Ask a Shiter

[chaseracer]

Is it possible to retrofit cruise control to a 2003 Blingo HDi?

[drum]

I hope this helps you, my colleague took it to a garage recommended by another colleague. They replaced the clutch, as this made no difference they then replaced the master cylinder and hey presto working clutch. So if I were you I'd check the master cylinder

Thanks. Mine is getting worse. Strangely, to my mind, it's worse changing up a gear than down. I have to let the revs drop before shifting.

 

I think I'll try and bleed the system first.

[drum]

The side door on my new* 14 year old transit won't open.

Any ideas where to start a fixing attempt?

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, start by pretending it doesn't have a side door, that's what everyone else does.

 

 

PS, if you do force it open it will probably fall off its runner and land on your toes.

[Richard]

There's a little knob at the back end of the door for locking/unlocking it, try that before you get medieval on its ass.

[DodgeRover]

The side door on my new* 14 year old transit won't open.

Any ideas where to start a fixing attempt?

Make sure none of the scrap in the back has fallen against the door wedging it closed. Seriously though I've had stuff fall over and jam the doors.

[SiC]

I know this has been done to death on here, but I can't seem to find threads.

 

Any recommendation on trolley jacks?

Ideally want to spend under £50 and have it a lift of at least 400mm. My current Aldi special can only go up to around 330mm, which isn't high enough to get axle stands underneath it.

 

I've seen a few decent looking ones on Machine Mart, but patiently waiting for another VAT free day...

 

Also last time I jacked it up, I did one side first, axle stand it. Then started jacking up the otherside. Half way up, the other stand started tilting and was sitting on one leg. At that point I got the jack down asap. Reckon it could have weakened/damaged the axle stand by having so much weight on one leg?

[Richard]

I think this is probably the closest you'll get to meeting your requirements http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/trolley-jacks/tj3-garage-3-ton-trolley-jack

 

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/help-advice/how-to-buy-the-right-trolley-jack/

[scaryoldcortina]

Most of the weight of the car will have been taken by the jack, so unless your axle stand twisted I wouldn't worry too much.

 

Always jack on firm level ground to avoid pulling the car towards the jack

[Tickman]

I know this has been done to death on here, but I can't seem to find threads.

 

Any recommendation on trolley jacks?

Ideally want to spend under £50 and have it a lift of at least 400mm. My current Aldi special can only go up to around 330mm, which isn't high enough to get axle stands underneath it.

 

I've seen a few decent looking ones on Machine Mart, but patiently waiting for another VAT free day...

 

Also last time I jacked it up, I did one side first, axle stand it. Then started jacking up the otherside. Half way up, the other stand started tilting and was sitting on one leg. At that point I got the jack down asap. Reckon it could have weakened/damaged the axle stand by having so much weight on one leg?

I bought the one Richard has linked and am more than well impressed.

I have previously bought a more expensive one from Machine Mart and did prefer using the old Lidl one rather than using it!

[Kiltox]

That SGS jack is good for the money.

[panhard65]

Not really car related but does anyone know if data can be recovered from an old dead hard drive. I have tried connecting it up via an enclosure type thingy to usb port and it doesn't do anything and can't be found. It's not really important just would like to recover some photo's from an old laptop that I hadn't backed up.

[drum]

Thanks. Mine is getting worse. Strangely, to my mind, it's worse changing up a gear than down. I have to let the revs drop before shifting.

I think I'll try and bleed the system first.

Bled the clutch but it hasn't made much difference. The fluid is a cloudy brown colour though so I think I'll flush it through with fresh stuff before succumbing to a garage fix.

[TataBobu]

Culprit: my dad's Mondeo mk III

Problem: driver's door only locks from outside, unlocks only from inside.

He's a long distance away, and I'll be there in a couple of weeks. What should I pack and what should I expect? Is it a pig of a job?

[Richard]

Lock barrel is buggered or from a different car. Fords lock with any key but only unlock with the right one.

[TataBobu]

Thanks, so I might have to look at a *new one. Forgot to mention, the lock used to work (lock and unlock with the key) but it doesn't anymore.

[cobblers]

You can buy kits from the dealers and build your own lock to match a key, it's quite theraputic

[Richard]

It could be the key that's worn, try with a spare key.

[sierraman]

I'd take the barrel to a locksmiths, shouldn't charge you much, taking the barrel apart is a right fiddle!!

[Guest Hooli]

Not really car related but does anyone know if data can be recovered from an old dead hard drive. I have tried connecting it up via an enclosure type thingy to usb port and it doesn't do anything and can't be found. It's not really important just would like to recover some photo's from an old laptop that I hadn't backed up.

 

Yes.

 

You can try swapping the circuit board of a working drive of the same type, or there are companies that can recover it for you. Not cheap for the second option, we once paid nearly £800 for a 80Gb drive to get recovered at work.

[Cavcraft]

If I have only the green slip and a picture of the front page of a V5, is there a way I can find he chassis number? It's all above board, I need to change the tax (disabled to PLG) on the Cav and the car isn't here to get the chassis number for the Post Office form.

[cobblers]

You can get it from the reg number if you can get someone to do a HPI check

[fatharris]

Entirely hypothetical.

 

If you had a car with a cat converter and you removed it, could you simply fill up with 4 star and drive? What would be the benefits/downsides of such a plan? Would a modern engine management system be able to handle the characteristics of the fuel?

 

As said before, purely hypothetical.

[Eddie Honda]

is there a way I can find he chassis number? 

 

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Start works on any reg  "Get a quote" / Reg / "find my BMW".

[tinribs]

Entirely hypothetical.

 

If you had a car with a cat converter and you removed it, could you simply fill up with 4 star and drive? What would be the benefits/downsides of such a plan? Would a modern engine management system be able to handle the characteristics of the fuel?

 

As said before, purely hypothetical.

The Engine will run fine, the "knock sensor" will adjust the ignition timing accordingly to compensate for the different octane rating of the fuel.

 

Pros: Possibly slightly more power under your foot.

Cons: Good luck finding 4-star!

 

I also believe it is illegal to run a car without a CAT when it should have one. I might be wrong about that though.

[jon928se]

Cool - well impressed it brought up the Vin of my 928 that was exported from the UK in 2005

 

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Start works on any reg  "Get a quote" / Reg / "find my BMW".

[SiC]

Entirely hypothetical.

 

If you had a car with a cat converter and you removed it, could you simply fill up with 4 star and drive? What would be the benefits/downsides of such a plan? Would a modern engine management system be able to handle the characteristics of the fuel?

 

As said before, purely hypothetical.

The lead would quickly poison the Lambda/O2 sensor. Engine would then run really awful and throw the MIL.

[Pillock]

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Start works on any reg "Get a quote" / Reg / "find my BMW".

Beat me to it! The only ones it doesn't work on is a BMW that's in warranty.... Like mine, I had to go to a parts supplier webpage which did the same job.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Entirely hypothetical.

If you had a car with a cat converter and you removed it, could you simply fill up with 4 star and drive? What would be the benefits/downsides of such a plan? Would a modern engine management system be able to handle the characteristics of the fuel?

As said before, purely hypothetical.

The first car I drove with a catalytic converter fitted was a Supra Turbo. It was a fleet demo that Toyota lent us for 3 weeks, on delivery, the driver pointed out the emergency gallon of unleaded in the boot and emphasised the terrible consequences of putting leaded in it.

There weren't that many unleaded pumps around and a lot of garages didn't sell it at all, we made sure it was full of fuel whenever a director took it home for the night . I was always keen to take it to fill up and see if it would pull more than 145 up The hill on the Newport Bypass- it never did, until......

One Monday , the Finance Director returned it to the Transport Dept, and just mentioned he couldn't find any unleaded

" But it's Ok I filled it with 4 star, then added the gallon of Unleaded !"

We expected disaster, but it did show 150 on my refuelling route, coincidence?

Of course, I'm sure the cat was killed in the first few days of being a demo.

[bub2006]

Any ideas what or why this US doing hidden behind a vectra c dashboard? The fag lighter mail end is tight up to the dashboard behind the glove box near the a pillar and the female end has a black wire running to an earth bolt and a red wire running behind the fuse box into the fuse box. Swmbo has had the car for 3 years now and I've took the glove box out to change the heater resistor pack. Still no joy on working blowers but this is now causing concern.