MOT Tyre Valves

Nope. Or the front suspension mounting points.

Nor did he tap the sills which I would have thought would be better than merely looking at them.

What bothers me is that I obviously keep a good visual eye on things. But I do rely on the MOT guy to check things in case I miss them of in case there stuff I simply don't check.

If he's missed a little play in the track rod what else has he (and I) missed?

I doubt it's enough play to fail (but it might be) & the only symptoms as it worsens (slowly) will be uneven wear on the tyres. Hardly fatal.

And if it does deteriorate quickly I can replace it for 8 quid + vat. Not something I'm gonna lose sleep over.

But thanks for your concern.

"mrcheerful

He checked fo none of the above. Except: He could have checked the security of the bonnet while closed. He could have checked the rack gaitors from below - I can see 'em and they're ok. I suppose to some extent he could check for petrol leaks from below - by the smell if nothing else.

Interestingly I have no idea where he got the VIN from. I didn't give him the old MOT but it *was* on the passenger seat.

If he couldn't be bothered

Frankly I'm not! I thought it was a little iffy last year and it was wasn't mentioned even as an advisory so I keep an eye on it every time I check my tyre tread/put my overalls on. It doesn't seem any worse this year. I figured I'd get it mentioned as an advisory this time. It hasn't just keep watching until it shows in tyre wear of seems to worsen. It'll only cost 8 quid plus some heat and effort to replace (plus the price of tracking I guess) so I'm not gonna be too fussed whe i have to do it!

My *real* concern about this MOT is not the things I know he missed but what the guy should have checked but didn't.

I've printed off the MOT stuff from the MOTUK web site and it looks like I can check a huge amount of stuff myself. (And it's suprising how much of it just forms part of regular checks that people do on thier cars anyway.)

Vin, there are people in the UK that don't even insist on watching their MOT bloke doing the job. I think that makes me more responsible not less.

There are people who don't do regular vehicle checks. I think that makes me more responsible not less.

But thanks for your concern, anyway.

DannyBoy (danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Not giving a flying f*ck about safety, to the extent that you want a hooky MOT because you know your shed won't pass a straight one.

TREs are part of the test for a reason. Fix it or get it off the road.

DannyBoy (danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

So why not do it now, instead of being so pathetically idle?

Hypocrite.

DannyBoy (danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

There are, apparently, people in the UK who would rather look for a hooky tester than spend a tenner fixing a safety-related steering problem that they know about.

So do I.

There are people who do claim to do regular checks, know of problems that would be cheap and simple to resolve, but won't.

On the contrary. The fact you watched it happen and did nothing about it makes you less responsible in my opinion than someone who leaves the car expecting at least a reasonable job to be done.

Again I have to disagree. What's the point of doing checks if you are not going to fix any faults you find? Not everyone is mechanically minded so I am willing to accept ignorance as some form of excuse for running a vehicle with a fault. I suspect you are guilty of a different form of ignorance though.

Someone has to be as you obviously are not. You say it is an unimportant fault yet also say you believe it would fail an MOT test under proper scrutiny. Those two statements do not go together. If it would fail an MOT test then it should not be on the road. That seems a simple truth to me. And 'Yes!' It does concern me that people take known defective vehicles onto the road. I have to share that road with them.

Vin.

Not at all. I *know* about the tracking rod. I can observe it.

I want to be aware of all the stuff I don't know to check. I *assume* I don't know everything!

Another poster has recommended goign to the local Council Testing Centre. I shal simply do that in future. No reason to fail it on b*llocks. No reason to skimp on important things.

I agree. Failing to appeal an unfair MOT this year, yet going to a council testing centre for a good one next year does make me a hypocrite.

Sorry that upsets you!

So not watching ensures a better job? Seems unlikely.

Of being unable to judge the safety or otherwise of a wearing component? If I'm not able to judge then I'm blameless. If I am then the tracking rod is safe ATM.

I didn't say it *would* fail an MOT. I don't even know how much play is allowed but I'm happy it's safe ATM, which is all I care about.

Given the huge number of vehicles that don't have docs at all I wouldn't fret about a car that for *one* year of it's life has been MOT'd by a moron.

At no point have I suggested I feel it isn't safe. It aint going anywhere. The first symptom will be tyre wear. I certainly won't be leaving it that long.

My shed (and, to be fair, it is a shed) *will* pass an MOT without any problems at all. It's ok on emmisions and the shell is sound as a pound. Anything else I can do.

DannyBoy (danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Your opinion on the TRE. If it fails, then the qualified, trained MOT tester's opinion differs.

So why are you looking for a hooky ticket for £10 worth of TRE that you say you know is shagged?

I'm lost! (I've tried to keep up but...)

Because you know about the tracking rod and can observe it is that okay, the MOT guy shouldn't have checked this fully 'because you knew about it'?

If this follows then he should only have checked the parts you didn't know to check?

How's he supposed to know what you know and what you don't?

Maybe this is for some telly programme to check on hooky test stations?

krystnors

I know it's a troll but I can't resist.

I dont' want a hooky MOT. I went to a place that wee both thorough and fair last year. So good that I went back.

Now I have the choice of appealing over the f**king valves, or going to shell out another 40odd quid on a fresh MOT from somewhere else.

So no, I'm not going to appeal. I'll go somewhere else next year (which yes, does make me a hypocrite) but for this year I will simply check over the things I think were missed and leave it at that.

Which is just what anybody would do in this situation.

As for the track rod end:

It seems you can only fail for "excessive play". Clearly if it was excessive I would have replaced the f**king thing before putting it in.

DannyBoy (danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

No, it isn't.

Ah, I must have misunderstood you, then.

Quote :- "I know there's a 50/50 tracking rod end - the last thing i want is a proper MOT."

From your post :- Message-ID: From: danny snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk (DannyBoy) Newsgroups: uk.rec.cars.maintenance Subject: Re: MOT Tyre Valves Date: 8 Sep 2004 00:06:05 -0700

If the play is not excessive in the view of the tester, it won't fail. If the play *is* excessive in the view of the tester, it will fail.

You have stated that you think it will fail, due to "excessive play" in the view of the tester, so you do not want them to test that.

I don't understand what the problem is over just replacing the TRE. If it's knocking tyres out, it must be utterly knackered - and will cost you a lot more in tyre wear than the few quid to replace it.

If it's a track rod end, then I've seen one come totally detached through wear.

The place I use for MOTs is fairly relaxed on most things, but has an obsession with failing Triumph steering. The fact that from what I can gather it isn't meant to be tested with the wheels hanging in the air doesn't seem to stop them either. They also refused to pass a ball joint that was fine, but at the test had no rubber (the car had been stood for a few years before the test). I replaced the rubber, they wouldn't accept it. Ended up replacing the rubber and wire brushing the thing, it then passed.