Ask a Shiter

[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.

[DodgeRover]

In reality they probably want to avoid somebody turning up expecting to drive something away and deciding they don't want it when they can't.

[cort1977]

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

 

I imported a modern in to the UK a few years ago and insured it on the VIN while going for SVA and all that boring stuff.   Insurance co. knew what I was doing, that was the point of the insurance after all.  

 

That insurance guide says that UK nationals can't use a foreign registered vehicle on the roads, such vehicles must be immediately registered with the DVLA.   That's fair enough but seems aimed at people driving polish cars for months on end, not eccentrics importing old renners.   Similar to a pre-booked MOT I think you would be spectacularly unlucky to get in any strife driving a French car back from the ferry with it insured on the VIN.  

 

But I live on The Limit, Vyvyan. The Limit. Because I'm a Rider at the Gates of Dawn and I take no prisoners.

 

[HH-R]

Watch out, Norman Tebbit!

[Volksy]

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

 

Is this a recent thing? As I used to drive a US registered VW around for ages, and also a French registered Hire van on more than one occasion.

 

I got pulled in the VW for running a red light, and given the subsiquent 3 points, but the rozzers had no issue with me driving a vehicle registered in another country.

[DodgeRover]

I don't know, that was about 8 years ago, looking on the net there are quite a few reports of ex pats getting into trouble returning with a French regd vehicle. Maybe there has been a crackdown on it or a bulletin issued?

[rainagain]

I need to insure another car as well as my own for about two months. Is there a cheap way of doing this? Day insurance only covers up to 28 days, I looked at pay as you go insurance through these guys computerquoteinsurance.com but as they won't let me use my no claims it works out at just short of £100 a month!

 

I won't be using it for going anywhere I just need it insured so buyers can test drive it.

[dougiefourspeed]

Is this a recent thing? As I used to drive a US registered VW around for ages, and also a French registered Hire van on more than one occasion.

 

I got pulled in the VW for running a red light, and given the subsiquent 3 points, but the rozzers had no issue with me driving a vehicle registered in another country.

 

This all sounds a bit weird to me. I've been driving French registered vehicles in the UK on a UK licence for many years now and never had an issue when stopped on a couple of occasions. I have had the carte grise in the car and the insurance paperwork, but under the French system as far as I am aware its the vehicle that is insured rather than the driver being insured to drive the vehicle in question. All the paperwork was in order Traffic plod seemed perfectly happy with that and let me on my way. 

[artdjones]

Just because a police officer says something is illegal doesn't make it so.

[puddlethumper]

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

As someone who has lived in Europe a lot I think the difference might be the UK licence bit. As far as I know if you have an EU licence its ok whether your a Brit or not. I've driven foreign motors here, there and, erm, inbetween, and never had a problem. What about all the ex patriots, bloody traitors, coming to brexitland with, for example, Spanish wagons. You don't have to change to a Spanish licence, because its that Europe land innit.

[rainagain]

I need to insure another car as well as my own for about two months. Is there a cheap way of doing this? Day insurance only covers up to 28 days, I looked at pay as you go insurance through these guys computerquoteinsurance.com but as they won't let me use my no claims it works out at just short of £100 a month!

 

I won't be using it for going anywhere I just need it insured so buyers can test drive it.

Ignore this I've sorted it through my current insurer but only for 30 days.