Ask a Shiter

[Des]

Scored these in a charity shop today, the map light works, a little two way switch selects either white or the small amber lamp, does anyone know what that's about?

 

[chodweaver]

I'm guessing the amber is yesteryear's red - a colour you can read by but that doesn't destroy your night vision and is less distracting to the driver

[busmansholiday]

Oh, the days when you stuck a compass on the dash so you knew what direction the car was facing when you got lost and had to dig out a paper map to try and work out where you were. Ruined by modern technology. Nice find and I'd agree with chodweaver.

[xtriple]

Right -o, remember, this used to be called 'the stupid questin amnesty' or some such like. This is a stupid question...

 

CLK, it has a few rust blebs round the wheel arches, they are annoying me. Chrome wheel arches? Yes or no?

 

Anyone any good at photoshop could modify a picture?

 

I don't want to spend loads of money on paintwork, I like this car and don't want to get paranoid about it!

[loserone]

No.

 

No.

[xtriple]

No.

 

No.

Look, don't beat about the bush, say what you mean!

[Guest Hooli]

NO!

 

They look crap & trap all the rot so it gets really bad before you see it again. I'd never buy a car with them fitted for that reason alone.

[Kiltox]

Friend has a 1998 1.8 Pez Avensis. Took it for the MOT today and, amongst other things, it has failed on emissions:

 

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits

 

I don't know how bad a failure yet, but will find out - but I do know its been sat for 6 months, then driven 2 miles to the MOT station...

 

I recommended first thing is an Italian tune up, check the air filter and plugs, then some fresh fuel and maybe an additive (any actually work, or are they snake oil?).

Anything else I'm missing? I'll confirm more details when I have them.

 

Thanks

Cataclean and smash the fuck out of it on the way to the retest never* fails

 

TBH plugs, air filter and a thrashing are probably what it really wants like you say. High mileage?

[cort16]

For god sake no with the arches . Not only do the look crap when you remove them that little rust island will have become a continent .

[Dave_Q]

If the test station will cooperate I would put a bottle of cataclean in with £10 of V-power, smash its face in on the way there and get them to test the emissions straight away, while it's still hot and running.

[twosmoke300]

Is the avensis an oil drinker ? Could have killed the cat

[Des]

I'm guessing the amber is yesteryear's red - a colour you can read by but that doesn't destroy your night vision and is less distracting to the driver

 

That makes sense, and I can position it to illuminate the compass.

[Stanky]

When changing a cambelt, tensioner and water pump, should you also replace the aux belt and its tensioner at the same time? engine is a 7a-fe 1.8 toyota lump in the Celica I got a couple of weeks ago.

 

I've never done a cambelt before so a bit nervous about it all. Seems an idea if I'm in there anyway, but is it overkill?

[loserone]

Is there a solar power thread?

[DeeJay]

Approx how much to balance a prop shaft and does anybody know anywhere in South Liverpool that can do it? 

[xtriple]

You can balance a propshaft with jubilee clips! If it is not to bad, jubilee clips with the heavy part 180 away from the light bit. needs lots (and LOTS) of trial and error but does work.

[xtriple]

Another stupid question.... what's wrong with my gearbox?

 

Generally smooth and nice, just had the fluid level checked and it is correct and nice and clean (No fucking dipstick on the sodding car!) so not that. However, going up hills it tends to stay in one gear rather than change up as speed increases/ Livable with but annoying....

[Guest Hooli]

Vacuum pipes, kick down cable? Probably not the latter on that age of dollop.

[omegod]

There's a decent place by my work, propshaft centre or summat on Millers Bridge/Braesnose Rd industrial estate Bootle

[DeeJay]

A1 propshafts.

I'll give them a bell tomorrow.

It's only 15 mins from where I work (M 57/E.Lancs Rd junc) 

[sierraman]

Probably know the answer to this but anyway. Clutch is getting increasingly heavy on the Mondeo particularly in traffic, the judder has returned also having gone from just doing it on the down change to setting off and when it gets hot. Could go on for an indeterminate length of time as I use it mostly on the motorway, is a fail likely to be sudden with no warning?

 

I'm running it till it drops as quotes I had for a clutch were round the £450-500 mark. Fuck spending that.

[oldcars]

Suzuki Celerio seem cheap, can get one with a low deposit and £99 per month. What do they drive like?

[Kiltox]

Suzuki Celerio seem cheap, can get one with a low deposit and £99 per month. What do they drive like?

No idea but also consider a Sandero which is similar money.

[Supernaut]

Suzuki Celerio seem cheap, can get one with a low deposit and £99 per month. What do they drive like?

They just keep going and going.

[rainagain]

My car was damaged by a third party the insurance company have offered me cash in lieu of repairs.

Just to make sure they’re not bending me over how much would the following work cost:

Front corner bumper respray

Replace front bumper grill

Replace front bumper spoiler

Refurb alloy wheel

Car is a Pug 307

[oldcars]

They just keep going and going.

That's handy, saves on wear on disks and pads.

[robinmasters]

My car was damaged by a third party the insurance company have offered me cash in lieu of repairs.

Just to make sure they’re not bending me over how much would the following work cost:

Front corner bumper respray

Replace front bumper grill

Replace front bumper spoiler

Refurb alloy wheel

Car is a Pug 307

No idea, but....

 

They would normally base an offer like that on an engineer's report, which uses Thatcham book times for the work involved and OE parts. The offer will be net of VAT.

 

They can (though may refuse to) give you a copy of that report.

 

They shouldn't be offering less than that figure. They might argue that you are likely to get the work done by an independent, using scrappy parts, but that's your choice-if you want to get sub-standard* repairs, they should still pay you the value of having it done properly*.

[rainagain]

The assessesor did mention the amount they would offer would be net vat. I can’t undersfand this bit as if I went ahead and got the repairs done I would have to pay vat on them??? It still annoys me the way car repairs work when you have a low value car.

 

Painting a bumper costs the same regardless off a car’s age so why should they choose not to do it just because the cars old? It’s like woohoo our customer has only hit an old car let’s save some money by not putting the damage right. I pay the roughy same premium for my ‘old’ car that I would pay for a newer car so why should I get poorer service?

 

Rant over

[DodgeRover]

My car was damaged by a third party the insurance company have offered me cash in lieu of repairs.

Just to make sure they’re not bending me over how much would the following work cost:

Front corner bumper respray

Replace front bumper grill

Replace front bumper spoiler

Refurb alloy wheel

Car is a Pug 307

£2k at a guess

 

Insurance will not usually repair anything so new bumper and wheel required.

[rainagain]

£2k at a guess

 

Insurance will not usually repair anything so new bumper and wheel required.

There’s only scratches on the bumper and some small chips on the alloy wheel. 2K would be nice but as they initially offered to scrap the car for £500 I don’t think I’ll get that much I’ve been online and found £500 is a low price for my car even given its high mileage. I told them I want to keep the car hence them suggesting cash in lieu of repairs.