Ask a Shiter

[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.

[The Moog]

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.

It doesn't. Its fuel line which goes into a clear hose then to injector pump.

 

Wastegate is tucked down the back of these next to bulkhead I think which is a pain to access.

[RayMK]

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!

 

Can't help with the LS460 query but I like your plan.  Some tents, particularly the glass fibre rod types, are pigs to put up single handed, so buy wisely.  I still use an old ridge tent which has standing up height.  It's sturdy and weatherproof enough for a typical English summer.   

[xtriple]

It's something I've always wanted to do, wander around, pitch tent, get the kettle on, sleeping bags and dogs for warmth. Should (might!) be fun?

[Guest Hooli]

Get the thickest self inflating mattress you can, I used to have a 10cm one & it was a comfy as a real bed.

[RayMK]

Get the thickest self inflating mattress you can, I used to have a 10cm one & it was a comfy as a real bed.

 

I was about to suggest the same.  They are more comfortable than a Lilo and less hassle/less bulky than those posh looking air mattresses.

[oldcars]

Had the wheels off the 75 to clean the backs and paint the disk centre as they had rusted. 

 

There is light score on the inside of the front wheel, when i look the front wheel back plate had rusted away and came off in my hand.

 

These look like a hub off job to replace, are they needed or is it safe without it. Worried about nuns, kittens etc.

[RayMK]

Had the wheels off the 75 to clean the backs and paint the disk centre as they had rusted. 

 

There is light score on the inside of the front wheel, when i look the front wheel back plate had rusted away and came off in my hand.

 

These look like a hub off job to replace, are they needed or is it safe without it. Worried about nuns, kittens etc.

 

The same happened to my Stellar last year. Replacements are not available. Had new discs and pads fitted for last MOT and no comment was made regarding the missing backplates. 

[oldcars]

The same happened to my Stellar last year. Replacements are not available. Had new discs and pads fitted for last MOT and no comment was made regarding the missing backplates. 

Super, many thanks 

[The Moog]

406 2.1 XUD11 doesnt seem to like tootling along at 2K rpm.  Normally this is the sweet spot for dizzlers. 

 

It is a bit lumpy at that range and doesnt feel like it is a very happy car. Any ideas what might cause it? 

[SiC]

406 2.1 XUD11 doesnt seem to like tootling along at 2K rpm. Normally this is the sweet spot for dizzlers.

 

It is a bit lumpy at that range and doesnt feel like it is a very happy car. Any ideas what might cause it?

Does it have an EGR and/or swirl flaps? Both are likely to be working away at those revs, especially if crusing.