Ask a Shiter

[Kiltox]

Was looking at a cheap fast fit oil change for the Primera to save me doing it - National and ATS both want to put 5w30 fully synthetic in it which isn’t really what it wants.

 

Do we reckon these big chains don’t bother stocking 10/40 semi any more? I guess most newer cars want the thinner fancier stuff?

[Fumbler]

Was looking at a cheap fast fit oil change for the Primera to save me doing it - National and ATS both want to put 5w30 fully synthetic in it which isn’t really what it wants.

 

Do we reckon these big chains don’t bother stocking 10/40 semi any more? I guess most newer cars want the thinner fancier stuff?

They do when they have variable valve timing but Halfrauds and local Morrisons petrol station stock Carlube and Castrol 10/40 semi and full.

[robinmasters]

What's the best way to fix monkey metal?

[sierraman]

Half an hour and do it yourself then you know it’s done properly.

[Matt]

I want to build a wiring harness that allows my cars headlights to run direct from the battery via a relay as the factory setup is known to have a lot of resistance and feeble wiring. What I want to know is would it be safe to use old household appliance wiring for this? I've got a shit load of it kicking around from dead vacuum cleaners, extensions cords etc. Obviously I'm not going to just chuck an old Dyson flex into the engine bay and wire it in; it's stripped from the outer insulation and would get routed through conduit.

[Guest Hooli]

If the wire is a big enough cross section for the current it'll be fine. I'd just make its as thick as the current wiring to the bulbs but I'm sure there is a proper way to calculate it.

[DodgeRover]

I want to build a wiring harness that allows my cars headlights to run direct from the battery via a relay as the factory setup is known to have a lot of resistance and feeble wiring. What I want to know is would it be safe to use old household appliance wiring for this? I've got a shit load of it kicking around from dead vacuum cleaners, extensions cords etc. Obviously I'm not going to just chuck an old Dyson flex into the engine bay and wire it in; it's stripped from the outer insulation and would get routed through conduit.

Unless you already have the relays and plugs it's still going to be cheaper to buy a kit from ebay.

[Matt]

If the wire is a big enough cross section fir the current it'll be fine. I'd just make its as thick as the current wiring to the bulbs but I'm sure there is a proper way to calculate it.

Oh it’s thicker than the factory wiring for sure; the headlights and radio seem to use the same gauge... The factory setup only allows about 11 volts to get to the headlights whereas running relays gets the full 12/14 volts which I’m sure is more than the factory wiring can handle.

[Matt]

Unless you already have the relays and plugs it's still going to be cheaper to buy a kit from ebay.

No such thing exists for my car. From what I’ve seen Swifts aren’t wired up in a conventional way. I’ve got the wiring, I’ve got some connectors and I’ve got plastic conduit so all I would need to buy is a pair of relays and three bulb connectors.

[steveo3002]

what bulb type is it ...can get ready made kits under a tenner 

[dozeydustman]

Typical halogen headlamp bulb is, say, 60w. Power / volts = amps, so each filament/bulb runs at (a maximum) of 5 Amperes at 12 Volts. It's good practice to use wiring with a higher amperage rating than it needs, so you need wiring that can handle a minimum of 10A for the whole circuit, protected with a 10a fuse. The relay should also be rated at a minimum of 10A (15 would be better)

 

11A rated wire is 0.5mm in cross section; if it's power flex from a 3kw appliance (13A fuse) this should be man enough, so measure the core with a crimping tool or wire gauge.

[AMC Rebel]

My B3 Passtit had the exact same issue - one of a very few (post 70s) cars I've had that didn't have relays in the headlamp circuit and also only got about 10-11 volts at the lights.

[steveo3002]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-Headlight-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Socket-Plug-Wire-Kit/192284936495?hash=item2cc513492f:g:lIQAAOSwdqRalO26

 

would be better than household wiring ...avail with diff plugs for bulbs , hard to bother diy'ing it when its under £8

[Aston Martin]

My family are idiots.

 

My mum/stepdad have had a Fabia 1.2 with about 78K FY07 EXG for 10 years. My mum looked after it for about 8 years, until she got the 107. And stepdad treats it like a van... For fishing and allotment and dogs.

 

We believe a bicycle went into the cpillar a few months back as it has a massive crevice of damage on it and it sounds like a wheel bearing has gone.

 

A neighbour/friends of theirs are selling a 2004 Picasso 1.6 hdi YW04 FYE 98k (not in Ronnie Pickering red sadly) we think for around £500.

 

It's had a clutch not long ago and brakes etc in the last few years for MOT.

 

I believe that the tax is £20 more a year? But should give the same MPG as the Fabia?

 

Plus points it's bigger for fishing/allotment/more of a van for shit.

Negatives it's a Citroën, it's older and done more miles.

You can't run these on veg?

 

 

Why don't they fix the Fabia? Fuck knows.

We buy any old shit says £233 with the damage.

[DodgeRover]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-Headlight-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Socket-Plug-Wire-Kit/192284936495?hash=item2cc513492f:g:lIQAAOSwdqRalO26

 

would be better than household wiring ...avail with diff plugs for bulbs , hard to bother diy'ing it when its under £8

 

i've fitted those before, wiring is a little thin BUT a big improvement and it just plugs in

[steveo3002]

i've fitted those before, wiring is a little thin BUT a big improvement and it just plugs in

could fit a household dimmer switch if too bright

[AMC Rebel]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-Headlight-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Socket-Plug-Wire-Kit/192284936495?hash=item2cc513492f:g:lIQAAOSwdqRalO26

 

would be better than household wiring ...avail with diff plugs for bulbs , hard to bother diy'ing it when its under £8

 

 

i've fitted those before, wiring is a little thin BUT a big improvement and it just plugs in

 

This place, etc - I had no idea those things existed!  Brilliant stuff.

[AMC Rebel]

OK, I have 2 questions -

 

1) Anyone have experience changing an engine in a RWD car with conventional auto (torque converter) transmisson? Mainly I am interested in not having an Exon Valdez type scenario on my driveway and I vaguely recall something about torque converters being full of transmission fluid that you can't drain.  Or something.  Google hasn't been my friend so far.

 

2) I have been considering for a while getting hold of one of those old Crypton tuners for my shite.  Anyone had one/used one? There seems to be only one Youthtube vid of one in use.

[Gazebo]

Have been lurking here for a few weeks after watching some of Dollywobblers videos.

 

Although not a shiter myself enjoyed reading the forum but have been perplexed by some of the terms and abbreviations, so here are my two questions.

 

1) What is chod?  I get the feeling I know what it means but where did it come from?

 

2) What does OMGHGF stand for?

 

 

[Cavcraft]

Have been lurking here for a few weeks after watching some of Dollywobblers videos.

 

Although not a shiter myself enjoyed reading the forum but have been perplexed by some of the terms and abbreviations, so here are my two questions.

 

1) What is chod?  I get the feeling I know what it means but where did it come from?

 

2) What does OMGHGF stand for?

 

Chod (I think) just means generally rubbish old vehicles

 

OMGHGF is Oh My God Head Gasket Failure.

 

HTH, M8

[Matt]

Typical halogen headlamp bulb is, say, 60w. Power / volts = amps, so each filament/bulb runs at (a maximum) of 5 Amperes at 12 Volts. It's good practice to use wiring with a higher amperage rating than it needs, so you need wiring that can handle a minimum of 10A for the whole circuit, protected with a 10a fuse. The relay should also be rated at a minimum of 10A (15 would be better)

 

11A rated wire is 0.5mm in cross section; if it's power flex from a 3kw appliance (13A fuse) this should be man enough, so measure the core with a crimping tool or wire gauge.

 

Thanks! Steveo3002 posted an easier plug and play solution but that's good to know for future projects.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-Headlight-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Socket-Plug-Wire-Kit/192284936495?hash=item2cc513492f:g:lIQAAOSwdqRalO26

 

would be better than household wiring ...avail with diff plugs for bulbs , hard to bother diy'ing it when its under £8

 

That should do the trick although I will need to replace the relay's with a pair that have diodes in them. The high beams stick into the on position without them in Swifts when you upgrade the wiring for whatever reason.

[SiC]

Does anyone in this world do a Smith's Speedo conversion to electronic?

 

If not, I'm rather tempted to give it a go. Could be the easiest way to solve my 1100 Speedo issue. Well apart from using a MG Midget Speedo...

[Dave_Q]

I've seen several taxis driving around the area belching out massive clouds of smoke. Clearly with blown turbos or whatever and generally being a health hazard. 

 

1. Would the local authority give a shit if I rang up to report them?

 

2. Would I be a miserable old git for doing so? 

 

3. Should I just mind my own business?

[SiC]

As a cyclist who frequently cycles around a city, I whole heartedly my lungs support you reporting them.

[Fumbler]

I've seen several taxis driving around the area belching out massive clouds of smoke. Clearly with blown turbos or whatever and generally being a health hazard. 

 

1. Would the local authority give a shit if I rang up to report them?

 

2. Would I be a miserable old git for doing so? 

 

3. Should I just mind my own business?

London, the hub of trying to kill of vehicle smoke. It would be pretty against their agenda to have taxis belching out smoke so you're perfectly good reporting the issue. Secondly it's in the public's health interest because lung.

[Dead_E23]

Speaking of London, in my part of town we have a lot of aging Dennis Enviro200 buses.  Smoke absolutely pours out of these as if from a cross channel ferry, to the extent that they leave big swirling clouds of it in their wake.  This never fails to amuse me.

[dozeydustman]

Does anyone in this world do a Smith's Speedo conversion to electronic?

 

If not, I'm rather tempted to give it a go. Could be the easiest way to solve my 1100 Speedo issue. Well apart from using a MG Midget Speedo...

Actual converting of the instrument, probably not. You can get electronic drive modules that power the speedo using a square section drive cable that need a GPS or hall-effect sensor module to power them.

 

If you want to go the electronic route, I think an off the shelf 80mm Smiths Classic speedo would be a better bet, and with the sensor module and wiring. About £250 + the dreaded though, and the LCD odometer would look a little out of place.

 

DIY route using the existing speedo - A small motor with some gearing, a rotor on a front hub or driveshaft similar to an ABS ring, matching sensor and then some way of telling the motor how fast it needs to spin in proportion to road speed. Or a GPS module. Sounds like a good arduino or Raspberry Pi project.

[Wingz123]

What does FYFY mean? Wuvvum always says it....is there an abbreviation page there are freaking loads I can’t make sense of??

[Shirley Knott]

How do I add a blue 'Project' tab to my fleet based thread?

 

I can change a timing belt etc, but can I fuck work out how to achieve this. WTF is wrong with me?

[DodgeRover]

What does FYFY mean? Wuvvum always says it....is there an abbreviation page there are freaking loads I can’t make sense of??

Could that be FTFY? That would be fixed that for you usually used in the context of an altered quote for truth/ comedy or both.