal my wife went with Admiral on a multi car policy, with the promise that my car would be added at renewal time. The renewal is due next month but I not at all keen on the idea. Apart from the obvious concerns of losing my No Claims and cover for other vehicles it means that we're going to have to stump up for both cars at the same time every year.

 

Are these multi car policies as big a rip off as they sound?

[skattrd]

At the last insurance renewal my wife went with Admiral on a multi car policy, with the promise that my car would be added at renewal time. The renewal is due next month but I not at all keen on the idea. Apart from the obvious concerns of losing my No Claims and cover for other vehicles it means that we're going to have to stump up for both cars at the same time every year.

 

Are these multi car policies as big a rip off as they sound?

 

I think the Admiral ones are a ripoff as last time I checked it was only 10% discount for additional motors, which is pooh.

 

If you do try it your NCB stays active for 2years, just make sure you ask for a certificate from your current insurer when the policy ends.

[loserone]

Admiral got very confused and I've recently left their multicar policy after five years - they've not only increased the NCB as you would expect, they added two cars NCB together when I went down to two cars, and then re-instated the NCB when I put the 3rd car back on, so some NCB was counted twice in the certificates they gave me when I left.

 

On the other hand, they increased the premium every year, and this year wanted 1800 quid for a married couple in their early 30s with 16 years of NCB between three cars, one of which is a 1.0 micra, and the fastest of which is a Kia Pride.

 

EDIT: but the point is, you still maintain NCB, and they keep counting even though they only 'accept' 6 years.

[beko1987]

How long would a 57 plate (I think 2.0 derv) astra van run for with a fully charged battery but no working alternator?

 

One of the neighbours had his van shit its alternator the other day. He has the alternator, but needs it fitting. I had a look and declared that I wouldn't want to dive in on someone elses car and fuck it up, he said he would take it to a garage and get them to fit it, he has a friendly one 30odd miles away. If I fit my quite new, fully charged diesel capable battery and he sets off, will he make it 30 odd miles with no lights, radio and hope it isn't raining?

 

Plan would be he gets there on my battery, garage change the alternator and fit his (now dead) battery back and jump him so he can drive home and charge his, then I fit my battery back and go for a drive to charge that back up again.

 

Will that work or am I missing something simple?

[Pillock]

I thought diesels can run with very little / no power once they're started - that's why a runaway diesel like Renaults are notorious for can have the ignition turned off, and you can walk away and lock the car with the engine still running. 

 

Not sure how far that'll get him though, but I drove a Pez Saxo with the lights and wipers on, and a borked alternator, for about 15 miles before it started dying.

[twosmoke300]

Modern diesels draw quite a bit of current for the Injectors . You may make it but it could die suddenly and possibly put loads of faults up on various ecus .

[twosmoke300]

Oh and if it has electro hyd pas which I think it has I wouldn't attempt it . It can pull 40amps or more on its own

[beko1987]

He said the abs shat itself when it went the first time.

 

I'm leaving it up to him, he has rac cover, it dragged him off the m40 last Thursday. He can borrow my battery and give it a try. I'll tell him to ask the garage he's going to if they can drag him in if he's not far away when it goes

[320touring]

At the last insurance renewal my wife went with Admiral on a multi car policy, with the promise that my car would be added at renewal time. The renewal is due next month but I not at all keen on the idea. Apart from the obvious concerns of losing my No Claims and cover for other vehicles it means that we're going to have to stump up for both cars at the same time every year.

 

Are these multi car policies as big a rip off as they sound?

306 fully comp with business use

Cx and Alfa fully comp with multi car

 

sub 700 and can swap on cars/add to the policy as I wish.

 

They mirrored my ncb onto all cars so now have 3 lots of seperate ncb (renewal showed number of years allocated to each).

 

yout own ncb is valid for 2 years so no loss if you swap on to multi car for a a year then want to swap out.

 

docs available on line in an hr from making changes.

 

have been ok to deal with so far for me, buy ymmv:)

[gm]

Unless it's been fecked up with electric power steering or some other such modern nonsense

[HH-R]

EPAS equipped cars (hardly surprisingly) don't last long at all with no juice flowing back in.

[Barry Cade]

Usually Vauxhall eps wont work without the alternator charging, if it does, pull the fuse. 30 miles easy.

[beko1987]

It fired up when we connected my battery. I'll report back, he hasn't even left yet

[garbaldy]

When the merc alternator gave up a brand new 100 amp battery lasted around 50k before all hell broke out and I had trouble steering the damn thing.

[beko1987]

50 thousand miles? That's not bad!

 

He's gone, let's see if he gets back afterwards!

[garbaldy]

Oops Sorry ment to be 50 kilometres

[beko1987]

He made it. Battery light came on up the road, but he carried on, got to Aylesbury no problem (9 miles) and all sorted, he's just dropped my battery round, pushed a tenner in my hand and said the van needs a service soon, so we agreed on next weekend, so more money there!

[doobietoo]

On my pt you have to put your foot on the clutch to start it like all chryslers I believe. Am I right in thinking that because of this you cannot push start it?

[scaryoldcortina]

No, the foot on the clutch lets you engage the starter circuit, which you are not using if you are bumpstarting it.

[doobietoo]

Yes of course I thought it was a stupid question hence I put it here but I couldn't get my head around the way it worked

[Jimmycrackcorn]

Had a couple of FTP's in the Jag over the last couple of weeks due to flat battery.

I don't think it's the battery as I've tried 3 and I have the same problem, found my ciggie lighter volt meter today and went for a good run to see what it registered. Now in my van when driving and charging it'll sit at 14.2v pretty much constantly, in the Jag it varied from 12.9 to 14.1 and constantly bounced between the two (only saw above 13.8v a couple of times). 

Sat in traffic the lights will pulse etc but it does run a little rough and I have new plugs and coil packs to go on next week.

I'll check the earthing points but I'm thinking it's the alternator.

[LC Torana]

Had a couple of FTP's in the Jag over the last couple of weeks due to flat battery.

I don't think it's the battery as I've tried 3 and I have the same problem, found my ciggie lighter volt meter today and went for a good run to see what it registered. Now in my van when driving and charging it'll sit at 14.2v pretty much constantly, in the Jag it varied from 12.9 to 14.1 and constantly bounced between the two (only saw above 13.8v a couple of times). 

Sat in traffic the lights will pulse etc but it does run a little rough and I have new plugs and coil packs to go on next week.

I'll check the earthing points but I'm thinking it's the alternator.

Start by cleaning your battery terminals - dirty terminals is what that sounds like.

[Jimmycrackcorn]

Terminals are good and clean as is the battery earthing point to the body.

[HH-R]

Have a look at the tales of a breakdown driver thread RE fuse box - it's VAG stuff on there but could be a similar issue? Other than that I'd say voltage regulator on the alternator maybe. Or slipping belt?

[matty879]

Why would a 1.4 Rover 45 make a grinding noise when a turn is made?

 

No, it won't the head gasket going! 

stationary,strut top bearing. moving poss wheel bearing.

[Aston Martin]

Motorhog police auctions, i'm confused.

 

This has keys, starts and drives MOT until December.

 

 

 

Sold this morning for £180.

 

 

 

 

This is exactly the same, but MOT until Oct

 

 

 

Sold this morning for £130, it's the fucking 2.5.

 

 

 

 

Why are they soo cheap? The V5's are missing, but thats not a big issue?