Car MOTs

Chunkers1980

Right, my car (Pug 206 12 y/o, 26,000!)

It went in for an MOT last year - all good apart from a CV joint boot - not sure it needed doing - added £70 to bill - just went with it.

This year gone in again and now it's needed a new hand brake cable - again adding ~£70 to the MOT cost.

I did a couple of hill start U-turns at the weekend and all seemed fine to me.

Do you think this is just a trick to add things to make it up to so much rather than just taking the MOT fee?

Just feel like I'm getting a bit ripped? These things just seem like it's hard to prove they needed doing or not.

bails87

Are they doing the repairs before the MOT?

Or failing it? Repairing it, and then charging you for another MOT?

The CV joint boot came loose on my old 106, the only reason I noticed was because the grease was spotted on the drive while I wasn't there. Obviously when I got home I was parked over the grease so I didn't notice. So the boot may well have been gone with no other symptoms....until it all seizes up and mashes up expensive stuff.

As for the handbrake, I wouldn't expect it to cost £70 to tighten/replace a handbrake cable. But I've only seen one of them being done, maybe the 206 has got a special/awkward one?

jairaj

If you're unsure, you can ask to inspect the parts they have removed.

But things like cables can be frayed or showing signs of wear but still work fine, untill the point it goes ping!

You must've had a dodgy looking brake cable on your bike at some point but the brake still worked OK. Just means its more likely to snap.

Chunkers1980

I think (just about to go pick it up) that they've done it to make it pass without failing, just seen it 'needed doing' changed, then did the MOT or carried on.

May ask to see said cable.... It seemed fine to me. I hate garages like some LBSs. What can go wrong with a cable?

Northwind

There's some guy on here that gets really offended if you suggest some MOT testers are bent. But we're pretty sure that's because he's a bent MOT tester.

I'd recommend you find a tester that doesn't actually do repairs, if you're in any doubt, takes away any financial incentive. I've got a tester I can trust, they've impressed me but my dad insists on using the local garage and they're as bent as a 9 bob note. I've actually caught them at it twice now, they just make excuses and apologise for "the confusion".

Course that doesn't mean you don't need a new handbrake cable, it could be corroded or frayed and that wouldn't neccesarily be noticable til it snaps. CV joint boots are the sort of thing I'm suspicious of because most people have no idea what one of those is or where to find it (with motorbikes, it's often "cush drive rubbers" because it sounds scary) but they do need replaced sometimes.

Try and find a good one by recommendation or by observation. Staying with the car while it's done can help (also you can see how they treat other people's cars)

Monkeypump

Ask around for garage recommendations, or take someone along who knows what they're talking about.

TBH, those 2 things on a 12 year old car seem reasonable - rubber perishes and cables wear. Over 2 years (plus however many years with zero costs) I think you're doing pretty well!

That said, do check and get them to show you wear/how parts are worn. Just don't be surprised if the old bits are in a skip somewhere and they're not keen to go looking for them!

sheepsteeth

i would normally recommend as northwind has: get an MOT at an MOT centre and not at a garage that does repairs.

it would not suprise me that your cable needed to be replaced, any corrosion or fraying would make it necessary even though it worked correctly.

did you ask the mechanic why the work was necessary? what did he say?

Captain Peanut

Chunkers1980 wrote:

May ask to see said cable.... It seemed fine to me. I hate garages like some LBSs. What can go wrong with a cable?

Have unfortunately lost the pics of my old car. The handbrake cable snapped when parked on a hill, long story short car rolls far enough to pick up speed and then gets stopped by a tree. Ended up with dented bumper and bootlid along with a nicely crumpled boot floor. Needless to say I now leave all my cars in gear when parked!

Make sure you get them to show you the old cable and explain why it needed changing to be certain they aren't pulling a fast one but a lot of these things only get picked up at MOT time because it's the only time they are checked (I've certainly never put my car in the garage specifically to have the boots and cables checked).

Chunkers1980

Thanks guys. Not too fussed as the missus paid - just don't like getting done.

I spoke to the guy and he was very clear on the fact they had not changed anything - they had adjusted the cable and brake shoes (as the brake failed the MOT, in that it did not come up to the correct level of power I suppose). When I questioned if that took an hour (£50 + vat) he said you needed to take the wheels off ect and adjust the shoes.

So if it needed doing, that's not too bad value, but there's always the chance they actually did nothing.

Might do as you suggest next time and got to just an MOT center, although, like some people and bike services they are just happy to pay to not have to worry.

Chunkers1980

Thanks guys. Not too fussed as the missus paid - just don't like getting done.

I spoke to the guy and he was very clear on the fact they had not changed anything - they had adjusted the cable and brake shoes (as the brake failed the MOT, in that it did not come up to the correct level of power I suppose). When I questioned if that took an hour (£50 + vat) he said you needed to take the wheels off ect and adjust the shoes.

So if it needed doing, that's not too bad value, but there's always the chance they actually did nothing.

Might do as you suggest next time and got to just an MOT center, although, like some people and bike services they are just happy to pay to not have to worry.

bails87

Hmmm, now I remember from work experience when the mechanic I was with tightened the handbrake cable, it only took a few minutes to fiddle with a bolt attached to the handbrake lever itself. My uncle has also had to do the same to my sister's car, maybe they're both doing it wrong?

cooldad

Depends on the car. Mine has a seperate handbrake brake that needs adjusting internally if the cable adjustment is adjusted fully. And is a painful job.
If that makes sense.

Tim.s

Sounds quite fair, your 206 has drum brakes on the back so the proper way to adjust the handbrake is to remove the brake drum and wind the mechanical adjuster out (this is supposed to happen automatically but they are poor by design)

You can adjust just the cable tension at the lever end but this only really takes the slack out of the cable and whilst it might get you through an MOT it may cause future problems.

An hour is probably the very most amount of time it would take (most garages round up) and £50 plus VAT isnt too bad depending on the type of garage and where you live.