Ask a Shiter

[D Spares & Tyres]

1999 Mercedes W202 2.2CDi. Anybody here know what the immobiliser works on? Can it be by-passed? I'm so crap at auto electrics but if I know the fuel pump is immobilised or whatever then I stand a chance of sorting it. Got key but not the one with a chip in it

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Not that a mate ever found...… Sprinter IIRC - he ended up with a fantastically expensive re-programmed key from the dealer. I do know he then tie wrapped the RFID key inside the cowl (or dash after moving  the RFID ring) and then used the second key - and got spares cut so he had extras.

He reckoned that losing a none RFID key and just grabbing another was worth the potential risk of being stolen with a 'plain' key.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Yeah I've done that on an old Golf once. Just wondered where the immobiliser is on one of these. I'm used to XUDs and hacking off the cage to get to the stop solenoid but I'm guessing these are more complicated than that. Might see what a Mercedes dealer would charge. I once had a Citroen main dealer make me a key just from the chassis number. Only £20!

[Guest Hooli]

I suspect it's built into the ECU at that age.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Me too...

[Pillock]

Me three, but that does mean that the same places that offer remaps can sometimes disable the immobiliser in software.

 

I think Cobblers was saying he can do it on VAG ECUs so worth asking around, the hard bit will be finding someone who believes it's your car.

[somewhatfoolish]

Are there any shiters habitually reading 'Old Glory', the periodical for all old mechanical things and associated shenanigans? Could I cadge a copy of an article in the december edition? It's not available on the shelf, the news cycle appears to have reached feb or march and back issues are £££ for what I want it for.

[omegod]

Can anyone do a fee hpi check pls, I got the log book back for the focus I got from copat and there's no mention of it being recorded as a cat N, tried making an autotrader advert and still nothing showing as being recorded

 

I'm not that arsed but am curious WP59 UJC 

[DodgeRover]

I suspect it's built into the ECU at that age.

Should be able to remove it with a computer.

[DodgeRover]

Can someone tell me what the current equivalent of KC day lighters or Cibie Super Oscars are, I'm doing a lot of back lane driving and a bit more visibility would have saved me smashing into a downed tree branch at roof height

[rainagain]

Led light bars?

 

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32852187913.html?pid=808_0000_0131&spm=a2g0n.search-amp.list.32852187913&aff_trace_key=&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=6539_8bsOxGzYANy66X_W_yKAYKMBjrZvkhRz4ECjKqD-YXQIp7lmYUMTRliHeagKfxa1549488500923

[Guest Hooli]

Can someone tell me what the current equivalent of KC day lighters or Cibie Super Oscars are, I'm doing a lot of back lane driving and a bit more visibility would have saved me smashing into a downed tree branch at roof height

 

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

[MorrisItalSLX]

How well do V6 badermatic Rover 75s handle high mileage? (200,000+) What should you look out for?

 

Bump

[Snipes]

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

www.specsavers.co.uk

[DodgeRover]

Slowing down to drive to the distance you can see?

 

 

 

*ducks*

Fair point I can see stopping distance at 30/40 mph on the road in front, what i can't see is stuff looming in the hedgerows and at 7 foot above the road surface which is the issue.

 

Seriously though who is responsible for cutting back the growth from the road side? The land owner or highways? In a couple of points it's that overgrown that you are forced to use the centre of the road on blind bends, obviously this slows traffic to stopping speed unless it's an Audi.

I've been onto highways who didn't seem interested tbh.

[Dave_Q]

Can anyone do a fee hpi check pls, I got the log book back for the focus I got from copat and there's no mention of it being recorded as a cat N, tried making an autotrader advert and still nothing showing as being recorded

 

I'm not that arsed but am curious WP59 UJC

Isn't cat N the old cat D, cat D never used to show on the logbook only cat C.

[Guest Hooli]

Fair point I can see stopping distance at 30/40 mph on the road in front, what i can't see is stuff looming in the hedgerows and at 7 foot above the road surface which is the issue.

 

Seriously though who is responsible for cutting back the growth from the road side? The land owner or highways? In a couple of points it's that overgrown that you are forced to use the centre of the road on blind bends, obviously this slows traffic to stopping speed unless it's an Audi.

I've been onto highways who didn't seem interested tbh.

 

The landowner I think, but that's just going on hearing of people getting done for their hedge blocking paths.

[panhard65]

The landowner I think, but that's just going on hearing of people getting done for their hedge blocking paths.

With roadside hedges there is a bit of a grey area in that the landowners used to cut them up until they were told they would have to use white diesel in their tractors to do the job. Obviously they got the hump and stopped doing it leaving it in the safe hands of the local authority. Which is why you are lucky if the hedges get cut at all now. Most farmers do like to keep the hedges tidy but due to the additional bureaucracy placed on the job they tend to not do it anymore. I went to a farm sale many years ago and overheard 2 old boys talking about a snow plough that was in the sale. They both agreed that it was a daft idea to own one as you could get in so much grief if you did use it on the road that it was better just not to bother.

[Guest Hooli]

I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised how bloody daft it is these days for such things.

[Tetleysmooth]

Has anyone on here had a Mercedes W202 c200 of around 1995 vintage?

If so, give a review if you wouldn't mind.

Seen one for sale that's quite taken my fancy.

It's an auto naturally, so was this in the days before the problematic solenoid plate autobox?

Ta in advance.

[dozeydustman]

Can a slightly soft tyres trigger a false warning re: ABS, TC & ESP faults? Did my weekly tyre pressure check earlier this week using a different airline from the one I normally go to, and since then the ABS etc on the Saab warnings have buggered off, whereas using my 'regular' inflator they stayed on.

 

Just makes you think if petrol station tyre inflators aren't particularly great. I used the calibrated one at work in the workshop instead this week

[wuvvum]

OK, this Buick is starting to get on me tits.

 

It FTP'd just over a week ago now and has not run since.  Last weekend I ascertained that it was sparking OK, as it fired up on Easystart, so a fuelling issue was suspected.  Unfortunately I ran out of both daylight and feeling in my hands before I could investigate any further.

 

Been out there today and took the fuel inlet hose off the fuel rail, intending to blow through it with a compressor to clear any blockages.  Thought I'd just check how blocked it was, turned on the ignition and a veritable geyser of petrol spewed forth.  It stopped after "priming", but started again as soon as the engine was cranked over.  So it's definitely not a fuel blockage.

 

So it's got fuel, sparks and compression, so it should start, right?  But it isn't even trying to start.  My only conclusion so far is that the injectors must not be firing - but I'm not sure what triggers them.  If it was a knackered crank sensor or whatever, then presumably that would stop the ignition from sparking as well?  I pulled the plug off one of the injectors and stuck my multimeter in - it was showing about 8.5v with the ignition on, but I have no idea if that's normal or not - I basically have very little idea how EFI actually works. 

 

Any suggestions before I drop a match in the tank?

[Fat_Pirate]

Has anyone on here had a Mercedes W202 c200 of around 1995 vintage?

If so, give a review if you wouldn't mind.

Seen one for sale that's quite taken my fancy.

It's an auto naturally, so was this in the days before the problematic solenoid plate autobox?

Ta in advance.

I had a '96 one, these had the reliable 4-speed 'box and proper paint; facelift models from around 97 had the 5-speed box and water-based paint.  Failing cats was a thing (it would break up and rattle), mine inexplicably popped a head gasket too, but apart from that it was a very nice thing.  Not fast but smooth and composed.  Obviously check for rust.

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks for that FP.

[DodgeRover]

OK, this Buick is starting to get on me tits.

 

It FTP'd just over a week ago now and has not run since. Last weekend I ascertained that it was sparking OK, as it fired up on Easystart, so a fuelling issue was suspected. Unfortunately I ran out of both daylight and feeling in my hands before I could investigate any further.

 

Been out there today and took the fuel inlet hose off the fuel rail, intending to blow through it with a compressor to clear any blockages. Thought I'd just check how blocked it was, turned on the ignition and a veritable geyser of petrol spewed forth. It stopped after "priming", but started again as soon as the engine was cranked over. So it's definitely not a fuel blockage.

 

So it's got fuel, sparks and compression, so it should start, right? But it isn't even trying to start. My only conclusion so far is that the injectors must not be firing - but I'm not sure what triggers them. If it was a knackered crank sensor or whatever, then presumably that would stop the ignition from sparking as well? I pulled the plug off one of the injectors and stuck my multimeter in - it was showing about 8.5v with the ignition on, but I have no idea if that's normal or not - I basically have very little idea how EFI actually works.

 

Any suggestions before I drop a match in the tank?

Have you had the plugs out? My old sigma refused to start one morning after running fine. A quick check showed almost 2mm gap on the plugs..

[Tamworthbay]

Has anyone on here had a Mercedes W202 c200 of around 1995 vintage?

If so, give a review if you wouldn't mind.

Seen one for sale that's quite taken my fancy.

It's an auto naturally, so was this in the days before the problematic solenoid plate autobox?

Ta in advance.

I had an auto, slow as fuck, Rusty as fuck but a lovely old barge none the less. Suspension killed it in the end as they use a lot of bushes which I think must be made by gold clad Tibetan virgins judging by the prices Merc were asking. Iirc a full set of bushes was about £300 a side or something stupid and they are a bastard to fit. I also had a snapped injector, but that was more down to the dickhead who had it before me than the car itself.

[jon.k]

I’ve wired in a usb charger/cig lighter/voltmeter/switch panel to my van and it’s running off an old mobility scooter battery.

 

The battery also runs led lights in the van with no problem, and it fires up the voltmeter and the cigarette lighter. I ran a little compressor off the cigarette lighter to check. It won’t make any usb chargers work though, and the light on the socket doesn’t come on at all.

 

Would the USB port sockets take more power just to illuminate the light that shows they’re getting power?

The battery is old and well past it’s best, but seems to do everything else ok.

[Guest Hooli]

Can a slightly soft tyres trigger a false warning re: ABS, TC & ESP faults? Did my weekly tyre pressure check earlier this week using a different airline from the one I normally go to, and since then the ABS etc on the Saab warnings have buggered off, whereas using my 'regular' inflator they stayed on.

 

Just makes you think if petrol station tyre inflators aren't particularly great. I used the calibrated one at work in the workshop instead this week

 

I'd assume so. Enough of a difference in rolling radius between two wheels could cause a fault condition as it thinks one wheel is running slow. I've never seen it happen though so I might be talking crap.

[wuvvum]

Have you had the plugs out? My old sigma refused to start one morning after running fine. A quick check showed almost 2mm gap on the plugs..

I haven't, as they're smoll plugs and I've broken my smoll plug spanner.  If it was plugs though, would that not also have prevented it firing up on Easystart?

[Guest Hooli]

I suspect easystart burns easier, hence helps engines start. So won't need such a good spark.