The grumpy thread

[Junkman]

Concentration camps also kept people in jobs, however, there are decent ways to feed a family.

[scaryoldcortina]

I hope that was a joke.

[meshking]

 

 

Apparently "Because it is" is not a resonable explination of whatever it is...

My default answer "because the drummer from Def Leppard has only got one arm". Stops them dead in their tracks. For a while.

[bub2006]

 

My default answer "because the drummer from Def Leppard has only got one arm". Stops them dead in their tracks. For a while.

I'm going to remember that and use it in future, thanks!

[Slappy]

I hate the m4 round brissle. especially on fridays. It is always, always broken. Slightly different reasons, slightly different places, but always, always broken.

 

The hatred is such we now refuse to travel near it on a friday.

 

Remember kids, just say no.

 

 

Oh Balls, guess what I'm doing Friday...

[Rusty_Rocket]

As much as I find the more trivial MoT failure points annoying, I'm thankful we have the system we do.

 

The average British driver never even glances at his/ her tyres, let alone checks the pressure and tread.  We all have to mix with these selfish pricks on a daily basis, while they seemingly do everything in their ability to collide with other road users with their 2-ton killing machines.

 

The fact that there is a professional checking these things once a year is a thing we should all be very happy about.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The MOT system in this country is great, I am constantly amazed at how much thought goes into making sure the test is fair and appropriate to all the thousands of different types of car out there with all the different technologies in them all. And that it costs so little. It seems amazing that it hasn't been comprehensively 'reformed' by cack handed ministers and turned into some half arsed stitch up effort run by Capita or whatever by now.

[cobblers]

Yeah I'm totally on board with it, it's really quite fair. Most testers are pretty good, you might find one with a fly up his arse about something or other but you can always just go to another place!

It could be a hell of a lot worse, like bollox says if it was taken over by one of the main players in bureaucratic outsourcing we'd be fucked, they would probably bring in some insane rule like just give you a pass/fail and if the car failed you'd have absolutely no idea why, and it's a 3 month wait plus £200 for another crack.

 

Plus it's still just about lax enough that if you find the right tester they will overlook the complete lack of a catalytic converter and other victimless crimes.

[EssDeeWon]

I find the MOT excellent VFM! Having just bought the 75 it was a great way for only £40 to have the car overhauled and checked over.

 

Generally I don't worry or care much about the annual MOT because I look after my cars.  But having just bought the car it was a good way to find out what needs doing. And all that work is now done and passed with no advisories 

 

Secondly, I know (and have known) of birds who run their Fiesta's / KA's / Corsa's / 206's into the ground and if it wasn't for the annual MOT test their cars would never go anywhere near a garage for tyres / brakes / shocks / welding etc... 

 

Frightening. 

[MarvinsMom]

+1 for the current MOT system, only we have to be vigilant to make sure that it doesn't start to include stupid shit like fitting different wheels on a car from what the factory fitted, such as me using 12 inch alleys instead of friggin' metrics.

 

sadly our half witted political leaders don't i fear have either the sense or back bone to prevent this from happening.

 

an MOT tester of my acquaintance got dragged over the coals by VOSA several years ago.

 

he failed a Nissan K10 Micra for rust in the front sub-frame/engine bed. this was that bad the pointy prodding tool went through it like tissue paper.

 

the VOSA man said he shouldn't have done this, as it wasn't a testable item!!!

 

the testers i think are stuck between a rock and a hard place! 

[scaryoldcortina]

Thank feck for that!

 

I like to think I'm a pragmatic tester. I know the manual inside out. I don't set out to fail something, everything gets assesed on its merits. Say for example that a car is in good nick and otherwise a pass, but I notice the brake pads on the front are pretty low. Brake roller test records a pass. If I worked for Kwik-fit, that would fail as "pads below 2mm" but I'm more inclined to advise "pads wearing low". You can't take them out during a test to measure them, maybe it's 2.1mm left.... Obviously, metalled pads or a serious imbalance or effort reading, yeah, fucked and failed.

 

If Junkman's 405 only failed on that numberplate, the tester is a twat, and the AE would tell him to his face that he was said female part. If it failed on other stuff too, I can see why it got included by a cautious (thick) tester who was worried that an old heap with many marginal problems might get referred to VOSA (oops, it's DVSA this week) and got him a bollocking. I see a lot of that, along with unneccesary advisories "just in case". Most testers hate older cars because they have to look for stuff, or read up or something.

[UltraWomble]

6 weeks after surgery to my knee I go and hurl myself at Blackpool prom.

Knee looks like it has a clowns nose - normally this wouldnt be so bad, but I have a feeling I might have ruptured my meniscal repair as its swelling like a balloon now.

I also hurmed my phone at the prom too...

 

But mostly Im pissed pff about my jeans. They were new.

[scaryoldcortina]

an MOT tester of my acquaintance got dragged over the coals by VOSA several years ago.

 

he failed a Nissan K10 Micra for rust in the front sub-frame/engine bed. this was that bad the pointy prodding tool went through it like tissue paper.

 

the VOSA man said he shouldn't have done this, as it wasn't a testable item!!!

 

the testers i think are stuck between a rock and a hard place! 

 

That's a good example of the sort of problem we face. The front xm on a micra wasn't close enough to a prescribed item (steering, suspension, brakes, seatbelts) to count for rust holes, and not structural enough to cause imminent failure of brakes or steering, Prob is, they are always rotten, and you find big holes. We who read the manual knew this, other testers went "OMGRUST!!!!!" and failed.

 

Worse still, now VODVSASA have added engine and gearbox mounts into prescribed areas IT IS NOW A FAIL!

 

Meh. I'm glad I can read.

[Pillock]

Next week, when the MOT test goes up to £75 and can only be done by garages who have the right equipment that changes every 6 months and you have to book it online on a website that rarely works unless you're on NCSA Mosaic v1.03 and no free retests and fail items have to be signed off by a mechanic rather than dicking around with brakes on your driveway..... we can blame Bollox for reminding those in power that currently, it's not a bad system.

 

Because it's not really. It has a sense that it's actually thought out by people who know vehicles, especially if you read that MOT testers blog thing where testers send in photos of someone who has made a balljoint out of a chicken drumstick, there's some very clever stuff goes off behind the scenes.

[Slappy]

A friend of mine just described her 7 years young Mazda 3 as "coming to the end of it's life".

 

Then again, in the same breath I warned her of the galloping rot that will kill these off faster than you can say "saltwater based paint".

[fred]

Never had an issue with my MOT man, he shows you what needs doing calls you a cunt and then I make the tea...I know where I stand in life, he makes my car safe, Im the tea slut

[fred]

6 weeks after surgery to my knee I go and hurl myself at Blackpool prom.

Knee looks like it has a clowns nose - normally this wouldnt be so bad, but I have a feeling I might have ruptured my meniscal repair as its swelling like a balloon now.

I also hurmed my phone at the prom too...

 

But mostly Im pissed pff about my jeans. They were new.

What a pisser, hope your knee isnt as bad as you think

[AlabamaShrimp]

I've had the same operation and it took ages for the swelling to go down.

 

WWhile I didn't fall I hurt it again (can't remember how) and I thought I had damaged it again. They checked but apparently the repairs are a lot tougher than they say and all was well in a few weeks. Still do get the occasional random pain in it but at least I can now walk

[cort1977]

I think the UK takes the best approach to vehicle testing and would have to ask where in the world has a better system?

 

Japan - too strict

France - just stupid with no changes to the manufacturer's spec permitted

US - depends on state but pretty lax in general except for CARB emissions lunacy in California

Australia - depends on state, nothing in the West and North which is just scary or petty nit picking in the East - 'engineer's' report to change wheel size for example

NZ - every 6 months!

Germany - every two years, you can get a lot of bald tyres in 2 years although maybe this isn't the German way.

 

Sadly I suspect that in most of the rest of the world the test is slightly academic as enforcement is lacking...

[purplebargeken]

UW, at least it looks less alien now. Heal quickly mon ami.

[beko1987]

Saw a blue ZX on the hard shoulder on the other side of the m40 this morning. I felt sorry for it, then touched some wood when I got to work...

[J-Rod]

 

Japan - too strict

 

 

Having had a few JDM imports, I'm actually quite glad for that. If you're buying a car from the other side of the world, with a service manual that you need to seriously concentrate on to understand, it's a spot of comfort to know that someone, somewhere, has been anal about the tiniest things. 

[J-Rod]

Headphones while driving. 

 

Yes, I get the whole 'hands-free' thing because of the incessant need to chatter about bollocks constantly while doing anything in the world but seriously, both headphones in, listening to music, while driving? I can't be the only one to use their ears while driving... right?  

 

Reason I mention this; after dropped t'other half off at work this morning, I was stopped at the lights and something caught my eye. Glanced in the mirror and person behind was donning a bright orange pair of Beatzzzz by Dr Dré (very important that the brand is mentioned of course). Those are enclosed headphones and I have the sort of job where I wear enclosed headphones if I need to concentrate on what I'm listening to and nothing else.

[J-Rod]

The Japanese equivalent MOT is barely different from ours, other than them not liking visible rust on suspension components (which isn't a huge deal as they don't salt the roads). I seem to recall emissions is more lax too. Most of the high cost is down to that you essentially pay a load of taxes and compulsory insurance at the same time, but also that most people basically do the Japanese version of leaving the entire process to a Kwik Fit style joint for a wallet-bumming instead of just driving to the test centre and doing any repairs themselves. It's also bi-annual for most stuff.

I suppose it's bi-annual though as many cars don't do the mileage over there? 

[vulgalour]

Had to come home from the unit early as nothing is working like it should, including my stupid gammy knee.  One of those days when I do a job and the very last part of it messes up the previous hour or two's graft too, which is pretty tiresome.  AND the house I wanted to view has been taken so I'm stuck between Screamy Kids for a while longer.  Urgh, I wonder if this isn't a Tuesday at all but some sort of Second Monday.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Headphones while driving. 

 

Yes, I get the whole 'hands-free' thing because of the incessant need to chatter about bollocks constantly while doing anything in the world but seriously, both headphones in, listening to music, while driving? I can't be the only one to use their ears while driving... right?  

 

Reason I mention this; after dropped t'other half off at work this morning, I was stopped at the lights and something caught my eye. Glanced in the mirror and person behind was donning a bright orange pair of Beatzzzz by Dr Dré (very important that the brand is mentioned of course). Those are enclosed headphones and I have the sort of job where I wear enclosed headphones if I need to concentrate on what I'm listening to and nothing else.

i thought there was a law against wearing headphone whilst driving- i'm sure it was brung in during the 80's when everyone started using walkmans* instead of buying a car stereo

[J-Rod]

A quick google and it comes back with 'depends'. 

[J-Rod]

Google also turned up this little gem of 'wisdom'. No points guessing where it came from... 

 

 

 

The law is a complete farce if you can be prosecuted for wearing headphones. Many stereos, especially if it is after-market, or in a luxury car that is quiet anyway, can be turned up loud enough to mask exterior noise.

 

yes... and the screams from the plebs you're crushing beneath your 19" rims... 

[cort1977]

The Japanese equivalent MOT is barely different from ours, other than them not liking visible rust on suspension components (which isn't a huge deal as they don't salt the roads). I seem to recall emissions is more lax too. Most of the high cost is down to that you essentially pay a load of taxes and compulsory insurance at the same time, but also that most people basically do the Japanese version of leaving the entire process to a Kwik Fit style joint for a wallet-bumming instead of just driving to the test centre and doing any repairs themselves. It's also bi-annual for most stuff.

That's interesting.  I must confess I was basing my assessment purely on internet folklore, not for the first time.

[Bren]

Went out to finish the base for our summer house.

 

I have never seen as many green bottles in my life - I assumed somebody must have died nearby.

 

They were all vying for space on a solitary turd our king charles had deposited- there were so many on it it looked like an emerald brooch.

 

Even wasps were eating the turd - must be austerity for them as well.