SportKa MOT advisories question - oil leak

AliceBanned

PS I have seen cheap angle grinders on ebay for £15. Perhaps I should invest in one.


I discovered a socket in the hallway on the ground floor of my block of flats (used by the cleaners when they vacuum). I could cheekily park outside for an hour or so if I needed to do the work (during a weekday perhaps) and use an extension lead. Think this would do a much better job?


It would be against the lease agreement but if I parked round the side I doubt anyone would mind too much if I was quick.

AliceBanned

One more thing - I have spotted three more patches of rust further along the same sill - one on the corner close to the seat belt. I am starting scraping the paint away on this bit and it is flaking off with rust underneath. I am beginning to wonder whether the whole sill will need replacing, in which case the car isn't worth keeping?


MOT is Feb.


There is also rust starting around the fuel cap - bubbly bits which are quite small so should I make a start on these now whilst they are small?


Many thanks for any advice!:)

Joe_Horner

The bits in the photo almost certainly look worse than they are. A good scrub with a manual wire brush and some rust converter should sort it out, and theres a good chance that the bit further along will be the same.

An angle grinder would certainly make this stuff easier. A medium grit flap wheel would have that back to bare metal in about 2 minutes flat. Cheap ones tend to burn out if you use them heavily (usually for cutting) but some light sanding shouldn't upset even £15 ones.

Rust around the filler is, curiously, more of a concern on these. They have a very well known habit of rotting through from the inside in that area and, thanks to being so small, the filler is within the "prescribed area" for the rear set belt mounts which means that any rust holes there are considered structural.

It's also a nasty (as in expensive) area to have welded because you really need to drop the fuel tank out unless you have a bit of a suicidal streak - welding near a filler tube full of petrol fumes really isn't recommended..

Give the area a good hard prod with a (preferably gloved) hand and see if there's any sign of the metal giving way. Firm thumb pressure will give you a good idea of whether it's sound or not. The glove is in case your thumb suddenly goes through - rust holes have nasty sharp edges! If it all feels solid then it may be worth sanding back (by hand) and treating the bubbles - you won't know for sure without trying.

Incidentally, if you do get an angle grinder and decide to try cleaning up that area the same thing applies - don't be tempted to use the grinder near the filler. The sparks and fuel vapours really don't mix well. You'd probably get away with it (and there may well be someone along to say they've done similar without problems) but even an empty fuel tank can leave a nice "you shaped" hole in the nearest wall if it does decide to go off. When it comes to petrol vapours, if in doubt - DON'T!

AliceBanned

Thanks Joe.


Some sad news - I scraped away round the petrol cap and there is a tiny hole. . It is right at the inner edge just under the rubber bit so I can't get to it properly. Nevertheless I've sanded down the rest as well as I can. It is just a tiny bit right at the inner edge but looks like as you say from the inside - as there is a hole.


I have made good the sill all over. Silly me - the bubbly bits I saw are the areas I treated last time.They are now showing new rust - yet anyway. I forgot I had gone all the way along and the front and back bits were the last ones to do on the sill.


So what do you recommend I do about the petrol cap area? Would it fail MOT with a hole there? Presume it is potentially quite dangerous. On the positive side it doesn't look like a lot of rust - unless it is in a part that I can't see. I am not at all keen to tackle this area further - for the safety reasons mentioned.Decided anyway not to get an angle grinder as I've done the rest manually and it is ok now - find the sanding manually therapeutic.


Oh before you replied I had a brainwave that the Hammerite was needed on the other bit - and I've done this now and added the stone-chip paint - will leave overnight to dry. I've primered the other bits on the sill after sanding (including the corner bit by the seatbelt.


Poor little Ka. I hope I don't have to let her go next MOT.

AliceBanned

Typo above - the bits I treated last time are NOT showing new rust.

AliceBanned

Although Joe I just found this online - may be possible for me to do it this way? It doesn't mention actual holes though so I guess the area may need replacing so that it is safe?


http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/7640-blistering-paint-around-filler-cap/

Joe_Horner

It's a tricky one. The problem with that area isn't that it really affects safety, it's just that it's within the "magic" 30cm radius of the rear belt mounts. There's still plenty of metal that will stop the mounts failing but the MOT is (should) be done by numbers nowadays.

That means that any perforation within 30cm of a steering, suspension, brake or seat belt mount will normally fail. The criteria in the manual is:



6. Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or supporting panelling within 30cm of a seat belt anchorage

Some of the nicer testers out there might decide that a very small hole in an area like that doesn't count as "excessive" but most will play on the safe side and fail - partly on the basis that what you can see is only the obvious bit.

One alternative, if it has a centre lap belt in the back (not sure if Ka's do?) is to remove the seat belt on the offending side. You're only required to have 2 belts in the back regardless of the number of seats (one must be a 3-point belt on an outer seat but the other side will cover that) and, if a belt isn't fitted, its mountings are no longer testable

Of course that only really applies if you're not going to be using that seat but might allow you to get an extra year or two out of it - and possibly have the welding done during that time if the rest is good.

AliceBanned

Ok that's interesting. I almost never have two or more passengers in the back. I only need another year or two out of it really.


I am on quite friendly terms with the garage so would it be a good idea to mention it when it goes for the MOT, if I decide to do that? I would think they might fail it for having a seat but no seat belt?

AliceBanned

Having said that I doubt it has a middle seat in the back..can't remember tbh!

AliceBanned

A friend just reminded me that the filler cap wasn't even mentioned on the advisories last time - so I may be ok. Will see.