Ask a Shiter

[DeeJay]

Types Old Misunderstandable Mutterings.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Thanks lads, i knew about the online taxing and online MOT history etc but for some reason didn't twig you could check road tax too.

Turns out i taxed it for 12 months after all (memory's getting worse) so will put in for refund when the weather changes.

If you get the VehicleSmart app. it has a " Your garage" section so you can keep track of MOT and tax renewells on your own fleet- just checked mine and the Mrs' Freelander MOT ran out last week, Doh!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Renewal!

[Ghosty]

This because it broke down after he bought it?

 

Don't know where Foad is but I know I wouldn't want to drive an Alto mega distance, it's not what it's for.

 

Yes. He's up in Scotland somewhere (Dunfermline?) and the buyer was somewhere in the eastern half of England but it's not clear where, but at least as far as Newcastle.

[Hendry]

Thought you guys may have a rough idea of the value of this since my mate is looking to offload it:

 

BMW 320I (Petrol) with 2.2 M54 engine, 5 speed manual box. 

2004 04 plate

90,000 miles

1 elderly owner prior to him from brand new, even has plastic spare key and 2x remote fobs, original dealer plates, sticker, tax disc holder, original tool kit still present and unused, very original car.

2 new non rusty wings (non genuine)

2x new front springs

12 months MOT or it will have when its being sold.

Grey Green Metallic in colour

Full cream leather interior with wood trim, wood effect gear knob, steering wheel etc. 

Its a strange spec because its not an M Sport, has cream interior, standard alloys, and isnt a sporty colour but has factory optional extra M Aerodynamic bumpers package.

Spec includes: Dynamic stability control, front fogs, onboard computer, BMW business radio with 6 disc changer, auto air con, park distance control, front armrest, automatic dip interior mirror, first aid kit & warning triangle, 16" alloys, model badging factory delete, sports leather MFSW. 

 

Its got a couple of rust spots (wings were really bad but were changed for aftermarket ones which have no rust and are a good colour match)

 

Reg is SB04XLZ. 

 

Is it worth £1200?  

[Ghosty]

Sounds like it is on paper.

Seems to be £1200-1500 for a 320 in similar age/condition on Auto Trader.

[Hendry]

My mate thought he would get laughed at if he tried selling it for £750, I was convinced it was worth more, but thought id ask the experts here for a true valuation because the prices things are advertised at on ebay/gumtree usually dont have any relevance to their true worth. 

[Lord Sterling]

Quick sale, £750, if he is prepared to wait a bit, possibly haggle with a buyer and can present the car nicely in pics and words I'd say stick it up for £1350 but expect £1100/£1000.

 

Spec sounds similar to mine except engine size, bumpers, leather and colour. Mine is 1.8, cloth, standard wheels and bumpers and dark Blue metallic.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Three things the 55 Fiesta ST is revving up (goes from 1500 to 2000) when you press the clutch slowing down to stop. Any idea why?

 

As im trying to take the bits apart to see if something just needs a clean I can't, how do you take these clips apart?

 

 

 

This little sponge under the air filter is falling apart, what can I replace it with?

 

[jonathan_dyane]

My bet on the reving up would be a damaged rubber hose on the intake side which opens up with engine movement. The second photo showing the clip, insert screwdriver and twist and it should pop off however unless you have the special tool it will never go back on; best replaced with a standard jubillee clip.

[AlabamaShrimp]

My bet on the reving up would be a damaged rubber hose on the intake side which opens up with engine movement. The second photo showing the clip, insert screwdriver and twist and it should pop off however unless you have the special tool it will never go back on; best replaced with a standard jubillee clip.

Thanks I'll get some jubilee clips ordered. I think it's to do with that split hose too and then crap getting into something.

 

Tried to get the hose before but Ford only do it as a giant chunk of plastic that costs a fortune.

[twosmoke300]

You can flip those clips open with an electrical ( small ) screwdriver and re clip them with a pair of pincers .

[twosmoke300]

Oh and the foam is a breather filter and decent air filters come with a new one included .

[AlabamaShrimp]

Opened it with a screwdriver but I couldn't find the right pliers so I've left it undone. The other end was only a cable tie which I had to break.

[Matt]

Tyres!

 

How heavily can you rely on tyre ratings? I've got a set of alloys to go on my car and with 155/70 R13's being dead cheap I might as well go for the best. The reason that I'm asking is because the Goodyear Efficientgrip Compact and Dunlop Street Response 2 both have fuel efficiency C, wet grip B and 68 dB. Maybe it's marketing bollocks or I might even be making it up in my head but I've always thought that Michelin were considered top dog yet the E3B is fuel efficiency F and 2 dB louder too. My mother swears by them as she got 25k miles out of the front set of Michelin's on her old Laguna Tourer. The latter being Anyone able to weigh in on this one?

 

TL;DR

Are tyre ratings bollocks and are Michelin E3B's £30 more expensive purely because brand name?

[scdan4]

I seem to have volunteered to change the clutch on my mega skint friends pug 406 hdi90. I've never done a clutch before, so am sure that much hilarity* will ensue.

 

It's started juddering in first, much more pronounced when cold. I couldn't make it slip  (whilst bedding in the handbrake shoes that i'd just replaced, while camping, on the campsite. Not sure if that's resourceful or pikey as fuck)

 

Are there any common causes of judder on these? I'm assuming that at near 200K the second, or third clutch has gone, but assumption is the total of my diagnosis. I have a history of missing the wood for the trees as it were.

 

There is a good guide on the 406oc, which I have to say is about as useful a model specific forum as i've stumbled across. It's for the v6, but there is plenty of discussion as to the differences for the diesels so am hopeful. (Fool that I am)

 

Any handy hints or insights welcomed.

 

Got an AP kit coming, anything else i should absolutely do whilst i'm there?

 

thanks all. 

[scdan4]

Tyres!

 

How heavily can you rely on tyre ratings? I've got a set of alloys to go on my car and with 155/70 R13's being dead cheap I might as well go for the best. The reason that I'm asking is because the Goodyear Efficientgrip Compact and Dunlop Street Response 2 both have fuel efficiency C, wet grip B and 68 dB. Maybe it's marketing bollocks or I might even be making it up in my head but I've always thought that Michelin were considered top dog yet the E3B is fuel efficiency F and 2 dB louder too. My mother swears by them as she got 25k miles out of the front set of Michelin's on her old Laguna Tourer. The latter being Anyone able to weigh in on this one?

 

TL;DR

Are tyre ratings bollocks and are Michelin E3B's £30 more expensive purely because brand name?

 

If it's gripping the road harder it's going to offer more rolling resistance, hence be louder and use more fuel. (i would guess). what is the wet grip on the e3bs?

 

I bet the difference between a and c is tiny. But i try to only buy wet grip a or b rated.

[Matt]

If it's gripping the road harder it's going to offer more rolling resistance, hence be louder and use more fuel. (i would guess). what is the wet grip on the e3bs?

 

I bet the difference between a and c is tiny. But i try to only buy wet grip a or b rated.

 

Wet grip is the same on all three, B. I'm not seeing any A rated wet grips in the size I need (because not race car).

[twosmoke300]

Get a new thrust bearing guide sleeve first - it will be buggered . Also I'd change the drive shaft oil seals while it's out too . They love to leak once they have been disturbed . The os drive shaft centre bearing is held in by two bolts with an offset head - undo the two 11mm nuts until the bolts rotate enough to realise the bearing.

The crank sensor lives right under the coolant housing and its wise to remove this before taking the box out incase you damage it . It's on a 10mm stepped bolt that only needs to be slackened and the sensor twists and lifts out .

Gear linkage rods are a twat - be aware that some use rubber mountings on the balls and they love to break . Try and twist off with an adjustable spanner of pry off carefully . Good luck

[dave21478]

Tyres!

 

How heavily can you rely on tyre ratings? I've got a set of alloys to go on my car and with 155/70 R13's being dead cheap I might as well go for the best. The reason that I'm asking is because the Goodyear Efficientgrip Compact and Dunlop Street Response 2 both have fuel efficiency C, wet grip B and 68 dB. Maybe it's marketing bollocks or I might even be making it up in my head but I've always thought that Michelin were considered top dog yet the E3B is fuel efficiency F and 2 dB louder too. My mother swears by them as she got 25k miles out of the front set of Michelin's on her old Laguna Tourer. The latter being Anyone able to weigh in on this one?

 

TL;DR

Are tyre ratings bollocks and are Michelin E3B's £30 more expensive purely because brand name?

 

I have read that the manufacturers give their own tyres the ratings and there is no independant testing or verification......

Makes you wonder about all the cheapie brands giving their own stuff F ratings.

 

I personally dont even look at the fuel efficiency ratings as I doubt there is any real-world difference between any of them. A slightly sticky caliper or low tyre pressures will have a massively bigger impact than brand or tread pattern.

[Rod/b]

What happened to FOAD's Alto thread?

[SiC]

Tyres!

 

How heavily can you rely on tyre ratings? I've got a set of alloys to go on my car and with 155/70 R13's being dead cheap I might as well go for the best. The reason that I'm asking is because the Goodyear Efficientgrip Compact and Dunlop Street Response 2 both have fuel efficiency C, wet grip B and 68 dB. Maybe it's marketing bollocks or I might even be making it up in my head but I've always thought that Michelin were considered top dog yet the E3B is fuel efficiency F and 2 dB louder too. My mother swears by them as she got 25k miles out of the front set of Michelin's on her old Laguna Tourer. The latter being Anyone able to weigh in on this one?

 

TL;DR

Are tyre ratings bollocks and are Michelin E3B's £30 more expensive purely because brand name?

I've recently gone for Dunlop's and Goodyear's (same company and probably same moulds - hence same ratings) because they've been the quietest tyres I've seen. Nowadays I prioritise silence amd wet grip over fuel efficiency. The noise in the cabin from most modern cars, especially at motorway speeds is from tyres.

[Matt]

I have read that the manufacturers give their own tyres the ratings and there is no independant testing or verification......

 

Interesting, if that is actually the case then the Goodyear may be the one to go for as it is apparently a multi award winner (although the others may not have been judged)  not to mention that it's what I've already got and they've been great. Still tempted by the Dunlops for the sake of trying them though and the price difference is the kind of change you can loose down the side of your car seat.

 

 

(same company and probably same moulds - hence same ratings)

 

I didn't know that and looking at them they are very, very similar.

 

Dunlop:

 

Goodyear:

[The Moog]

This. We had a complaint so have removed it.

What happened to FOAD's Alto thread?

Read upwards

[DeeJay]

What has happened to xtriple?

[stephen01]

Regarding tyres, I had a couple of the uniroyal rainsport, they seem well regarded here, I've found them to wear out very quickly so far I've got about 3.5k on them and I'll be lucky to get another 3-4K out of them.

[5speedracer]

Just fitted a pair as you say they're well thought of, ok price too. Time will tell, 60 mile commute in an auto so not too hard on tyres.

[cobblers]

Regarding tyres, I had a couple of the uniroyal rainsport, they seem well regarded here, I've found them to wear out very quickly so far I've got about 3.5k on them and I'll be lucky to get another 3-4K out of them.

Yeah, I stuck a set on the other halfs 1.2 fiat 500 and the fronts were dead after 8k. Rears are still like new though so I just got a new pair for the front. They're good tyres other than not lasting very long, I recommend them to anyone.

[Timewaster]

What has happened to xtriple?

Like an old oak table.

[HH-R]

Is clutch judder anything to worry about? My car does it when it's a cold/damp morning for the first mile or so, though oddly doesn't do it straight away - it does it between about 0.5-1 mile into the journey then never again.

 

It also grinds going into 2nd if when I'm pulling out of my street, then sometimes does one grind into 3rd at about the 1 mile mark. The grind into 3rd feels more like a reluctant linkage on the gearstick end rather than the actual gears and I can drive round the grind into 2nd.

 

Other than that it's absolutely fine in all gears for the rest of the journey. I had the box oil changed at 45k to try and cure it but it's the same now (64k). I'm still deciding whether to sack it off and get something else.