Ask a Shiter

[Parky]

  On 03/07/2018 at 09:26, Lacquer Peel said:

Is the labour to change a VW 8v cambelt that much? I bought a Gates kit for my Bora VE TDI because it's proven itself a reliable car after 2,500 miles in one week. Not keen to DIY it because I've messed up timing belts on TDIs before.

I really don’t think it’s long at all. When I had it done before I swear the guys were done in less than two hours as they had assumed that’s because it took that long on a golf. Both the guys said the Seat was easier as there was more access than the VW. They certainly didn’t seem to struggle with anything.

 

I will keep looking about. Bound to be somebody in the more remote Essex countryside who will do it for less than a London based specialist.

 

I could always ask my Cousin to have a go. He is a proper trained mechanic of 20years standing, just depends whether his missus will allow him a few hours away from the kids and the chores on a weekend.

[mrbenn]

  On 03/07/2018 at 21:18, billy_bunter said:

Just bought a 2001 focus estate in Zetec trim. I

 

t has 50 types of gack on the steering wheel. How to clean it as I am unsure if it's fake leather or real leather. Is there an easy way to tell?

 

Whats best way to clean?

 

There was a thread a while back but I cannot find it....

 

Have a look at this:

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/31509-mk1-focus-16-paint/page-2

[billy_bunter]

Here its. Particularly like the mountain range.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[twosmoke300]

TADTS

[sierraman]

Its the sweat on your hands that does it, I used to come off the motorway with tiny black bits all over my hands.

[dave21478]

[rusty_vw_man]

Just picked up my latest rusty vw - a late model T25 caravelle. 

 

The bumpers are delightfully* faded to blotchy grey. The single marque owners forums tell me to replace them at a cost of £360 (plus postage). Maybe not. 

 

I therefore turn to the more budget conscious forum and ask what products/household goods/shoe polish/bodily fluids you recommend to get faded plastic bumpers looking a little better? 

[Guest Hooli]

  On 04/07/2018 at 08:39, dave21478 said:

s-l300.jpg

 

It'll match stuboy's then!

[HillmanImp]

Whatto everyone.

 

I want to replace a section of floor in one of my cars as it's wearing a little thin. I don't want to pay a gazillion pounds for a proper replacement panel as I am only going to use a 3rd of it as the rest of the floor is okay

 

Does anyone supply generic ridged car floor sections that I can just stitch in that are a reasonable price or do I need to go and get my arse licked by those chaps in Lincoln?

[steveo3002]

get some sheet and a hammer?

[Parky]

Slice the side out of your fridge or washing machine?

[loserone]

Was there a shiter with an environmental management degree (or something similar) looking for work in the north east?

[Guest Hooli]

  On 04/07/2018 at 12:44, loserone said:

Was there a shiter with an environmental management degree (or something similar) looking for work in the north east?

 

Rings a bell. Maybe POD or Supanaught? but I could be totally wrong there.

[Anthony]

  On 01/07/2018 at 21:10, wuvvum said:

I had a poke around under the bonnet and there are two things which look like they could be temp sensors, very close to each other.  One of them (the one with the black terminal) has a nice healthy 14v going to it with the engine running, the other has nothing at all - and isn't an earth either.  Unplugging either or both makes no difference to the light situation.

 

I'm obviously missing something because it would make no sense to me to have two temp sensors so close together, but there's obviously an issue somewhere.  My HBOL is no help as it only covers petrol engines.  Any pointers appreciated before I take the coward's way out and remove the bulbs.

The taller one is for the high-temperature warning light, the shorter one is for the gauge - I'm guessing your car is a base model spec one without a gauge, hence no feed on the wire. They both work by grounding to earth to make the gauge read higher or switching the warning light on.

 

Usually the light intermittently flickering on is down to the wiring chaffing and shorting against the engine or bodywork somewhere.

[somewhatfoolish]

  On 04/07/2018 at 11:55, HillmanImp said:

Whatto everyone.

 

I want to replace a section of floor in one of my cars as it's wearing a little thin. I don't want to pay a gazillion pounds for a proper replacement panel as I am only going to use a 3rd of it as the rest of the floor is okay

 

Does anyone supply generic ridged car floor sections that I can just stitch in that are a reasonable price or do I need to go and get my arse licked by those chaps in Lincoln?

Once upon a muddy breakers' yard the answer would be a cold chisel and BFO hammer, but now battery angry grinders mean scrapyard panel retrieval is just noisy rather than a ballache. Be sure and get a price before to avoid wallet pain after etc.

[somewhatfoolish]

  On 04/07/2018 at 12:50, Hooli said:

Rings a bell. Maybe POD or Supanaught? but I could be totally wrong there.

Supernaut I think.

[billy_bunter]

  On 04/07/2018 at 08:39, dave21478 said:

s-l300.jpg

 

 

If there is a version with a heater in it. I'm in! Missus wants a heated steering wheel. I get to drive the mondeno then

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Right. Just sold a car and the Norn Iron fella who bought it has paid me mainly in Norn Iron banknotes. He insisted they were ok to bank in English banks, but google doesn’t really help.

Will NatWest tell me to FRO with my notes?

[Guest Hooli]

I don't recall any problems with them after visiting norn iron a few years ago, they say Sterling on them after all.

[Cavcraft]

  On 04/07/2018 at 10:12, rusty_vw_man said:

Just picked up my latest rusty vw - a late model T25 caravelle. 

 

The bumpers are delightfully* faded to blotchy grey. The single marque owners forums tell me to replace them at a cost of £360 (plus postage). Maybe not. 

 

I therefore turn to the more budget conscious forum and ask what products/household goods/shoe polish/bodily fluids you recommend to get faded plastic bumpers looking a little better? 

 

Heat gun/linseed oil/peanut butter (really) etc.

[rusty_vw_man]

  On 04/07/2018 at 15:48, Dick Longbridge said:

Right. Just sold a car and the Norn Iron fella who bought it has paid me mainly in Norn Iron banknotes. He insisted they were ok to bank in English banks, but google doesn’t really help.

Will NatWest tell me to FRO with my notes?

 

Should be fine at the bank, used to work in NI on and off and always had to change them when back on mainland UK as shops wouldn't touch them. 

[rusty_vw_man]

  On 04/07/2018 at 16:01, Cavcraft said:

Heat gun/linseed oil/peanut butter (really) etc.

 

Cheers.

 

Of those, I have peanut butter to hand - just smear it on and rinse it off? Assume its the oil in it?

 

I await the neighbours comments....

[steveo3002]

for the sake of £3 go buy the boiled linseed oil...saves the mess of peanut butter

[andy18s]

  On 04/07/2018 at 16:11, steveo3002 said:

for the sake of £3 go buy the boiled linseed oil...saves all the dogs coming around to lick your bumpers clean

Efa

[Eddie Honda]

  On 01/07/2018 at 21:10, wuvvum said:

I had a poke around under the bonnet and there are two things which look like they could be temp sensors, very close to each other. 

 

I'm obviously missing something because it would make no sense to me to have two temp sensors so close together

 

IMG_20180701_210735.jpg

 

As per previous post, if it's anything like the Citroens, the two things which look like temp sensors on the thermostat housing ARE temp sensors. It doesn't need to make sense because French.

 

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 10:12, rusty_vw_man said:

Just picked up my latest rusty vw - a late model T25 caravelle. 

 

The bumpers are delightfully* faded to blotchy grey. The single marque owners forums tell me to replace them at a cost of £360 (plus postage). Maybe not. 

 

I therefore turn to the more budget conscious forum and ask what products/household goods/shoe polish/bodily fluids you recommend to get faded plastic bumpers looking a little better? 

 

On www.mk2cav.com there was a how to restore plastic bumpers.  It involves a plumbers blow torch. You heat the plastic to the point where its just starting to become tacky.  This restores the chemical inbalance and puts the world back on it's axis.  Failing that, I have used boot polish.  The liquid stuff that comes with a foam applicator pad. 

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 12:50, Hooli said:

Rings a bell. Maybe POD or Supanaught? but I could be totally wrong there.

 

Not me.  I have a desmond from coventry (lanchester) polytechnic* in production engineering with manufacturing systems, which qualifies me to be the cannon fodder of the car industry in the west midlands. 

 

*became a University the year after I graduated. 

[rusty_vw_man]

 

Thanks all for bumper improving suggestions, chickened out of the blow torch method, and the children had eaten the supplies of peanut butter.

 

However, boiled linseed rocks - before and after shot included. It's so good that for some reason it's turned the whole world upside down, but you get the idea.

 

Thanks all!

[omegod]

I believe linseed can be quite volatile so be careful where you store old soaked rags etc

[Guest Hooli]

^^^^ tru dat, it's been known to cause fires.