MOT "fail"

Chris Whelan gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Nor here.

Well, we've got a council depot, but since they're the most awkward, obstreperous and unreasonable bunch of tossers going, they don't get my business.

You're in Bracknell, aren't you?

Never used him myself, but there's a guy up the Warfield Road (just before the new-ish roundabout on the left) - husband of a friend of my step-mum uses him for any servicing work, and he's apparently very picky about who he lets work on his cars. Couldn't personally vouch for him, but worth a try though.

Bloody hell, you're prepared to go half way around the M25 for an MOT? My Dad heard of a place in Winnersh that's always busy and hardly ever advertises anywhere (and has has loads of people recommend it to him) - family run type place (just after Edmunds Tyre+Exhaust on the left, before Sainsbury's, blink and you've missed it), but I thought you were after something more local...

Wasn't Great Hollands MOT perchance was it? Neighbour of mine once had a grievance with how much they took the piss on failures once.

I have relatives in Essex, so my thoughts were that I could combine a visit, and enlist their help to/from the test.

I know exactly the place you mean; many thanks for the recommendation.

Chris

Yep, well remembered!

Many thanks.

I've found folk normally only mention the bad experiences they have had with any sort of trade, and don't usually mention good ones. This makes it hard to find the good ones!

Chris

Got it in one!

The tester that used to work there was a school friend of my son, and the manager knew this. Both of them have left in the past year, and further recent enquiry of folk in and out of the trade has revealed that they have gone from being OK-ish to definitely a place to avoid.

Lesson learnt for next time!

Chris

There, I've fixed your post for you.

No, you've made it incorrect.

It's the 21st century. Places that would pass any old s**te have long gone to the wall. This place has been in business for quite a while, so would have been caught out by the ministry by now.

In any case, how did they fail my car initially, then pass it on re-test without anything significant being done to it?

Have you read AstraVanMann's post regarding the status of the place?

Chris

Riiiight.

VOSA have stated many times that they haven't enough inspectors and many dodgy places tend to only get found out if there's been complaints.

You did enough to free off a sticking adjuster...

Yes. I stand by my comments. Usually those aggrieved with a test centre they've used for a while tend to complain about the fact a car failed which they think shouldn't have, usually due to the fact said test centre has tightened up its testing.

Where? I'd be interested to read that.

In your not so humble opinion maybe. The drums slipped on and off with nothing like the usual amount of effort because of the recent overhaul. I honestly and genuinely believe that I did not disturb anything. I have lots of experience of that type of adjuster; it's about the only thing carried over from post-92 Escorts to the Focus, and I've worked on plenty of those. A stuck adjuster requires a fair bit of effort to get working again. I've never managed to do one without dismantling.

If they had also failed it on re-test, although I'd have been upset at being 25 quid lighter, I would have accepted there was a genuine problem with my car. As they didn't, I remain totally unconvinced by your argument.

Chris

Been plenty of stories in the news. They have about 500 inspectors throughout the UK who have to cover everything from HGV roadside inspection points to dodgy MOT garages.

Thus indicating that the self adjusters weren't exactly doing their thing.

Unless the drums slide straight off at right angles to the hub with no resistance whatsoever because the shoes are nowhere near the drum, it's impossible not to disturb anything. That's the whole point I was trying to make. Sometimes thy can be stuck up so little that a smack with a hammer on the drum would've sufficed. Certainly when I've collected classic cars which have been parked up for years with completely seized brakes, a lot of the time a few smacks on the drums with a lump hammer frees them off.

As I said, had you resubmitted it without touching the brakes at all but merely implying you had, I'd have backed you 100%.

That would only make sense if one side had come off easily, and the other was dragging on the shoes.

Remember, the fail was for unbalanced braking; the effort individually at each wheel was OK, and there was no mention of excessive handbrake travel.

Yebbut there was no suggestion the brakes were stuck on. That's a totally different situation.

I guess it's one of those situations where "you just had to be there".

Chris

Has the Good Garage Scheme been covered previously on the group?

Thanks for the thought. Entering my town gives two possible post code areas. Sadly, both of them return "No results found".

Chris

(am I right in assuming that Saturdays or Sundays even if the garage happens to be open don't count for this time limit?)

Theo

Happy Easter!

Chris

Conor, I was interested in this idea as I didn't beleive that they tested private cars, so I emailed them to ask. Here is the reply:

Dear Chris Whelan,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, VOSA Heavy goods Testing Stations, which carry out HGV/PSV Testing, VIC Checks, SVA Testing etc. are specifically built for these purposes. VOSA does govern the MOT Standard of vehicles but I'm afraid we do not carry out MOT's on cars at any of our sites.

Regards, Lucy Denman VOSA Contact Centre Chief Information Officer Directorate Tel:- 0300 123 9000 or 0870 60 60 440

Chris

Why not. Have had cars pass an MOT with little more than that, and the addition of a small piece of aparatus.