Ask a Shiter

[Slowsilver]

Can anyone help with a problem with my 1999 Vauxhall Zafira A 1.6 16v petrol. I had driven about 20 miles with no problems and it was running perfectly when it suddenly lost power, as if I had taken my foot off the accelerator and the EML came on. It gradually slowed to about 10 mph then suddenly, as if I had thrown a switch, it returned to normal. It repeated this four times at about one mile intervals, then I was able to drive it the three miles or so home with no more problems. I connected my OP-COM OBD2 code reader to it and it showed a not now present fault code of P0170 - Lean exhaust. The car did not cough and splutter at all so I think the fuelling is OK, and looking online this seems to indicate a MAF or O2 sensor fault. I am assuming that since the fault is no longer present if I take it to a garage they will say that they cannot diagnose the fault any further and just replace the likely culprits at great expense with no guarantee that it is fixed. Does anyone have any advice to offer on this. TIA.
 

[catsinthewelder]

Might be worth checking the connections to the sensors are good.  I drove around for a week with the EML on in my Focus after I serviced it.  When I got round to checking, clicking it home properly sorted it out straight away.

[HillmanImp]

Are we still using this for questions that don't warrant their own thread? 

Anyway, has anyone seen this advert? 

Imp Jr shouted excitedly when it was on as he spotted an old van in it. 

However I'm not sure what it is? I guess the adverts South African or something, a lot of them are these days aren't they. 

My first guess was Renault Traffic but I don't think it is. With the windscreen I'm now leaning more towards something based on a Vanette or something else Jap? However I'm not sure. 

Or is it a proper foreign jobby? 

Any ideas? 

[timolloyd]

I’m now on my second headlamp restoration kit, for clouded, sun-damaged lamps on an XC90. 
 

First kit was alien magic - little to no impact.

Second kit today was the Sealey one everyone seems to recommend. After sanding the lamps look better. But when I wash the residue away they cloud over almost instantly. And after a couple of passes the whole unit looks much worse. Even after a couple of attempts polishing.

Anyone know what’s going on here? Could it be the heat?

[Lacquer Peel]

On 6/27/2022 at 7:07 PM, HillmanImp said:

Are we still using this for questions that don't warrant their own thread? 

Anyway, has anyone seen this advert? 

Imp Jr shouted excitedly when it was on as he spotted an old van in it. 

However I'm not sure what it is? I guess the adverts South African or something, a lot of them are these days aren't they. 

My first guess was Renault Traffic but I don't think it is. With the windscreen I'm now leaning more towards something based on a Vanette or something else Jap? However I'm not sure. 

Or is it a proper foreign jobby? 

Any ideas? 

Nissan Ebro 

[Petrolize]

Does anyone know how long it should take to get a v5 back if it was filled out by hard copy (not online) and posted a week ago? 

[Saabnut]

My experience of late has been 5 to 6 weeks from sending it off.

[Floatylight]

1 hour ago, Petrolize said:

Does anyone know how long it should take to get a v5 back if it was filled out by hard copy (not online) and posted a week ago? 

Did a v62 at the post office about three weeks ago and not had a v5 yet.

[vulgalour]

Anyone know what car this mirror is from originally?  There's no marks stamped on it anywhere, the mirror and the lense for the light are missing.  I'm sure I've seen this style of mirror on something before but I can't remember on what.  10mm socket for scale.

[Petrolize]

5 hours ago, Saabnut said:

My experience of late has been 5 to 6 weeks from sending it off.

Thats very long vs filling it out online, thanks though 

[EyesWeldedShut]

I need a complete manifold to tail pipe exhaust system (incl cat) for a Volvo 940 petrol. Generic suppliers abound but does anybody have a recommendation for a preferred supplier? (Supply only so ship out to the Welsh Boonies)?

Quick wrap up of this one - mild steel components are seemingly plentiful but mixing pipes from different manufacturers has been the cause of much pain in the past. Only 1 or 2 offering complete cat back systems circa £200. Stainless made by Jetex are available - found one online place at £370 delivered (vipmotorsport) but their online price is so cheap that I feel it may be an error - we'll see.
MIJ exhausts seem to get good reviews and will weld up a custom stainless job while you wait - handy if you are near them I guess.
Cat/forward is really only a company called BMCatalysts - they do sell direct but cats2u.co.uk  offer the same components + fitting kits at a more competitive price.
I'll add in any grief/positive results from the shipping if they are worth a note

[Tenmil Socket]

Does anyone know roughly how much it costs to post a magazine in the UK?

Ive got some old car mags to shift and want to offer postage to potential buyers so don’t want to be way off.

 

[Slowsilver]

Google "royal mail send a parcel", enter the weight and size of the parcel, and it will give you a price for various services. Single magazine will probably be large letter, about £1.50, stack of magazines will probably be small parcel, about £3 by cheapest second class. You don't have to complete the postage purchase but if you do it is quite straightforward and you can usually arrange a free collection. They will even bring a printed label for it.
 

[MiniMinorMk3]

3 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Does anyone know roughly how much it costs to post a magazine in the UK?

Ive got some old car mags to shift and want to offer postage to potential buyers so don’t want to be way off.

 

 

35 minutes ago, Slowsilver said:

Google "royal mail send a parcel", enter the weight and size of the parcel, and it will give you a price for various services. Single magazine will probably be large letter, about £1.50, stack of magazines will probably be small parcel, about £3 by cheapest second class. You don't have to complete the postage purchase but if you do it is quite straightforward and you can usually arrange a free collection. They will even bring a printed label for it.
 

Or click here

Royal Mail prices | Royal Mail

and download the price guides.

[sierraman]

3 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Does anyone know roughly how much it costs to post a magazine in the UK?

Ive got some old car mags to shift and want to offer postage to potential buyers so don’t want to be way off.

 

What magazines are these? 

[Tenmil Socket]

27 minutes ago, sierraman said:

What magazines are these? 

I’ll dig them out…

[reb]

In the Italian Job, when they're at Crystal Palace Raceway fecking the minis up a ramp with a wall at the end... what are they actually trying to achieve? Croker seems quite distraught at the outcome, but I can't see how it could possibly go any differently!

[Barry Cade]

12 minutes ago, reb said:

In the Italian Job, when they're at Crystal Palace Raceway fecking the minis up a ramp with a wall at the end... what are they actually trying to achieve? Croker seems quite distraught at the outcome, but I can't see how it could possibly go any differently!

Weren't they practicing for coming out the sewer?  I think there was just a gate on the actual getaway... need to watch it again!

[reb]

10 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Weren't they practicing for coming out the sewer?  I think there was just a gate on the actual getaway... need to watch it again!

There was a couple of England fans holding the gate open for them, it was the police that drive through the gate!

[garethj]

9 hours ago, reb said:

In the Italian Job, when they're at Crystal Palace Raceway fecking the minis up a ramp with a wall at the end... what are they actually trying to achieve? Croker seems quite distraught at the outcome, but I can't see how it could possibly go any differently!

I think the film makers put it in to get a crash on the screen for shock value.  It’s kind of tied in to get into the bus at the end, if you stretch credibility a bit.

Looks easy to me

 

[Lankytim]

A mate of mine is doing the rear brakes on his Astra, the lower caliper bolt has this weird thing on the end of if,  does anybody know what it is? We can’t see why a normal bolt isn’t used. I can only think it’s some sort of damper. 

[Lord Sterling]

Right. Got 2 asks here. They're both TV related and probably quite odd and specific but the Internet is getting me nowhere.

1. Many years ago, I saw a TV police car wars type programme, it may have been Police Stop or Police Camera Action! Or one if those types of programmes. It's a very specific ask, but I remember one clip where 3 cars got stopped at once, there was an (original shape) Mini, an early Renault Espace and a Mk1 Rover Sterling.  I've never seen it since I watched it on TV and have never found the clip. Does anyone remember specifically which programme it was on?

2. This is more an ask for our European shiters,  especially those who know about German or Austrian TV films. In the early 00s, whilst living in Belgium, I remember seeing a German or Austrian TV film. I don't know the name as I only watched from around a halfway point after randomly finding it on a European TV channel. 

The latter half of the film centred around an increasingly obsessed bloke driving a black BMW E34 535i chasing a young woman in a Renault Clio. He keeps driving in a dangerous manner and gets crazier sometimes crashing off the road. The woman has a flashback to a being chased on foot in a tunnel whilst the man is driving a W210 Merc at her.

Towards the end he follows her to a church where a wedding is taking place, he sits next to her, somehow she manages to escape and takes another car, as does he and they end up having showdown, they drive at each other, at the last moment he panics and crashes into lake and drowns.

The film *may* have been made by those behind the popular German TV series Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei  but there is some doubt as I can't find any references and the car chases were not as wild.

I'm desperately trying to find either of these.

I've looked on imcdb etc... but cannot find anything.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Lord Sterling said:

Right. Got 2 asks here. They're both TV related and probably quite odd and specific but the Internet is getting me nowhere.

1. Many years ago, I saw a TV police car wars type programme, it may have been Police Stop or Police Camera Action! Or one if those types of programmes. It's a very specific ask, but I remember one clip where 3 cars got stopped at once, there was an (original shape) Mini, an early Renault Espace and a Mk1 Rover Sterling.  I've never seen it since I watched it on TV and have never found the clip. Does anyone remember specifically which programme it was on?

2. This is more an ask for our European shiters,  especially those who know about German or Austrian TV films. In the early 00s, whilst living in Belgium, I remember seeing a German or Austrian TV film. I don't know the name as I only watched from around a halfway point after randomly finding it on a European TV channel. 

The latter half of the film centred around an increasingly obsessed bloke driving a black BMW E34 535i chasing a young woman in a Renault Clio. He keeps driving in a dangerous manner and gets crazier sometimes crashing off the road. The woman has a flashback to a being chased on foot in a tunnel whilst the man is driving a W210 Merc at her.

Towards the end he follows her to a church where a wedding is taking place, he sits next to her, somehow she manages to escape and takes another car, as does he and they end up having showdown, they drive at each other, at the last moment he panics and crashes into lake and drowns.

The film *may* have been made by those behind the popular German TV series Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei  but there is some doubt as I can't find any references and the car chases were not as wild.

I'm desperately trying to find either of these.

I've looked on imcdb etc... but cannot find anything.

How are you coping with the new meds? 😀

[Floatylight]

Tyre repair - is it legal?

Took a wheel off FIL's car the other day and set off to find an open place to fix it (Sunday Afternoon) ended up at a place in Bearwood which seemed to specialise in part words, with minimal conversation the wheel was taken off me, the screw pulled out, a drill taken off the shelf which seemed to have a large knitting needle in it, he stuck what seemed like to wax cord through the eye, poured smeared some good over it set fire to it and drilled it into the tyre still alight, pulled the drill out, cut of the excess, checked it was airtight, and put it in the boot and I handed over a tenner..

Is this how tyre repairs are done nowadays without even taking the tyre off the rim?

[Lord Sterling]

Anyone what the dark red car is in this picture:

I was looking up some details of the Berlaymont building in Schuman as I used to live in this area around about 1993 onwards. 

I remember the building being abandoned for a long time due to asbestos in the walls and there was some wrangling going on for a few years. 

I found the photo but the car suddenly interested me.

Incidentally, as I know the area, I usually take pics of current steed around that area:

[Imhotep]

30 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

Anyone what the dark red car is in this picture:

I was looking up some details of the Berlaymont building in Schuman as I used to live in this area around about 1993 onwards. 

I remember the building being abandoned for a long time due to asbestos in the walls and there was some wrangling going on for a few years. 

I found the photo but the car suddenly interested me.

Incidentally, as I know the area, I usually take pics of current steed around that area:

Late 80s Celica I reckon:

 

 

[Lord Sterling]

Makes sense: