NEW MOT's

[pbottomley]

How annoying is this new MOT routine, took an hour to be told it was a failure instead of 30 minutes like the old test used to say !!!

Oh failed on headlight adjustment and a number plate bulb, front pads too low and one wheel bearing

Mega annoying is I just orgainised some new bearings for the "just in case" draw!! not got them yet so ferk! Front Disc pads.... No idea where to get a set today ..

[Clara]

Hang on a second, what new MOT routine?

[pbottomley]

OHH well £119 including the MOT fe later I will have the car with yet another 12 months on it (say will as they havent done the work yet) I have accepted the bill for £75 for pads and wheel bearings, as if i take the car away and do the work myself i need to drive all over the place to get the bearings and pads, do the work and go back and re pay the MOT fees. Which in some half arsed way means the £75 is actually only £36 ...

I am sure people get the idea, NO FREE RETEST anymore unless its poxy light bults or a tyre that can be changed on site, they have been VERY genious to keep the car until the bits arrive do the work and slip a free re test in....


£119 less toward fun mind

[northern nutter]

A good tip for you paul find a GOOD mot place and stay with them.
Every year i use the same one for all my cars i give my cars a going over befor taking them. He would not fail me on a head lamp he would put it right for me.

Deon

[Clara]

I am sure people get the idea, NO FREE RETEST anymore unless its poxy light bults or a tyre that can be changed on site, they have been VERY genious to keep the car until the bits arrive do the work and slip a free re test in....

Blast, guess I'll just have to look all sweet and spice next MOT time.

[droopsnoot]

The comment about finding a good MOT tester is a valid one. I had my car welded and painted at the local Vauxhall dealer some time ago, and kept taking it back there for an MOT, so if they had a problem with welding I could point them to their bodyshop. For example the backing sills were welded inside the section before the outer was fitted, so you could see the panels but not any welding from the outside.

The last time the car went in there it came back with the following list of ridiculous "fails" (along with some more valid ones):

No door mirrors - I argued that the car doesn't need them, and when the tester went to get the book and actually read it, he grudgingly agreed. Not before virtually a stand-up row in the middle of the showroom, though.

No visible VIN number - "we've looked everywhere and can't find a VIN plate". Hmm, didn't think of looking on top of the dash where it is on all the new Vauxhalls in the showroom, then.

Exhaust blowing - I dismantled and rehung the exhaust twice, after which the tester admitted that it might just be noisy because it's a tubular manifold and large-bore system. Thanks, I needed to spend all that time under my car for no reason.

Missing rear anti-roll bar - I explained that the HPF doesn't have one, and I can prove it with the Vauxhall dealer technical note that describes the changes when it was announced. But because someone has fitted one in the past and when it was removed part of the mountings were left on, they failed it. It took ages to get the old mounts off, partly because when they repaired the inner rear arches they welded over one of the mounts.

And after seven years of passing it, they failed it for insufficient weld on the backing sills. The bodyshops first comment was "how come it's been fine for the last seven years?", my thoughts precisely. To their credit, though, even though it had been so long they did weld it up properly at no charge to me, and didn't burn all the paint off.

Now that's fixed, I take it to an independent MOT station. It costs less, and last year all I had to do was free off the handbrake linkage and it sailed through.

[Sid]

Agreed. I'd been fortunate enough to have a "friendly" MOT tester for the last 20 years who wasn't concerned by modifications, noisy
exhausts, etc. as long as the car met all the "safety" requirements of the MOT.

Unfortunately he's now retired and I'm worried I'm gonna have trouble finding another bloke who's as friendly towards old and modded
cars.
As you say, most of them dont even realise that our cars are exempt from many of the regs that apply to modern cars. I heard of one
classic owner recently failing an MOT for having no hazard or fog lights!

Sid

[pbottomley]

Thanks for tips guys,

As I have only lived in the area for three years, I didnt fancy driving 100 miles to my old place for an MOT.

The last place I used in Nuneaton passed it but spent so long *Bleep* around with stupid things I felt I had to find a new place. As it is I am very happy with the results of this place. Its an Independant vauxhall centre, they all seem to know what they are doing.

The only advisory was a small blow onthe rear box (welder out time)...

The last place even tried to fail it on rusty springs, I actually got them to put it back onthe ramp and show me... the MUD was brushed off them and nothing was wrong.. How the hell do you trust anyone who mistakes MUD for rust!

Second stupid Item Front seat belts not rewinding... Its static seat belts !! FFS I think the boys at the Nationwide service center have never seen an old car?

[Sid]

> Second stupid Item Front seat belts not rewinding... Its static seat belts !!

Bloody hell, that's nothing short of gross incompetance. That MOT tester shouldn't have a licence!
I mean "ignorance" of the rules, such as from what date certain items were required, is bad enough, but inability to recognise the
difference between a fixed belt and an inertia reel is blatant lack of basic mechanical knowledge (or even common sense).
As for the mud of the springs, well, what can I say? It's stupidity beyond belief.
How can such a person possibly be qualified to judge a vehicles roadworthiness.

Sid

----- Original Message -----
From: "pbottomley" <webmaster@vauxhallviva.com>
To: <general@vauxhallviva.com>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:46 PM
Subject: NEW MOT's


>
> Thanks for tips guys,
>
> As I have only lived in the area for three years, I didnt fancy driving 100 miles to my old place for an MOT.
>
> The last place I used in Nuneaton passed it but spent so long *Bleep* around with stupid things I felt I had to find a new place.
> As it is I am very happy with the results of this place. Its an Independant vauxhall centre, they all seem to know what they are
> doing.
>
> The only advisory was a small blow onthe rear box (welder out time)... [Laughing]
>
> The last place even tried to fail it on rusty springs, I actually got them to put it back onthe ramp and show me... the MUD was
> brushed off them and nothing was wrong.. How the hell do you trust anyone who mistakes MUD for rust!
>
> Second stupid Item Front seat belts not rewinding... Its static seat belts !! [Shocked] [Shocked] FFS I think the boys at the
> Nationwide service center have never seen an old car?
> _________________________________________________________
> This email was sent from the vauxhall viva owners club forum
> Visit us at www.vauxhallviva.com



This post was made via email to the Vauxhall Viva Owners Club
Visit us at www.vauxhallviva.com

[Sid]

> The only advisory was a small blow onthe rear box (welder out time)... [Laughing]

Ha ha, after my experience last night with the exploding battery I reckon I'd be inclined to take that back box off the car to weld
it rather than welding close to the old fuel tank

I guess a tank full of fuel vapour and petrol would make a considerably bigger bang than my few cc's of Hydrogen-oxygen mix...and
that was bad enough!

Last nights big-bang experience is enough to give me nightmares about the time I welded my montego's inner wheelarch to within an
inch of the fuel filler pipe. No such foolhardiness in future for me I think!

Sid

----- Original Message -----
From: "pbottomley" <webmaster@vauxhallviva.com>
To: <general@vauxhallviva.com>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:46 PM
Subject: NEW MOT's


>
> Thanks for tips guys,
>
> As I have only lived in the area for three years, I didnt fancy driving 100 miles to my old place for an MOT.
>
> The last place I used in Nuneaton passed it but spent so long *Bleep* around with stupid things I felt I had to find a new place.
> As it is I am very happy with the results of this place. Its an Independant vauxhall centre, they all seem to know what they are
> doing.
>
> The only advisory was a small blow onthe rear box (welder out time)... [Laughing]
>
> The last place even tried to fail it on rusty springs, I actually got them to put it back onthe ramp and show me... the MUD was
> brushed off them and nothing was wrong.. How the hell do you trust anyone who mistakes MUD for rust!
>
> Second stupid Item Front seat belts not rewinding... Its static seat belts !! [Shocked] [Shocked] FFS I think the boys at the
> Nationwide service center have never seen an old car?
> _________________________________________________________
> This email was sent from the vauxhall viva owners club forum
> Visit us at www.vauxhallviva.com



This post was made via email to the Vauxhall Viva Owners Club
Visit us at www.vauxhallviva.com