Ask a Shiter

[drum]

If it's rattly, it might be something innocuous like the exhaust heat shield coming loose. If clunky, probably not.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

How are you testing the drop links. You probably won't find any play with it jacked up. It needs the weight of the car on it.

I was a bit lazy and didn't check them more than looking at the condition of them as I replaced them last year. But having said that the replacements were cheap pattern parts

 

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[Asimo]

I seemingly keep returning to Autotrader to look at future replacements of the knob-mobile, and essentially I keep returning to five cylinder, large, wafty, comfortable and evil relatively modern contraptions.

 

Has anyone any experience of the Mondeo Mk4 with the 2.5T Volvo engine in it? They're a bit of a sleeper and, with the promise of a cabin spacious enough to play badminton in and five cylinder rawr, keep tickling my fancy.

 o?

They aren't spacious in the back, only been in them as taxis but they are miserable and claustrophobic back there. Just because they are huge etc....

 

Best place to experiance a Volvo 5 cylinder is surely in a Renault Safrane? No DMF issues with the torque-converter automatic, which you will be wanting for maximum waftyness.

[AMC Rebel]

You can pick up a non-dating five-character plate for less than £1250 if you're not bothered about what those digits are.  Dunno if it's 'worth' reuniting the car with it's original number, but if you have the cash now, you could always* sell the plate on again if you need the money back in future.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I'd only consider it for putting the original reg back - don't care about "dating" - most people on the road have no clue what an F suffix means anyway and just see a manky old grid (which is what it is).  I get the idea about selling it on again in hard times, but knowing my luck it would be worth about £2.50 when I needed the cash.  I am not well versed in private platerry as it's not something I'd normally get involved in.

[twosmoke300]

How are you testing the drop links. You probably won't find any play with it jacked up. It needs the weight of the car on it.

 

What he said ! Suspension needs to be tested in its normal position as that is where wear occurs

[sierraman]

Check the rubber gaiters, these sometimes tear then all the grease fucks off, I think you can guess the rest.

[FakeConcern]

Drove into That London yesterday and paid for the Exclusion Zone Charge online last night. I have not got a reciept in my email (not even in "junk") should i be worried? How can I check if a huge fine is heading my way?

[Richard]

I was a bit lazy and didn't check them more than looking at the condition of them as I replaced them last year. But having said that the replacements were cheap pattern parts

 

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If they're a year old they'll be buggered. The cheap pattern ones really are dreadful and the expensive pattern ones are mostly cheap pattern ones with a larger price tag. Lemforder ones might be better.

[forddeliveryboy]

What is the point of the Europe CE mark on brake pads, when there is a brand named Eicher? They're marginally better than a wooden block pushed against a halfshaft.

[Richard]

I think Eicher is Scottish, or at least made in Scotland. Are they that bad?

[twosmoke300]

Sold by ecp as a more budget alternative to pagid aren't they ?

By the shit pagid stuff I've seen they must be terrible

[Richard]

I think they are better than Pagid, although you could say the same about those wooden brake pads you see on thereifixedit.com.

[forddeliveryboy]

Yup. They came with a car so thought I'd see what they were like - fine under light braking and from cold but they don't even bite hard enough under duress to begin to fade! My experience with Pagid is way better, even though they're a bit 'soft'. 

[steveo3002]

theyre sold as a cheapie budget make... 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I seemingly keep returning to Autotrader to look at future replacements of the knob-mobile, and essentially I keep returning to five cylinder, large, wafty, comfortable and evil relatively modern contraptions.

 

Has anyone any experience of the Mondeo Mk4 with the 2.5T Volvo engine in it? They're a bit of a sleeper and, with the promise of a cabin spacious enough to play badminton in and five cylinder rawr, keep tickling my fancy.

 

Obviously it'll have things like a DMF, and the cambelt intervals are at around 100k, but as they're relatively rare I'm wondering if a smattering of good vehicular-minded folk like yourselves have had opportunity to experience one or know anyone who has?

 

I have tried wading the single-make/owner's club forums and would rather be sarcastically put down by you lot any day than told it's epic and awesome and everything is perfect

 

This is a very stupid question as in typical Autoshite fashion I shouldn't be considering a car swap, but it's been nearly THIRTEEN MONTHS now so what can a guy do?

Last year my brother bought an ex-Police Zetec estate from an auction, it's 2010 and done about 100,000 miles . Don't know what the Old Bill used it for , it's blue with no holes and the interior is intact and in good condition, interestingly the wheels are in good nick( although only 16" alloys) which is very unusual for anything ex-Met.

 

I went with him to pick it up and had a go on the 60 mile cross country journey home. It would keep up with my e61 530d auto , at least until speeds were between getting a ban and getting locked up. Although it had to be wrung right out to the limiter in every gear , not as torquey as I expected, but then I'm used to turbotdizzlers. It showed about 28 mpg for that spirited journey , which isn't bad . It also felt very stable at quite high speeds. All in all a bargain for the £1800 he paid.

He sold it to his son-in -law to replace his Leon Cupra R when he needed space for baby shite. He loves it, although apparently it's juicy around town in stop start use. As far as I know nothing has gone wrong with it in the last 18 months.

[Dippy]

I used to run my classics on shell vmax but have now started using supermarket fuel in the Princess and now when i turn off the ignition it overruns abit.

 

Im sure i remember that either advancing or retarding the ignition could help, if it does which way should i go and how far should i move it just a couple of degrees or more.

[sierraman]

Put some Eicher Pads on the back of the Mondeo last week, im happy to report they are perfectly acceptable. Fitted fine, don't know about wear rates but they were £10.50, the Pagids were £23. I'd doubt they'd wear twice as quick. Bear in mind I've used both brands, I can't say I noticed much difference in performance.

 

At the end of the day it's an old banger, it's perfectly acceptable to use them. If it was a 3 year old Mercedes I'd be inclined to spend a bit more but they are certainly fit for purpose.

[twosmoke300]

Every time I strip brakes off a car and the lining falls off the backplate it's pagid pads .

[Asimo]

I used to run my classics on shell vmax but have now started using supermarket fuel in the Princess and now when i turn off the ignition it overruns abit.

 

Im sure i remember that either advancing or retarding the ignition could help, if it does which way should i go and how far should i move it just a couple of degrees or more.

 

I don't see how adjusting the ignition timing will affect run-on: something that only happens when the ignition is off.

 

Try a "cooler" spark plug? I got into the habit of gently stalling the engine as I switched the ignition off to stop the run-on. 

 

I never had any engine run-on except BMC / Leyland ones, and they all seemed to do it. Because of SU carbs?

[sierraman]

Aren't they OE for a number of manufacturers though?

[twosmoke300]

Probably but oe stuff is very different from the aftermarket even in the same brand

[sierraman]

I've fitted Eicher pads before on a few cars and they've performed fine, though saying that the Pagid Discs are better quality, they've a coating on the vents that prevents corrosion so they look presentable for longer. The Eicher ones probably more prone to warping. But it's the same as anything, they'll do fine on an old beater but if I'd got something with a bit of power or i was towing I'd look for a better make.

[Richard]

I've just changed the strut top bearings on the Polo. It has these stupid barrel shaped springs they have now. There was just enough parallel spring to use traditional spring compressors on it but I can't help wondering what tool you would use to compress the ones that are properly barrel shaped.

[scaryoldcortina]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HYDRAULIC-COIL-SPRING-COMPRESSOR-SUSPENSION-MACPHERSON-STRUT-FOR-WORKSHOPS-/262743050622?hash=item3d2cb4c97e:g:HmIAAOSwPhdU3K1T

 

one of these.

[Richard]

I'm glad it was a hypothetical question.

[twosmoke300]

A decent spring station is about a grand . Next on my shopping list after having a spring make a bid for freedom last month

[Supernaut]

I don't appear to have received today's "12 days of Christmas" discount code for GSF.

 

Anybody got it? I want to order a pollen filter for the Xantia, as it's steaming up like a bastard. Running the air con on hot helps, but it's just a sticking plaster of a solution, really.

[Kiltox]

DOVES

[Supernaut]

Well, I did use it to transport a dishwasher a while back. Probably still a slight damp patch in the carpet in the back...

[3VOM]

1.2 16v 2001 Clio is "abs-ing" the brakes all the time. Possible causes? A Google says front rings on the driveshafts or the abs unit itself. Also, is there a comprehensive code reader that will give specific error codes for this issue?