Ask a Shiter

[skattrd]

OBD* diagnostic thingy question

 

Will the VAG cable work? Who knows, but it's worth a punt before spending £130 on this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150776608068

 

http://www.soft4cars.org/download.php?id=328

 

You need XP to run the software...

 

Cheers for the software link Ross - site bookmarked as well

I think I will order a cable, for a few quid its worth the risk. As for the software, I can always install it on an xp virtual machine it won't run on Win7.

[Lacquer Peel]

XUDs don't have a reputation for breaking cambelts, I think my 405 was on its original cambelt at 130k/16 years before it was replaced.

It's an easy enough job if there's no ABS or air con shit in the way.

 

Take it this lack of reputation includes perished/old belts? Don't know when the one on my n/a 306 was done and the cars up to about 136k. Also any idea what sort of job it is please and whether water pump etc is worth doing at the same time?

We think the heater matrix is playing up as there's a sort of TCP smell when in hot position which my lad reckons is antifreeze leaking into heater matrix and getting hot-or something like that.

 

If it's visibly perished you should change it, the 405's original cam belt was in ok condition but it was obviously old. The original water pump was in good condition but I bought a new one. It's worth changing the pump if there's play in the impeller bearing. Like DW said you don't need any special tools but you have to do certain things blind, like tensioning the belt. Haynes is fairly helpful and lots of guides online.

I fixed the leaking matrix in my 405 with Radweld.

[Ross_K]

Stupid question: why would a person NOT change the water pump when changing the timing belt?

 

For the sake of 20 or 30 quid I've always had it done at the same time as the belt. Waste of money or not?

[Cavcraft]

XUDs don't have a reputation for breaking cambelts, I think my 405 was on its original cambelt at 130k/16 years before it was replaced.

It's an easy enough job if there's no ABS or air con shit in the way.

 

Take it this lack of reputation includes perished/old belts? Don't know when the one on my n/a 306 was done and the cars up to about 136k. Also any idea what sort of job it is please and whether water pump etc is worth doing at the same time?

We think the heater matrix is playing up as there's a sort of TCP smell when in hot position which my lad reckons is antifreeze leaking into heater matrix and getting hot-or something like that.

 

If it's visibly perished you should change it, the 405's original cam belt was in ok condition but it was obviously old. The original water pump was in good condition but I bought a new one. It's worth changing the pump if there's play in the impeller bearing. Like DW said you don't need any special tools but you have to do certain things blind, like tensioning the belt. Haynes is fairly helpful and lots of guides online.

I fixed the leaking matrix in my 405 with Radweld.

 

Thsnks. We've not actually looked at it yet, it may appear fine to be fair, as said just concerned because unsure of when it was last changed. The Radweld trick sounds ace, cheers for that. My (rubbish/mingebag) thought was just to drain all the anti-freeze out, flush it through with water a few times then lob the heater on hot when needed and (hopefully) it wouldn't stink anymore. Obvious flipside of this is no anti-freeze+ice cold weather during winter=massive FAIL.

 

Incidentally I don't know if it's the veg oil (it had definately made a difference on a BX I once owned) or the glaring lack of roofbox and passengers apres vacances , but it seems to have a bit of oomph now. Won't win any races but driving it 'properly' (gear changing at just the right time etc) it is going pretty quickly.

[willswitchengage]

Also bear in mind the 306 did have both the similar DW8 and XUD9 engines, I'm guessing they may well have different belt intervals.

[meggersdog]

I have 'steering wheel shakes when you brake' on my disco 2. Normally I'd say wibbly discs, but I took the wheels off, and bunged a clock on it to find they wibble by 0.2mm. Haynes book of lies says max wibble of 0.15mm, but I can't see it being that critical.

 

Does the Disco 2 have a steering damper ? First sign of wear on a 300 series is slight brake wobble.If left it then becomes a violent shake when travelling at 50-60 mph resulting in the driver having to stop and change underwear.

[whitevanman]

XUD 306 belts are a doddle tro do, hardest bit is finding the hole for the flywheel lock......

[scaryoldcortina]

Does anyone know whereabouts the ECT (coolant temp) sensor is on a BMW e39 520i? Autodata just points to an area near the front of the engine on the inlet side and I can't find it! I need to change it, have the replacement, it's holding the whole job up!

 

I do know it isn't the likely looking plug on the top hose elbow - that's an electric thermostat.

[Tayne]

.

[scaryoldcortina]

Ta, I've found it now. Unfortunatly it's in the side of the head, at the back, under the inlet manifold and is impossible to reach without removing the inlets.

[KruJoe]

Quick question for the BX pervs...

Does anyone have a phone number or website where I can buy a LHM return pipe? (It's the twin rubber flexy that goes from the bottom of the strut to the metal pipes on the chassis rail).

Preferably a good quality replacement - the one I fitted in the same place split within six months. I can't remember where I bought it anyway

The usual search has turned up nothing this time.

And I could do with it sharp-ish; MOT re-test imminent.

 

Oh, and wish me luck with the lower ball-joint job - it looks like a whole world of pain. Special tools purchased.

[dollywobbler]

Those BX return pipes are becoming an issue. GSF used to have genuine ones but now doesn't. The after-market jobbies are crap by all accounts. Main dealer?

 

Didn't think the lower balljoint was too bad. I've had to take apart the ones on mine to do the wheel bearing. A large crowbar seemed to do the trick. Is it more involved to actually remove it?

 

ADDITIONAL - Bit of research reveals that genuine return pipes are now a bit rocking horse manure. Annoying as that means I've probably fitted an inferior one to the Mk2 BX. Someone on BXC says he's bodged something together with silicon pipe. Might be an option. These pipes shouldn't be handling too much pressure other than when the car drops (which is when you can get a little green fountain in the wheelarch).

[KruJoe]

Thanks Ian!

I'll have a look for some silicone pipe then, I reckon.

 

Popping the ball joint taper out of the arm should be no more of a 'mare than normal - but then the ball joint unit needs unscrewing from the hub with special tools - I've found several pages on that, each suggesting removing the hub, for example this one:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... f=3&t=7447

Looks like fun.

However, my bad one has had a regular soaking from my afore-mentioned little green fountain, so there's a chance it might not be seized to buggery.

 

So yes Ian, it was my OS lower ball joint rattling, I diagnosed it the night before the test, there's a good half an inch of slack in it No wonder it had scrubbed off the inside shoulders of the tyres.

[dollywobbler]

Any chance of nipping the hub down to someone with tools? That's what I did when doing the wheel bearing on mine. I let someone with big smashy tools and a press do the tricky bit! Had a bit of a ballache getting the hub back on the strut again, but got there in the end.

[Lacquer Peel]

Is it the screw in balljoint? You can shift it with a bit of heat, a chisel and a hammer.

[KruJoe]

Yes, it's the screw in PSA type.

They can be SRSLY tight, I mean tight enough to bend and break a half-inch breaker bar in some cases, even after heating it up. I thought I'd better have the right tools for the job to give myself the best chance of shifting it, rather than mashing the whole area up, so haven't tried the hammer and chisel idea. I've splashed out £12 for the castellated tool, £9 for the long socket to fit over it, and £7.50 for the part. Hopefully they'll be here soon. Not extortionate, and I could always stick the two tools back ont' bay when I'm done. Or wait for another Autoshiter to need them.

[Lacquer Peel]

That's probably the responsible way to go about it. I think I buggered up the thread on one, which lead to something unpleasant occurring on a bumpy forest track.

[worldofceri]

Is anyone able to look up Renault part numbers for me?

 

I bought a wing mirror for my Mum's '03 Clio on Ebay and it doesn't fuggin' fit. It looks very similar to a Clio mirror, but some Google Image detective work has lead me to believe it's actually for a Megane.

 

Can anyone check what model/s it will fit so I can lob it back ont' 'Bay? It's 7700834188.

 

Thanks.

 

Edit: Further Googling has confirmed my suspicion.

 

Anyone want an o/s electric door mirror for a '96-'99 Megane? £20 delivered!

[scaryoldcortina]

Ta, I've found it now. Unfortunatly it's in the side of the head, at the back, under the inlet manifold and is impossible to reach without removing the inlets.

 

Good news, it isn't faulty. Reads fine now I've bled the cooling system through. Bad news, car still idles badly once warm which is a bit of a problem. Scope says Lambda sensors are both reading very rich, car already had a VANOS and airflow meter, stat and ICV changed before I even saw it.... Exhaust manifold temperature readings (with an IR thermo) says no1 cyl isn't working properly. 200C on all headers except the front one which is around 80C. Pulling the lead on 1 makes near to no difference, any others and it stalls BUT swapping the coilpack and plug from another cylinder isn't helping - still low temp on 1 and bad idle. Leaves injector trouble, or a worn bore on #1 only as possible causes. Trouble is, neither are especially likely!

 

Silly question - do I trust my instincts and investigate the injectors and lambda sensors next, or read more OMG NIKKASIL PROBLEM threads on bimmerworld?

[Albert Ross]

Google "BX Trousers" and see what you find.................

[scaryoldcortina]

Some workwear, and Mel B.

 

Still, more help than bimmerworld, ta!

[KruJoe]

Question re - Samara pissing out pez:

 

 

I replaced the badly perished fuel return hose, to find it was still dripping from where the brass penis fits into the carb:

 

 

It's slightly loose; it moves in and out (about 1mm) and can be twisted, but it isn't threaded and screwed into the aluminium. Any ideas how these are put together, and how I might stop the leak?

[Wilko220]

How immature does it make me that I actually laughed out loud at your "brass penis" description?

I'm afraid I can't help with the leaking petrol.

[Des]

The brass penis is probably a press fit, if you're lucky it may have worked out a bit and might reseal if tapped home, but probably best to yank it out, clean everything up and smear it in JB weld or suchlike decent araldite.

[pompei]

I've just charged up the 500 battery. It is a non sealed item with six screw top chambers. How full should they be? At present the fluid level is about an inch below the top. Can you still get distilled or de-ionised water?

[dollywobbler]

I've just charged up the 500 battery. It is a non sealed item with six screw top chambers. How full should they be? At present the fluid level is about an inch below the top. Can you still get distilled or de-ionised water?

 

You can. As I discovered recently, dehumidifiers and freezers create deionised water...

 

They shouldn't be entirely full, but as long as the plates are covered, it should be fine (with a little more to allow for angles perhaps).

[CreepingJesus]

^WHS. In general, you should be filling it past the plates, and no more than halfay up the air gap. Some types of batteries have a guide line you can see with a torch, others have a little web of plastic to actually guide you; when you take the cap off, you'll see it hanging down. Fill with water 'til it touches the bottom of the plastic.

Having said that, I tried to check mine. Problem is, it's a Bosch Silver with one big cap across all the holes, and I can't work out for the life in me how to get the damn cap off! Any ideas, folks?

[myglaren]

Stupid question: why would a person NOT change the water pump when changing the timing belt?

 

For the sake of 20 or 30 quid I've always had it done at the same time as the belt. Waste of money or not?

 

Agreed. Mine being done this week. Don't want to risk water pump failure and have to go through it all again in six weeks time. Anyone's guess when it was last done.

Have some suspicions that the LDS is actually ATF and there is too much of it in there.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Stupid question: why would a person NOT change the water pump when changing the timing belt?

 

Because the water pump is driven by the alternator belt. Gotta love Japanese design.

[Jon]

If a car was laid up for two years without being turned over and the fuel lines had to be disconnected in order to weld up the floor pan, would it be worth removing the tank and syphoning out all the fuel, to avoid any gumming up of the lines/carb from stale petrol? Or just best to try and bosh on a battery and turn the thing over before disconnecting the fuel line, just to check it either was/wasn't starting before being meddled with?