Ask a Shiter

[pshome]

bad ground wire connection on the fan connector negative wire?

[Stanky]

Thanks pshome

 

How would I go about tracing it? I'm a bit crap with electrics

[Kiltox]

I had the exact same problem with a 407 and it was a bad ground to the fan - verified using a power probe type thing (cheap Bergen 12v tester from Amazon) that connects to the battery and can apply +12v or ground anywhere you want it to

 

Poor mans version once you've verified which pin is ground would be to use a length of wire to connect the ground pin directly to the body of the car and see if the motor fires up

[pshome]

Connect the black wire of your voltmeter to some blank metal of the car, then check the two wires of the fan connector. One should show ~12V on the meter, this the plus wire coming from the fan switch. You need to fix the other (ground) wire and make a connection from the fan connector to the chassis.

 

If there is no voltage on either wire of the connector, then the plus cable is cut, or the fan wire is completely cut somewhere (hit the fan?).

[Stanky]

For those who care, I did as pshome suggested and it showed 12v from live to bulkhead, but still no dice when plugged in and earthed via the voltmeter. I then gave the plug a wiggle and WOOSH! it fired up on speed 4 and gave me the fright of my life.

 

I checked the other speeds and all was fine, so I declared it a great success and put it all back together. then for good measure I tested it still worked and bloody nothing. FFS. stripped out the kick panel again and wiggled the connector, it started up but sounded wheezy, wiggled it some more and it was happy again. Let go and it cut out again. After judicious prodding, it turned out the plug wasn't happy unless it was wedged up slightly, so I got a peg and jammed it in and it worked fine. Bloody thing.

 

Put the kick panel back in and it was still working so I suggested that something - probably the female plug in the blower motor - was iffy and would need fixing at some stage but it was working now and if it cut out again we'd know what was the likely culprit and 'adjust' as required. He seemed happy enough with this, as I suspect Vauxhall would have relieved them of north of £200 for the diagnosis alone and I got some good neighbour points. 

 

It didn't even rain.

[Station]

I'd replace that plug to be on the safe side, fans pull a lot of amperage and will produce sparks if it's getting intermittent connection, (or just blow the 40A fuse).

[Bfg]

WTF is causing this on my Puma?

 

Tank is nearly full - but I certainly didn't fill it this full and this is 20 miles after I last filled it.  Only reason I removed the cap is I was curious about the stench of fuel - is it making it's own?

Best I can come up with is thermal expansion, which effects fluids as well as solids... 

 

In short ; the garage's fuel storage tanks are underground. After a few days of cool weather the fuel in those tanks is cold. You 'almost' fill your car on a hot day. The car is then parked on sun-baked driveway bricks. The heat rises from these as convection to the underside of your car - where its tank is.  As the fuel in your tank warms - it expands. The only way out is up the very narrow filler neck..

 

Similarly, there is also air in your tank, trapped because the filler tube goes down a little way, or because of a domed shape in the tank.  This air / fuel vapour mix, also expands as it gets hot,  but it can't escape up the vent pipe (assuming that is clear ??) so it pushes the fuel up the narrow filler neck.

 

An alternative scenario might be the angle of the car when being filled up (those most garage forecourts are level to prevent this) versus the angle of your car when parked on your driveway. 

 

Moral of the story is ; It's a good garage to fill you tank from, particularly in the morning after a couple of cool days   ..the designer of your car's fuel tank vent was a plonker !    and be aware of the angles 

 

Hope that's helpful.

[Richard]

It can't be any worse than the old Professionals.

[egg]

Track rod ends - vary from a few pounds to £30 each for Ford originals - is this a case of more you spend, the better the quality - or does it not make much difference?

 

Aftermarket exhausts - what are the 'good' and best trusted brands?

[Kiltox]

Avoid eBay tat for the TREs

[cort16]

FIATS! I told you they were shite. Was the words of Dad as I described this issue to him last night. To be fair he did but this was when my Mrs bought a brand new Seicento in 1999 that ran pretty much faultlessly for 7 years.

 

I need to get the alternator out the Panda. There's an inaccessible bolt at the top of the alternator. The only way to get to it is to remove or move the aircon pump but it's held in place by yes,  an inaccessible bolt. I can get my hand on it but can't get a spanner on it as one of the heavy duty air con hoses is on behind it.

So I need to remove the hose. The aircon doesn't run cold but when I pressed the little valve I got  a hiss meaning there's some gas in the system.

 

My question is how do I safely vent the aircon system without poisoning me and everything with a 30ft radius? I live on a busy street with kids and stuff playing near by so I don't really want to dump a load of noxious gas. I've been let to believe the refrigerant in these is nasty stuff . Is that right?

[Kiltox]

You know those air duster things for cleaning keyboards?

 

Yeah. Same gas.

[cort16]

So I can dump it without killing any kittenz?

[Kiltox]

No because that'd be illegal.....

 

[JohnDeere]

Is there a "free" way to see if a car is now wearing new plates? I could search either by VIN or original number. I spotted that the Fiesta I chopped in recently has disappeared from the DVLA system after being up for sale at a massively overpriced dealer in Brum (pay monthly for 60 weeks).

 

I was intrigued to know if the lucky* new owner has shelled out for wanky plates to go along with their monthly installments (the car was shagged which is why I chopped it rather than selling it myself, good luck to the new owner in reaching year 5 of the repayments).

[LC Torana]

Did anyone watch this back in the 90s?

 

 

It's been re-released by network and I'm wondering whether its any good.

 

http://networkonair.com/shop/2426-ci5-the-new-professionals-the-complete-series.html

 

It's watchable if it comes on the telly and you've got nothing to do, but I definitely wouldn't pay money to see it.

[cros]

Anyone here had dealings with the VW LT which had a Perkins engine for its first year? Any info would be of interest.

[gm]

Who is it that sells the autoshite dealer stickers ? My new chariot has both a soft top and a hard top so plenty o' stickers are needed

[Richard]

Ruffgeezer.

[Asimo]

Anyone here had dealings with the VW LT which had a Perkins engine for its first year? Any info would be of interest.

No dealings, but as a longtime LT fancier I found these docs. some time ago. How's your German?

 

PDF introduction to the engine here http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_12.PDF

 

and to the LT here http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_10.PDF

[cros]

^^ Thanks for the link, looking at the engine I'm even more puzzled why it got canned it so quickly and substituted by a six cylinder version of the Golf diesel. I understand that the '4' cylinder 2.7 was produced in Hanover under licence from Perkins but Germans reckon that it was shit and thus the 2.4 6 soon replaced it. I'm thinking that it was more a case of NIH; this series of Perkins engines were, I think, a joint venture with Japan and in my experience performed very well. Meanwhile few people have a good word for the thirsty 6 so arseholes to VW.

[Asimo]

Lots of 'shiters say good things about the 2.4 VW six, in LT and Volvo installations; nice to drive in Volvos.

The only Perkins engines I have driven have been in Massey Fergusons, and they were a bit coarse even for open tractors. Proper valvetrain though, gears and pushrods. If only it had had the correct number of cylinders like the VW engine.......

[Snipes]

FIATS! I told you they were shite. Was the words of Dad as I described this issue to him last night. To be fair he did but this was when my Mrs bought a brand new Seicento in 1999 that ran pretty much faultlessly for 7 years.

 

I need to get the alternator out the Panda. There's an inaccessible bolt at the top of the alternator. The only way to get to it is to remove or move the aircon pump but it's held in place by yes, an inaccessible bolt. I can get my hand on it but can't get a spanner on it as one of the heavy duty air con hoses is on behind it.

So I need to remove the hose. The aircon doesn't run cold but when I pressed the little valve I got a hiss meaning there's some gas in the system.

 

My question is how do I safely vent the aircon system without poisoning me and everything with a 30ft radius? I live on a busy street with kids and stuff playing near by so I don't really want to dump a load of noxious gas. I've been let to believe the refrigerant in these is nasty stuff . Is that right?

I suppose if you're that worried about it you could get a garage with an air con recharge machine to vacuum the system. You could go back later and have them recharge it so the air on would work afterward.

Reminds of me seeing the pictures of when a garage accidentally connected their recharge machine to the fuel system on a Fiat Punto. Ports were the same, y'see. Anyway, boom, front of the car ripped off when it (presumably) exploded.

[cort16]

Funny you should say that the end cap of the fuel rail is right next to the aircon port.

[sierraman]

Track rod ends - vary from a few pounds to £30 each for Ford originals - is this a case of more you spend, the better the quality - or does it not make much difference?

 

Aftermarket exhausts - what are the 'good' and best trusted brands?

There's a happy medium, I've put Ocap tre before and they've lasted fine. Though obviously Lemforder will last a bit longer. Wouldn't waste £30 on some Ford ones if that's what they are each.

 

Exhausts? I don't know I've fitted Klarius before and the fit wasn't good on the most recent and required a lot of fecking about. But if your having it fitted on a ramp as opposed to tin pot amateur me it will be easier. Bosal are probably best, but hopeful you've deep pockets then as easily about he 1/3 more expensive. Does the exhaust need replacing? I ask as its a shitty job on the driveway and likely as not if its the original system on the Mondeo you'll have to cut it up as its one huge section if it's OE.

 

Track rod end swap a piece of piss though.

[twosmoke300]

£30 quid isnt bad for genuine TRE to be honest . Moog are a good pattern part and id avoid first line and delphi .

 

As sierraman said - Bosal seem the best of the aftermarket stuff . Having said that I fit quite a lot of Regal stuff which always fits ok and hads a two year warranty . Avoid Klarius and walker . Used to be a running joke in the trade that the stickers on a walker exhaust last longer than the pipes. Funny because its true!

[cros]

Lots of 'shiters say good things about the 2.4 VW six, in LT and Volvo installations; nice to drive in Volvos.

The only Perkins engines I have driven have been in Massey Fergusons, and they were a bit coarse even for open tractors. Proper valvetrain though, gears and pushrods. If only it had had the correct number of cylinders like the VW engine.......

The tractor engines are most likely rigidly mounted direct injection lumps, the LT's Perkins was a idi, a Howard pre-chamber design that looks like the one used in the Golf engine. The six is doubtless a nicer drive.

[Norbert]

You know those daft modern lights with LED DRLs where the light dims on one side when the indicator comes on.......

 

Shouldn't all cars fitted with those fail the MoT on 'Direction indicator adversely affects operation of another lamp' or similar?

 

Yours

 

Puzzled of Slade

[saucedoctor]

I guess it's OK because DRLs aren't mandatory.

[Kiltox]

I guess it's OK because DRLs aren't mandatory.

 

I think this is the right answer in that they're not mandatory for the purpose of a MOT - however, are they not mandatory in the sense that all new cars need to be built with them?