Ask a Shiter

[Dave_Q]

These spark plugs - are they OK or running rich?

 

 

[Asimo]

Plugs look fine. Its the earth electrode that shows whats happening, and the insulator. Sooty body- the threaded bit- means nothing because it is relatively cold.

[Slartibartfast]

Said man would definitely need a D1 minibus licence and would probably get into all sorts of horror having to reregister his personal transport as a minibus or something.

 

This hypothetical dude should probably be careful about bolting things places they aren't meant to be, unless the chassis is designed to be loaded in the place you have bolted it to, our friend could be endangering his hypothetical children a bit maybe.

 

The hypothetical dude isn't really that dumb, he just found himself wondering about it while loading two megane leather seats into his boot. Having a nine seater when I have ten people to cart about is a pain the arse Can't go visiting relatives etc. unless we want to leave one behind or make them take the train.

[overrun]

Plugs look fine. Its the earth electrode that shows whats happening, and the insulator. Sooty body- the threaded bit- means nothing because it is relatively cold.

 

Yep. The electrode looks the perfect biscuit brown colour.

[LC Torana]

Yep. The electrode looks the perfect biscuit brown colour.

 

Indeed - it has a buttery biscuit base.

[twosmoke300]

I like the Base

[Lacquer Peel]

Are 1998-2003 Honda Accords known for lunching manual gearboxes? My mum's one is making 'a noise' and she thinks the gearbox has croaked. I'm not so sure and wouldn't mind taking it on for the winter.

[oldcars]

Wipers on the Reliant work but don't park, they just stop where they are when the wipers are switched off. Is this a mot issue?

[Eddie Honda]

No

 

Edit to add:

 

"Wiper blades that park automatically in a position that obscures the view through the windscreen are subject to Reason for Rejection 1."

"RfR 1:

A wiper or washer control missing or inaccessible to the driver

a wiper does not continue to operate automatically when switched on

a wiper installed for the use of the driver does not operate over an area of the windscreen large enough to give the driver an adequate view of the road (through the windscreen) to the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as to the front."

 

My take is that they intentionally don't park automatically (e.g. they don't always stop in the same place when switched off), so it shouldn't be a reason for RfR 1.

 

2nd edit: people that know far better than me concur: http://forums.motester.co.uk/forum3/844.html

[Snipes]

Does anyone know what those reverse warning sounders that are fitted to HGVs are called? Not the talking or beeping versions. The one that makes a weird kind of "Kark. Kark. Kark" sound.

[purplebargeken]

^^ I want some that say 'Oi, fuck off out of my way you cunt'.

 

Or I could just shout this out of the window. 

 

I will try shouting 'kark, kark, kark' tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

[Noel Tidybeard]

^^ I want some that say 'Oi, fuck off out of my way you cunt'.

 

Or I could just shout this out of the window. 

 

I will try shouting 'kark, kark, kark' tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

 

i think the "kark, kark" has to be fitted if the vehicle is operating at night as the low  freq noise doesnt carry like the "beep beep" ones do

[Richard]

Does anyone know what those reverse warning sounders that are fitted to HGVs are called? Not the talking or beeping versions. The one that makes a weird kind of "Kark. Kark. Kark" sound.

 

I would call them White Noise but apparently they are called White Sound. I was wrong about the reason for them too, I thought it was because you can't easily tell where a beep is coming from.

[meshking]

i think the "kark, kark" has to be fitted if the vehicle is operating at night as the low freq noise doesnt carry like the "beep beep" ones do

I think that's right, my cousin had to have them fitted to all his farm equipment because neighbours complained of the noise. These houses are about 10 years old, the farmyard 150. Probably next they'll complain about the smell from the cows.

[steve_earwig]

They'll complain about all the harmful methane they produce and campaign to have them fitted with catalytic converters. Or would that be cattleyitic?

 

Sorry

[The Moog]

I need a longer hose on my pressure washer, it's a karcher so they want ££££ for one. Is there an alternative that will fit a karcher?

[cobblers]

When I looked myself a while back there was a load on ebay about £18 for 6m but I wasn't 100% sure they fitted so I just run a garden hose and extension cable instead the drag the pressure washer round the car mostly on its side.

I should probably buy a longer hose.

[Timewaster]

Aldi this week for pressure washer hoses.

[twosmoke300]

Go to your local hydraulic pipe place and they will extend it .

[catsinthewelder]

Don't try using airline,  it really can't cope with the pressure.  Yes there was a very big bang.

[oldcars]

No

 

Edit to add:

 

"Wiper blades that park automatically in a position that obscures the view through the windscreen are subject to Reason for Rejection 1."

"RfR 1:

A wiper or washer control missing or inaccessible to the driver

a wiper does not continue to operate automatically when switched on

a wiper installed for the use of the driver does not operate over an area of the windscreen large enough to give the driver an adequate view of the road (through the windscreen) to the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as to the front."

 

My take is that they intentionally don't park automatically (e.g. they don't always stop in the same place when switched off), so it shouldn't be a reason for RfR 1.

 

2nd edit: people that know far better than me concur: http://forums.motester.co.uk/forum3/844.html

Bugger, any ideas on why the Reliant ones won't park? Spindle was leaking water into the car but that's all fixed now. Is there a switch or something that makes them stop in the correct place?

[cobblers]

If they "should" park then there's a switch inside the motor housing usually running off a cam on the spindle. It's closed whenever the wipers aren't parked, then momentarily opens when they are.

It's wired to bypass the wiper switch so they keep on moving until they hit the park position.

Either that switch is knackered, or you've lost the 12v ignition feed onto the wiper motor. Or they were never meant to park.

[RayMK]

They should park but as you have found they sometimes don't.  My Rialto had the same problem.  MOT chap was ok with it because it was easy to park them out of the way with the wiper switch.  I have not driven my Regal MKVI since July and therefore can't remember whether it has self parking wipers.

[oldcars]

They should park but as you have found they sometimes don't.  My Rialto had the same problem.  MOT chap was ok with it because it was easy to park them out of the way with the wiper switch.  I have not driven my Regal MKVI since July and therefore can't remember whether it has self parking wipers.

Thanks Ray. As you say it started doing it then stopped and now its started again. I am hoping now the leak from the spindle is cured it may start in time working again. Easy to park the wiper manually as you say too.

[steveo3002]

is there a reason for automotive earth cables being braided and bare?

 

i realise they dont need the insulation , but doesnt being bare let the all the strands oxidise etc?

 

must be a reason not to just use normal cable

[dave21478]

Some cars do use normal cable.

[steveo3002]

speccing up battery cables /new earths

 

what would an average 1300 cc engine take when cranking ?

[Asimo]

Braided construction is used where the cable is short and subject to a lot of vibration for instance between engine and body. The braid construction is very flexible and thus less prone to breakage than a thick short cable with a few strands would be. Copper hardens with age and with the stresses of being flexed / worked. Earth braids are tinned but with salty conditions do get manky. If they are sprayed with WD40 once or twice a year they stay like new for ever.

 

^^^easily 100 amps, on a cold day plenty more. A clue is in the cold cranking current part of the battery specification. Many batteries show that on the label, often in the vehicle handbook too.

[steveo3002]

makes sense

[rainagain]

This power steering pipe in my OH's Tucson is leaking. Would I be best getting one from the main stealer or could someone recommend somewhere in fife where I could get one made up. It's just a section of pipe with some bends, its about 400mm long.