Ask a Shiter

[DodgeRover]

Actually you could probably do a pretty good trade exporting 100w (hard service) bulbs to the EU countries once we untangle ourselves.

I've counted 20 LED downlights that need replacing simply because they've gone yellow and I can't see properly with them.

[Talbot]

Where is a good place on an xud11 to tap for a boost gauge?

 

Just found one in my stash and might as well fit it.

Same pipe that goes between the pressure side of the turbo and the injection pump, which the pump uses to increase fuelling during BOOOOOOST.

 

Post an underbonnet and I'll point to it.

[The Moog]

Same pipe that goes between the pressure side of the turbo and the injection pump, which the pump uses to increase fuelling during BOOOOOOST.

 

Post an underbonnet and I'll point to it.

Will do tomorrow.

[mercrocker]

Every single bulb in our house is still incandescent.   I have about 25 years supply of the buggers too....Fuck legislation.

[Guest Hooli]

I collected a large supply as well, she retained them as somehow that made them hers...

[cobblers]

LED bulbs are ace, my house is incredibly bright and easy on the eyes (I get migraines from flurescents) and even if we leave every light on 24/7 it'll only cost us about £150 a year. I get decent ones with reasonable CRI and as much as I like the glow of a warm old bulb, LEDS are just brilliant.

[robinmasters]

LED bulbs are ace, my house is incredibly bright and easy on the eyes (I get migraines from flurescents) and even if we leave every light on 24/7 it'll only cost us about £150 a year. I get decent ones with reasonable CRI and as much as I like the glow of a warm old bulb, LEDS are just brilliant.

I happen to agree, when the light isn't the OMGBRIGHTBLUEBLINDINGLED. They're great. Smaller, use less power, last longer. Just seems strange that all car parts shops sell incandescent car bulbs, but DIY shops never sell household ones. Is car electricity magic electricity that comes from nowhere?

[taxi paul]

So after yesterday's bubbling radiator in the primera. I ran it for an hour this morning after flushing out the heater matrix again. All hoses nice and hot also heater was hot. BUT a fair bit of smoke and water from exhaust no overheating or bubbling back into the expansion tank. It's using water but can't see an obvious leak. If it's OMG HGF is it worth a bottle of k seal. It's a £200 car so don't want to put it into a garage do diagnose. No sludge on oil cap and oil looks ok. Yesterday's problem seems to be the coolant had leaked out slowly over the last week and that led to cold air and lots of bubbling. Although temp gauge stayed in the middle. Although will become irrelevant if I win tomorrows raffle. If not it may go on eBay with its new mot and battery.

[cort1977]

I am a fairly mediocre engineer but my guess would be it's down to type approval and marginal efficiency gains.  Cars weren't designed for LED bulbs so the LED replacements that have become available aren't type approved or recommended.  Those cars that are designed with LED lights use dedicated light clusters not the old bulb shapes.

 

And looking at efficiency while the alternator does put some load on the engine the amount of fuel saved by switching to LED bulbs would be marginal.  Only 1-2% of the calorific value of the fuel used in a car engine goes to electrical loads so it's not worth the effort.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I can still get incandescent bulbs.

 

But that's only when I'm ordering replacements for the lighting rigs at work.  I don't like the look of LED stage lights - but they are a lot more efficient. If you ever want to know just how inefficient incandescents are, try handling a PAR without gloves after it's been on for a couple of minutes and then an LED cluster.

[HH-R]

Incandescent bulbs are still trivially easy to buy in shops, despite the"ban".

[loserone]

LED bulbs are ace, my house is incredibly bright and easy on the eyes (I get migraines from flurescents) and even if we leave every light on 24/7 it'll only cost us about £150 a year. I get decent ones with reasonable CRI and as much as I like the glow of a warm old bulb, LEDS are just brilliant.

we're mostly LED now, but at new year's we visited someone with lots of home automation and now we have a few INNRs with a Philips Hue. Great for routines like a light fading in before the alarm goes off, or a nightlight with follows sunset and sunrise.

 

Changing the colour temperature to suit the task is really handy.

[catsinthewelder]

My Astra has alloys with shit tyres so I've bought a set of steel rims with good tyres.  Will I need different wheel bolts?

[Jazoli]

My Astra has alloys with shit tyres so I've bought a set of steel rims with good tyres.  Will I need different wheel bolts?

 

Yes, they are £15 a set on ebay.

[The Moog]

Same pipe that goes between the pressure side of the turbo and the injection pump, which the pump uses to increase fuelling during BOOOOOOST.

 

Post an underbonnet and I'll point to it.

[twosmoke300]

Aren't they lucas epic pumped ? No boost sense pipe then

[SierraMikeHotel]

Am I missing something obvious, or have they altered the way you can browse cars on eBay?

 

I want to search for estates/automatics/less than £1000 but now it seems to force you to go into a make before you can access the filters.

[Talbot]

Aren't they lucas epic pumped ? No boost sense pipe then

Bottoms. Shows my slight lack of experience on the much later XUD's just before the finished.

 

Anywhere on the pipework between the turbo outlet, through the intercooler and into the inlet manifold will do for a boost gauge. There must be an unused stub or pipe access point *somewhere*

[Talbot]

What is that pipe between the inlet manifold inlet pipe and the fuel filter? If that connects in to the inlet manifold, then that would do for a boost gauge pick-up point.

[Guest Hooli]

Bottoms. Shows my slight lack of experience on the much later XUD's just before the finished.

 

Anywhere on the pipework between the turbo outlet, through the intercooler and into the inlet manifold will do for a boost gauge. There must be an unused stub or pipe access point *somewhere*

 

T-piece on the pipe to the wastegate should do it I'd have thought.

[Jim Bell]

Am I missing something obvious, or have they altered the way you can browse cars on eBay?

 

I want to search for estates/automatics/less than £1000 but now it seems to force you to go into a make before you can access the filters.

On the app you can hit a link below the first like 20 suggestions in the catogory and VIEW ALL CARS, then filter from there.

[SierraMikeHotel]

On the app you can hit a link below the first like 20 suggestions in the catogory and VIEW ALL CARS, then filter from there.

 

Thank you!  I don't want to come across like a technophobe, I've been using the web almost as long as it's existed so I tend to think that if I can't figure something out it's badly designed.

 

Any way to do it on the website?  Seems like a pain to do that to add the cars to my watch list, then go to the computer to look at the photos at a proper size...

[Jim Bell]

To be honest I stopped using the actual website because its so hateful and unintuitive. They seem to have gone out of there way to make everything as difficult as possible for some reason.

[SierraMikeHotel]

To be honest I stopped using the actual website because its so hateful and unintuitive. They seem to have gone out of there way to make everything as difficult as possible for some reason.

 

My thoughts exactly. It's nice to have confirmation that it wasn't just me being an idiot.

[xtriple]

What are later Lexus LS460 like? Are they still the legendary cars for reliability? I want to change my life this year and get out and about, do some trips hither and yon and I do NOT want to be bothered about the car breaking down, lack of space for the mutts, and I want a big boot 'cos i am going to buy a tent!

[clayts450]

Do you need a functioning rear window washer to pass an MoT ? Wiper works, washer don't.

[forddeliveryboy]

And looking at efficiency while the alternator does put some load on the engine the amount of fuel saved by switching to LED bulbs would be marginal. Only 1-2% of the calorific value of the fuel used in a car engine goes to electrical loads so it's not worth the effort.

 

I've an uncle who used to twiddle the screw to turn off his Volvo lights because he decided they wasted petrol which I thought eccentric. I thought again when the alternator belt snapped on a 2cv and it went 2-3mph faster, even though there was little electrical load (summer's day). I fixed it and noticed that the engine note rose and fell slightly in sympathy with the indicators with the alternator connected.

 

150w continuous, like in a Volvo is perhaps significant.

 

A car alternator at 60% efficient and engine at 30% means less than 20% efficient electricity. So 0.83kW of fuel energy just for headlamps and taillamps. At 70mph an engine might be putting out 30kW, so maybe 2.5% of total.

 

But... the cost of energy for the car (petrol/diesel) is about 3x the cost of a kWh to your house, so two headlights and four or six smaller bulbs very nearly costs as much as a 3 bar fire.

 

Add in wipers, heater fan, hrw and heated seats and it's one reason winter fuel consumption can be a good bit worse than in summer.

 

[/pedantmode]

[xtriple]

Do you need a functioning rear window washer to pass an MoT ? Wiper works, washer don't.

No.

[Jazoli]

Thank you! I don't want to come across like a technophobe, I've been using the web almost as long as it's existed so I tend to think that if I can't figure something out it's badly designed.

 

Any way to do it on the website? Seems like a pain to do that to add the cars to my watch list, then go to the computer to look at the photos at a proper size...

Yes just click on advanced search and have cars in the category drop down box then you can use it as you used to be able to, fucking dickheads changing things all the time for no good reason.

[SierraMikeHotel]

Yes just click on advanced search and have cars in the category drop down box then you can use it as you used to be able to, fucking dickheads changing things all the time for no good reason.

Now I feel like a right idiot for not seeing that, but it really isn't obvious! Thank you.