Failed MOT

You should take it back and ask them to show you in the MOT manual where exactly battery tray corrosion is a failure. What did the, I assume computerised by now, failure sheet actually say?

John

Consider what's involved with moving the battery. It'll be cheaper to get the tray fixed - although you may wish to shop around (150sq seems a bit excessive for a new tray - is it? doesn't need to be a pretty job).

cheers, clive

From the computerized printout it says

Nearside front upper battery tray suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded

i asume that means a new battery tray

thanks

Unless it's really full of holes it'd be cheaper still to wire brush the rust off and slap lots of hammerite, and maybe a bit of fibreglass or filler, over it until it looks ok again. The MOT monkey isn't allowed to prod at anything so as to damage paintwork and if the tray isn't in imminent danger of actually collapsing there's bugger all he had do about it.

thanks for that dave, a very good idea, and i think i will do that, where do you get fiberglass from and how much is it roughly

many thanks

I bought a fibreglass "repair kit" from my local motor factors a couple of weeks ago, there should be plenty in there to fix a battery tray. £14 inclusive it was.

HTH

thanks to every one who has replied i will fiberglass the tray and see what happens, one other thing it failed on which i don't what it is or how much to fix it is

offside rear chassis suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded

any ideas on how much that would cost to get fixed

many thanks all

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It's the "suspension component mounting" they're worried about.

I remember years ago and my Marina Ital. The MOT bloke was in the pit and really rammin his screwdriver into the sills. Some places it went in, others it didn't. He was even rippin metal off, so much so that the car was a nervous wreck and never spoke to me again.

This isn't my old Marina, is it?

lol no mate it's a 95 escort

i don't know, i just presumed it was the battery tray as i can see there is corrosion on it and can see into the passenger footwell from the battery tray

This is not a question of a safe location for the battery. The failure is for excessive corrosion to a part of the structure within a stressed area that can affect suspension/steering/braking. (ultimately it could kill you or someone else)

A bodge up with fibreglass is not an acceptable repair for this condition, it 'might' be passed by a poor quality MoT tester, but it is not a safe repair.

Assuming it is something like an escort battery tray, then a properly done job could well be 150 pounds, but when done should be quite acceptable on both MoT and safety grounds.

mrcheerful

"Nearside front upper battery tray suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded"

That means it's within 30cm of a suspension mounting. A fibreglass repair will NOT pass the MOT; it _must_ be welded.

Likewise, this _must_ be welded.

Try around a few garages. Bear in mind there is welding and "welding"; the quality of such work can vary enormously.

My sister had her Ka welded by someone the garage recommended; it failed again. When I did the repair properly myself, I found they had failed to cut out the old rust (essential for a lasting job), welded poorly, covered it with underseal without painting first, and in addition had missed completely another 2" rust bubble (read flaky paint over hole) just a few inches away. Had that "welding" passed the MOT that time it would have rusted through before the next one!

There is more to a repair than a low price. This is definitely one type of repair where you get what you pay for!

No. It should mean you've got corrosion in the structure or supporting paneling with 30cm of a suspension componet mounting. It's unlikely that the battery tray is supporting paneling, i.e. you could remove the battery tray and the suspension mounting would be as strong.

John

the reason it failed is because there is corrosion within 30cm of a suspension mounting which is structural ( gives strength ), fibre glassing its the worse bit advise you can give & trust me the mot tester will know if that has been done ! & the vehicle presenter is going to look mighty stupid when this is pointed out to him.

Chris Bolus ( snipped-for-privacy@RILEYELFb0lus.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

And - more to the point - it will not be safe.

Indeed. Properly. Not "MOT-standard"

well said that man .

Not trying to sound defeatist, but if the car is that badly riddled with rust, maybe it's time now to send her to the car showroom in the sky rather than be in this position at a later date when it rusts through elsewhere.

PDH