Halfords Ambiguous MOT failure

bob_a_builder

There was no free coffee though...

No such thing as a free coffee though !

red_eye

drinkduffbeers wrote: »

Halfords autocentre fitted the tyre then spotted the mistake a year later and refitted it correctly FOC


Anyway lesson learnt. I Just think the independent county council is the way to go for MOT inspection

I don't mind when something is black and white ie tyre tread below 1.6mm or minimum wear depth exceeded on a brake pad.

But an ambiguous failure code like mechanical brake component has restricted free movement is just too open to interpretation and subsequent abuse

All the fail codes are what vosa give on the computer.

mechanical brake component has restricted free movement.
is the handbrake lever/ cable on the rear (or front if its a citron) caliper or drum is not moving or as much as the other side.

drinkduffbeers

red_eye wrote: »

All the fail codes are what vosa give on the computer.

mechanical brake component has restricted free movement.
is the handbrake lever/ cable on the rear (or front if its a citron) caliper or drum is not moving or as much as the other side.

I understand thats a legitamate code however it's ambiguous and open to abuse

I went on a MOT testers forum at the time and there was much discussion to what it even meant.

The facts are
Halfords failed it in 2012 and gave a very poor explanation to explain why it failed.

Local authority passed it in 2012 first time with no further work or advisories

Local authority have just passed it again in 2013 again with no issues

Make your own mind up, Ive firmly made mine up

drinkduffbeers

charliedog000 wrote: »

How much was your MOT at local authority test centre?

Maximum permitted charge. £54 something

Retrogamer

It sounds like perhaps the brake bias load adjustment valve isn't working fully from that description.

It's used so when there is more weight in the back of the vehicle, more % of the braking force is transferred there.

They can seize or become stiff so they either work in a limited capacity, or not at all. It's often overlooked by a lot of MOT inspectors

geezerv

Cambus Mot .co.uk Half price Mot when you book online...£27.43 instead of £54.85 !!

mrmot

drinkduffbeers wrote: »

Do yourself a favour and find your local authority MOT test centre

You will save a lot more than £27.42

I had my MOT done and the car passed with only four advisories which were nothing to do with the brakes, suspension or tyres, not bad for a Ford that's over 20 years old.

For £27.42 I had a MOT done by the book and all to the schedule for which it was booked.

anotheruser

mrmechanic wrote: »

Absolutely no idea where you get this from, but it is definately untrue.
You aren't even close.

Can't stand people who say things like this, but then don't give any indication of their knowledge.
If they aren't close, why not offer your fountain and tell us all how much it really is, according to you of course!


In other news....

you do need to be careful of council owned places though. I had a car passed without a rear light bulb (old bulb wasn't even present), which makes me think what else didn't they check...

mrmechanic

anotheruser wrote: »

Can't stand people who say things like this, but then don't give any indication of their knowledge.
If they aren't close, why not offer your fountain and tell us all how much it really is, according to you of course!

It was stated how much on the post just before mine, so not according to me, Fact.Should have read the thread properly before deciding to have a dig.

And you don't like people who state fact, your choice.
Maybe other people want to know the facts, not just what someone heard the cost was in the pub.

And my knowledge is 23 years as an MOT tester, therefore purchase these MOT Slots on a regular basis.

If I cannot give accurate advice, I won't offer any up.
If I do offer advice it will be accurate.

Lum

anotheruser wrote: »

you do need to be careful of council owned places though. I had a car passed without a rear light bulb (old bulb wasn't even present), which makes me think what else didn't they check...

I've known a few MOT testers who will turn a blind eye to simple stuff like bulbs and just quietly tell you to sort it.

Failing a car on a stupid thing like that causes a huge inconvenience for the owner (e.g. if they needed to tax it that day, or need to go back to work) and takes up the tester's time doing the free retest.

Since bulbs can blow at any time, including 5 seconds after you drive away, it's not a huge risk for them... "It was working when I tested it" and it's not like the customer is departing with an unroadworthy deathtrap that is about to explode all over the road.

I also knew one who kept a load of bulbs in stock and would just replace them during the test and charge a lot less than Halfraud's prices, so you might come back and find your MOT cost 50p more than you were expecting.