MOT gotta laugh

Sidelight.

has you headlight got the side light in it ? if so they might have pushed the reflector of its supports whilst changing the bulb or if they have disturbed the headlamp bulb it might not be back in the right postion as they will only go in way, take it back to them & get it re-checked.

I had a similar claim on 2 years ago MOT they said they can "fix" it for £10 a side. Aparantly they were both out of alignment and the alignment level knob in my car would not get it to the right setting. They would not pass me unless I agreed to have this done.

That was the last time I used them.

Now using my local friendly non rip off garage who adjust such things free of charge, and I always give them a bit extra for a drink to say thanks as they do other things on my car.

About 16 or 17 years ago I took my Sierra into a garage I hadn't used before for its MOT. As I was visiting a client/friend that day I had a suit on instead of workshop clothes so I guess they took one look and figured 'mug punter' not knowing what I do for a living. Client dropped me back off in the afternoon to collect it only to be told that'll be £X for the MOT (X being a very small amount in those days like maybe £20 or £25) plus £15 for adjusting the headlights and idle mixture. Well I'd just done the headlights and I'm damn sure the idle mixture was spot on and that neither had been touched by their pet monkey and even if they had it's only a 30 second job on each of them. Back then £15 would buy you half an hour of workshop time in a little garage like that.

I went up the effing wall which took the guy aback a bit and he started blustering well we could have failed it if that's what you would have preferred. I said I'd have preferred not being ripped off by tossers like you who think that because I've got a suit on I know bugger all about cars and it might actually surprise you that I know more about them than you seeing as I build race engines for a living.

Anyway he backed down to £7 pretty fast and I thought it was easier to just pay up and tell everyone I knew to avoid them like the plague than get into a huge fight about you don't get your keys back until we've been paid.

If they tried that on with every punter who came through the door they were probably increasing their MOT revenue by 60% or so for doing bugger all. Legally of course they had no right to touch the car without my permission and I could have held out for the basic charge and nothing else. Still, worse things happen at sea as they say.

I'd used the same MOT place in South Wimbledon for many years until I had the BMW 'done' there. They failed it on play in a front wheel bearing and offered to adjust it for 20 quid. Also on the rear discs being worn out.

The wheel bearings ain't adjustable and there was no play. The rear discs were well within the maker's wear limits which is marked on the hub. As well they might be since they were only 6 months old.

The wheel bearing thingie might have been a genuine mistake since there's a tiny bit of play on one inner trackrod balljoint (the one on the rack) which has had an advisory since I've owned the car. The rear disc thing was plain fraud.

It passed at my local BMW specialist with no work needed - and I got my money back from the original MOT place. Who have lost a customer.

My car failed its MOT too the other day, on two counts:

1. The National Trust sticker, stuck way down in the bottom right hand corner of the windscreen, obscured the driver's vision.

1. Although I had provided the ignition key to allow the tester to unlock the car and start the engine, I had neglected to furnish the key to the filler cap.

!"£$%^&*@~()_+ !

To make matters worse, after I had rectified these "faults" and finally obtained the Pass certificate, I discovered that the tester had had the gall to switch my radio from Radio 3 to Radio 1...

I was such a happy bunny!

I hoped you took milometer readings before you dropped it off because all this is indicative of them using it as a pool car for the day. No one changes the radio settings or needs the petrol filler cap key unless they're driving the car for a reasonable amount of time.

Don't they check the seal on the filler cap? It is part of the motorcycle MOT, anyway.

[...]

Chris

The correct procedure if the filler cap could not be opened was to issue a notice of refusal to test. This should have been checked when you dropped the vehicle off. No fee would have been payable, or any advance fee would have been refunded. See:

The chances are that the test was partially completed before the absence of the key was noticed; abandoning the test at this point would have cost the garage money. The sticker was just the way they avoided that, but in actual fact the tester's manual says that the vehicle presenter should be given the opportunity to remove a sticker before a fail notice is written. See:

Chris

And you have a calibrated beam setter?

And you have a calibrated EGA ?

Checking the fuel filler cap is part of every mot, if you cant remove and check the cap it's an instant fail.

[...]

Wrong.

A refusal to test should be issued. See here:

"If any of the following reasons apply, the test should not be carried out, the vehicle presenter informed and any fee paid for the test must be returned. It is therefore advised that 'refusal' items are checked before starting the test."

Section 2.g:

"A proper examination cannot be carried out because any door, tailgate, boot, engine cover, fuel cap or other device designed to be readily opened cannot be readily opened."

Chris

He may do, he builts engines that have to perform better than any road car.

Still does, here.

Sometimes being twenty years behind the times pays off...