MOT fail / emissions.

I think I'd take the money (actually get a couple of quotes) but I have the cash for a replacement. I tend to pay £2-3k for cars and expect to get five reasonably cheap years for that.

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:34:08 +0100, T i m ventured forth with:

You get 10 days to get it sorted and retested for free. Try sticking a new air filter in it, giving it a thorough thrashing for a couple of days and making sure it's just been thrashed before you get it retested so it's all nice and hot and the cat is fully up to temp. This has worked for me 3 times on 3 different cars.

Do the garage that MOT'd it also do repairs?.....

Or just take the air filter out? Or would that unbalance the emissions even more? Seems a shame to fork out on a new filter just before possibly handing the car in for scrap.

Does it get up to the proper operating temperature - and was it at this for the test? If it's below about 70C, it will run slightly rich which would account for the high CO. Of course the tester should check it's up to temp, but...

Unless the air filter is very badly blocked, cars with ECU's compensate by reducing fuelling to keep the mixture correct. This will only have a detrimental effect on absolute power, and not on emissions.

It might be worth having a look to see how dirty the filter is, and cleaning it with an airline if it's terrible, but the posts relating to engine temperature are more likely to help you.

Chris

Not for emissions, surely?

Most garages do not adhere strictly to the guidelines on re-tests or they would get little business.

It must vary by area then; I've not seen anywhere locally (E Berks) offering any sort of discount recently. Plenty of places will do discounted MOT's if you have a service at the same time, but that's about it.

I really wanted to make the point that you are not *entitled* to a free retest within 10 days.

Chris

Thanks to all those who have replied so far.

The guy who took it in for the MOT for her is a good friend and the MOT place are generally 'reasonable' about things.

I think they did the emissions test twice (to see if it might get better the second time) but I don't know what lengths they did go to pre / during the test to see if they could 'get it through'.

The trip from stepdaughters house to my mates garage is about 10 miles of dual carriageway (and she doesn't usually 'hang about') and it went in for the test pretty well as soon as she dropped it off.

I can't really vouch for it's service condition as she never really liked the car in the first place so was less bothered about it than some of her previous cars (her previous car, also a R200 bubble was written off by a drunk driver, just as she had got it running nicely. ;-(

Any repair work would have been done by me or my mate in the garage but he didn't recommend it was worked on at any point (because the fail list was symptomatic of other / bigger issues, like fluid loss from brakes and power steering) and the advise list didn't look very good either).

Whilst I don't like to see a good car go down and in spite of it being pretty tidy, bodywork / rust wise), even I think the list of things that needed / would have needed doing was long enough to say enough is enough.

A possible sweeter to the deal was potentially finding a 'known' P reg Fiesta that was in good nick for ~ £600 and she's currently driving our Belmont till that comes through (3rd party). Even though the Fiesta (1250) passed it's MOT in November, I'll stick it though one on Monday for her, just to make sure she's not buying something else that ends up being short lived.

Cheers, T i m

Certainly by the letter of the VoSA they should charge for a re-test, but you can usually find someone who doesn't.

Round here they are falling over themselves to do discounted tests, a new station seems to open month, there are at least ten that I know of within walking distance. Most charge around 35 to 40 pounds for a test with a free re-test within two weeks. I have used the same guy for about twenty years and he charges me 40 quid (I would actually pay more, since his tests are not harsh and they rarely miss anything) with a re-test if needed (minor stuff gets passed [or I fix it there], since they know I will do it, more critical stuff gets a failure and I have to bring it back) He also gets me to do work for him and lets me borrow anything I need, so it is good all round.

The cheapest test I have noticed was at Chelmsford £15 (don't know about re-test)

a P fiesta will need welding. cam belt may be due and is not a job for an amateur. front suspension arms go every couple of years, discs and pads every three, rear wheel cylinders every three.

Hmm, so 'out of the frying pan' you think?

She doesn't actually do a load of miles (work is reasonably local, along with her daughters school (neither near enough to walk to though)).

My mate (who has serviced it since 2001) feels it's pretty clean but we will see tomorrow when he picks it up. 'Illness' of the owner is the reason it's available. ;-(

So, on the Rover, (ignoring the emissions for a mo) ...

Loss of brake fluid could be a leak in the pipework (although that would have been spotted by the MOT, but is most likely to be the rear cylinder(s))?

Loss of power steering fluid?

n/s mirror missing, o/s all taped up (new glass though).

Rear brakes binding. Possibly seized linkage / cable, fluid contamination?

Handbrake travel (adjust?) and handbrake sometimes 'springs up' (tight inner cable, also responsible for any rear brake binding)?

CV gaiter (£50 fitted?)

I think a tyre or two may be on the advise bit.

And considering the scrap value ATM and Rover not existing any more ... ?

Cheers, T i m

It's a very different story here.

I use a place that only does MOT's; most small traders and garages locally use them. They have two bays, and the two guys there own it, and work independently. One of them is a friend of my stepson; he gives me a tenner discount, but even the trade customers pay full price. It's about

I've just double-checked the back of the local paper, and there are no discounted MOT's or free retests being offered.

I don't see how a place doing them for £15 can stay in business; that wouldn't cover the cost of employing the tester. One can only assume it's a loss-leader...

Chris

the Rover does sound like a shed.

the other fiesta trick is rear brake pipes rotting, just by the rear wheel. Rust wise it is sills. Clutches are a fairly expensive job on them too. and reverse switch failure is frequent. and if it is burning oil, just don't bother. window winder mechs. break.

I think it's been left to get that way I'm afraid (but it did have a good start before she got it).

Not a 'difficult or expensive job I'm guessing plenty of plus gas and a patient hand re bending up some new pipes?

Ok.

I think that has already been done (I'll re check mates list before we buy).

On the gearbox? Easy / cheap?

Ok, thanks.

As was the 218SD when I first got it but fine for 7 years once I'd welded it up. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Alternatively, tell her to stop buying shiteheaps and spend half decent money on something that isn't a worn out heap of complete and utter s**te.

Cool, she could do with a 'benefactor' to help her out with such things, especially since her Dad got murdered.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. She does have a bit of money in the bank but it was her Dads and she's trying to hold onto that in the hope she will be able to bring her Dads body back from Thailand in which case even that will be spoken for (so she'll be especially happy to take up your kind offer).

On Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:15:53 +0000, Chris Whelan ventured forth with:

What do you count as East Berks? I use Drift Road MOT, between Waltham St. Lawrence and Binfield on Drift Road. They are a testing only place.

My car failed on brake imbalance and emissions about 4 weeks ago. The test was £45.00. I was told at the time of the failure I had 10 working days to bring it back for a free retest, which I did, and it passed.

On Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:44:10 +0000, Chris Whelan ventured forth with:

Is is Drift Road? It really sounds like it!