Post by sylvascotty on Apr 15, 2010 20:36:12 GMT
So, we bought a car from an american friend of ours, a nice big 4x4.
5 months down the line and we take it to a test centre for its MOT, which we expected to sail through.....
The red certificate came back....
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer fluid
OS front seat belt affected by insecure seat fixing
NS front seat belt affected by insecure seat fixing
NS headlight aim too low
OS headlight aim too low
Rear fog lamp missing
Rear fog lamp tell tale not working
NS rear brake pad less than 1.5mm
NS rear Tie bar/rod attachment bracket/mounting bolt missing
NS front braking system leaking
Power Steering box Braking System Leaking
Exhaust emissions CO2 content excessive
First thought....
Missing rear fog light? I was sure I had one when I got the car, and was sure nothing had been ripped off.
Car comes back out front, and lo and behold....The fog light is there!!!!
I mention it to them and I get told that "well it doesnt work, so get it fixed". (ok, I may be a little picky but there is a difference between missing and not working)
I also had trouble finding a missing bolt........it was actually a loose bolt. (technically a loose nut but c'est la vie)
The insecure seat fixings....actually a finger nut at the top of the seat belt fixing....not an insecure seat at all!
I get home, take apart the dashboard to try to get the tell tale working, then have a thunderbolt of a thought
"perhaps if a proffesional test centre can miss a rear fog light, then perhaps they may have missed a few other things"
So, with the dashboard still apart and me confused, I go round the back and touch the rear fog light (which magically reappeared) and it starts working, (as does the tell tale light which is now hanging under the steering wheel!)
Go forward two days ( after having ordered new brake pads) and we meet a mechanic friend who works at a garage (we forgot they did MOTs), so we put it in for another MOT (just to check a few things) and without doign anything....it passes!
OK the aim on the headlights was low, but they just moved them up (easier to move them up and tick the paper than it is to write that they failed)
Brake pads.... they were thin, but not less than 1.5mm ("if they look low then usually people dont bother measuring them)
Emissions.... just needed a little tweek with a screwdriver
and the leaking braking system......it was transmission fluid build up. No leak, basically just gunk! (same for the power steering leakage too!)
So, if you dont want to suffer like we did
DO NOT USE COLLIER ROW MOT TEST CENTRE (BY THE ROLLER BOWL)
We can recommend Compass Garage in Hornchurch, by the Harvester though, VERY good, its where we will be taking our 3 other cars!!!
5 months down the line and we take it to a test centre for its MOT, which we expected to sail through.....
The red certificate came back....
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer fluid
OS front seat belt affected by insecure seat fixing
NS front seat belt affected by insecure seat fixing
NS headlight aim too low
OS headlight aim too low
Rear fog lamp missing
Rear fog lamp tell tale not working
NS rear brake pad less than 1.5mm
NS rear Tie bar/rod attachment bracket/mounting bolt missing
NS front braking system leaking
Power Steering box Braking System Leaking
Exhaust emissions CO2 content excessive
First thought....
Missing rear fog light? I was sure I had one when I got the car, and was sure nothing had been ripped off.
Car comes back out front, and lo and behold....The fog light is there!!!!
I mention it to them and I get told that "well it doesnt work, so get it fixed". (ok, I may be a little picky but there is a difference between missing and not working)
I also had trouble finding a missing bolt........it was actually a loose bolt. (technically a loose nut but c'est la vie)
The insecure seat fixings....actually a finger nut at the top of the seat belt fixing....not an insecure seat at all!
I get home, take apart the dashboard to try to get the tell tale working, then have a thunderbolt of a thought
"perhaps if a proffesional test centre can miss a rear fog light, then perhaps they may have missed a few other things"
So, with the dashboard still apart and me confused, I go round the back and touch the rear fog light (which magically reappeared) and it starts working, (as does the tell tale light which is now hanging under the steering wheel!)
Go forward two days ( after having ordered new brake pads) and we meet a mechanic friend who works at a garage (we forgot they did MOTs), so we put it in for another MOT (just to check a few things) and without doign anything....it passes!
OK the aim on the headlights was low, but they just moved them up (easier to move them up and tick the paper than it is to write that they failed)
Brake pads.... they were thin, but not less than 1.5mm ("if they look low then usually people dont bother measuring them)
Emissions.... just needed a little tweek with a screwdriver
and the leaking braking system......it was transmission fluid build up. No leak, basically just gunk! (same for the power steering leakage too!)
So, if you dont want to suffer like we did
DO NOT USE COLLIER ROW MOT TEST CENTRE (BY THE ROLLER BOWL)
We can recommend Compass Garage in Hornchurch, by the Harvester though, VERY good, its where we will be taking our 3 other cars!!!
