MOT Advisories please help :)

NJ87L

Hey guys, so my first and only car got written off as the engine seized.

I have found a car:
2006 Renault Clio, 66k miles (i have purchased a deluxe car check from rapidcarcheck and this was all passes and clear)
12 MOT's and only ONE fail March this year.
The following is what was left on the Advisories after it was re-tested and PASSED.
PLEASE IGNORE THE TYRE ADVISORIES AS THE CAR HAS HAD NEW TYRES:
I am mainly interested in the two following:
Lower radiator support panel corroding
Offside Suspension arm ball joint has slight play slight wear (5.3.4 (a)

Can anyone advise if these are expensive issues?
The car has had 3 owners, is 1000£. Any insight would be appreciated, thank you.

MOT COMMENTS
Lower radiator support panel corroding
Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wo on outer edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Suspension arm ball joint has slight play slight wear (5.3.4 (a) (i))

AdrianC

Rad panel - it's a grand of 13yo Clio. A bit of corrosion probably isn't a great surprise. What's your long-term plan for the car? If you want to do some preventative maintenance, then a wire brush and some good corrosion-resistant paint, then some aerosol body wax.

Ball joint - bottom one? £20 and an hour's labour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE5l9Pg_MDo

NJ87L

Thank you very much!
My long term plan for the car is a bit different.. I am going to America to live next year, so the car only needs to have a shelf life of a year at most!

Other than the advisories, the car is sound and in very good condition!

leviathan

It's a £1000 car
What's your monthly budget for repairs ?
Are you doing any DIY ?


What was the car with a "siezed engine" and how did that happen?

NJ87L

I'd have some money for repairs per month, avg 100£ per month. My old car did end up costing me around 200 a month for a good 4 months because of issues nearing MOTs last year, this year it has been fine! .. until Tuesday

I also have the ability to SDIFM (Someone do it for me) not DIY - A couple friends are very good with cars.

My old car was a 2005 Clio. I'm honestly not sure what happened, I drove through a puddle (not the deepest one i've ever gone through) and about 30 seconds later, I lost all power to the engine, pulled over and turned the car off and then it wouldnt turn back on. The engine didnt turn over at all, just made a "clunk" sound when the key is fully turned. Due to the age, my insurance company settled with a payout straight away.

AdrianC

Remember - an advisory means it passed. It meets the minimum standard.

NJ87L

TEST DATE
22/03/2019

RESULT
Pass

MILEAGE
60973

MOT COMMENTS
Lower radiator support panel corroding
Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wo on outer edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Suspension arm ball joint has slight play slight wear (5.3.4 (a) (i))
TEST DATE
22/03/2019

RESULT
Fail

MILEAGE
60973

MOT COMMENTS
Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (i))
Offside Front Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened face (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
Lower radiator support panel corroding
Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))
Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))
Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wo on outer edge (5.2.3 (e))
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))



That is the last MOT, and the only one its failed on (as far as the report shows)

AdrianC

I dunno what source is formatting that so badly, because it's mixing the advisories with the fails in the first test as "comments".

Try going to the horse's mouth. https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

Anyway, so the first fail was on front brakes and on a spring. They sorted both, retested, pass.

NJ87L

Sorry Adrian, unsure with the formatting!

These were the Immediate fixes on the failed MOT:

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (i))
Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))
Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

The advisories were as pasted above previously to you all, minus the tyres which were replaced.

All in all... as long as the viewing doesnt give any massive red flags, I think it should be ok

leviathan

Ah, it might have been fixable but who is to know how bad the damage was.

Long term I would think the claim would cost you more in insurance but if you are moving to the US anyway, not a factor.


Seems a reasonble budget. Get your SDIFM to replace the radiator., shouldn't be too much on ebay etc.

NJ87L

Thank you very much Leviathan and Adrian! Fingers crossed when I get there later