Q. for the MOT bods.

[mattblack]

Took the Cortina for MOT today. Left it at the garage so didn't get to speak to the tester. One of the things it failed on was:

 

"Front lower (crossmember) subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)"

 

When I got home and had a look I found this:

 

Now I'm not trying to get out of a legit. fail but I recon that the bit that he's chalked is actualy part of the outer valance and therefore not scructural.

 

What do you recon? Worth going back and arguing the toss? Can a tester 'revise' a fail or would I have to appeal?

[wackywacerwill]

I'd say your right there however...

 

Mine had a patch like that over the bottom of the lower mount (which may have crayola on in your pic?) and when I gave it a prod my finger went straight through! There's a drain hole which had been bodged over on mine, it took me bloody ages to recreate that bottom mount. It was my first piece of major fab though.

[Albert Ross]

It's all to do with "Global Area" and nothing to do with the "structure" as you see it. If corrosion is within 30cm of a suspension, steering, seatbelt, braking etc. mounting point, then it is scrutinised and if perforated (in your case WELL within the 30cm) and considered excessive, it will not meet requirements, and will not get the VT20. Without physically seeing/prodding it, it is difficult to assess fully, but I'd say it's a legitimate RFR.

[garbaldy]

this reply is no use to you but i once I took my lancer turbo for mot and the tester failed it on similar rust within prescribed area of suspension mounting,

when I got home and checked it out there was a triangular plate bolted on the bottom of both inner wing with a rusty hole chalked around

I undid the three bolts dropped plate out and took it back, much arguing later he passed it with a red face,

there was no way I was going to weld a car that had never been welded before,

needless to say I don't use that garage anymore and my new tester is far more clued up on the older cars

[Joey spud]

I was an AE (authorised examiner) in a previous job and just a nominated tester now at (my old garage),and i cant see how that little hole on the valence fixing panel can have any effect on the strength or otherwise of the inner wing/subframe mounting...

 

What is he expecting you to do to it ??

 

Seems very harsh to me,without seeing it for real i would have advised only on that.

[autofive]

I think your MOT tester fancies doing a bit of welding

fuck him off is my advice

 

scrub out the chalk and take it somewhere else, that panel is not structural, you could even use a cutting disc and take off the whole lip connecting it to the innerwing/chassis/cradle thingy (technical term )

[TimothyClaypole]

The bit to the right looks to have already been welded?

[forddeliveryboy]

Anything rusty underneath a car seems to scare most MoT testers rigid, nowadays. They're just not used to it. Tidy up the rusty edge and remove the rust, prime and paint. The car won't be any stronger but it will probably be the easiest route.