Ask a Shiter

[Matt]

Thanks guys, that's good to know. Maybe the VOSA thing is a bit extreme, I'm just not very happy that my dad and sister have been running about with it making this noise and only now has my sister mentioned it. I spoke to my dad (he bought it) and he said that it's been making that noise since picking it up in August last year. The garage he bought it from put the test on it after he paid the deposit.

 

For what it's worth this same garage used to be owned by someone that was using it for money laundering. He's currently serving six years at his majesties pleasure for aforementioned crime although he was already in for assault and danger to life. He smashed someone in a Clio off the road with them ending up wheels upwards using his Discovery (it took a few rams, apparently). Why? Because he was a rival car salesman and "a grass". Owes £380k in tax too. Same guy he ran off the road was left unconscious and nearly dead outside the guilty mans business. Had to learn how to walk again and police were treating it as attempted murder at the time. Top bloke eh?

 

Edit: Here a better video that shows the amount of play (click for video gain).

"My car is making a funny noise" 2 by MattLikesCars, on Flickr

[Rusty_Rocket]

I think I need to chill out a bit... if I detected play or noise in a hub bearing I'd be panicking every time I drove the bloody thing and change it in a week..

but 16,000 miles   !

[Jazoli]

For Euro data, I buy three sim (data only) £5 for 1gb for 30 days, £11 for 3gb lasting 90 days. I pair it with an unlocked mifi off eBay for £25 job done. Three include lots of Europe without roaming charges which is great - no contract just payg and the mifi means you can share multiple devices with just one sim

 

You can now get 12GB for £20 which is great if you like to watch videos

[HH-R]

I think I need to chill out a bit... if I detected play or noise in a hub bearing I'd be panicking every time I drove the bloody thing and change it in a week..

but 16,000 miles   !

Aye, same!

 

Just tell them that a good rule of thumb is that if something is making a noise that they think it shouldn't, it's usually for a reason.

[taxi paul]

My daughter brought me her Kia last week cos its making a noise at the back. Yes dear that's because there's no brake pads left. At least she mentioned it cos last time , with her zafira. She drove 55 miles home with a silly red oil light on and cooked the car. Her Kia has scrapes down both sides on the doors. Last week she drove into a post and dinted the bonnet. But she has 7 years NCB so is an excellent driver.

[KruJoe]

A big ask but has anyone got a an A Frame I may borrow? Due to unforeseen circumstances I need to shift a car and may need to scrap two in. Thanks.

 

Yo Daz, just seen this! You still need it?

You can borrow mine, as Chompy has done a couple times, but we're maybe three hours from you. I wonder how far away Bo11ox or Lanky_Tim are...

 

But we must ask:

 

Bub2006 + A-frame = ???

 

[beko1987]

Could my 50mph+ noise, which isn't affected by steering braking or clutch be driveshaft issues?

 

Been googling all night, and its cropped up a few times as a cause...

[cobblers]

if accelerating makes it stop or start then maybe. 

[FakeConcern]

It's french

I already knew that!

 

Anyone?

Strange overheating issue with Mrs Concern's Clio Mk1 1.4. Noticed the gauge right near the top after a spell in a jam then a short dual carriageway blast. The rad fan didn't come on when we stopped in a jam again so put heater on hot with fan on. We turned around & drove normally on NSL roads, but temperature didn't drop despite keeping heater on.

Later checked fan by shorting with a paper clip & it works, but when the car left running it doesn't come on. To me this points to faulty rad fan switch, but does not explain why temp didn't come down with normal driving. I checked coolant level which was fine and when squeezing either the top or bottom hoses it moves the coolant in header tank. Any ideas?

[skattrd]

Water pump not working ... broken impeller not pushing enough fluid.

As well as the fan switch/wiring to fan switch.

 

Possibly airlock, there's a bleed screw on the top drivers side of rad on mk1 Clio (or there is on the one I got 2 weeks ago) and also one somewhere else, right hand side of engine looking from the front.

[Des]

In answer to my own question about mobile internet 4G dingdong simcards for Europe, Tesco are doing a sim deal which will work / charge the same as in UK for nearly all of odd smelling Foreignland from May 23, shall be throwing a score at one of those then.

[Richard]

Could my 50mph+ noise, which isn't affected by steering braking or clutch be driveshaft issues?

Been googling all night, and its cropped up a few times as a cause...

Could it be the middle bearing in the driveshaft?

[catsinthewelder]

Is the noise the same at 50mph in 4th?

[bub2006]

Yo Daz, just seen this! You still need it?

You can borrow mine, as Chompy has done a couple times, but we're maybe three hours from you. I wonder how far away Bo11ox or Lanky_Tim are...

 

But we must ask:

 

Bub2006 + A-frame = ???

 

Thank you very much. I need to get the god damn vectra home asap. Car in derby and I'm in Ripley. I wanted to get shut of it but can't find log book either. If someone closer that be good but I don't know?

[Dave_Q]

Yo Bub/KJ,

 

I'm meeting bub on Wednesday next week to drop off some shite, I'm in Bradford on the Tuesday so I could possibly meet you somewhere and pick up the A? Skipton or something?

 

PM me if this is of any use.

[oldcars]

Caravan indicator has stopped working. Checked bulb and it seems ok. Previous owner looks to have worn through the cable near the a frame and jointed the cable back together and taped it up. Would this botch be a good place to start trying to fix it?

Made a start on this and looked in the rover first. All the caravan electric stuff is at the side of the boot, where it leaks Guess i may have found the issue.

[bub2006]

Thanks Dave that would be great if krujoe is happy?

[beko1987]

If I were to take my aux belt off, would my car still start and idle? Want to see if the loud engine rattle is what they all do, or something else, and removing drive to all the turny bits would diagnose that easily.

 

Battery's good, wont drive it etc, will it fuck it up?

[twosmoke300]

She will be fine

[beko1987]

Is the noise the same at 50mph in 4th?

Yes, although not quite as pronounced. Light braking kills it too as I found on the m40 tonight, light braking at 60 knocked the drone right off, but I can't work out if that's cos the revs drop or if it's the brakes. Front pads and discs are a bit shit (slight warpage I think)

 

Bearing? Do they fail in this way then?

[New POD]

Strange overheating issue with Mrs Concern's Clio Mk1 1.4. Noticed the gauge right near the top after a spell in a jam then a short dual carriageway blast. The rad fan didn't come on when we stopped in a jam again so put heater on hot with fan on. We turned around & drove normally on NSL roads, but temperature didn't drop despite keeping heater on.

Later checked fan by shorting with a paper clip & it works, but when the car left running it doesn't come on. To me this points to faulty rad fan switch, but does not explain why temp didn't come down with normal driving. I checked coolant level which was fine and when squeezing either the top or bottom hoses it moves the coolant in header tank. Any ideas?

 Similar to our Mk1 MX5.  I wouldn't mind but I fitted a new fan switch and it seemed to be working.

[New POD]

Yes, although not quite as pronounced. Light braking kills it too as I found on the m40 tonight, light braking at 60 knocked the drone right off, but I can't work out if that's cos the revs drop or if it's the brakes. Front pads and discs are a bit shit (slight warpage I think)

 

Bearing? Do they fail in this way then?

 

Yes.

[beko1987]

Oooh thanks! I'll gen up on that then! Anyone know the bastard rating of the job? I'd been looking at driveshafts on ebay as both CV boots don't look like they will last the year, and both are probably very very old, and at £20 more for both complete shafts boots and joints than just the boots, it seems the easier* option!

[sierraman]

I've got a similar whine at 40-50mph on overrun. No play in the wheel bearings, thinking more like now it might be the diff. If it is it will go for years like that.

[Richard]

Wheel bearings are a bit of an arse to DIY. The best option would be to remove the hub and take it to a garage for them to remove the old bearing and press in the new one.

 

The centre bearing on the driver's side (I think) driveshaft isn't too bad to do. If the noise doesn't vary on corners it's probably this one.

[beko1987]

No variation on corners that I can tell, a d I can take most of the corners on my way home at 50+

 

Thanks for the pointers!

[xtriple]

My garage has no power. I have been contemplating getting a cheap generator.  Would one rated at 13 amps (obviously 240 volts) work my compressor and power sanders and stuff? I know sweet FA about household eclectrickery so is it as simple as will run 13 amp plug therefore anything with a 13 amp fuse will be fine?

 

Or do I need to worry about watts and amps and other complicated shit?

[dave21478]

Its all in the watts. 

The wee suitcase generators are generally about 800 -1000 watts. This will run a grinder or similar, but only just.

The bigger stuff is generally 1500 - 3000 or 4000 watts, which will run most tools, but not a load of stuff at the same time. Get one with wheels as they are starting to get too heavy to lift at this size.

If you need more than that you are looking at big money.

 

 

Look at the tools you want to use, it will have its power rating stamped on it somewhere. This is what it draws, so allow a decent margin on the generators output so its not running close to 100% load all the time

 

 

Generator noise is a good way to piss off the neighbours though.

[cort16]

At lidl this week for £179

 

2800w

 

 

It seems to have 230v and 3 phase type power outlets so you'd need an adapter to run normal tools

 

 

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=33488

[sierraman]

They look to me like continental sockets.