Ask a Shiter

[sierraman]

Bugger, I've asked a few other pals about it and they've suggested walk away too.

 

I hate to be that guy with the seller as it's his elderly mother in law's car but setting fire to money is really tiresome.

Sounds like a heap of shit. Sack it off.

[bramz7]

 

Excuse the photo of a photo but that's definitely some defined mayo beginning to accumulate. I appreciate them saying it hasn't run for a little while but that's not good!

[DodgeRover]

20190227_092643.jpg

 

Excuse the photo of a photo but that's definitely some defined mayo beginning to accumulate. I appreciate them saying it hasn't run for a little while but that's not good!

Looks quite normal in a car that doesn't get run upto temp and held there for long enough to clear moisture from the oil.

 

Offer them £150, if it shits itself you should have enough of a saving to repair it.

[loserone]

This. It's it's best chance of being saved and they know it.

[davehedgehog31]

Aye, that looks like it could just be condensation from lots of short runs.

[alcyonecorporation]

Someone (not anyone here) has run my Impreza on pink coolant which I suspect is OAT.

 

Subarus don't run on on OAT, they run on blue glycol. I want rid of the pink vomit and the correct stuff in it.

 

Is it a pain in the arse to do a coolant flush given there's a turbo involved?

[DodgeRover]

Someone (not anyone here) has run my Impreza on pink coolant which I suspect is OAT.

 

Subarus don't run on on OAT, they run on blue glycol. I want rid of the pink vomit and the correct stuff in it.

 

Is it a pain in the arse to do a coolant flush given there's a turbo involved?

What's the issue with the pink stuff in them? If you really want to change then drain refill with water, run, drain, more water & add flushing agent run, drain, more water, run, drain. Blue coolant, run, check, if it looks like mud you haven't flushed enough.

[alcyonecorporation]

They're not supposed to run on coolant with silicates in them. Fucks the heater and other things up.

[DodgeRover]

Fair enough. I'm guessing they must have used an odd alloy or solder on the matrix that reacts in some way.

 

Lots of flushing otherwise it does go a lovely muddy shade....

[DSdriver]

Any suggestions on why my Saab 9-5 is very reluctant to restart after a long run then being left for half an hour?

Pedal to the metal doesn't work on fuel injection.

[stonedagain]

Crank sensor?

[jakebullet]

Any shit hot tips on cleaning alloy gearbox casings?

 

It's taking me forever to do the landy gearbox. Current technique is scrape thickest layer of crap off, then spray with engine degreaser, scrub with nail brush / smoll wire brush depending on how well I can get in. Repeat. 4 cans of degreaser in and I'm losing will to live.

[SiC]

Any suggestions on why my Saab 9-5 is very reluctant to restart after a long run then being left for half an hour?

Pedal to the metal doesn't work on fuel injection.

The petrol 2.3t had would struggle to restart when warm and often stall immediately after starting. Solved with new spark plugs. Petrol Saabs of this era use the plugs with that expensive coilpack to detect ignition timing and knock sensing. They need good and correct plugs.

 

Also could be crank sensor too. Another known failure part.

[DodgeRover]

Any shit hot tips on cleaning alloy gearbox casings?

 

It's taking me forever to do the landy gearbox. Current technique is scrape thickest layer of crap off, then spray with engine degreaser, scrub with nail brush / smoll wire brush depending on how well I can get in. Repeat. 4 cans of degreaser in and I'm losing will to live.

 

Scrub with petrol or parafin instead, don't smoke.

[Dead_E23]

This thread on the Locost forum discusses a variety of methods: dilute caustic soda, bead blasting, oven cleaner, washing powder, rhubarb leaves...

[catsinthewelder]

They're not supposed to run on coolant with silicates in them. Fucks the heater and other things up.

 

I'd be tempted to leave it in for another month or so before filling the system with plain water incase the temprature drops.

[M'coli]

A question.

 

On a few occasions we have bought something from someone who was of Irish descent and possibly of Romany descent (incidentally all labels are applied in a trying to ask a question sort of way and not being down on any particular group) on each occasion we have paid them cash and they have then gone into their pocket, pulled out some of their cash and given it to us. What's the background to this?

 

Next part of the question is that we have just sold something to a very nice chap who appears to be of a similar background. Are we supposed to pay him some money back in the same way? How much is it supposed to be?

 

Just don't want to go offending anyone.

I'm probably late to the discussion here, and other posters are correct - it's luck money, or "luck's penny" as it's known in some farming circles. Basically, you sold an item - usually livestock - and the buyer paid the agreed price. You'd then give them a small amount of your money as a token of goodwill, and the hope that the livestock would stay alive etc..

[steveo3002]

Any shit hot tips on cleaning alloy gearbox casings?

 

It's taking me forever to do the landy gearbox. Current technique is scrape thickest layer of crap off, then spray with engine degreaser, scrub with nail brush / smoll wire brush depending on how well I can get in. Repeat. 4 cans of degreaser in and I'm losing will to live.

oven cleaner /wire brush /jet wash ...repeat until grime gone

 

then a few lashings with the strongest acid alloy wheel cleaner u can find to brighten the alloy

[anonymous user]

Any shit hot tips on cleaning alloy gearbox casings?

 

It's taking me forever to do the landy gearbox. Current technique is scrape thickest layer of crap off, then spray with engine degreaser, scrub with nail brush / smoll wire brush depending on how well I can get in. Repeat. 4 cans of degreaser in and I'm losing will to live.

I suppose the bits are too big to fit in the dishwasher?

[Steve79]

Bugger, I've asked a few other pals about it and they've suggested walk away too.

 

I hate to be that guy with the seller as it's his elderly mother in law's car but setting fire to money is really tiresome.

 

If you like setting fire to money, try owning an Alfa 164 ..... oh wait!       

[JeeExEll]

What are general thoughts on this.

- Gave wife's colleague a lift home yesterday and she asked me to recommend a local garage as her car was due a service and felt sluggish. A 2014 Mazda 4x4 thing, like a Honda CRV, with a petrol engine. Has 43k on the clock and she thought it should have been serviced at 36k or something.

Turns out she bought it with 5k miles on the clock, just before she moved to our area, and it's never had a service, ever, since she bought it. No oil changes, nothing. "As it's still quite a new car, and it was MOT'd in August".

Obviously I advised her to get it done ASAP but played it down a bit as she tends to panic. Apparently (today) it's booked in somewhere tomorrow.

 

What likely damage could have already been done? If any, because modern?

 

(Sorry, should maybe be in Moderns, I don't generally go in there but the general question is the same. A quick scan of the first 2 pages of modernz doesn't show a suitable thread).

[Dead_E23]

I would imagine the oil is somewhat past its best, and it might be a bit low.   

 

It is probably also due a set of spark plugs, which, if it is anything like the Duratec engine (also Mazda) in my Mondeo might account for the sluggishness.   A set of plugs transformed mine.

[JeeExEll]

I'd guessed the plugs were probably the reason for sluggishness, along with maybe a dirty air filter. It's the state of the oil which I'd be worried about.

 

Fuck it, whatever damage has already been done.

Beware "older lady owner, owned car since almost new" ads.

[Dead_E23]

Being modern and Japanese, it'll probably have survived ok,  although the traditional reward for such neglect would be a rod through the side of the block.

 

Air filters seem to last forever these days due to the extended service intervals designed to minimise fleet costs until the warranty is out.  Mine just gets an occasional whack on the wall of the house to shift all the crud, and the spare one I bought stays in the shed.

 

The service schedule might also say it needs new brake fluid and so on, but I bet most never get it!

[steveo3002]

make sure it gets some top quality syn oil if shes gonna leave it again ..give it the best chance of lasting

[JeeExEll]

. . . although the traditional reward for such neglect would be a rod through the side of the block.

 

 

A Pinto would have wrecked it's cam. Imagine one going 40k miles between oil-changes? Or a 3.5V8 Rover? I think not. The only thing which might have saved a 70s engine would have been oil-leaks and regularly topping up with fresh. A slant Vauxhall 2.3 would have been quite safe.

[Snipes]

Dunno, I'm thinking the sudden influx of new oil might be like a shock to it's system and it'll go kablamo.

[Richard]

It'll be fine, the service interval for the Transit, which will definitely have a less robust engine, isn't far off that now. 

[Bren]

 

My e60 headlights need work - I previously wet sanded them which only improved matters slightly.

 

The clear covers are glued on - they can be removed but it is not recommended.

 

Has anybody used a good polishing kit? Tried t cut and autosol but they were not much use.

[Cavcraft]

You can buy special kits, Bren. Not tried one, but there's various theories on the net including using toothapaste to clean them.