Ask a Shiter

[SiC]

How do you measure and gap multi-earth spark plugs? Checked a couple of mine (twin earth prongs) and the gap looks huge (forgot to actually measure it but certainly wasn't the 30 thou it is supposed to be). Can't adjust them much either. Comments?

Iirc you don't. I think if you do, you damage the coating on/metal of the electrodes.

[Des]

Have you seen the state of the fucker running that show? Never going to make sense.

[Lacquer Peel]

Reading an article of who trades with North Korea, snippet below...

 

 

So N Korea import petrol from Russia and Mexico, but export it to Turkey and Burkina Faso.

 

Can/do N Korea produce petrol "in house", but require more than they can produce so import some? If so, why bother to export fuel? If they didn't then they wouldn't have to import as much.

Or do they import it and sell it on to countries that others won't trade with? Though that doesn't make sense, I'm sure if they will sell fuel to N Korea, Russia and Mexico will sell it to Burkina Faso, for example (Russia to Turkey maybe not).

 

Confused.

 

I think it's bad wording by the author, they import oil from Turkey and Burkina Faso (exporters) as well.

[red5]

What does damaged or broken forks on the thing that presses the clutch feel like?

 

Frontera can be hard to get into first or reverse. Sometimes it can jump out of first.

 

Bloke yesterday that I asked to change the gearbox oil said it was full and that it was damaged. Drives OK other then being a bit of a git sometimes when stopped.

[red5]

@Alabama

 

 

Err. Gearboxes on these are as tough as they come. Is 1st easier to get when its warm? Approx in pedal travel where is bite point? Is there a click noise when depressing pedal?

Did you/he change gearbox oil?

[bramz7]

I suspect this has been asked about 10000 times so here goes:

 

A few weeks back my other half said this:

'you know we're going to France next year, you could find an old car to buy out there and drive it back, that'd be fun.'

Yep.

 

So CT has to be valid etc but how do I ensure I'm insured on said car too? I'm all up for it as long as that's easy enough.

 

Hopefully it's not a case of don't worry about it, don't get pulled over...

[Heidel_Kakao]

I suspect this has been asked about 10000 times so here goes:

 

A few weeks back my other half said this:

'you know we're going to France next year, you could find an old car to buy out there and drive it back, that'd be fun.'

Yep.

 

So CT has to be valid etc but how do I ensure I'm insured on said car too? I'm all up for it as long as that's easy enough.

 

Hopefully it's not a case of don't worry about it, don't get pulled over...

 

You should be able to phone up your insurer and add it to your policy using the VIN.

[bramz7]

You should be able to phone up your insurer and add it to your policy using the VIN.

 

 

 

Awesome. Knew it would be reasonably easy.

 

Just have to find a decent cheap AX 4x4 or a unratty R21 TD by February now....

[Heidel_Kakao]

Where can I buy replacement odometer gears for a Citroen XM? I've had a quick Google and they only seem to sell them for popular cars not obscure French executive cars.

[DodgeRover]

I suspect this has been asked about 10000 times so here goes:

 

A few weeks back my other half said this:

'you know we're going to France next year, you could find an old car to buy out there and drive it back, that'd be fun.'

Yep.

 

So CT has to be valid etc but how do I ensure I'm insured on said car too? I'm all up for it as long as that's easy enough.

 

Hopefully it's not a case of don't worry about it, don't get pulled over...

Insure in UK by phone on vin number enjoy wafting round Le France, Gauloises etc. drive back to UK, load onto trailer when you get off ferry for journey home.

UK license holders are not legally permitted to drive a foreign regd vehicle within the uk

[artdjones]

So what does Nigel Bickle say about that?

[Lacquer Peel]

I don't think that's true.

[artdjones]

So is it illegal to hire a van in France to bring goods back to the UK and drive it back on a UK licence?

[dave21478]

Id be more worried about driving a French reg car in France without a French insurance policy on it. If the fuzz spot it on the road without a valid windscreen sticker then expect a lot of hassle and I really, really doubt that showing them a UK policy email confirmation on your phone will cut much mustard.

 

Temporary french insurance here.....

https://www.assurance-voiture-temporaire-provisoire.com

A policy of over 3 days length covers use in any EU country.

[DodgeRover]

I don't think that's true.

Unfortunately it is, I borrowed a Polish regd car to nip to the shops about 1/4 of a mile away in and got a warning not to do it again from the Police who were in the same shop when they realised I was English and I had to get the owner to drive it back. Incidentally his insurance covered anybody to drive the car.

 

Bit of info here:

 

http://www.hughesguides.com/foreignvehicles.pdf

[AlabamaShrimp]

@Alabama

 

 

Err. Gearboxes on these are as tough as they come. Is 1st easier to get when its warm? Approx in pedal travel where is bite point? Is there a click noise when depressing pedal?

 

Did you/he change gearbox oil?

Good to know they're hard to break. 1st can be easy or hard from start or when you've been driving, same for reverse.

 

No clicking noise and the clutch isn't bad, I wouldn't say it's high or needs changing.

 

I haven't changed the gearbox oil and he said it was full when he checked. Tbh I'm not sure he checked at all as he's really only a welder.

[AlabamaShrimp]

So assuming my Fiesta is all running OK should the water in the expansion tank get warm if the temperature gauge is in normal or is it that the thermostat needs to open and then it flows through?

[Jazoli]

So assuming my Fiesta is all running OK should the water in the expansion tank get warm if the temperature gauge is in normal or is it that the thermostat needs to open and then it flows through?

 

Until the thermostat opens there will be no flow into the tank, the temp sensor will be before the stat usually, you can sometimes see the temp gauge drop on certain cars when the stat opens.

[steveo3002]

the gauges on these modern cars are just like a programed indicator , mine will show full temp in like 2 miles and its damn well not , doesnt register its getting too hot either until its about to blow up

 

as long as all the hose are hot after a decent run then its all good....check the fan operates , but might need a fairly hot day /long wait if its like ours 

[bramz7]

Id be more worried about driving a French reg car in France without a French insurance policy on it. If the fuzz spot it on the road without a valid windscreen sticker then expect a lot of hassle and I really, really doubt that showing them a UK policy email confirmation on your phone will cut much mustard.

 

Temporary french insurance here.....

https://www.assurance-voiture-temporaire-provisoire.com

A policy of over 3 days length covers use in any EU country.

Ah that's very useful. Bookmarked that page.

 

It's all blue sky thinking of course, but given the other half is quite keen....

[3VOM]

Ah that's very useful. Bookmarked that page.

 

It's all blue sky thinking of course, but given the other half is quite keen....

Get her to drive it back then....

[Mally]

Ah that's very useful. Bookmarked that page.

 

It's all blue sky thinking of course, but given the other half is quite keen....

 

So lets get this right.

Dave comes from France to England to buy a car, and now tells you how to go from England to France to buy a car.

I see.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Until the thermostat opens there will be no flow into the tank, the temp sensor will be before the stat usually, you can sometimes see the temp gauge drop on certain cars when the stat opens.

 

 

Mine is the kind where you can see it drop when it gets hot. Must be running OK, does smell hot though.

 

 

the gauges on these modern cars are just like a programed indicator , mine will show full temp in like 2 miles and its damn well not , doesnt register its getting too hot either until its about to blow up

 

as long as all the hose are hot after a decent run then its all good....check the fan operates , but might need a fairly hot day /long wait if its like ours

 

Does 1988 count as modern? All the hoses hot as normal. Takes the fan ages to come on, always has so I have a bypass switch if I need it.

[steveo3002]

wheres the temp sender ?  often in the head which heats up first ?

[AlabamaShrimp]

If you can see it in the edit it's that little brass thing that sits under the thermostat.

 

[Guest Hooli]

Temp sensors are always before the stat, so you'll see the temp come up on that as the water jacket warms. Then the stat opens & mixes cooler water from the rad into the system. You don't often get much flow through the header tank, it's just there to absorb the differences in volume as the water heats and cools.

Check the surface of the rad once the top hose warms up, you should feel all of it heat up roughly evenly. It'll get warm where the top hose joins first but the heat spreads within a few mins.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Checked all that the other week and was all good. Think I'm just being paranoid again with it.

 

Cars just being a bit of a cock again with the drivers front indicator not working and the heated back screen doing what it wants.

[Heidel_Kakao]

People in eBay adverts that say car must be trailered away, what do they do when you turn up to collect it and want to drive to a pre booked MOT? Refuse to let you take it or just not care?

[DodgeRover]

Celebrate that you actually turned up? Die laughing as you drive away with no brakes, lights and 4 bald tyres?

[Heidel_Kakao]

Celebrate that you actually turned up? Die laughing as you drive away with no brakes, lights and 4 bald tyres?

Wait for you to get five minutes down the road and phone the police lol. I suppose it depends on how road worthy it is, lots of "normal" folk probably would not drive a car if the ABS light came on or something.