Tales from the testing lane.

[burraston2006]

They're O.K. Plenty of tread left on them! I thought you were an Autoshiter!!

[jbz2079]

I used to do a lot of MOT prep work, on Coaches, wagons, van and cars.

Anyone who had anything about them would at least have a look over the outside, replace bulbs, and worn tyres and give it a wash.

 

Then there were others who reguarded the annual test as a bloody incovieniance.

For our safety and theirs it's just as well the test is there, as that is the only time anything gets looked at.

 

Commercial stuff is supposed to be safety inspected monthly.

You could find some pretty frightning things that were developing or had developed in four weeks sometimes, cars and vans that had gone the whole year without any attension could be rolling accidents waiting to happen.

 

Ignorance is not bliss when your tyres are bad and your brakes don't work.

[gtd2000]

 

Then there were others who reguarded the annual test as a bloody incovieniance.

Of course it is - and one you need to pay for, as an extra kick in the bollocks!

 

I've lived in a number of places where there is no annual inspection of any sort and the sky does not fall, contrary to the naysayers.

 

What happens is that when the car goes in for an oil change or any sort of work, the service outlet goes over it and inspects the whole car.

 

In Florida it's often only $9.99 for an oil and filter change - that's just to get you in an tell you that your car is a death trap and try to repair all of the (usually minor) items at great cost.

 

I quite like taking the car in for an oil change, as it lets me know if there are any unseen items that need looked at and then I have a very speicific diagnosis that lets me go out and get the parts (very cheaply) and do any necessary repairs myself 

[Barry Cade]

2 fails for me today out of 2 tests- Corsa on 2 tyres- tracking was 18mm out... and an 02 Focus with crusty sills and a binding front brake. Corsa fuel filter got an advise as it was rotten and just about to leak, Focus got an advisory on some brake pipes. 

 

Also had a later Focus variable valve 1600 in with an ongoing MIL lamp issue- after some phonecalls it seems they suffer from a fuel contamination issue, and you need to remove,drain and flush the tank, replace the "lifetime" fuel filter and flush the rest of the system.. and was also told NEVER do an engine flush on them, as they won't go for long after it...

[Minimad5]

Interesting thread.
keep the stories coming

[Bren]

I've failed a few this week, a XF with a rear brake hose fouling on the parking brake mechanism, a XJ with a front brake hose fouling on the tyre on full lock, an Octavia on an anti roll bar link boot & a sharp edge (bumper corner sticking out) and a 2010 Mercedes E350 convertible on a rear tyre and an indicator repeater, it also had slight kinks in all of its inner wheel rims.

 

Reference the speed bumps, with large diameter alloy wheels and low profile tyres, you need to inspect very carefully any areas of wheel damage as cracked wheels are not unknown.

 

Talking of tyres, people just don't seem to check them.

I wanted 19" snowflakes for my vectra but most seemed to have cracked and have been repaired.

 

I would NEVER run a car on wheels that had been repaired - especially alloys.

[Pillock]

I've lived in a number of places where there is no annual inspection of any sort and the sky does not fall, contrary to the naysayers.

 

But that's for 95% of car users. Who, when told their car was dangerous by anyone, would listen.

 

How about the 5% who need to be forced, by way of banning it from the road, to understand that their car is a deathtrap? Those tyres are a good example, that Jag is not a slow car but the owner couldn't be arsed to spend 30 seconds checking the tread until he's forced to listen to a man prepared to take his rights away.

 

I told a guy at work that his tyres had cords sticking out the side. He replied with "yeah, I know".

[Station]

Interesting reading what has failed on new cars. I can't see me buying anything newer than 15 years old.

At lest of something breaks I can fix it.

[oldford]

Forgot to mention, when I was testing the Mercedes E350, I nearly failed it on a non working rear fog lamp tell tale.  I was operating the switch and couldn't see a warning light coming on.  I eventually sussed it a few minutes later at 1:08 pm as the warning light is in the clock and is completely obscured by the hands at 1:05.

[richardmorris]

The 124 is the first car I've owned with front fog lights- -anyone know why you don't need a warning light for the fronts but you do for the rears?

[twosmoke300]

All the more reason to not work through your lunch hour .

[forddeliveryboy]

Didn't know boots for arb link joints were a fail... sure this was written as an advise not long ago.

 

The 124 is the first car I've owned with front fog lights- -anyone know why you don't need a warning light for the fronts but you do for the rears?

 

I s'pose the more warning lights, the more confusing for most. And front fogs aren't quite so nasty as rears - then again, their alignment isn't checked in the test, and if directed up can be very dazzling. Lots get clouted on high kerbs and grassy banks. Maybe the warning light was suggested to be the oncoming motorist's, if dazzled.

 

Good fogs on the 124, aren't they! Just a little higher up than ideal, but at least never need adjusting.

[brickwall]

Anyone been to a Norn Irn test? What's it like? I hear it's done way different.

[saucedoctor]

Very different. All computerised, all mechanised. Car gets lifted up in the air about 10 feet, suspension gets a workout. Looks really violent, actually. A couple of years ago when I was up, the Corsa that went in ahead of me had bits falling off it during the suspension test. I could hear them hitting the floor of the Test Hall. Bits of springs included!

 

Here is said Corsa. You can sort of get an idea of the size of the place. This is at Larne, Co. Antrim. The One at Belfast Balmoral is a monster, way bigger.

 

(I have a better pic somewhere, I'll dig it out and attach it later)

 

 

[saucedoctor]

Here's the other pic. You can see here in the foreground the ramp in its retracted position. There's a pit under it as well. The padded bit lifts the car by its chassis, and the tester does his poking around. Then the red plates come up and touch the tyres, and it's at this point there's a whole lotta shakin goin on. The first time I saw it I was shitting myself - I thought my car was gonna fall off!

 

Testing order is (roughly)

 

1. Drive in. Bloke tells you to stop, stuff the probe up the exhaust.

2. Drive forward a bit more. Bloke tells you to do all the lights, sound the horn, washers/wipers. Headlight alignment checked.

3. Bloke gets a look under the bonnet, opens the passenger door and tries the seatbelts.

4. Driver is told to get out and take a seat behind the rail.

They do the rest themselves: brakes, thorough poke about underneath, pull on the exhaust etc. Then the chap manipulates the steering by pulling on the roadwheels. Then they shake it up.

 

[Mr Lobster]

Great thread, very interesting though I'm now thinking it might be time to consider p/x'ing Mrs L's 4 year old Mazda 5 

[brickwall]

Thanks for the NI info saucedoctor, I just watched a test on youtube and the places seems huge with many lanes. Are the places open 24hrs? Seems very efficient and quick.

[saucedoctor]

They're not open 24 hours, but are open on Saturdays, and if there's a bottleneck in appointments, evening tests as well. When I took the Fiesta TDCi up recently for it's retest (track rod end only), the tester came out to where I was parked, drove the car in, and came back out a few minutes later with the car and the certificate. So yes, pretty quick and efficient. The staff are all very friendly, too. No axe to grind, you see - they're all Civil Servants.

[gtd2000]

But that's for 95% of car users. Who, when told their car was dangerous by anyone, would listen.

 

How about the 5% who need to be forced, by way of banning it from the road, to understand that their car is a deathtrap? Those tyres are a good example, that Jag is not a slow car but the owner couldn't be arsed to spend 30 seconds checking the tread until he's forced to listen to a man prepared to take his rights away.

 

I told a guy at work that his tyres had cords sticking out the side. He replied with "yeah, I know".

Are you saying that even with a mandatory annual inspection, that deems your car roadworthy, for one day out of 365, that there is no such thing as an unroadworthy car on the roads in the UK today then?

 

What kills more people in the UK, "deathtrap" cars or moronic drivers?

 

Perhaps we should be tested annually, to see if we can drive for one day out of the year?

[oldford]

I can't see why you're against annual testing, the maximum it costs is £54.85 and it can be had for less at many places.  You're mistaken in thinking that it deems the car roadworthy as it doesn't as there are plenty of things that'll get you pulled and a prohibition issued that aren't tested.

 

What the test does do is ensure that it meets the minimum requirements for the testable items, many of which are related to safety critical systems.  We know from the failure rates that people can't be arsed to check the things that are dead easy to check, safety related and are easily fixed, lights, tyres and windscreen wipers.  It also gives the driver advanced warning of any potential problems, such as nails in tyres, missing prop shaft bolts (rear wheel drive) even tinted windows.

 

I've known on numerous occasions for metal brake pipes to burst on test, which is hell of a lot better than it bursting when you need to do an emergency stop.  I've seen steering rack bolts half way out, cracked roadwheels, completely knackered suspension & steering ball joints and other things.

 

I take pride in keeping my car roadworthy and functional and I'm not so selfish as to use a car with defects that can cause a danger to other road users.  If annual testing was done away with, people would bother even less about the road worthiness of their cars and even if they did they wouldn't have access to the equipment to assess them which the MOT test provides.

 

One road death, whether it's caused by the driver or the condition of the car is one too many.

[twosmoke300]

^^^

What he said . Even more important now that cars seem to all be on 20k mile service intervals.

I think that some of the rules can seem a little petty ( windscreens and emissions for example) but a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Even the idea of 2 year testing worries me when I see how bad some get in a year.

[robinmasters]

The 124 is the first car I've owned with front fog lights- -anyone know why you don't need a warning light for the fronts but you do for the rears?

 

Because front fogs aren't compulsory?  

[jbz2079]

^^^^^^^ What they both said.

 

It's true, I know lots of people who a fastidious about their cars, vans, wagons, or busses.

But have seen other that reguard their vehicles only as tools for a job, some seem to relish the idea of running them on the very least outlay they can.

 

I've taken things for test at the local VOSA site, running on cherry, or veg oil. That's a great way to get tagged for a roadside check, then all hell breaks loose.

 

I have also refused to take a few, knowing when the the owners take them, I'll be up at the test station with the wagon to tow them away.

For brake defects, or steeering, or just plain serious corrosion.

 

I was up there one day with one of our coaches and a lad come in with a transit pick up, it looked bloody awful.

He attempted to dump it outside the test lane door and presented the keys in the office saying "Ring him when it's finnished!"

 

He was told he had to stay with the vehicle while it was inspected, He loooked most displeased.

The Transit had the appoinment before mine and didn't make it past the visual inspection.

But the inspectors gave it the full works and made a big list of defects, but refused to brake test it.

 

As I left they were arranging a skip lorry to come and remove the Transit to a vehicle dismantlers.

That's going to look really good on the owners records if he ever has the need to apply for an operators licence as his business expands.

[warninglight]

£30.50 is the standard Norn Iron MOT test fee as well, has been for as long as I remember!

 

Can be tricky getting the dates you want at short notice mind. I know one tester in Belfast who can usually get same day cancellations for me though!

 

Here's the Austin getting shaken to bits in Belfast;

 

 

Never used to be so calm watching them lift by the sills!

[Barry Cade]

Because front fogs aren't compulsory?  

Same reason that main beam lamps didn't used to be part of the test- you are looking forwards, so should be able to see if they are on or not!

[gtd2000]

 

I take pride in keeping my car roadworthy and functional and I'm not so selfish as to use a car with defects that can cause a danger to other road users.  If annual testing was done away with, people would bother even less about the road worthiness of their cars and even if they did they wouldn't have access to the equipment to assess them which the MOT test provides.

 

One road death, whether it's caused by the driver or the condition of the car is one too many.

 

You might still be missing the point that I've made that I've lived in a number of places where there are no annual inspections by law and I've not seen dangerous cars clogging up the roads.

 

There may well be a small minority that do drive un-roadworthy vehicles but the vast majority "appear" to be driving well maintained examples.

 

You'll never get 100% compliance, no matter what the system is - I simply see the MOT as yet another form of taxation and inconvenience.

 

At the end of the day, I'd rather have the choice of booking my car into a service outlet and pay $9.99 for fresh oil and a filter and allow them to go over the whole car looking for work, than simply pay £50+ because "that's the law!" and then be told I have all of these random items to be taken care of for £X.XX.

[Barry Cade]

Fairly quiet with MOT's today- Mazda 2 which failed on a rear wheel bearing, and another pair of badly cracked tyres, showing cords. Toyo's this time. Took a pic, but my phone is SHITE.

 

Then a 307CC- don't know if I've mentioned this before, but they have huge lumps of metal bolted in the corners just in front of the back bumper, and comedy bracing right along the floor. Love to hear opinions on why....

 

Phone actually worked for this one.

 

 

[Negative Creep]

Same reason that main beam lamps didn't used to be part of the test- you are looking forwards, so should be able to see if they are on or not!

 

 

Juding by the number of people I see with no lights on at night, I wouldn't be so sure

[Bobthebeard]

Fairly quiet with MOT's today- Mazda 2 which failed on a rear wheel bearing, and another pair of badly cracked tyres, showing cords. Toyo's this time. Took a pic, but my phone is SHITE.

 

Then a 307CC- don't know if I've mentioned this before, but they have huge lumps of metal bolted in the corners just in front of the back bumper, and comedy bracing right along the floor. Love to hear opinions on why....

 

Phone actually worked for this one.

WTF?

Those big lumps of metal....

Some sort of attempt to reduce vibration or resonance in the floorpan?

[brickwall]

I was just about to ask about the round things. Ballast?