Ask a Shiter

[eddyramrod]

The solution to job satisfaction is having an interest in what you do.

 

This!

 

Also, bang on with the pensions thing. I've always been "hourly-paid," therefore treated like shit and never had the opportunity to build up a pension (nor the spare cash). I'm only going to have whatever state pension is available in 15 years, you can bet it won't be enough to live on. I'm simply not planning to retire. I've had nearly 3 years of it now and I don't like it. I'll work as long as my brain and body will let me. I may reduce my hours (hoping I'm in a position to do so) but I'll carry on, and on, and on...

[DSdriver]

Are yellow street lights safer?

I can recall reading that yellow lights make more shadows so pedestrians stand out better. Now this might have just been propaganda put out by Councils because sodium lamps were cheaper. But now with LEDs they are making new lamps which are white. Should we be changing to Yellow headlamps?

[M'coli]

They've not put LED lights in here, the cost to run these fuckers that Leeds clowncil's installed is about double of the sodium ones. That's my fucking council tax that's paying for the extra light pollution, you twats.

 

Edit: I believed that the sodium glow was better at cutting through fog; when they were installed, industrial smog would have been more common. I miss sodium lights.

[barefoot]

Is it just me, or are pretty tyres with symmetrical curvaceous treads like this one...

 

 

...not as popular / being made as much as they were a couple of years ago in favour of

new fangled asymmetric devices ?

 

I quite liked the look of them but am led to believe that they are only any good at clearing water

& are apparently ridiculously noisy.

 

Can anyone shed any more light / confirm ?

[Pillock]

They've not put LED lights in here, the cost to run these fuckers that Leeds clowncil's installed is about double of the sodium ones. That's my fucking council tax that's paying for the extra light pollution, you twats.

 

They could take Leicester's approach and turn them off at night......

[myglaren]

And "Signallage" - phoned the highways agency to enquire about a sign "Roadworks start here 31st Jan for 7 weeks" that has appeared on the roundabout where the A50 meets the B6540 just off J24 M1.

This is an excellent large roundabout with good visibility, queues only form when one of the surrounding roads has a problem,

I regularly negotiate it at 60 odd mph because it is three lanes wide & generally empty.

Apparently the twats are planning to spend 20:00 - 06:00 for SEVEN weeks fitting traffic lights to it!

What (apart from slowing traffic down even further) is the point of such a debacle?

There's not been an accident on this island in the 15 odd years its been there.

How much will that all cost then?

 

With a week to spare (in case of over-run) it'll be complete within this tax year Roads budget all spent, books balanced.

 

Ok, time for mine. What's the story with the 'sky restaurant' towers at Forton Services? Do they ever use them at all? I've been up and down the M6 since the early 80's, and can't recall a time they ever were. I'm asking partly out of curiosity, and partly because I think it would be a fantastic place for a shite meet, if it came with authentically tasty 70's carvery food!

 

It was still open a couple of years ago, I called in on my way home from Blackpool. I believe that they did decent meals at the time but I only had coffee, just wanted to see what the place was as I had passed it going from Heysham to Blackpool (in torrential rain).

 

Forton Services

 

[eddyramrod]

My SD1 broke down there and had to come home on a Relay truck.....

[Guest]

AFAIK you're not allowed up there. I lived within spitting distance of Forton for four years (2002-6) and never saw it open. Although a meet there would be awesome. There are some incredible roads just off Junction 33 that wind through the Trough of Bowland.

[Guest]

Also,

 

Is anyone a member of any Jaguar forums? I want to sell these sodding KN Geminis I've got and I'm convinced they'd find a home with an early XJS or XJ6 owner. Can anyone help?

[messerschmitt owner]

I've eaten in the Pennine tower restaurant at Forton

 

I bought a postcard of it last saturday for a fiver and sold it ten minutes later for £8.

 

yeah!

[barefoot]

Apparently closed in 1989 because of fire regulations.

 

http://www.fortonservices.webs.com/

[The Moog]

Front of the volvo is creaking a bit. When I got the MOT done the garage said it was the front sub frame bush and it had started to crack up. Is it likely to be dangerous? Or can I just leave it and put up with the squeaking?

[Station]

Prognosis:

 

Skoda Felcher spewing out quite worrying amounts of white smoke from exhaust:

 

Felicia white smoke by Jibijib, on Flickr

 

It looks blue, but that's the flash on my phone - it's too dark to see, but it definitely looks white.

Car doesn't overheat, but heating is very intermittent - it'll go really hot but then it will go cold. I changed the water two weeks ago, and it's been hot/cold/hot pretty much instantly. This is usually when the car is cornering. I was thinking this was an airlock - but two weeks? The thermostat works (it's new), the coolant temp sensor is new as well.

 

I've always had spattering of mayonaise on the oil cap, but there's none on the dipstick, and the water is the right colour.

 

Felicia oil cap mayonnaise by Jibijib, on Flickr

 

What is it - has my (fucking) head gasket gone? I heard these engines like blowing HG's?

 

White smoke was nearly enveloping the entire car, and I'm sure someone put their fog lights on as they went past.

 

Felicia white smoke by Jibijib, on Flickr

 

It's be ace if there -was- an airlock and I was just being paranoid about the smoke - it's hard to see in the dark and it's really cold, but it's abnormal amount.

[dollywobbler]

Airlock is the first thought. Give all the hoses (including the heater hoses) and good squeeze with the rad cap (or expansion tank if it's got one) lid off. Don't do it when the engine's too hot, but you do need the thermostat to be open. Managed to burp loads of air out of the Maverick using this technique.

 

Most cars will emit moisture clouds at this time of year, so it's hard to give a diagnosis just based on that. How far are you driving in it? A trip of a couple of miles probably isn't enough to burn off any moisture in the oil, so that could be giving 'false' mayo on the filler cap. I had a BX 16v with a knackered 'stat and that would cream up more readily than an Essex girl at a Peter Andre gig.

[eddyramrod]

Front of the volvo is creaking a bit. When I got the MOT done the garage said it was the front sub frame bush and it had started to crack up. Is it likely to be dangerous? Or can I just leave it and put up with the squeaking?

 

I'd be inclined to get it done. Had a nasty experience with an anti-roll-bar bush once. Best to be safe, etc.

[Station]

Tried squeezing the hoses!

Did comp test this morning - 11 - 12 on cold engine, took 20 - 30 mins to warm up fully standing (idling). I'd expect more if it was hg? Plugs were black - could be overfuelling????

Trying comp test on hot engine now - skoda forum is pretty basic on advice as well! Mostly new octavia drivers who have never got their middle management suits dirty hurhur

[jonathan_dyane]

That looks very HG to me.

 

Any bubbling in the expansion tank?

[Station]

Comp test on hot engine is 10psi (or bar whatever it is) across the cylinders, which is normal?

Coolant isn't pressurising at all, the only symptom is the white/grey smoke.

I've had a bit of experience in the world of head gasket failures, for I once owned a K-series.

I'm going to buy some K-seal tomorrow anyway, and possibly buy new lambda and a scrappy coolant temp sensor.

[wackywacerwill]

I'm gonna play the optimist here and and say your tailpipe smoke is just condensation. Carry plenty of water/coolant just incase, you'll be fine

 

Have you checked all the little pipes for leaks around the carb heater and blower matrix?

[Cavcraft]

How do you break the beads on alloy wheels please? I have one of these (or similar to it)...

 

 

...which is GR10.9 on steel wheels, but I struggle like a struggly thing on alloys as the beads seem harder to break.

[cobblers]

How do you break the beads on alloy wheels please? I have one of these (or similar to it)...

 

You got a big vice?

[Cavcraft]

Alas no :[

[TimothyClaypole]

 

 

My tools of choice.

 

(Obviously not very sympathetic to the tyres.)

[Cavcraft]

Thanks Tayne, that's got to be worth a bash.

 

TC: that's ideal for the ones with knackered tyres, take a face mask is a good idea too due to the fumes?

 

 

Right, next stupid question:

 

If a personal plate is on a retention certificate then as the £80 fee has been paid would this leave any prospective buyer to either pay £25 to put it in their name or (free) to put on their car?

[Richard]

Car jack?

 

One end under the sill and the other on the sidewall of the tyre lying on the ground.

 

That's how I do it.

 

The Bosch method would be fine for alloys as long as you're careful when you get close to the tyre, I don't suppose it would affect the weigh-in value

[TimothyClaypole]

The Dremel with a reinforced wheel is for the bit against the rim.

 

I cut the tyre off using the Bosch and leave two thin bits of sidewall on then cut them with the Dremel - the steel cords make a luvly snapping noise as you cut through them.

[RoadworkUK]

If a personal plate is on a retention certificate then as the £80 fee has been paid would this leave any prospective buyer to either pay £25 to put it in their name or (free) to put on their car?

 

I believe, though it's been a while since I did one, the £80 retention lasts for twelve months (or something) after which you have to renew the retention period. As long as the retention stays in your name it only costs the retention renewal fee. I think it costs £25 to change the nominee, e.g to sell it to somebody else.

 

But I'm probably wrong and should leave our very capable admin department to worry about all this complicated stuff...

[trigger]

I'm looking for a pair of seat belts to replace the static ones fitted to my Cortina and have been offered these Mk4 belt for £20 + P&P, sadly the drivers one is frayed, would you say that this was bad enough to fail a mot?, I don't want to say yes if it's going to fail the test.

 

[Des]

I've seen belts in worse condition pass, you could wave a lighter under the frayed edge and run a black marker along to tidy it up.

Or just hammer a whiter moccasin over it.

[fiatdaft]

Retention is £105 that includes £80 for the transfer and 1 years retention at £25 then its £25 per year to keep it on retention then its free to put on the car,dunno about changing the nominee though.