Newcastle Council MOT Test Centre Feedback

lynnpin

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had been to this Council MOT centre in Newington Road, Newcastle and what their experience was like?

I've got my car booked in for this Friday. I'm hoping that this year I won't get ripped off for the usual failure points garages always use.

I know I'll still need to find a trustworthy garage to get anything put right but at least I feel that I could ring up a garage and say how much to do x, y or z and then chose the cheapest!

harveybobbles

the joy with Council places is they dont go looking for things like KwikFit type places do.

lynnpin

Well at least if they say I need a new wotnot I can ring around and get quotes for a change instead of having to trust the garage. I'm sure over the past 4 or 5 years I've spent more on MOTs than the car is worth!

[Deleted User]

I'm still trying to find the council MOT centre in Morpeth. All the lists on the net just say 'Morpeth' with no road name.

Don't want to go all the way to Newington Road for it to fail, drive all the way home to get it fixed at a local garage then drive back again for the re-test.

harveybobbles

Deleted_User wrote: »

I'm still trying to find the council MOT centre in Morpeth..

http://www.ukmot.com/global.asp?Name_1=&town=Morpeth&Post_code=&MOT=1&display1=A+to+Z&imageField2.x=23&imageField2.y=8

lynnpin

Well it doesn't look like anyone's been to Newington Road. Maybe it's so bad they can't bring themselves to comment!;)

I will be the first to leave feedback I think!

nosdrahcir

How did it go?

I'm looking at booking an MOT there so would be interested in your experience.

lynnpin

Now that I've calmed down I can tell you how I got on!

The saga unfolds:

Apparently it would have passed apart from the emissions test but while the tester revved it up a shed load of black smoke came out and then the engine started making a terrible noise. When I heard the racket I thought it was for the scrapyard.

Anyway, I had to call out my breakdown service and the bloke found that the ancillary belt had frayed and that's what the almighty noise was about. He cut it back so it was running smoothly again. By then I was so relieved and I think the MOT tester was as well because I suspect he thought he'd caused some fatal damage.

Anyway, as he'd had to abandon the test earlier he said he would finish it off and carry on with the emissions test. Guess what? Didn't the belt just fray again and he then had to start unravelling it from underneath even though they aren't supposed to do anything mechanical-wise.

We both agreed to call it a day then but at least I knew what needed to be done so I got the ancillary belt fitted on Friday afternoon, topped it up with Redex and zoomed round like a maniac and took it back this morning. Finally got my MOT certificate!

All in all a bit of a nightmare but I suppose the belt would have gone no matter where I took it, except that if it had been a garage they would have been able to fix it there and then.

So now I'm divided about which is best. I still like the idea that they tell you what's wrong and you go away and get quotes from different garages and pick the best one but if I could find a really reliable and trustworthy garage I would rather just have my MOTs done there so unless anyone knows of any around Tyneside/Newcastle...?

They charge £54 for the MOT. A taxi driver we got talking to said that they are very thorough but good. Despite everything, this is the first time my car has really passed it's MOT for donkeys years!:D

mcjordi

at least it wasnt the cam/timing belt.. lol

they are good but my xsara failed the mot and the retest on the handbreak on a tiny little !!!!!!! clip got it mot'd at citroen as i got a free mot and passed when i put new adjusters on it then the head gasket went..

oh mine went to the one in chilton, co.durham