Ask a Shiter

[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.

[sierraman]

Aldi have a kit in at the minute I think. Or it could be Lidl actually. One or the other.

[egg]

I need really short axle stands. My current ones have a minimum height of 28cm.

 

I need something 15-20cm for the invacar.

[sierraman]

Offcuts of railway sleepers. That’s what I’d use.

[catsinthewelder]

Or just make something out of wood, it won't be holding much weight.

[egg]

guess, that's more appropriately shiter-ish chaps.

[Rocket88]

Rover 75..............this is what I have that's masquerading as a fob. Remote locking doesn't work, and the key just spins in the lock.....any suggestions?

[Christine]

I need really short axle stands. My current ones have a minimum height of 28cm.

 

I need something 15-20cm for the invacar.

Even if it fell off a jack  with you underneath ,  it wouldn't be heavy enough to  kill you  

[Floatylight]

East Lancashire, 30 minutes north of Manchester

Thanks for advice chaps, turns out "Three A " tyres and now quite rare things so went with fitting a Nexen in the end.. Don't like having an odd tyre but whatevs

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

[legasoil96]

Came across this old engine with no markings on it and it's got me stuck , anybody recognise it ?

 

Then there's this 

 

 

 

 

 

[sierraman]

Bottom looks like a Ford Sidevalve.

[Guest Conan]

Random idea just came up and now I'm looking to make it a reality.

 

Do 5.5Jx15 steel wheels fits 195/50R15 tyres? I do know that they're okay on alloys, but some have said that it's a no-no on steelies. I personally think that it's a load of bull. But better be sure.

 

Ideally I'd need a 6J or 6.5Jx15, but those with PCD 4x100 is impossible to find somehow. And I definitely won't be looking for widen steelies, that's way too much effort.

[gm]

I've got exactly that size of tyre on Bini steelies which I believe are 15x5j, used on the mx5 track car

 

you might get a wider steely of a vw - not sure which model, might be a corrado ?

[Guest Conan]

I've got exactly that size of tyre on Bini steelies which I believe are 15x5j, used on the mx5 track car

 

you might get a wider steely of a vw - not sure which model, might be a corrado ?

 

VW steelies not easily accessible, or cheap. But if 195 on even 5 inches is fine I'll just go with that.

 

Now I have to find out if it's going to clear the brakes.

[Tamworthbay]

Random idea just came up and now I'm looking to make it a reality.

 

Do 5.5Jx15 steel wheels fits 195/50R15 tyres? I do know that they're okay on alloys, but some have said that it's a no-no on steelies. I personally think that it's a load of bull. But better be sure.

 

Ideally I'd need a 6J or 6.5Jx15, but those with PCD 4x100 is impossible to find somehow. And I definitely won't be looking for widen steelies, that's way too much effort.

I fitted 205s on my 5.5 alloys on my Capri years ago, bloody tight fit but worked ok.

[gm]

 

[Dead_E23]

Computer says nah (says useful website).   But only by 10mm, so that means yes!

[Guest Conan]

 

 

That looks fantastic, actually.

 

Computer says nah (says useful website).   But only by 10mm, so that means yes!

 

That's a yes indeed!

[gm]

yep, steelies all the way for me

 

 

 

[gm]

pass with advisory ? or piss off, you chancing get ?

 

 

all four are in similar condition

[egg]

Or just make something out of wood, it won't be holding much weight.

 

Got some wood. Will need to put a few bits together to get the right height - screws or nails?