Car passed MOT - no speedometer on drive home, very upset.

Mr.Generous

Speedo will either be sender unit or cable, not related to airbags at all. Both mechanical parts that do eventually fail. Your clutch might pack up next week and I doubt that would be the garages fault either.

System

reddwarf2002 wrote: »

From the sounds of it they sound like a cowboy outfit. I think they fully know what they have done to your speedometer.

They've done nothing to the speedo. Also the speedo isn't a MOT testable item so them not noticing it not working isn't anything out of the ordinary given the most it is likely to have been driven is very slowly from a parking bay to the MOT bay to a repair bay and back to the parking bay.

Before slandering firms calling them cowboys because something coincidentally fails whilst at a garage you may want to go learn something about car maintenance and how they work and then you wouldn't make such flippant remarks.

System

marliepanda wrote: »

I guess I just think its crazy to get a car back in worse condition after an MOT and spending £200 to fix it up a little.

Why is it crazy? A MOT test puts stresses on the car that you don't get in normal driving. The steering tends to get put through a range of movement it normally doesn't do, the brakes get used far harder than you normally would and it isn't uncommon for brakes that seemed otherwise OK to suffer a failure during a brake test.

Nothing done in a MOT can cause a speedo to fail.

AdrianC

Tarambor wrote: »

Why is it crazy? A MOT test puts stresses on the car that you don't get in normal driving.

Don't be ridiculous...

The steering tends to get put through a range of movement it normally doesn't do

You don't ever go to full lock while parking? Not that "putting it through the full range of movement" should be any kind of problem... unless it's already shagged.

the brakes get used far harder than you normally would and it isn't uncommon for brakes that seemed otherwise OK to suffer a failure during a brake test.

It's unheard of - unless they were shagged anyway. The braking is not THAT hard. It's a gradual increase of pressure, no more. It's nowhere near as harsh as the sudden application of full pressure that you'd give in an emergency stop situation - ABS doesn't trigger, because the wheels shouldn't lock on the roller.

Nothing done in a MOT can cause a speedo to fail.

...but I'd agree there.


And it's also worth remembering that the MOT doesn't test the speedo. It checks the illumination, and it checks that it isn't "clearly inoperative" (with the vehicle stationary).
https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/m4s06000701.htm


My Landy just passed an MOT the other week with the speedo cable broken and the speedo not doing anything. I'd had the dash out, and obviously put a bit of strain on the cable while refitting it, because it went ping half-way to the test centre.

shaun_from_Africa

Mr.Generous wrote: »

Speedo will either be sender unit or cable, not related to airbags at all.

As it was the passenger airbag that was the problem, it's possible that the dash was removed or pulled forward and by doing this, the speedo cable may have been disturbed.

AdrianC

2004 car is very unlikely to have a cable - it's almost certainly electronic, even on a Micra.

Gloomendoom

:eek:

marliepanda wrote: »

Ive had a car with a totally defunct timing chain before and managed to keep it going for a little longer.

How? Using the starter motor?

marliepanda

Gloomendoom wrote: »

:eek:

How? Using the starter motor?

Totally defunct was probably the wrong word. It was jacketed and would take 5/6 tries sometimes to start, but once going it was fine (unless I stalled...) so totally defunct wasn’t the correct term no doubt.

roddydogs

A working Speedo is a legal necessity but not part of the mot?

reddwarf2002

Tarambor wrote: »

They've done nothing to the speedo. Also the speedo isn't a MOT testable item so them not noticing it not working isn't anything out of the ordinary given the most it is likely to have been driven is very slowly from a parking bay to the MOT bay to a repair bay and back to the parking bay.

Before slandering firms calling them cowboys because something coincidentally fails whilst at a garage you may want to go learn something about car maintenance and how they work and then you wouldn't make such flippant remarks.

Granted it is not a MOT testable item - the OP did mention that they'd been messing around with the electrics (in a later post). We don't know exactly what the garage might have done to diagnose the airbag fault i.e. removing the instrument cluster etc. in doing so might have inadvertently disturbed/damaged something e.g. the speedo dial.

It's not unkown for cars to go in with one fault and come out with additional fault(s). Part of it is due to aging components failing due to stress, but it also happens due to mechanic error e.g. using too much force, not following the correct procedure, taking shortcuts etc.

Recently I had my brake pads changed and the mechanic forgot to put the brake fluid reservoir cap back on. It didn't turn into anything dangerous as I did a precautionary check a few days later just incase they had forgotten. Had I not been able to check it could have potentially had dangerous consequences. Also, if I wasn't clued up about what he might or might not have touched in order to carry out this work then I could not apportion blame to anyone. Just as a side note - he is my regular mechanic and is normally very competent, it was just an oversight.

The problem we as layman have is that it's difficult to tell whether the fault is related to the work carried out and if so, was the mechanic at fault. It also could be pure coincidence, so it is a judgement call which is why I asked the OP if they had frequented the garage previously.

I would ask the OP to double check that their airbag light is working i.e. it comes on and goes off after a few seconds when ignition is on. It's not unknown for people to cover the light up rather than fix it when they can't find an economical solution. Although from May it should be a thing of the past - new MOT rules.