Ask a Shiter

[tommytwo]

My Mondeo Mk3 Auto box (C4DE) always reads way up the stick if it has not been run for a few days. I reckon the ATF drains out of the torque convertor and solenoids. Has to be checked when hot after a twenty mile run, then the level is at the correct mark on the stick. 169k miles and the box still works as it should, no hesitation, clonks, slips or flares.

[cpjitservices]

ive heard they make a nasty noise if the uneducated try and move to park while the car is still moving  

I imaging it would smash hell out of the pawl

 

Though dont most autos now require you to have your foot brake on before you do such a thing?, meaning youll be stopped anyway.

[TataBobu]

My dad got a "Inspection may be dangerous or cause damage" due to "vehicle emits excessive smoke when testing". It's a petrol Mondeo that did about 250 miles per year for the last 2 years. What to do with it? Italian tune would solve the problem? The MOT is still valid for a bit more than a week. Unfortunatelly I'm not there to see with my own eyes what's the problem, and he thinks it should be WBAC'd or scrapped, and he's looking for another Mk3 Mondeo.

[twosmoke300]

Rings fucked i would say

[bub2006]

Stuck rings are common i believe.

[TataBobu]

Thank you, so it's a good scrap candidate then.

[Ghosty]

If a Polo mk2 comes up on Cazana as 'POLO CFE' is it a Formel E?

[sierraman]

My dad got a "Inspection may be dangerous or cause damage" due to "vehicle emits excessive smoke when testing". It's a petrol Mondeo that did about 250 miles per year for the last 2 years. What to do with it? Italian tune would solve the problem? The MOT is still valid for a bit more than a week. Unfortunatelly I'm not there to see with my own eyes what's the problem, and he thinks it should be WBAC'd or scrapped, and he's looking for another Mk3 Mondeo.

Is it a 1.8? The oil control rings are goosed probably. Usually accompanied by dense blue smoke.

[DodgeRover]

My dad got a "Inspection may be dangerous or cause damage" due to "vehicle emits excessive smoke when testing". It's a petrol Mondeo that did about 250 miles per year for the last 2 years. What to do with it? Italian tune would solve the problem? The MOT is still valid for a bit more than a week. Unfortunatelly I'm not there to see with my own eyes what's the problem, and he thinks it should be WBAC'd or scrapped, and he's looking for another Mk3 Mondeo.

Is it a 2l zetec?

[SiC]

Can you leave redex in the cylinder over night to help loosen stuck rings? I seem to remember reading it somewhere...

[cobblers]

You could but I bet there's much better stuff to use. It'd probably just seep past the rings anyway and you don't really want it in your engine oil.

 

I'd just use a load of penetrating oil (plusgas etc) as this will soften anything gummy, then a quick glug of normal engine oil to lubricate the bore once you're done.

[sierraman]

Diesel.

[DodgeRover]

To be honest the petrol is probably just stale and nasty which is why it's smoking. £20 of super unleaded and a decent run to get it up to normal temperature would probably sort it out. It's not been misfuelled with a fivers worth of diesel or something has it?

[twosmoke300]

Having tried all the above on a smokey mazda 6 I can confirm it's all a waste of time .

[SiC]

Maybe but if the next step is the scrapyard then it's probably worth doing it as a final roll of the dice.

[sierraman]

If you fancy a gamble chuck a tin of Wynns Stop Smoke in. You’ve lost a fiver if it fails. Failing that take it somewhere the tester will be prepared to stick whatever’s in the yard that he knows will pass emissions through in its place.

[Des]

A friend asked me to look at a 12 year old Citroen van today, just bought and needs to get it running to extract from the guys driveway where it's sat for ages, runs on easy start but that's all. I did warn him I'm 20 years out of date.

So I went along for the sneer, fuck me what an eye opener, I don't know what Citroens engine designers have been playing at since 1985, but I'd hazard a guess at absolutely nothing  other than frantically wanking themselves right down to the potato water, probably all sharing the same bucket, then sneaking a look at petrol injection and copying half of it over. This fucker of a van, don't know what model, sort of Transit like, has an in tank electric pump, airflow meter, a fucking great ECU, sensors all over the shop and electric injectors. Couldn't get it to run surprise, surprise, fuel coming out when I cracked off an injector union, so maybe they're not being triggered, had a poke around for dodgy fuses, connections or dodgy earths, found nowt so told my friend he needs to get one of those code reader things on it, maybe there's a fucked crank sensor or suchlike somewhere?. Silly question, could this be some kind of an immobiliser fault needing a recode after the battery's been flat?

[scaryoldcortina]

Is a red light flashing on the dashboard?

[Des]

No, I did look around for a red light, did notice a funny orange padlock over something symbol on the left of speedo that went out while cranking. I think my pal has a shed for his garden. A shed with cupholders.

[bub2006]

Orange padlock on vectra c was immobiliser fault. Maybe its the same?

[DSdriver]

Coefficient of expansion wizardry.

Stainless screw in aluminium frame, heating it should loosen the screw but application of heat is difficult, what would freezing it do? 

Taking into account that the aluminium has oxidised which is why the screw has seized,

[scaryoldcortina]

No, I did look around for a red light, did notice a funny orange padlock over something symbol on the left of speedo that went out while cranking. I think my pal has a shed for his garden. A shed with cupholders.

 

Not the immobilizer then if the padlock light goes out. Most likely cause is one of the injectors leaking away all the pressure (TADTS...)

 

Start the damned thing on easystart then pull the leakoff pipe from each injector in turn. The one that turns into a decorative fountain of DERV is the faulty one

[Arthur Foxhake]

I saw a buzzer in the "coms unit", basically the indicator/wiper box behind the steering wheel, worth replacing them anyway if they are turning themselves on so while you are in there, smash the buzzer with a hammer or summat?

[Guest Hooli]

It's frog, jam the buzzer full of soft cheese.

[JeeExEll]

I was thinking of putting a few drops of superglue in it if it was part of another assembly and not a remote item I could just disconnect.

[Asimo]

Coefficient of expansion wizardry.

Stainless screw in aluminium frame, heating it should loosen the screw but application of heat is difficult, what would freezing it do? 

Taking into account that the aluminium has oxidised which is why the screw has seized,

Aaargh, stainless steel in aluminium! Even with no corrosion this can be a disaster, I have seized brand new clean SS screws into brand new clean aluminium parts so completely that they have had to be machined out. Coppaslip essential!

Heat might help but not because of expand/contract. Good luck.

[wuvvum]

As you may have read on the GOM thread, I had a van engine run away on me today.  I've had the van a couple of years now and it's been a little on the smoky side at times for a while now, but it's never done this before.

 

Apart from shagged turbo seals, what else is likely to cause a diesel engine to run on its own oil?  I haven't overfilled the sump, I know that for a fact.  I did briefly wonder about a stuck / knackered ring allowing oil into the combustion chamber, but it was running quite evenly on all 4 and I would imagine if the rings were all that shagged the thing would struggle to get enough compression to start, but it always starts instantly.

 

If it helps, it's a Movano 2.5 DTI (115bhp) with just over 100K on the clock.

[captain_cal]

Anyone seen / heard of / know anything about these?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-NAKAMICHI-NA205-Single-DIN-Bluetooth-USB-AUX-IN-CD-Player-Stereo-Headunit-/252753211164?hash=item3ad943ef1c:g:c3UAAOSwNnRYlEHI

 

I know Nakamichi was certified Good Shit^TM back in the day, but somehow I can't see this £55 ebay special being quite up to their standards of old. But it looks like it'll do everything I want it to, and it isn't offensively garish like every other new head unit on sale. Thoughts?

[DSdriver]

Aaargh, stainless steel in aluminium! Even with no corrosion this can be a disaster, I have seized brand new clean SS screws into brand new clean aluminium parts so completely that they have had to be machined out. Coppaslip essential!

Heat might help but not because of expand/contract. Good luck.

Copperslip and graphite not good in marine applications, stuff gets eaten away because of increased electroconductivity. Duralac works but is seldom used.

I have remembered that I have a gas powered small soldering iron on my boat which shouldn't set too much ablaze if I hold it against the screw.

[DSdriver]

As you may have read on the GOM thread, I had a van engine run away on me today.  I've had the van a couple of years now and it's been a little on the smoky side at times for a while now, but it's never done this before.

 

Apart from shagged turbo seals, what else is likely to cause a diesel engine to run on its own oil?  I haven't overfilled the sump, I know that for a fact.  I did briefly wonder about a stuck / knackered ring allowing oil into the combustion chamber, but it was running quite evenly on all 4 and I would imagine if the rings were all that shagged the thing would struggle to get enough compression to start, but it always starts instantly.

 

If it helps, it's a Movano 2.5 DTI (115bhp) with just over 100K on the clock.

I have watched (from a distance) a marine diesel lunch itself and that was a simple single cylinder unit with no turbo. Apparently, as soon as they start running away you should stuff a rag down the air intake to stifle them of oxygen. The problem is getting the cover off the engine quick enough.