Ask a Shiter

[Pillock]

Ah, my favourite thread... Can anyone tell me when Titanium spec Focii appeared and whether it was a direct replacement for Ghia spec or whether there was some overlap? If there was some overlap, what were the differences? Ta.

 

Mk2s (up to 57 reg, long thin front indicators, coloured back indicators) were mostly Ghia but Titanium was introduced in the last year or so, think it had a DAB radio and the bigger display between the dials over the Ghia

Mk2.5s (08 reg onwards, front indicators next to the grille, clear back indicators) had no Ghia spec, just Titanium.

[steveo3002]

 

 

any ideas for a quality loom tape?  got a couple of wires to tidy up 

[spike60]

 

 

Would it be worth whipping it out and getting it refurbished anyway (1985 Porsche 924, original starter motor) as the place that did my alternator does them too.

My 924 had a crap turn when hot and after playing the usual earth, battery etc game I gave the starter to the company we use at work. I wasn't there when they delivered  another starter by return. It had an Audi sticker on it and was about 50% bigger than the old one, I had to remove the oil filter to slot it in. No more starting problems though I never found out what it was originally off.

I now have 944 that has a lazy turn,...- when cold. A change I suppose!

[Slappy]

Mk2s (up to 57 reg, long thin front indicators, coloured back indicators) were mostly Ghia but Titanium was introduced in the last year or so, think it had a DAB radio and the bigger display between the dials over the Ghia

Mk2.5s (08 reg onwards, front indicators next to the grille, clear back indicators) had no Ghia spec, just Titanium.

Fantastic, thanks. I've been looking at a mk2 on 06 with Titanium spec, so it must be 1 of the 1st. Didn't have a bigger screen between the dials, but did have a Sony branded radio unit. Just wanted to ensure that it hadn't had a lazy boot lid swap as I thought it was mk2.5 on.

 

Cheers

[BorniteIdentity]

You know heated rear windscreen switches?  You do?? Excellent!

Well - are they momentary switches?  I'm trying to work out how they turn themselves off on, say, a 1983 Ford Sierra.  Do they just stay on for a couple of minutes then off, or do they get some kind of signal back from the element??

 

Sorry. I know I'm thick.  I just need to know if one would be suitable for another purpose.

[andy18s]

My only hatch Sierras were Xr4is,which had the timed hrw switch

Can't be sure on lower specs but I imagine they all the same

[dave21478]

I cant speak for the Sierra, but there are a few types -

on and off latching switches.....the window is heating all the time until you switch it off.

momentary switch with a latching relay, you click the switch and it heats until you click the switch again and it stops - turning ignition on and off will also stop it.

momentary switch with a timer relay...you click the switch and it runs for a set time and clicks off itself.

[inconsistant]

I'm back with a more specific starting problem:

 

Battery fully charged, shows 13v on multimeter. 

 

Turn key in ignition, get dash lights and voltmeter gives a reading.

Turn key to start car and hear 3 rapid clicks and car electrics go dead, no dash lights or anything.

 

Try to start again and nothing, no noise, no lights or dials. Battery tested and still reads 13v.

Any ideas please?

[Jon]

Mrs_Jon's Clio 172 had a lug break on the alternator, which de-tensioned the alt belt, which also runs the water pump. At the time it happened, the STOP light came on, presumably as a result of coolant loss/potential overheating, which I've yet to investigate properly.

 

Anyway, the STOP light still remains lit up on the dash when I started it up briefly, to check it actually still turned over (I only had my wife's description of events, which was patchy at best). Assuming that everything's fixable, how would I turn off the STOP light? I'm guessing there's some sort of diagnostic plug in device or app as others seem to partake in this kind of thing on here, so any advice would be much appreciated, as I'm a complete novice in this electronical diagnostic stuff.

[castros_bro]

I'm back with a more specific starting problem:

 

Battery fully charged, shows 13v on multimeter. 

 

Turn key in ignition, get dash lights and voltmeter gives a reading.

Turn key to start car and hear 3 rapid clicks and car electrics go dead, no dash lights or anything.

 

Try to start again and nothing, no noise, no lights or dials. Battery tested and still reads 13v.

Any ideas please?

 

Yes,

 

 

 

98% chance the battery is no good and does not have enough electrons to turn the engine over or a 2% chance of having a really crap/dirty connection somewhere.

 

  

 

So "borrow" a good battery inna car and put some jumpleads to your battery then try starting,   if yours then wangs over and starts it 98% a crap battery with no enough working capacity (billions of available electrons) left in it.

 

For further analysis please post the following.

Measure your battery with no engine running (should be 13.6v+)

your battery with no engine running but headlight on full beam (or other electrics running).

your battery with the other car + jumpleads

your car with your engine running and no jump leads

[Slartibartfast]

Yes,

 

 

 

98% chance the battery is no good and does not have enough electrons to turn the engine over or a 2% chance of having a really crap/dirty connection somewhere.

 

  

 

So "borrow" a good battery inna car and put some jumpleads to your battery then try starting,   if yours then wangs over and starts it 98% a crap battery with no enough working capacity (billions of available electrons) left in it.

 

Measure your battery with no engine running.

your battery with no engine running but headlight on full beam (or other electrics running).

your battery with the other car + jumpleads

your car with your engine running and no jump leads

Agreed, these were the exact systems I experienced with a bollocksed battery.

[inconsistant]

Thanks chaps, I'll test and get back with figures. It did exactly the same as this when I tried to jump start it from the other car at the weekend.

 

The battery is only about 2 years old and the car isn't used often so I'd be surprised/disappointed if it's the battery, it wasn't a cheap one.

[The Moog]

Check your battery connections. If they are loose it can be similar.

[MikeR]

Funny one.

 

Mk1 Focus Zeetec 1.6.

Crazy constant beeping coming from the glove box/clock area. Sounds literally like a digital clock alarm, but I dont think the car has a setable clock alarm.

 

Came on ramdomly on the way home today. No warning lights or anything though. Just constant beeping. Went off with ingnition when we got home.

 

Anyone got any ideas of WTF it is?

 

mines never beeped ?

 

all I have is the lights on warning

 

I would pull the glove box down and have a look , there is a latch , contents will empty onto the floor

 

there is a fuse panel behind it , so something could of been wired in there .....

[Talbot]

Does anyone know if the DW10 HDi90 engine (specifically in a 2003 Bling) needs to see any feedback from the EGR system? Or can you simply remove it, blank the ports and leave the electrical connector to the vacuum valve taped up? There is a question mark over whether Mrs. T's Bling is actually suffering from HGF, or whether it's a failed EGR cooler (which I didn't even know it had... all other HDI90's I've seen have EGR but with no cooler.)

 

I plan to bypass the water jacket on the EGR cooler to confirm, but if it is this that has failed, that's as good-a-reason as any to blank the bastard off and just ignore it. If I can.

[3VOM]

I'd swear I'd asked this already but tell me what to look out for in an 07 plate Aygo, small petrol engine, first car sort of thing, please.

[Kiltox]

Clutch - they eat them

[Pillock]

You know heated rear windscreen switches? You do?? Excellent!

 

Well - are they momentary switches? I'm trying to work out how they turn themselves off on, say, a 1983 Ford Sierra. Do they just stay on for a couple of minutes then off, or do they get some kind of signal back from the element??

 

Sorry. I know I'm thick. I just need to know if one would be suitable for another purpose.

I'm a bit sad like this, and I remember Ford advertising them as "microswitches" because they sounded exotic.

 

They're momentary, send a pulse to some sort of timer circuit which then turns off later (and also controls the light in the switch).

[artdjones]

Does anyone know if the DW10 HDi90 engine (specifically in a 2003 Bling) needs to see any feedback from the EGR system? Or can you simply remove it, blank the ports and leave the electrical connector to the vacuum valve taped up? There is a question mark over whether Mrs. T's Bling is actually suffering from HGF, or whether it's a failed EGR cooler (which I didn't even know it had... all other HDI90's I've seen have EGR but with no cooler.)

 

I plan to bypass the water jacket on the EGR cooler to confirm, but if it is this that has failed, that's as good-a-reason as any to blank the bastard off and just ignore it. If I can.

You can block off your egr without any engine management problems on that engine.

[meggersdog]

Mrs_Jon's Clio 172 had a lug break on the alternator, which de-tensioned the alt belt, which also runs the water pump. At the time it happened, the STOP light came on, presumably as a result of coolant loss/potential overheating, which I've yet to investigate properly.

 

Anyway, the STOP light still remains lit up on the dash when I started it up briefly, to check it actually still turned over (I only had my wife's description of events, which was patchy at best). Assuming that everything's fixable, how would I turn off the STOP light? I'm guessing there's some sort of diagnostic plug in device or app as others seem to partake in this kind of thing on here, so any advice would be much appreciated, as I'm a complete novice in this electronical diagnostic stuff.

.

once the alternator is fixed the stop light should* go out. Either no charging or overheating will put the light on.

[GrumpyCat]

Hoping to look at an '04 1.2 Panda tomorrow for the Mrs. Are these non-interference engines?

 

*EDIT* Not to worry. There were no photos of the interior in the advert. When I got there it was obvious why. Stained and split seats, homemade switch on the dash for the wipers and generally filthy.

 

Wasn't there five minutes, walked away.

[Dippy]

13.6v?I'd expect 12.7v max.Ben

Batteries are charged at a higher voltage and both a charger and your alternator should be producing over 13v and preferably around 13.6v as mentioned.

[95 quid Peugeot]

Radio Codes.

I've just managed to buy back my mighty Citroen ZX that's been through a couple of owners on here in last few months.

Whilst google is my friend I can't seem to find the correct radio code procedure.

I think I've the correct code which I can tease into it using presets. But can't remember which button confirms the code

Ta.

[panhard65]

Focus Mk2 Thermostat housing, is it on top of the gearbox at the side of the head and a similarly simple job to do as per mk1 Focus? A friend of my fathers was quoted £350 on the job. I'm thinking more like £40-50 for the housing and an hour and a half's labour tops?

Not sure where the thermostat is on the Focus but I did a Mondeo a while ago with a plastic thermostat housing at the front. The parts are eyewateringly expensive. I think it was over £160 in parts plus the vat. Ford must be the most expensive manufacturer of spares now days.

[artdjones]

Radio Codes.

I've just managed to buy back my mighty Citroen ZX that's been through a couple of owners on here in last few months.

Whilst google is my friend I can't seem to find the correct radio code procedure.

I think I've the correct code which I can tease into it using presets. But can't remember which button confirms the code

Ta.

The top of the big square button.

[steveo3002]

anyone help with what cheapie diagnotic reader will work on a 51 plate kango diesel van , needs a dash light turning off

 

mate has bought an ebay one and no workie

[95 quid Peugeot]

The top of the big square button.

Bollox. I thought it was that one. Just got to find the correct no for it v

[hpi_matrix]

Bollox. I thought it was that one. Just got to find the correct no for it v

 

Can you not get any radio on it at all? I typed in the code using buttons 1234, and then used 5 to enter. This got me the radio stations, but it had that intermitant beeping.

[philibusmo]

I'm having a bit of a war trying to get a VW Golf MK4 1.6 8v to run nicely. It keeps running very slightly lumpy at a slow constant speed (eg 30mph) but is fine accelerating, idling or cruising at 60mph  it will sometimes throw an eml with the code P0130 which is for the pre-cat oxygen sensor.

 

I've been working on the assumption that this is a symptom of the problem rather than the cause as it's also previously given a code for running too rich. It was running really badly but changing the crank sensor got it running reasonably and got rid of a code.

More often than not I just get the code for the O2 sensor and not the one for running rich. 

 

So far as well as the crank sensor it's had the timing belt changed as it was due for replacement and timed up correctly with new tensioner and water pump, all 4 spark plugs and the injector rail and coil pack as I had spares sat around but to no avail.

 

I'm going to take the MAF out and clean it but does anyone else have any other ideas? Should I just change the O2 sensor?

[philibusmo]

Just took it out to get a kebab and it ran with only a minor miss there but ran horribly on the way back, low on power and jolty and anything. I forgot to mention that it's an auto if that makes any difference.

 

On another note, does anyone have the Haynes manual for a Citroen Xsara? I'm about to do the timing belt on a 1.6 8v and want to have info on timing marks and the tensioner to hand.