Ask a Shiter

[beko1987]

Aaah. That makes sense then

[egg]

Is buying a cambelt kit without new bolts an issue?

[stephen01]

If I wanted to watch the upcoming fight between Mayweather & McGregor while in France, how would be the best was of doing it? we don't mind paying for it but don't want to buy it only for Sky to scramble the signal when it realises it's playing in France. we have a sling box so could happily purchase on sky sports at home and the stream it to us in france, have an I phone, but apple have disabled airpaly and 3 of us around a 4 inch screen is not what I'm going for, I'll also have my have my laptop (surface) with extra HDMI cable for putting on big screen.  I assume someone in france has won the rights to show this but can't find out. 

[twosmoke300]

I

 

Is buying a cambelt kit without new bolts an issue?

 

If its for a vag group car then yes - they seem to not have the engineering skill to produce a fastener that will last more than one use .

 

I wouldnt advise reusing bolts on any of the more modern free floating cam/ crank pulley ( ie no key ways) type engines

[Anthony]

Yesterday when I fitted the new washer pump for the rear wash wipe, I kept testing it by forcing it to work on the rear. Rear wiper was moving happily for ages. Weirdly, a few minutes later I tried just the wiper on it's own, refused to move. Washer pump activates when I try the rear wash, but wiper doesn't. Is it going to be a fuse?

Fuse or relay (if it has one) would be best place to start. Guess it's possible you've killed the motor if you'd had it running ages and it was already on its last legs.

[Anthony]

Is a 7 pin trailer socket on a towbar that is firmly attached and the socket itself in good order, but has the wiring disconnected, an MOT failure?

 

Looking at section 1.9 of the MOT manual it would appear not judging by the towbar specific points 3 and 4, but not clear if it would fail under section 2.

 

I guess I should really pull my finger out and fit and wire up the new socket I've had for weeks, but life is getting in the way and I doubt I'll have time before the MOT later this month.

[Guest Hooli]

Fine I think. As far as I know only the new Euro 13-pin plugs get tested.

[Fat_Pirate]

Do you reckon these upper wishbone bushes on my XJ6 will pass a MOT?  The rubber is fine but the metal shrouds are heavily corroded.

All 4 are like it:

[scdan4]

Are industrial paint thinners is ok to wash a windscreen with?

 

There's a screen with creosote speckled all over it that I've been asked to fix.

 

Old tea shirt, thinners (on glass only), rub like billyo is my plan.

[Mally]

Are industrial paint thinners is ok to wash a windscreen with?

 

There's a screen with creosote speckled all over it that I've been asked to fix.

 

Old tea shirt, thinners (on glass only), rub like billyo is my plan.

 

I would try Autoglym intense tar remover first, less chance of damaging anything else.

Thinners will probably work, but only a small amount on a cloth and wipe any runs off.

[Mally]

Is a 7 pin trailer socket on a towbar that is firmly attached and the socket itself in good order, but has the wiring disconnected, an MOT failure?

 

Looking at section 1.9 of the MOT manual it would appear not judging by the towbar specific points 3 and 4, but not clear if it would fail under section 2.

 

I guess I should really pull my finger out and fit and wire up the new socket I've had for weeks, but life is getting in the way and I doubt I'll have time before the MOT later this month.

 

I'd just take the ball and socket off.

[DSdriver]

Are industrial paint thinners is ok to wash a windscreen with?

 

There's a screen with creosote speckled all over it that I've been asked to fix.

 

Old tea shirt, thinners (on glass only), rub like billyo is my plan.

Normal glass cleaner and finest grade wire wool: 0000 grade. Make sure you wash off all the wire wool residue from the gutters/paintwork else rust spots.

If that doesn't work use wire wool and Solvall Spotter

[steveo3002]

can also try a new razor blade on glass as long as the screen is clean from grit etc

[egg]

can also try a new razor blade on glass as long as the screen is clean from grit etc

This worked well for me on recommendation by Fordperv, I used it for sticker removal from the screen...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GLASS-amp-CERAMIC-HOB-SCRAPER-KNIFE-CLEANER-amp-10-SPARE-BLADES-/142132759230

[FakeConcern]

Today I saw 2 police cars both Focus Estates one 15 reg and the other 65 reg and neither had any lights at all showing, as in no DRLs. I thought they became law in 2011 or 2012, so how could this be?

[Pillock]

I would think the police turning them off is a bit daft. If they had a crash and they'd deliberately made their car harder to see, they'd surely be more at fault?

[Noel Tidybeard]

turned off to be discrete

 

hard to be discrete with a visting doctor with fecking drls that cant be disabled- thanks vw

 

in the polo handbook it says to disable drl u need to pull fuse- then they won't tell u which one!

[Matt]

On the subject of lights, why do we still have sidelights now that DRLs are mandatory? My mums '11 V50 blew one for the first time recently but when the DRL laws came about Volvo just made the dipped beam come on with the ignition instead of installing some LED's which just shows how hilariously dim the sidelights are.

 

The upshot of this is that when turning the headlights on proper it causes the headlights to go:

Dipped beam + sidelights

Sidelights only

Dipped beam + sidelights (but now with the rear lights on).

[adw1977]

On the subject of lights, why do we still have sidelights now that DRLs are mandatory? My mums '11 V50 blew one for the first time recently but when the DRL laws came about Volvo just made the dipped beam come on with the ignition instead of installing some LED's which just shows how hilariously dim the sidelights are.

 

The upshot of this is that when turning the headlights on proper it causes the headlights to go:

Dipped beam + sidelights

Sidelights only

Dipped beam + sidelights (but now with the rear lights on).

My 57 reg Volvo has that set up.

I switch it to the middle (sidelights only) position whenever I drive it in daylight.

[Ghosty]

I never thought I'd have a car with DRLs, but now I have a Volvo... still I like the glow of them being actual bulbs and not LEDs.

The mother's 58 plate Bini has DRLs that are just the side lights, down low in the unit shared with the fog lights. You can turn them off in the speedo's settings menu, and off they are.

The 60 plate facelift Bini she had didn't have DRLs at all - I think the DRL programming was part of EfficientDynamics that the autos didn't get, as every other facelift Bini I saw has had them on.

[scdan4]

My 57 reg Volvo has that set up.

I switch it to the middle (sidelights only) position whenever I drive it in daylight.

Same on my s reg v70.

Sidelights is the only setting that stays on when you get out and wander office,so I don't use that.

[adw1977]

Same on my s reg v70.

Sidelights is the only setting that stays on when you get out and wander office,so I don't use that.

That is true, but I haven't forgotten yet!

[Pillock]

That won't happen. DRLs are for people too stupid to turn their lights on in poor visibility.

They're not about poor visibility, that's what headlights are for and why the rear lights come on with them.

 

In broad daylight, certain groups of people (small children, people with poor eyesight etc) might spot a car with DRLs on where they otherwise might not, but rear lights aren't needed on that instance.

 

I really don't understand the hatred of making a car more visible, and I wonder if you modify a car's settings to remove the facility and someone drives into you, they could argue that you'd not helped yourself.

[Guest Hooli]

Lights don't make a car more visible though, not unless the conditions are dull or dark enough to be able to argue that dipped headlights should be on.

[Jazoli]

I think drl's are great, even in the middle of a sunny summers day cars can be driving down the tree lined roads on my way to work where dipped beam is necessary as cars just blend into the scenery, and it makes them visible a lot sooner, its a positive safety benefit, as a lot of people don't realise its hard to see cars in certain light conditions at not just at night, there's quite a few luddites on here who think progress is a bad thing, I'm not one of them

[Guest Hooli]

 as a lot of people don't realise its hard to see cars in certain light conditions at not just at night,

 

Then they shouldn't be driving, but that'd involve a driving test that only allowed people able to think to drive & the economy would be on the rocks.

[Pillock]

In a world where every car is grey or silver, DRLs make cars more visible. If that stops a handful of people getting run over, great news.

[Pillock]

Put it another way. I got hit by a car when I was 11, I was on my bike and ride across a road and although I remember looking, the next thing I knew I was lying in the road and a Mk3 Escort was parked up just behind my bike.

 

A glance over my shoulder wasn't enough. Yes it was my fault (which is why I got back on my bike and legged it before anyone started yelling at me) but I could have been killed. A more visible car might have helped.

 

That sort of situation isn't unusual.

[HH-R]

I fucking hate DRLs, I Drive with the interior mirror dimmed day and night now and they are still massively distracting and eye piercing. Some are worse than others. They all look like Poundland xmas lights too.

[cobblers]

If DRLs in any way irritate or dazzle you then I suggest you never ever drive in the actual dark.