WOW passed MOT 1st time. First for this van. (1 Viewer)

Feb 27, 2011
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I was expecting a failure and a large bill for welding the underside. I was expecting a brake issue and of course something unexpected but No. It passed first time.

This is the first time in the 6 years I have had this van that it hasn't cost me close to £1,000 to get it through the MOT.

The list of advisories is the longest one I have had however so I have some work to get done but no panic to get the work done to get the MOT :)

Booked it in straight after the MOT to get new Glow Plugs installed. Lifted the bonnet and the van doesn't have glow plugs. Hmmm. Probably the injectors. We need to test that when it is cold though. So still a crap starter but saved me £105 :)

Good day overall.
 

GWAYGWAY

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Did they actually count the wheels? Is it the same one you had when we last met?

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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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I've just got back from taking our car for it's MOT.
It passed, and curiously, last year's advisories have been replaced with different ones
My RV had the same advisory three years running.....
"this vehicle is fitted with type approved seat belts"

Whats that all about then ?
Certainly not something that needs addressing any time soon.

First mot in my ownership included.....

Slight play in N/S (steering) king pin.

Second mot

LPG tank securing strap loose

Neither of which were ever mentioned again
 
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DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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MOT's are not my favourite subject right now, inspected my car a couple of months ago, all the brakes looked iffy, so had new disk and pads all around. Took it for a service, the guy says, do you know that the inner tread of the front tyres are very low, no I reply, so off for new tyres and on the tracking rig (my tyres cost £175 each, so ouch) MOT due on the 16th, so I booked it in last week. Driving on the M3, SMACK! a brick falls off a lorry in front of me, so booked in for a new windscreen, and MOT cancelled. Autoglass duly replaced the screen. Go to start it the next morning, nothing! OBD diagnostic plugged in, the coil pack has failed, so new one fitted.
Finally, take it off to MOT rapidly, making sure I don't drive behind lorries with bricks on board. Dropped off at MOT centre, get a call from the MOT centre, coil springs are broken on both front legs! Well that would explain the banging that I have asked Vauxhall to diagnose for the last 3 years! So I leave the car there and tell them to make it so :D
Get a call the next day, "Sorry Mr. Ford, the shocks were so corroded, we had to drill out the bolts, so you now need new shocks as well!"
On the plus side I do in fact now have an MOT for the car, the bank balance has taken quite a hit. The van is due in June, I am scared to inspect that just yet :D
 

Forestboy

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Jul 31, 2007
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My van failed, split gaitor 3 days ago passed yesterday.
Not bad for 14 years old eh!!

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scottie

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Mar 2, 2013
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Had full service and mot on my 2008 citroen relay devon conversion two weeks ago. Asked that handbrake be sorted as part of service, wasn't holding well and would have failed efficiency test. Picked up van in afternoon, and had one mot fail showing defective handbrake, and non standard sealing petrol cap. Proper petrol cap was in glove compartment, which I informed mot station about. Handbrake sorted, proper petrol cap inserted. long story on why I was using emergency one. Couldent understand why handbrake not just fixed as I had requested, and proper cap installed. Why show a fail, then a pass. I still don't know what the full service included other than, oil change, air filter, oil filter and pollen filter, and screen wash top up. I only do about 3 thousand a year and will now only have full service every two years, but oil change yearly.
 

pappajohn

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Proper petrol cap was in glove compartment, which I informed mot station about
The mot HAS to be undertaken as presented.

If it had a rubber bung cap then it had a rubber bung cap.
Nothing the tester could do but fail it.....he wasnt allowed to put the proper one on.
 

pappajohn

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As far as the cap goes, I reckon most testers would put it on anyway...but would be in deep do-do if caught doing it.

I have had headlamp aim adjusted and washer bottle topped up during the mot.....but I knew the tester and he knows me.

Normally they would fail it then, before signing off the test, do minor repairs (bulbs, fluids etc) then pass the vehicle....but its still an official fail before a pass

VOSA present 'anonymous' cars (for want of another word) as a check on testers to ensure they follow the rules and follow procedures.
 
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DanielFord

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Normally they would fail then before signing off the test doinor repairs (bulbs, fluids etc) then pass the vehicle....but its still an official fail before a pass
Yup, that has been my experience. However, the alternative is to take your vehicle to somewhere that does a pre-MOT check prior to taking it to a test centre. That way you don't get a fail-pass, but it does cost more!
 
Apr 27, 2008
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The mechanic who does all our vehicles has my MH each time and he checks it over prior to the MOT which he has to take to another garage as his ramp can't take it. If its got any dud bulbs etc its down to him to fix first.

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Feb 16, 2013
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Place that does mine always does test as it is, and if any small thing wrong, like wipers , bulbs etc, fails it then puts it right and issues a pass, get two tickets but doesn't cost any different.
 

Rob e Lee

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I now always use Council Run MoT centres. My Kia Sorento did fail on 1 x Track Rod and also 1 x Roll Bar Joint/Bush. On the way back I called into local Kia Dealers and got a quote to fix said items and was informed £320.00! I said no thanks.

Went and got parts from Eurocarparts cost about £30. Fitted by me and took about a couple of hours. Straight back for retest and no charge.

Awhile back I would have used this garage and I would have for convenience sake say to go ahead with repairs. Not any more, I saved nearly £300 which is no small amount.

The council run centres can only test and don't repair so you know you aren't getting conned.

Rob
 

Geo

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Jul 29, 2007
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As professional Con Men we are permitted about an Hr after the original test to carry out minor repairs, the definition of "Minor" is subjective and can cover a multitude of repairs,
To answer the question why fail and then pass, it is to try and keep Vosa's snapshot figures correct
ie if we continually fix headlamp aims without a fail the two things happen
1. We conned you out of an aim setting fee when no such failure existed according to the paper work.and that is a big earner for us
2. Records would indicated that all vehicles in the UK have perfect headlamp aims 100% of the time
ergo there would be no further need for testing
Then who would we con;)

One day, the less educated folk out there will stop MoT knocking and realise that to put a 250k business at risk, to make £30 on un necessary work isn't exactly a financial success story, especially when I can make £50 an Hr for walking round round it with clean hands and a pen:yawn2:
 

Rob e Lee

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I used to to take my Sorento to Merityres for it's MoT and three times in succession it passed but they always adjusted my headlamps and charged a £5 for doing so - without informing me.
I found it hard to believe they needed adjusting but why argue over a fiver. Just made me suspicious and now take it elsewhere.

Rob
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Place that does mine always does test as it is, and if any small thing wrong, like wipers , bulbs etc, fails it then puts it right and issues a pass, get two tickets but doesn't cost any different.
Might add my bloke does it for free

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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I have now MOT'd this van at 3 different garages in different towns/counties.

My regular one has all the equipment and it is all computerised and fairly automatic. It is in a modern building, very clean and looks very professional. He wears gloves for doing the wheel test and doesn't carry anything sharper than a pen. He will fail me on what is observed. But doesn't charge for things like headlamp adjustment and will give me two tickets fail then pass on this as Geo Described above.

The next one I used was in Louth, They poked around with a screwdriver underneath and poked holes and forced a welding bill. I pulled the van out and my radiator was leaking. I will never go back to that place again. There is more to this story......

The one I just used carried about a screwdriver.. I was thinking oh crap here we go he will find more problems than I already knew about. He lifted the bonnet and started messing under there. My stress levels at this point went up. However he was adjusting the lights for the MOT. He went underneath and found the rust problems. There was a lot of banging and scratching then he wandered off and came back with a colleague who also went underneath. This colleague was doing a welding job... Anyway they had a 10 minute discussion about various points. I couldn't hear what they were saying so I presumed they were discussing how much to charge me. When he came out he gave me a thumbs up. At the end he took me under the van and explained that they were discussing which parts of the van were structural and which were not. He pointed out each area of concern and the details of their discussion. Turns out none of the rusty spots are classed as structural so he could pass me on them with an advisory. He was thorough and very old school with the only electronics being the emissions tester. He tested things that neither of the other two MOT stations tested. Things like he checked all doors to ensure they worked and that there was no corrosion around the mounts. Overall I was very impressed. He could have got me on the welding and got some work out of it but didn't. I am very happy with him. He also fixed the brake bias mechanism which was siezed solid and should have been a failure.

The one in Louth who forced the welding did so because he said it was within 6 inches of a structural beam. The most recent one passed me with rust in exactly the same place but opposite direction saying it wasn't structural. The welding job the Louth one did had a patch welded all the way up to the structural element.

Guess which two garages I trust now to do real work when needed. It is counter productive for a garage to gouge you on an MOT as it blows trust and risks their MOT business. The Louth garage got that one shot at the job and chose to gouge me. They got that one windfall and zero repeat business. The other two are now the targets of all my repairs and MOT business.
 

Geo

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Jul 29, 2007
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Some answers for you
1 x pass and 1 x fail at same time = 1 x test fee, not two ever!! and is reportable.

Other than the "The Proper"assessment tool, the use of ANY other device even a ball point pen let alone a screw driver to prod and poke is not allowed ever!! and is reportable

"Split Testing" ie asking opinion of a colleague on any aspect of a test or decision is not permitted ever!!! and is reportable

Corrosion is not restricted to the structural parts of a vehicle alone. the areas are called "prescribed" areas and are extremely accurate and precise and rarely call for 1 opinion. let alone 2 ever!!!

Headlights on our vehicles require adjustment at every test and have twice been adjusted between tests by Vosa spot check observed re tests in the last 6 years
My own Car is a prime example that is "Over Inspected/Tested " because Vosa often ask to retest a testers car and it too can require frequent headlamp aim re setting
it's caused by our super smooth roads and humps dont ya know

Any genuine MoT questions answered or explained honestly any time
Geo
 

Badknee

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I only ever check tyres, lights and levels before taking anything for an MOT. Works for me. (y)
 
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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I don't want to get the guy into trouble. I do appreciate your responses and accept your statements as fact.

1 x pass and 1 x fail at same time = 1 x test fee, not two ever!! and is reportable.
That is what happens at my usual garage. If my post indicated otherwise I apologise.

Other than the "The Proper"assessment tool, the use of ANY other device even a ball point pen let alone a screw driver to prod and poke is not allowed ever!! and is reportable
My mention of the pen was probably misleading in the context of my usual garage. He didn't use it on anything but his notepad for noting things like mileage and vin number etc.

"Split Testing" ie asking opinion of a colleague on any aspect of a test or decision is not permitted ever!!! and is reportable
The discussion they were having was I believe if a particular part of the vehicle was structural. Clarifying a point of fact not opinion. Again I probably wasn't as clear on this point as I should have been. There is the main longitudinal members with the transverse members which are obviously structural. I believe he was clarifying whether the box section that appears to be part of the inner sill was structural or not. The guy he asked was an ex Renault mechanic so was familiar with the vehicle. I don't really know for sure what was discussed and whether an opinion was sought or a clarification of fact as I couldn't hear the discussion first hand.

Corrosion is not restricted to the structural parts of a vehicle alone. the areas are called "prescribed" areas and are extremely accurate and precise and rarely call for 1 opinion. let alone 2 ever!!!
So the Louth Guy was correct then in assessing that part of the vehicle was within a set area of the structural part. However he used a screwdriver to discover this....

Headlights on our vehicles require adjustment at every test and have twice been adjusted between tests by Vosa spot check observed re tests in the last 6 years
My own Car is a prime example that is "Over Inspected/Tested " because Vosa often ask to retest a testers car and it too can require frequent headlamp aim re setting
it's caused by our super smooth roads and humps dont ya know
The first thing he did on my test was the lights. He adjusted them. I suppose strictly speaking he could be accused of adjusting during the test. But it could be argued he did the lights then commenced the test.... It was only after he had done the headlight adjustment that we went through indicators, side lights, horn, reverse lights etc.

Any genuine MoT questions answered or explained honestly any time
Geo

Thank you (y):)

My regular MOT guy follows all the rules you have laid out in this post and others. This guy did some extra stuff that my regular guy doesn't for instance he checked the side and rear door operation and integrity.
 

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