Ask a Shiter

[Bobthebeard]

Has anyone used PartsGateway for, err... parts? When looking for a used brake servo for the Saab 9-3 this site popped up on Google. Assume that parts suppliers have to sign up/pay commission etc but it seems to work ok. Any experiences?

[Craig the Princess]

Is it currently fitted with FWD Volvo wheels? Those 940 wheels will fit without spacers.

Quite possibly, the central hole is too small for the 940 so it won't rotate. Do Volvo only have FWD or RWD wheels?

[Stroller133]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

[bub2006]

ATF question. The proton is going to have an ATF fluid change. It recommend Dex 3 in the Haynes manual. Is Dex 4 and above backwards compatible? Thanks

[Stroller133]

Ford Etis - a while ago someone posted a link (Pillock maybe) to a website where you can find build specs of Fords. I think it was the ETis site, but it’s now restricted to registered users. Does anyone here have access and could look at a vehicle for me?

[DodgeRover]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

Yes scraps fairly good at the mo.

Check the usual websites

Cartakeback

Scrapmycar

There's loads more.

Ring your local frag yard too

[sierraman]

Are scrapyears paying for cars at the moment. What could you get for a Cmax. It can be driven their if that’s gets a better price.

£150-180 or thereabouts assuming it’s fitted with the Cat and the battery. Plus whatever you make from selling bits off it.

[Lacquer Peel]

Quite possibly, the central hole is too small for the 940 so it won't rotate. Do Volvo only have FWD or RWD wheels?

As far as I know the only difference between the 5x108 Volvo wheels RWD and FWD is the offset.

[dieselnutjob]

I haven't done anything about the SORN status of the 604 for ages (I could actually tax it for free but can't bothered). I thought that you had to do SORN every year but there doesn't seem to be any expiry date on the checking website.  Have they changed the rules again or am I just wrong?

[Stroller133]

Yes scraps fairly good at the mo.

Check the usual websites

Cartakeback

Scrapmycar

There's loads more.

Ring your local frag yard too

Thanks local yard is £80 tonne dropped off some of the websites reckon £170 collected and up to £212 dropped off

I don’t think I can take it to be scrapped though, might still WBAC if it nets £100 and let them decide it’s fate!

[sierraman]

Doubtful WBAC will offer you what they say on the website. The £100 will suddenly become £50.

 

I’d offer it to the scrapyard offering most. Take the radio out and all the bulbs, fuses and relays (handy to keep), the jack, stick the space saver on and take off the best wheel. If it’s got good tread it’s got to be worth a tenner to someone. If you know how, take off any ancillaries that will sell on easy like the EGR etc. Take the hubcaps off, full sets still sell well.

 

I’d take the diesel out of it if it’s got a decent quantity in it. It won’t syphon as it’s got a check valve in the neck, take out the in tank pump under the seat and use a jiggle hose to drain it. Might need to jack it up. Ideal time as well to use it to get rid of any old oil etc, once you’ve drained it, chuck it in the tank.

 

Thinking on keep the space saver and jack, these sell well to people who haven’t got a spare for an easy £20.

 

Who gives a fuck what happens to it, go for what’s going to net you the most money in the pocket.

[The Moog]

I haven't done anything about the SORN status of the 604 for ages (I could actually tax it for free but can't bothered). I thought that you had to do SORN every year but there doesn't seem to be any expiry date on the checking website.  Have they changed the rules again or am I just wrong?

Doesnt expire now until change of keeper. 

[xtriple]

Help! The gauges on the XJ-S are driving me nuts! Oil pressure: reads high all the time, moves up as soon as you turn on the ignition (without starting the engine), so I disconnected the wire from the (new) sender expecting the same as above, instead, the gauge no longer reads at all.  Does this point to a fault with the sender unit? If so, why? as it's a brand new one from David Manners spares, cost a bomb and is a sod an three quarters to change!

 

Also, took the dash out to clean/check all the connections and nothing looks wrong at all! Still cleaned everything and checked the ribbon thing, it has no breaks and all looks good. Why do my gauges all play silly buggers? Oil reads high, amps, fuel and water all read low - about a third as high as they should I reckon.

[Heidel_Kakao]

If all the dials are affected could it be a voltage regulator for them if it has one?

 

One of these doohickeys?

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/smiths-voltage-stabiliser-cb-vstab

[Noel Tidybeard]

So two reversing lights and only one fog? I guess that's better than one of each - reversing in the dark is a pain with only one light. But why not make the nearside lower lens red, for symmetry and LHD parts sharing?

 

looks like 2 red & 2 white on newer version

[SierraMikeHotel]

I have made a cock up of my timings.

 

Is there any reason why my Saab might fail its MoT because the SID (display unit) is missing from the dash?

 

It means there's a loose cable dangling there, and no audible warnings (including the indicator tick, which is really weird).

 

The horn has stopped working and I've asked the garage to look into that, as it's an obvious fail, but I don't think the missing SID could be the cause of that... Could it?

[The Moog]

The saab 9-5 I had needed the SID display as it had a speaker built in for the indicator tick. 

 

I think there needs to be an audible noise for indicators as part of MOT.

[SierraMikeHotel]

The saab 9-5 I had needed the SID display as it had a speaker built in for the indicator tick.

 

I think there needs to be an audible noise for indicators as part of MOT.

That's what I was afraid of, thank you!

[DodgeRover]

I don't think there does as long as the idiot lights are working on the dash.

 

Maybe check the online mot regs if you can find the applicable section or message one of the mot testers on here?

[SiC]

I have made a cock up of my timings.

 

Is there any reason why my Saab might fail its MoT because the SID (display unit) is missing from the dash?

 

It means there's a loose cable dangling there, and no audible warnings (including the indicator tick, which is really weird).

 

The horn has stopped working and I've asked the garage to look into that, as it's an obvious fail, but I don't think the missing SID could be the cause of that... Could it?

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-4-Lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment.html#section_4.9

 

A direction indicator ‘tell-tale’ can be audible or visual.

 

A hazard warning ‘tell-tale’ must be a flashing light.

 

The way I read that, as long as the dash direction indicator light flashes you're ok. Or it beeps. But doesn't have to be both.

[robinmasters]

Could I get a slightly sheddy ('94) AX on a classic policy? Never had one before, because the mileage limits are to restrictive for a daily. 

[Christine]

I saw a Lada Niva on an 18 plate , thought they stopped making them years ago ?

[Richard]

No, I saw a 16 plate one yesterday.

[Lacquer Peel]

I saw a Lada Niva on an 18 plate , thought they stopped making them years ago ?

Nope

 

https://www.lada.ru/cars/4x4/3dv/prices.html

[Finlandia]

I have made a cock up of my timings.

 

Is there any reason why my Saab might fail its MoT because the SID (display unit) is missing from the dash?

 

It means there's a loose cable dangling there, and no audible warnings (including the indicator tick, which is really weird).

 

The horn has stopped working and I've asked the garage to look into that, as it's an obvious fail, but I don't think the missing SID could be the cause of that... Could it?

 

Indicator warning lights only is OK -we had a  9-5 that passed four or five MOTs like this, bonus being that broken SID buzzer meant no annoying "bing bongs". Horn is also controlled by SID - the horn push is combined with steering wheel radio controls, and SID "filters" the signals before sending them on.

[SierraMikeHotel]

Indicator warning lights only is OK -we had a 9-5 that passed four or five MOTs like this, bonus being that broken SID buzzer meant no annoying "bing bongs". Horn is also controlled by SID - the horn push is combined with steering wheel radio controls, and SID "filters" the signals before sending them on.

I'll test this at the weekend - if I put the SID back in and the horn springs back into life I'll be a very happy man!

[Finlandia]

I'll test this at the weekend - if I put the SID back in and the horn springs back into life I'll be a very happy man!

 

If you don't want to refit the SID, grounding the brown/orange cable at SID should sound horn (ignition on or off). Early cars (98-04?) pin 11, later cars pin 17.

 

If you have one, the 97-04 Haynes manual has an accurate wiring diagram.

[Tamworthbay]

If all the dials are affected could it be a voltage regulator for them if it has one?

cb_vstab_1.jpg

One of these doohickeys?https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/smiths-voltage-stabiliser-cb-vstab

Or you can buy solid state ones for pennies on eBay

[rainagain]

Also - how twattish a job are front wheel bearings on an Alfa 156? Asking for a friend like.

Expect lots of fun trying to remove steel bolts from aluminium castings. I wouldn’t attempt it without a heat source.

[Jerzy Woking]

Could I get a slightly sheddy ('94) AX on a classic policy? Never had one before, because the mileage limits are to restrictive for a daily. 

 

 

 

I had a '94 AX Dimension last year. Couldn't get a Classic Policy for it, despite it being 23 years old.

 

Luckily my Saab insurers matched my NCB plus gave an additional 10% discount. Still cost me more that it was for the Mercedes 300E I ran before the AX.