MOT failure on Escort 1996.

espresso

michele16 wrote: »

Like so many others don't know much about cars. Theres no need to be so rude, just don't bother giving advice or not.

Not being rude. Unfortunately ignorance is no defence if you are pulled over by the Police while driving an unroadworthy car and given a ticket.

You car should be maintained and not just fixed to get it though it's annual MOT. e.g. you must have known about an "exhaust which has major leak of exhaust gases."

goldspanners

espresso wrote: »

You car should be maintained and not just fixed to get it though it's annual MOT. e.g. you must have known about an "exhaust which has major leak of exhaust gases."

i agree that your car should be kept maintained but some exhausts can rot away with little or no difference to the exhausts tone. i had a van that did get regular servicing yet the first thing i knew about the back box coming off was the noise of it dragging on the ground only held by the rubber mount, typically it was winter and snowing so had to lie under it to remove the mount. it isnt always obvious.

mum2one

Agree re exhaust faults, I had exhaust problems, both escorts, 1st time, the exhaust started making a little noise on the Saturday,off for a naughty night away...... (many yrs ago!!), and on the way back the exhaust fell off.......

The other experience, (present car 1994 Escort), 3 yrs ago, Xmas eve, on way to the cremetatorium to take flowers, the exhaust went there and then, 100 yards up the road, it was blowing for England and then died + fell (broke in half).
What a place to call the AA from- think they thought I was joking...... the funny bit, got mum, dad, and dd with me (she was about 4 then), and she saw the church and the chimney.... she pipes up - mum, u know that place there, do they serve tea, they've got chimneys, we can have a warm........

Not the place to explain the ins and outs... luckly the AA came within 20 mins. x

anewman

hartcjhart wrote: »

brakes should be fixable by just putting new shoes on,

I'd be taking the drums off and checking the lining thickness on the shoes before going gung-ho and replacing them (while remembering to check the cylinders for leaking, giving a good spray of brake cleaner, and grinding any lip off the drum). Poor handbrake effort is usually caused by the cable stretching (especially when the driver pulls it on hard as they can) and the self-adjust mechanism not working. Often it's just a case of adjusting the shoes out, and adjusting the cable when everything's back together.

I've had an exhaust leak in the centre section with no audible difference which the MOT man spotted. That was before I got active and checked things for myself though.

Needless to say this sounds like a very cheap MOT. When I saw 96 Escort I thought it would be much worse.

Davey2009

It sounds quite good for a car this age, Id get the work done - I spent around £500 on my Ford last MOT new steering rack, suspension mountings & tyres.