MOT Test

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I'm beginning to get a bit annoyed at this, My car failed a second MOT test today, even worse I missed the date for a free re-test at the centre I'd gone to first.

First test it failed on, 2 front tyres, brake pads being too worn, brake hoses at the front being bad, one brake hoses at the back being bad, steering wheel being loose, that there were stickers on the window obstructing the view, both brake lights being out, and a front side light being out!

on top of that I had advisory warnings on the steel brake lines going to the back brake hoses, the back brake hose on the other side, and the front brake discs...

:(
I actually got most of that fixed myself, (and despite braking the brake callipers on the front on both sides as the bleed screws broke in them), it was actually very cheap to do... (cheap as in £140, including brake discs, brake hoses all around, all the fluid to put into the system, brake pads, and two replacement brake calipers where I'd broken them!)

then I put it into a garage to have the tyres changed, and to fit, (i'd already bought) the brake hoses at the back, (I couldn't get to those on my driveway). anyway, the total bill came to £120, -which really puts into perspective how much I saved doing most of the work myself!

then I had to have another MOT test, and despite fixing everything it fails the test again.

window washers weren't working, rear brake on one side not working (which I think they should have put right before the test as they'd just been working on the brakes), and the emissions test...

somehow the emissions of my car went up 12 fold! from about a fifth of the legal limit right up to three times the legal limit -weird cause I hadn't used the car at all!

anyway, that just means I've spent another evening fixing a vehicle :(

and I notice that the chain on my bike really needs changing as well...
 
I had to look up MOT test. Never heard of that before.

Sometimes it can be a real pain to keep things running. Here in California we don't have a MOT test, but we have the dreaded Smog test! I lived in Hawaii for a number of years, they don't have smog tests they have Safety Inspections. I remember going with my younger brother to get his car safety inspected. His car was the perfect surfermobile. If you parked it in a junk yard, you may never find it again. I looked so bad, but everything worked on it. As soon as a mechanic took one look at it they would make some kind of excuse so they didn't have to inspect it. Finally, after about three trys, we parked where the mechanic couldn't see it as we requested the inspection. The guy was amazed that it passed.

I hope you get everything squared away. :)
 
I assume that the smog test is the same as the emissions test part of the UK...

I often find it hard to believe that in America there doesn't seem to be a national safety inspection for cars! do they just assume that you'll all regularly service your cars and make sure that they are safe?

In Britain, (in fact all of Europe I think), there are minimum standards for just about everything on the vehicle, if your car can't get through it's MOT then you can't drive it on the road...

on top of that even if your car is safe, if you don't have a current MOT test certificate to prove that it is safe then your insurance becomes invalid and you can be fined/imprisoned for driving your car on the road!
 
Never heard of a MOT test...

Nothing like that in Ohio. If it runs, drive it...that's our motto...
 
not being funny, but doesn't that scare you a bit?

I mean a careful owner would maintain their car... but not everyone is a careful owner...

I'd like to think that I was a careful owner, but clearly from the first test I had pretty much no material left on my brake pads, the brake discs (rotors) were worn out, the flexible hoses were really perished to the extent that they were pretty dangerous and I was just running around in the car without a care in the world!

How many people do you think that there are running around in dangerous cars just waiting to cause an accident cause their brakes are as worn out as mine were?
 
You know it is a little bit scary. However, in all seriousness, there aren't that many vehicles that are in that bad a shape out there. Sure you'll see some here and there that make you wonder how they got it running, but for the most part everyone drives ok cars. I'm sure there are cars out there that don't have brake pads and that have leaky hoses that look ok. However, if you start worrying about what everyone's brake pads look like and how safe they are, then you'll start worring about how safe the roof over your head is, how safe the water pipes carrying your water are, how safe the bridge your crossing is, and pretty soon you won't want to go anywhere or be around anything that might be dangerous.

Plus your much more likely to get in a wreck because someone was texting and driving as opposed to someone watching what they were doing and having a brake failure.
 
I assume that the smog test is the same as the emissions test part of the UK...

I often find it hard to believe that in America there doesn't seem to be a national safety inspection for cars! do they just assume that you'll all regularly service your cars and make sure that they are safe?

In Britain, (in fact all of Europe I think), there are minimum standards for just about everything on the vehicle, if your car can't get through it's MOT then you can't drive it on the road...

on top of that even if your car is safe, if you don't have a current MOT test certificate to prove that it is safe then your insurance becomes invalid and you can be fined/imprisoned for driving your car on the road!

Yeah, there must be some safety requirements regarding tyre tread etc
 
not being funny, but doesn't that scare you a bit?

I mean a careful owner would maintain their car... but not everyone is a careful owner...

I'd like to think that I was a careful owner, but clearly from the first test I had pretty much no material left on my brake pads, the brake discs (rotors) were worn out, the flexible hoses were really perished to the extent that they were pretty dangerous and I was just running around in the car without a care in the world!

How many people do you think that there are running around in dangerous cars just waiting to cause an accident cause their brakes are as worn out as mine were?


Yeah it is scary, but if you think of the logic of driving in general.. That is also scary..
I mean take the general amount of cars around you on any given highway.
Say... maybe 6 at most? That's if you aren't driving fast.
All six drivers (if no one changed lanes or moved or exited and no one else entered) Have to work together. With about being able to actually speak to each other.
All moving at a high rate of speed that could kill anyone of them in a moment.

What I suggest to you, not sure who does your MOT test. But I would suggest trying to find another person/company to do your MOT test.
Sounds to me like you might be getting ripped off.

I mean if you just replaced all the brakes and stuff and they then tell you a problem with a brakes... ah.. Red flag anyone? Grant it that you didn't mess up the brake job.
 
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