Shopping list for the MOT

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Wig is not undermiming a test or self testing.

he is being very MSE and items listed here i will see some fail on so he knows he has to change these before the test or it would be a waste of £45-55.00.

the chaffing you hear on revolution mabye a wheel bearing? is there play in the wheel at all?

i dont see any harm in replacing things you know may cause a problem (advisory) or are a MOT failure.

what i cant stand is someone knowingly taking a car for an MOT knowing that they need some bulbs replacing, wipers are as old as the hills and smear the screen, exhaust blowing so badly it fails on emmisions, and say well i knew it would fail now i got to spend another xyz getting the parts and have it retested although free, you mark the MOT history then.

if he replaces these before MOT and then it passes, theres no added hassle of returning the car back for a second glance taking up more your time.

ive known traders and dealer to put a car in for a new MOT knowing it will fail because theres no antislip provision on the pedals, or one tyre exceeds the legal limit or a headlamp bulb is out, why would they do this you ask, simple chuck it in hope it passes if not just do the smallest amount of work and that the small things he knew about, but before this the car could once have a clean bill of pass everytime it has had an MOT then the dealer or trader or individual goes and screws it up and puts a fail on it otherwise clean bill of health record. my car has never failed an MOT no advisories either its a 54 plate, and i intend on keeping it that way.

fred7777

Wig wrote: »

Front discs and pads
Pads worn out both sides, discs worn to 18.2mm - minimum allowed is 17mm but one disc is scored so might aswell replace the lot

Is it scored so much it will fail it's MOT? Corsa Discs are only 20mm thick to begin with and if the minimum is 17 then in wear terms it's between 1/2 to 2/3rds of it's way through it's life.

Notmyrealname

Wig wrote: »

For my Corsa 2003 1.2 preparing it for the 2012 MOT just had a brief inspection and these are what I found faulty before going to MOT

Front discs and pads
Pads worn out both sides, discs worn to 18.2mm - minimum allowed is 17mm but one disc is scored so might aswell replace the lot

Both antiroll bar drop link boots are split into ribbons, one side has worn ball joint. I replaced one side last year and although that one is not worn yet the boot has split, so I'm not impressed.

Lower ball joint nearside, worn.
Already replaced the drivers side one a few years ago (it was my fault it wore out because I split the boot a year earlier.) but the passenger side has had a natural death. I drilled out the drivers side one, a lot of work, but I guess I'll do the same again.

One rear drum brake is rubbing at single point on each revolution, sounds like chiff....chiff.....chiff.....chiff as the wheel goes round, I'm going to leave that alone as I think it will not be a fail.

One side hand brake slightly looser than the other i.e one wheel locks up tight on 4 clicks the other side locks up tight on 5 clicks, I'm hoping that too will be ok for a pass as to try to balance them is very difficult. I changed all the handbrake cables last year. Terrible design handbrake on the corsa very difficult to get it to be spot on.
.

Wow. What a well maintained vehicle.....:cool:

colino

You have highlighted a short list of easy jobs (and one of the reasons everyone needs to get an annual test!) and should tackle them now. The brakes may well respond to taking off the drums and cleaning them up, but the imbalance you have pointed out will be a fail.

andygb

waynedance wrote: »

Yeah because all the other garages will rip you off ???????

Not all garages rip people off, yes I work at a garage and cars only fail if they are not right. I would say sometimes independents are more forgiving.

Unfortunately Wayne, a lot of people have been ripped off by MOT garages who do the work, which is why I use an independent mechanic who also does MOT tests. Last year I was looking at £1200 to repair my old Mondeo, but using the Indy, the work was done for £350 (a mixture of me doing some of it), which included a cam belt and service.

[Deleted User]

colino wrote: »

but the imbalance you have pointed out will be a fail.

Cite please?

hareng

Quite agree why take the motor in when you know its going to fail. I was in same situation last two weeks but since i intend to do another 35k i put better parts on and not even an advisory.

Discs and pads very very cheap on them so are the complete wishbones, bet the bushes have gone! Mine £38.49 pair complete both sides, plus poly bushes £25 why faff about.

MOT check for imbalance mines within 5% on front, new discs etc not bedded in. Theres a minimum 16% efficiency with handbrake another reason changed rear discs and pads, balance them out.

Wig

phill99 wrote: »

This us what I am trying to elude to. You, OP, are are doing our own 'testing' but you know the criteria under which the vehicle is tested and are therefore undertaking work unnecessarily. Bedsit bob here has pointed this issue concerning parking brakes and it's evident you are 'testing' the vehicle to a different standard than the MOT.

I disagree, as you see I leave things that may pass. The handbrake may pass so I'll leave it, but I had to check it to see if it was so out of balance that I had to do something or to see if the cables are frayed. I have a worn ball joint on the ARB drop link, and I have a worn lower ball joint, if he wouldn't spot those I'd eat my hat. He spotted the ARB balljoint last year so I had to change it. If the lower ball joint won't fail this time it would be an advisory and It would have to be done sometime. So might aswell get it out the way now,
The scoring could fail (scoring is subjective and this scoring is pretty full-on IMHO) but the disc is 2/3rds through it's life, they only cost £30, As I'm under there anyway doing the balljoint and arb struts I might aswell do the brakes now and save having to go under there again within a year.

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Wow. What a well maintained vehicle.....:cool:

Thanks

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

the chaffing you hear on revolution mabye a wheel bearing? is there play in the wheel at all?

I dont see any harm in replacing things you know may cause a problem (advisory) or are a MOT failure.

The chaffing I'm sure is the mating between the lid of the drum and the drum, one of them is either not as circular as the other or the lid maybe slightly warped. As for the other stuff, replace now and forget about it, exactly.

hareng wrote: »

Discs and pads very very cheap on them so are the complete wishbones, bet the bushes have gone! Mine £38.49 pair complete both sides, plus poly bushes £25 why faff about.

Once you get the control arm off the car changing the balljoint is easy, either way you still have to remove and refit a control arm, so the only difference is would the bushes be gone also or will they go at some point in the near future? The drivers side bushes are still fine after 4 years since I changed that side's lower balljoint only, For about £8 IIRC

If your ball joint goes again before the bushes go you can easily unbolt it and put a new one on.

It also might be possible to remove the ball joint with the control arm "on the car", using an angle grinder very carefully. I might try this.

Notmyrealname

Wigs shed of a car proves that VOSA need to spend as much time pulling cars into roadside checks as they do lorries. One would actually argue they need to do it more.