Need BIG help regarding MOT failure!!!

poodledoodledoo

My husband has just taken our car for its MOT (Vauxhall Zafira, Comfort, 1999 98,000 miles). It has failed on the following counts:

1. Near side stop lamp not working
2. Near side front brake pipe excessively corroded
3. Near side rear break pipe excessively corroded
4. Near side rear (from flexi to load valve) break pipe excessively corroded
5. Offside rear (from flexi to load valve) break pipe excessively corroded
6. Offside front break pipe excessively corroded
7. Offside rear parking break recording little or no effect
8. Parking break efficiency below requirements. Dangerous 15%
9. Emmisions failure

We are unsure now what to do next. If we have the above repairs completed then there is no guarantee that more faults won't be found when we put it in for sevice which is also due.
How much would the above repairs cost and is it worth doing them or should we consider selling the vehicle in its current state?
If we do decide to sell, how much would we be looking at for such a car?
The problem is we would be really pushed at the moment to afford a new vehicle so any suggestions would be gratefully considered
BTW, we are completely clueless when it comes to matters of mechanical engineering so keep it simple

hartcjhart

car is worth virtually nothing without an mot,

repairs depending where you take it apx £200/£300

faults found at service are nothing to do with the mot

anewman

1. bulb change - costs next to nothing.

2-8 should - in the scheme of things should not cost too much to be sorted - 4 brake pipes and either rear shoes adjusting or replacing,(under £200).

The main problem to be concerned about is emissions. Did they suggest what they thought was causing the fail or did they give you a printout of the emissions results?

poodledoodledoo

anewman wrote: »

1. bulb change - costs next to nothing.

2-8 should - in the scheme of things should not cost too much to be sorted - 4 brake pipes and either rear shoes adjusting or replacing,(under £200).

The main problem to be concerned about is emissions. Did they suggest what they thought was causing the fail or did they give you a printout of the emissions results?

Just had a quick look and I'm not sure which bits relate to the emissions but here goes-

MOT Exhaust Emission Test Results:

Catalyst equipped vehicle with closed loop control.

Engine Oil Temperature 99 degrees OK

Fast Idle Test Fail
Engine speed not checked
CO: < 0.30% vol
0.87% vol fail
HC: < 200ppm vol
76ppm vol pass
(theres some symbol here but have no idea what it is ) 0.970-1.030
1.027 pass

2nd Fast Idle test: fail
CO: < 0.30% vol
0.68% vol fail
HC < 200ppm vol
152 ppm vol pass
(symbol) 0.970-1.030
1.022 pass

Natural Idle test: fail
CO: < 0.50% vol
0.67% vol fail

Overall results:
Exhaust emissions test failed

They suggested that there might be a problem with the catalytic converter.

rev_henry

As anewman said, the bulb is easy to replace, the brake probably just needs adjusting, and the brake pipes aren't too bad. If it is the catalytic converter I'm afraid that'll be expensive. It all hangs on what exactly needs doing with the emissions I guess.

hartcjhart

if it needs just the cat they are apx£85

kaisersoze_2

My car failed its MOT on emissions, the garage gave me a cleaner to put in the petrol tank and told me to give it a good run before i took it for a retest. A catalytic converter is not a cheap option.

poodledoodledoo

There is something else too which may or may not be relevant.
For the past few months the oil light has been coming on periodically. More often than not when my husband is slowing down.

hartcjhart

just had a thought,it was'nt a 'kwik fit' that you took it to was it?

hartcjhart

poodledoodledoo wrote: »

There is something else too which may or may not be relevant.
For the past few months the oil light has been coming on periodically. More often than not when my husband is slowing down.

might be low on oil or as you say it is soon due a service so may be just needing an oil and filter change

poodledoodledoo

hartcjhart wrote: »

just had a thought,it was'nt a 'kwik fit' that you took it to was it?

Ha ha, no it wasn't. We were warned away from Kwik Fit
The garage we took it too was one that my husbands employer (the local council) use for their vehicles so it should be fairly reputable.