Running my Vauxhall Astra on veg oil

worried_jim

A gamble fitting a new cam belt yourself- I admire your courage, good luck. Glad your bio is good stuff.

Just got back from the independent MOT testing station and I only failed on one item-"nearside front lower suspension arm excessive play in ball joint". A quick visit to my local garage and for £80 supplied and fitted, all I need to do now is get the retest and I am good for another year. I am relived it was only item on a 14 year old UK made car.
Did have a few advisories though such as number plates are a bit tatty. The tester also advised me to get my tracking looked at but my local garage couldn't do it as he needs an acetylene torch to loosen it and as he is a new start-up he hasn't got around to getting one yet so it could be a visit to the dreaded kwik shaft.
Had a chat with the garage about veggie motoring and he has said that when my car is beyond economic repair he'll buy the engine off me and use it in his mk2 escort on veg, so bonus. He did also say that he reckons I'll get another three years out the car which really pleased me.
All I need now is a bit of warm weather to get the amber nectar in the fuel tank instead of this filthy dino stuff.

Rolandtheroadie

Excellent news. It just goes to show you dont have to pay crazy money to have what some class as a "reliable" car.
The fail sheet on the one I've just bought was 2 tyres and advisories on 3 brake pipes. The brakes are rock solid, if they deteriorate at all I'll get the pipes checked.

Roll on the better weather so you get back to veg.

mikey72

scotsman4th wrote: »

Excellent news. It just goes to show you dont have to pay crazy money to have what some class as a "reliable" car.
The fail sheet on the one I've just bought was 2 tyres and advisories on 3 brake pipes. The brakes are rock solid, if they deteriorate at all I'll get the pipes checked.

Roll on the better weather so you get back to veg.

I had an advisory on brake lines.
I left them, and they didn't deteriorate, so much as burst.
Never had one do that before.
Worth a look at.

Skeksis

Hope someone can help with this one. Had the MOT done on the 406 last week, a month early, the only items it failed on were a failed NS stop-light and headlight beam alignment. For the stop-light, I've tried everything, changed the bulb, fuse and even the whole bulb holder, without success, all the other bulbs are fine and the other side is fine, so it is really puzzling!

The only thing I can think of is that the problem lies further down the wiring loom, but I don't really want to spend on it if it's something simple, but it's annoying as it's such a good car!

mikey72

Run a wire from the NS to the OS, see if it works then.

Skeksis

mikey72 wrote: »

Run a wire from the NS to the OS, see if it works then.

Hi mate, what's the best way of doing that in layman's terms?

mikey72

Skeksis wrote: »

Hi mate, what's the best way of doing that in layman's terms?

You need to find the brake light wire on both sides going to the bulb, then using a piece of wire, connect them together with something like scotch locks from Halfords.
It wouldn't cost alot for the garage to do that to check it.

Skeksis

OK thanks.

goldspanners

Skeksis wrote: »

Hi mate, what's the best way of doing that in layman's terms?

i would do the same as mikey.

if you can find out if its lost its negative and still got positive you could even more simply just give it an earth nearer the bulb to save running wires across the car.

John_Pierpoint

Same concept as modern telephone extension wiring.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7916325273298635405#
but
http://www.talkford.com/topic/96248-are-scotch-locks-any-good/
Whoever invented these dreadful connectors should have one crimped on his foreskin :}