UK MOT's

[CrewCab]

Mmmmmmm   ............. can you pull the ABS fuse and try it    

<edited to add>    or have we already been down that road

CC

[Darren]

Mmmmmmm   ............. can you pull the ABS fuse and try it    

CC

if only I knew where is was? It's a good point though.......I'll look into it.

It's a bit of a pain as the tester was getting tired of me. I went back four times in all after trying different things. I didn't allow the testing station to do any work so he wasn't getting paid for anything with each test which took up his time. I don't agree with testing stations finding faults just to get work in. I guess he got fed up in the end and gave me a pass.
But we have to come back to the same conclusion that a 60% imbalance on the front brakes would be dangerous whilst at the same time this car brakes very nicely and safely on the road.
When the wheels are tested individually they both have the same pressure giving very good results. When tested together one is 60% down on pressure. It just doesn't make any sense to me or the tester?

I'm going to try to find another testing station and see what happens on another machine. At this moment in time I think that would be a wise move.

[dsquire]

if only I knew where is was? It's a good point though.......I'll look into it.

It's a bit of a pain as the tester was getting tired of me. I went back four times in all after trying different things. I didn't allow the testing station to do any work so he wasn't getting paid for anything with each test which took up his time. I don't agree with testing stations finding faults just to get work in. I guess he got fed up in the end and gave me a pass.
But we have to come back to the same conclusion that a 60% imbalance on the front brakes would be dangerous whilst at the same time this car brakes very nicely and safely on the road.
When the wheels are tested individually they both have the same pressure giving very good results. When tested together one is 60% down on pressure. It just doesn't make any sense to me or the tester?

I'm going to try to find another testing station and see what happens on another machine. At this moment in time I think that would be a wise move.

Darren 

Having just read this post about the individual testing of the wheels. Do you mean both front wheels together gives 60% imbalance and then left front wheel seperate is OK and right front wheel seperate is OK. If this is the case then I think it is a fault in the test machine and you would be well to have it tested at another test station.

If I remember correctly this is a 4 wheel drive? When doing the test is the veichle in neutral with the motor idleing?

I know these might seem like a lot of dumb questions sometimes but it might just cause someone to spit out a word that you can take to the bank.

Cheers 

Don

[Darren]

Evening Don, You understand the situation perfectly, that's the strange thing. Tested individually each wheel has very good and almost identical pressure, within 2psi of 180 or so.
So about 0.5% difference.

But when tested together there is a 60% difference which flags up a fail ......sorry I didn't make that clearer at the start.

To me this all sounds very illogical....

It's just two wheel drive at the front, but I don't think this has any bearing on the issue?

[Darren]

I should add that what happens is the left side lags behind in time as the pressure builds up, but they both end up equal in the end.....I wish I had a graph to show to make it clearer.......

But that's not to say it's the car that's lagging, it could be the machine. We just don't know at this point.

[dsquire]

I should add that what happens is the left side lags behind in time as the pressure builds up, but they both end up equal in the end.....I wish I had a graph to show to make it clearer.......

But that's not to say it's the car that's lagging, it could be the machine. We just don't know at this point.

Now we are seeing something. The reason the left side lags behind is because there is a restriction some someplace in the system. It could be in the steel lines, the flex hose or the caliper.

Jack the front end up so that the tires clear the ground. Have someone apply the brakes and hold them for a bit untill they would have built up full pressure. Try to turn the wheel by hand and see how soon the brake releases allowing the wheel to turn. Repeat with other front wheel. Do this several times and compare one against the other. If one takes longer to release than the other then there is something restricting the flow of brake fluid. Compare this with the different rates of buildup when tested on the machine.

We will nail this one yet Darren.

Cheers

Don

[Darren]

Thought you might like the hear the latest up date on the brake situation. I took my car to another testing station today and there is nothing wrong with my brakes. Not only that the balance was exceptionally good according to the tester.

Whilst I'm very pleased to hear this I'm also not very happy at the same time as I'm out of pocket of over £200 and been without my car for two weeks.
A very annoyed Darren.

[bogstandard]

Darren,

Reminds of the chap called Wheeltapper Fred.

He rejected every loco wheel he tried, until he found that it was his hammer that was cracked.

Was the work carried out by recognised people? If so, you might have a good case against the testing station, for recovery of your uneccessary repair costs. Don't complain to the testing station, but much higher up, or even trading standards.


John

[Darren]

Don't worry John I have a big gob and that works quite well in a small community.

My exp with authorities makes me want to bury them along with the crooked incompetent tester.......

[dsquire]

Thought you might like the hear the latest up date on the brake situation. I took my car to another testing station today and there is nothing wrong with my brakes. Not only that the balance was exceptionally good according to the tester.

Whilst I'm very pleased to hear this I'm also not very happy at the same time as I'm out of pocket of over £200 and been without my car for two weeks.
A very annoyed Darren.

Darren 

That is good news. I know that it can be a darn frustrating situation when it is happening to you.   

I think I would be asking some questions of other customers that use this testing place. The best people to ask are usually people that don't have any understanding of vehicles such as most females. I hate places that rip customers off just because they don't understand vehicles like you or me.


Over here we have to get a vehicle emissions tests done every 2 years. When you go for a test it is one price which is fixed by the government. The tests are all conducted by computer. If you pass then good. If you fail then repairs have to be made but can be made by any garage or yourself. By law you can bring the vehicle back to the same station for retesting and they have to retest it for half price. It is in their best interest to pass you the first time around. Some of these stations will make repairs if you want but some only do the tests so they want you in and out as quick as possible and don't want to see you for another 2 years.

Cheers

Don

[CrewCab]

Glad you've got to the bottom of the problem Darren, though I'm not entirely surprised at the outcome. The garage should have a QA system/procedure in place to ensure regular calibration and the accuracy of their equipment, whilst they are happy to take your money for the MOT test they have a duty of care to make sure the service they provide is acceptable (Like an MOT for the MOT centre), and to be fair, I believe the regulatory authority for MOT stations has very sharp and fearsome teeth.

What I'm saying is, imho, you should tell them asap, I would think they will want to sort the problem out themselves, quickly, including reimbursing you for their co*k up rather than having Big Brother investigating their competence to carry out MOT's on behalf of HMG, their licence to undertake MOT's is basically their lifeline to an income, I doubt they would want to jeopardise that.

CC

[jim]

i'm glad you got it sorted, 

[Divided he ad]

Hi Darren.... Just read through all the events of the last few days.... Sorry I missed the "fun!"


I would think from passed experience that there may be a hydraulic fluid deficiency in the left hand brake test roller?  ( it was the left that was slow rising?)

I have seen this before when I worked in Mold (random town name!) The seal in one of the rollers hydraulic units (like a slave cylinder) was worn in it's bore and allowing fluid (brake fluid actually) to seep past it, completely screwing up the figures..... We figured it out when 3 cars had the same results!!!

You only have them calibrated once a year.... Like an MOT, time of test and all that!
Remember your brake cylinder could fail at any time in the year between tests couldn't it? You would realise the cylinder could fail at any time and therefore if you caused damage to something like a car/wall etc you would probably try and sort it out the best you could without being out of pocket? (insurance excess etc)
As it is the garage caused you stress and a 200 note bill.... you could possibly reclaim much of this without resorting to the "headmaster!"


Maybe a quiet word with the test station might help? they might service your motor or something as compo... Good luck getting cash out of them!

I never told you this but... If the tester doubts his rollers he can use the decelerometer in an emergency situation i.e. the rollers fail and he has cars booked in, he has to notify VOSA and the repair guys for the rollers etc.... From memory he has a few days that this can be used for to get the rollers repaired then he has to stop testing till repairs are made to satisfaction..... At least that is how it used to be, well that's how we did it anywho.



Reason for the line I take.....

VOSA (used to be the MOT) by the way are a bunch of B45ta£&s and I would not trust them as far as I could throw anyone of there "experts".

Idiots nearly lost me my job because of a "misinterpretation" of the wording about orange and white light in an indicator of all things.... Sounds minor but when the testers "pionts system" allows you 80 before you are struck off and they decide that 20 are issued for a "mis-fail" the 4 indicators that had pealed the orange paint off them due to heat over time and use, meaning that they where showing 1/2 white light in the upper part of the lens that I failed and they overturned meaning I got 80 points for 1 test!!!!!

Then I had to go for re-training (after a small "sign to admit guilt" or face a crown court thing    Yes, it's classed as a fraud case against the public! Obtaining money through deception. Since you are classed as a civil servant you're up for a slap if you don't take it on the chin and re-train. (I have no idea who wrote these rules!)

anyway... I went to the re-training and was told in the "tell me what you did to be the naughty boy I see before me" bit of the re-training that it was ridiculous and that ANY white light from an indicator was an instant fail, be it from a cracked orange lens or a peeling bulb!!!!

The gem of it was...... Because you had to sign the "admission of guilt" papers before the re-training I couldn't get the damn thing overturned and VOSA were fully protected against any fight I could muster.   As said..... Bas7$£ds


Slightly   But you started me off!  



Just might be the issue? ... The hydraulics in the roller system that is..... Not your indicators!  




Glad you got the motor sorted in the end..... Quite an epic battle..... I must post a bit about my new motor sometime..... You'll love that.... Already cost me 300 notes and 2 days off the road.... Oh, and a replacement cylinder head  



A story for another day I think..... I've got about 300 pages to read to catch up!!




Ralph.

[Darren]

Thanks for your insights Ralph, quite an interesting read. Totally agree on your views of those in authority, though I suppose I could uses them to my advantage this time. Trouble is those sorts tend to bite back at the same time they are pretending to help you.

I was thinking along the lines of they would probably want to test the car themselves and no doubt try their damned hardest to find something, anything, as much as possible wrong to attack the MOT tester with. While at the same time leaving me in the poo poo and no doubt telling me in the process that I couldn't drive the car home and would need a transporter before 4pm.....etc...etc

Can you tell.....I don't like authority much......cos they are mostly jumped up self opinionated ..........

[Divided he ad]

You're certainly correct about your car. If they re-tested it who knows what they might pick up on?

It's all meant to be an "even test" given at any station..... But that is complete carp!

I know testers who are so relaxed they're almost horizontal and others so keen they'll fail you for the tax disc holder impairing view if it's an inch too far to the right!



you've certainly got an interesting situation to sort out anyway!




Keep us posted.





Ralph.

[John Hill]

Some battle can be won but some cannot and it is pointless to shorten one's life worrying about it.

[bogstandard]

I usually take mine down to the local council MOT station, where they do the dustbin wagons and all the other council vehicles.

Always had a fair deal, usually cheaper than the local garages, and they fit you in when you want to go, not when they can get around to you. A totally neutral, but fair MOT, never had a single complaint about them, their machines are all up to scratch, and do the retest for free if you take it back within a certain time, unless it requires the rolling road, then there is a small retest fee.

John

[Darren]

usually cheaper than the local garages,

That's because you've already paid for it once......and now a second time when you actually use it......

[John Stevenson]

Darren,
what with Ebay and MOT's you don't seem to have much luck.

Did you hunt whales in a previous life 

John S.

[Darren]

I'm still haunting Wales.......