Car MOT

V5ade

Tartanyak wrote:

Hold on - the vanos failed? Don't suppose you know if it was the inlet or exhaust side?

I've had mine apart - they're built like a brick shithouse in there and from the looks of it, fail safe, so I wonder how that happened!

Both time's it was exhaust. The car had covered 40k miles the first time, 44k the second, with full BMW service history.

unixnerd

Actually, while I have your attention - have you ever had a straight 6 engine (I've an M52 1.5 in a 323i) develop a little, well, wobble around 1500-200 revs? Nothing below, nothing above and there doesn't seem to be any power loss. Just an almost unnoticable wobble...

I've got an M52 2.8 in my winter car, nice engine. I'd get your fault codes read. The camshaft position sensor can fail but it normally give a bigger problem than you're having. Try giving it a full bottle of Redex into a fairly empty fuel tank then driving the car hard for bit, lots of revs (Italian tune up!).

Tartanyak

I'll give that a go, ta! I've got a long drive to do next week so that'll take the fuel down.

Although - one coil is of a different manufacture to the rest - reckon that could change anything?

Other than that little niggle, it's a wonderful car.

Northwind

The most important thing, is to find a MOT tester that doesn't do repairs. Not that all MOT testers that do repairs are automatically crooked but it's pretty much a proven fact that if you go somewhere that has the capacity to fix things and charge you money, they're more likely to find something to "fix". Like the local dealership that charged my dad for new discs last year then tried again this year even though the car's only done 2000 miles between tests.

Other'n that... If the car's roadworthy it should be OK. If it's got any outright fails, you should have already got them fixed

Mark_K

Northwind wrote:

The most important thing, is to find a MOT tester that doesn't do repairs. Not that all MOT testers that do repairs are automatically crooked Like the local dealership that charged my dad for new discs last year then tried again this year even though the car's only done 2000 miles between tests.

Other'n that... If the car's roadworthy it should be OK. If it's got any outright fails, you should have already got them fixed

What a complete and utter load of BLX i do like it when people gob off about crooked MOT testers "but it's pretty much a proven fact that if you go somewhere that has the capacity to fix things and charge you money, they're more likely to find something to "fix"." I'd love to know were you got that info from most MOT testers are professional trades men that take great pride in the fact the have been trained to a standard to be able to carry out MOT test to VOSA's exacting standards and the fact that we are so regularly tested including spot tests and mystery shopper tests and the fact the the discipline procedures are that heavy that mistakes can cost us our businesses !!!!! And when ill informed morons go gobbing off about how we are all a bunch off crooks it realy doesn't help ..... SO PLEASE go on post your info source or shut up .... :evil:

Anonymous

Mark_K wrote:

And when ill informed morons go gobbing off about how we are all a bunch off crooks it realy doesn't help ..... SO PLEASE go on post your info source or shut up .... :evil:

Damned right. My mechanic will even show the customer the parts that needed replacing, and explain exactly why it failed if needed. Which is why they get so many repeat customers.

CraigXXL

I use an MOT centre who don't do repairs. They are always very thorough and any simple jobs they'll take their time to explain how to do it yourself instead of using a garage. Before I started doing my own servicing after a bad and costly experience of bad dealer service I used to use a normal garage and they always found something that required doing.

sheepsteeth

i used t use a little garage near my last baracks (it is also incidentaly the same location as the "ditch" in which all of my murderred folk would end up once i had turned their heads backwards)

he would fix nif naff and trivia issues there and then for you, usually for free, he was always booked up to the hilt with repeat customers (pretty much everyone i knew at work went there)

the last place i went didnt pick up n the cracked windscreen, the missing sidelight bulb, and the faulty drivers seatbelt. so i wouldnt say every mot station is anything like completely professional.

V5ade

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Mark_K wrote:

And when ill informed morons go gobbing off about how we are all a bunch off crooks it realy doesn't help ..... SO PLEASE go on post your info source or shut up .... :evil:

Damned right. My mechanic will even show the customer the parts that needed replacing, and explain exactly why it failed if needed. Which is why they get so many repeat customers.

I don't believe that all or even most mechanics are crooks, however I don't have anyone that I can trust.
I've been ripped off by three main dealers in my area who have tried to charge me for work that didn't wasn't needed. It only takes a few of these dishonest experiences to undermine the trust in the industry.
My experiences were not small mistakes, they were verging on fraud! Subaru Impreza 10k service, I was told I needed disks and pads all round, however they had been measured by an engineer who stated that there was less than 15% (85% left!).New disks and pads required on a 306Gti6 when they had only been replaced 2 weeks previously!!
2007 Honda CRV had rear disks and pads replaced at 2nd service, soon after the rear left wheel became hot and the brake seized on. Was told that the handbrake cable was faulty, not covered by warrany so charged me £250 to replace it (just one side). I didn't get to see the faulty cable as it had been disposed off. All main dealers....

Anonymous

I can only assume you're a bit of a mong if you accept a fee of £250 to replace a handbrake cable.
Sorry this is now "the hub", right. What I mean is you must be a person of wallet-challenged mentality.

sheepsteeth

ooh, close one there.

Anonymous

I won't give you a close one in a minute, because this isn't the time or the place.

sheepsteeth

i would agree, i definately would not add any potatoes.

Anonymous

I would, under no circumstances add that you have not got a good potatoing in you.

V5ade

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I can only assume you're a bit of a mong if you accept a fee of £250 to replace a handbrake cable.
Sorry this is now "the hub", right. What I mean is you must be a person of wallet-challenged mentality.

Mong, Really? Obviously the point of my post has gone over your head. For clarification I was making was that there obvious rip offs cause the public to be wary of the industry.

The £250 doesn't bother me, it's the dishonesty of some the people on the car trade that ruin. There's not a great deal you can do I've written to Honda to complain. It's a car I bought for my wife, it carries my children, I didn't have a choice other that to have the brakes fixed. I'll replaced her car this year, but it won't be a Honda.

I have my M3 serviced at the local main dealer to keep the warranty, the last inspection II service was £1,200 in December. I could have paid less at a not franchised dealer, but it's my choice.

Anonymous

Seriosuyl though. I am not going to suggest that you are out of your freaking mind to pay £250 to pay for a handbrake cable being fitted.

sheepsteeth

wife RE took her car to vauxhall for a service and inspection and whatnot, they presented her with an estimate for about 400 quid.

she went to the old chuffer where we used to live and he did the work for about 150 quid. all that was needed on top of an ooil and filter change was a clip on the UJ boot, the old man used a jubilee clip which is still present and correct.

those cheeker fellas at vauxhall were trying it on as the clip replacement cost worked out at over 200 quid!!

The Northern Monkey

PASSED

1 advisory.. "very slight play on the steering column".

I asked the guy about it before I left and he said it was nothing serious and they had to double check it was actually play, so he told me to just keep an eye on it.

I went out and had a rattle of the wheel and couldn't notice anything

Northwind

Mark_K wrote:

What a complete and utter load of BLX i do like it when people gob off about crooked MOT testers "but it's pretty much a proven fact that if you go somewhere that has the capacity to fix things and charge you money, they're more likely to find something to "fix"." I'd love to know were you got that info from

How about personal experience :roll: I already gave one example in the post which you've conveniently ignored because the truth doesn't suit you. And I also said that not all testers are crooked, though for some reason you edited my post when you quoted it, what's up with that?

Twice I took my bike to local dealers, twice they came up with a list of fails and offered to fix it "for a good price", both times i knew I was being lied to because I know the bike inside out. And not coincidentally, both times it was on the sort of thing that most owners would believe- brake pads, cush drive rubbers, brake hose.

First time I challenged the tester and funnilly enough was given a pass as soon as I disputed it- they put it through the system as a "retest" while I stood and watched them work on someone else's car. Second time they refused so I refused to pay, complained to the DVLA then took it to another place who I trust and lo and behold, a pass. It took another 2 years before that dealer lost their MOT station and I know other people they did the exact same thing to. Still, I'm sure that was all just innocent misunderstandings right as there are no crooked MOT testers.

There are crooked MOT testers and mechanics out there. Get over it. Or become some sort of caped enforcer and go and take them out, your call. Don't get pissy with me for stating the truth. If you're an honest mechanic then good for you, don't blame me for the shitehawks.

If you do go the caped crusader approach, feel free to take out the local Ford dealership who offered to charge me £400 to change a clutch pedal, that cost me £30 and took 2 hours to fit. But I suppose you'll get angry about me saying that too.

Anonymous

Northwind wrote:

feel free to take out the local Ford dealership who offered to charge me £400 to change a clutch pedal, that cost me £30 and took 2 hours to fit. But I suppose you'll get angry about me saying that too.

I won't take them to task about it, but I will again question your financial sanity for even bothering to take it to a dealer to get serviced.

Mark_K

You need to reread your post I never edited it I just highlight the bit that was lies !
So I ask again where did you get your info or are you basing that statement on the handful of bad experiences YOU'VE had !

sheepsteeth

hmm, so it appears even the snsible off topic forum can result in slight conflict, it reminds me of somewhere, i just cant quite put my finger on where..............

Anonymous

Of course, I wouldn't be so crude as to suggest, I'll put my finger on you in a minute, thereby setting you up for a fingering based retort.

sheepsteeth

and i couldnt possibly know if you had a good putting a finger on me or anyone else.

Anonymous

And of course I must add that it is well beyond my field of knowledge to be able to confidently say that I have had more fingerings than you've had hot dinners.

Clank

Mark_K wrote:

the the discipline procedures are that heavy that mistakes can cost us our businesses !!!!! And when ill informed morons go gobbing off about how we are all a bunch off crooks it realy doesn't help ..... SO PLEASE go on post your info source or shut up .... :evil:

Like the MOT station (part of a national chain) that failed a friends car on untestable items and then offered to buy the banger at a pittance? At the next garage it failed only on poor brake performance.

Sorry, chap, but there are many bent practioners in the business. Get over it. :roll:

I could name a dozen garages in my area with dodgey MOT practices. And i know testers and examiners who are as frustrated about it as you are.

Northwind

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I won't take them to task about it, but I will again question your financial sanity for even bothering to take it to a dealer to get serviced.

Oh god no, I wouldn't do that unless it needs some dealer specific kit. Just asked them the question and got a lolworthy answer.

Mark_K wrote:

So I ask again where did you get your info or are you basing that statement on the handful of bad experiences YOU'VE had !

Are you mental? I already told you that this is exactly what I'm doing, and that's how I know that there are crooked MOT testers who will give you a fail in order to sell you parts, and that testers who don't sell parts can't do this. But hey, keep taking offence at facts if you like.

Interesting this though. I used to work for a bank, and everyone is always talking about crooked greedy bankers. But I wasn't crooked or greedy so I didn't mind, they were talking about someone else and it was fair enough. So I wonder why it is that when I talk about crooked greedy mechanics you would take it personally?

andy46

just thought i'd share this, my car failed MOT today.

i checked everthing i could, i even put 2 new tyres on the front

it failed on the rear brakes, brakes tested at only 49%

don't know if i need new brake shoes or just need them re-adjusting.