MOT failure - options and advice

anewman

Have you considered DIY'ng it? You'd need a jack, pair of axle stands and a socket set. Not sure if you'd need spring compressors for a fiesta?! and not sure what you do on cars where the spring is separate to the shocker.

If the rear brake pipe is the small one, flexihose to back plate, it should be relatively easy to replace. Bleeding the brakes properly is the more difficult bit (and in my experience you tend to find you bleed most of the system and think great this is going well, then come to the last one and the bleed nipple snaps off :mad:). For that reason I would consider GS's suggestion of cleaning the current one up although I think the tester may like to see a nice shiny new copper or kunifer pipe so they know for certain it's been done. As a guide I paid about £35 at a garage to have a brake pipe done before I started DIY'ng.

jeannieblue

goldspanners wrote: »

suspension plays as big a part in braking characterisitcs as your brakes do.

So you would replace a perfectly good shock although it is not leaking??? We all know the state of the roads these days and that the n/s tends to get more wear than the other - but to replace the o/s for no reason at all makes no sense to me, it is not something that we practice where I work.
We respect our customers, treat them well and don't abuse their pockets.

jeannieblue

a11waysindebt wrote: »

Work for quick fit no.:rotfl:

I did however used to run a garage some moons ago.;)

Firstly I wouldn't guarantee the single unit for any period of time.

The outside of the unit might look ok, but how long before the unit fails.

How long has it been on the car for ?

Money saving it might be, This is a safety issue. From what I can remember the shocker is a combined spring unit, not just a normal unit.

Brake pipes again, paint them over :eek: I'd rather fit a new one.

There is life saving or money saving. Your not only playing with your only life but also other peoples.

I never quibbled over the brake pipe - that has to be replaced - but as in reply to Goldie, to unnecessarily replace a shock absorber is a waste of money.

The OP will pay double the price - why the OP thinks the labour will be the same for two shocks as for one, I have no idea... unless they are being bamboozled by the garage.

goldspanners

jeannieblue wrote: »

So you would replace a perfectly good shock although it is not leaking??? We all know the state of the roads these days and that the n/s tends to get more wear than the other - but to replace the o/s for no reason at all makes no sense to me, it is not something that we practice where I work.
We respect our customers, treat them well and don't abuse their pockets.

yes of course i would, i know only to well the state of our roads so thats a good enough reason for me to change both at the same time.
if your customers ever need to really use thier brakes to decellerate from any kind of high speed with one new shocker and one thats 10 years old on the front then i doubt you will get thier car again for repair anyway as it will have ploughed into oncoming traffic or a crash barrier.

i wont be coming to your garage for repairs! :eek:

jeannieblue

goldspanners wrote: »

yes of course i would, i know only to well the state of our roads so thats a good enough reason for me to change both at the same time.
if your customers ever need to really use thier brakes to decellerate from any kind of high speed with one new shocker and one thats 10 years old on the front then i doubt you will get thier car again for repair anyway as it will have ploughed into oncoming traffic or a crash barrier.

i wont be coming to your garage for repairs! :eek:

You are soooo dramatic! You forgot to mention the petrol tanker and the coach full of school children in your little scenario there. :rotfl:

The OP has a dodgy shock, just the one - the other wasn't even an advisory, get over it Goldie and admit that this little Fiesta just needs the one shock. When the OP has won the lottery, they can get the other one done, even though it is fine....

If you still feel so strongly re Health and Safety - write to VOSA and suggest that they change the law, if one shock absorber fails the MOT then both have to be replaced otherwise it will be DANGEROUS and lots of people could die....... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Edit: And due to BER not being renewed in 2010 - you have to go to main dealership for repairs..................... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

a11waysindebt

My van was advised on the rear pipes last year. I let it go for a while as you do :rolleyes:

2 months later they went. Cost me £40.00 The original advisory pipes, 2 flexis they were connected to and another 2 pipes going to the load sensing valve plus brake fluid.

Saved my self a couple of quid, borrowed some tools job done.:D

a11waysindebt

jeannieblue, All going well what would you charge for doing the ops car.

vaio

a11waysindebt wrote: »

My van was advised on the rear pipes last year. I let it go for a while as you do :rolleyes:

2 months later they went. Cost me £40.00 The original advisory pipes, 2 flexis they were connected to and another 2 pipes going to the load sensing valve plus brake fluid.

Saved my self a couple of quid, borrowed some tools job done.:D

Yep, and if they had gone when you were trying to slow down quickly from 70mph then it could well have cost you a lot more.

To say nothing of the potential cost to whoever was stupid enough to slow down in front of you whilst expecting you & the other cars on the road to have brakes that aren't going to fail when used in anger.

jeannieblue

a11waysindebt wrote: »

jeannieblue, All going well what would you charge for doing the ops car.

I would have to cost it - and not being at work and not having the full reg, that would be difficult.

I'd be willing to cost the job if they pm me with their details. We would not fit a cheap (as in poor quality) shock absorber, I would price it with Fords first then phone around for good quality pattern part - avoiding a certain company that has been selling really awful sh1te stuff of late... sometimes genuine is as cheap as good quality pattern.

Re the brake pipe - the copper pipe is pennies, but labour time I would have to check which pipe it is exactly. As you know, some brake pipes are a pain to replace if they are front to rear and involve removing fuel tank etc. But it could be just a small pipe.

I don't like to just 'bandy around' prices - I think that is misleading to people - I would prefer to get the facts right and then price the job. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be doing my job properly. It isn't fair to mislead people and I hate those that say things like 'oh I got that job done for two pounds fifty' and then someone else comes along and says 'I only paid one pound and ten pence'! Like it is some competition! I think we have to be a bit real on here. Alot of people think that mechanics should work for nothing as well and do the work for free.......... :rolleyes:

jeannieblue

Meanwhile........

Lets talk the OP out of getting the Peugeot....

Well you lot can - I'm going to bed, early to rise etc..

Night all.

Night Goldie.. :kisses3: