Service and MOT

[Paddington]

With a month to run on my MOT ,took my car into a garage for a service and MOT. In the past any minor things have been attended to before the MOT and anything else pointed out where work is needed to get a pass. With a month to run they can get the parts in and my car can be fixed in the next couple of weeks. This seems to have changed, MOT first, your car has failed (brake pipes) it cannot be driven. No we don't have a courtesy car, but we can do the service in the next few days... luckily OH had been doing some shopping in her car, so I was able to get home. After ten days of delays and steadily mounting costs, my car was ready for collection, well not quite ready as arriving I was told they were just giving it a wash and valet. As a farm car it doesn't get much of this attention. Another hour kicking my heels before we could drive home. OH remarked they must have used a bucket of water but forgotten the sponge and there were piles of mud, stones, straw etc under the floor mats. Dealers !

 

[Mur Huwcun]

Once it’s failed it’s failed unfortunately as then if it’s a dangerous fault then obviously shouldn’t be driven. Most places now put the car straight through MOT as they want the fails as the government and who ever else runs MOTs have been contemplating two yearly MOTs etc. years ago if a car failed on ramp for a bulb, wiper blade, tyre or brake pads it was done there and then and passed but this didn’t give a rwalistic statistic. Apparently the pass rate of three year old cars (first mot) is fairly shocking as most motorists now just turn the key and go and have no idea that a car needs checking over fairly regular. My brother had a Clio years ago and we were shocked to find that he hadn’t serviced it while he had it. He had been under the impression that it was serviced and given new wheels on every MOT!!!

 

[Lincs Lass]

With a month of valid MOT left , the garage can't refuse you to drive it away .
You've been driving it with the faults so you could have driven it home .
My old Toyota Colorado failed on rotted chassis, break pipes , couple of minors .
Garaged asked what I wanted to do , don't bother fixing it .
I drove it home , advertised it with it's faults and imminent MOT expiry .
Two guys of Asian origin turned up from 200 miles away .
It was driven back to where they came from .
A year later I checked it's mot history , they had fixed it as it was was still on the road .

 

[steveR]

With a month of valid MOT left , the garage can't refuse you to drive it away .
You've been driving it with the faults so you could have driven it home .
My old Toyota Colorado failed on rotted chassis, break pipes , couple of minors .
Garaged asked what I wanted to do , don't bother fixing it .
I drove it home , advertised it with it's faults and imminent MOT expiry .
Two guys of Asian origin turned up from 200 miles away .
It was driven back to where they came from .
A year later I checked it's not history , they had fixed it as it was was still on the road .

Probably taxi driving it......

 

[steveR]

Our vehicles are all maintained by a travelling mechanic and have been for 25 odd years.

MOT's are arranged by him as any minor defects are sorted there by him then, or very occasionally brought home and fixed as soon as bits arrive. MOT then issued.

Bigger potential fails such as suspension etc, it comes home and is then sorted and THEN has the MOT retest.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Should have cleaned up brake pipes and greased em up, if you do that before they start to go there fine for years,

I go through my cars pre mot and do any repairs prior not had a fail for over 15 years but I did used to do that for people as a self employed mechanic so I know what they look for simple enough though

Like lincs lass says it’s you car you can drive it home if you want and technically it still has a valid mot

 

[Wellytrack]

You’re all fortunate you don’t have the Northern Irish system. It’s a nightmare presently and has been for a year.

Be lucky to see a test this side of Christmas if you booked today.

 

[farmerm]

With a month to run on my MOT ,took my car into a garage for a service and MOT. In the past any minor things have been attended to before the MOT and anything else pointed out where work is needed to get a pass. With a month to run they can get the parts in and my car can be fixed in the next couple of weeks. This seems to have changed, MOT first, your car has failed (brake pipes) it cannot be driven. No we don't have a courtesy car, but we can do the service in the next few days... luckily OH had been doing some shopping in her car, so I was able to get home. After ten days of delays and steadily mounting costs, my car was ready for collection, well not quite ready as arriving I was told they were just giving it a wash and valet. As a farm car it doesn't get much of this attention. Another hour kicking my heels before we could drive home. OH remarked they must have used a bucket of water but forgotten the sponge and there were piles of mud, stones, straw etc under the floor mats. Dealers !

That last word is your first mistake......

 

[Limcrazy]

Northern ireland system is much fairer with government body doing the tests not making work for themselves and treating everyone with equal distain.
Waiting times are bad atm for sure.

 

[Lincs Lass]

A month before it's expiry date is a pre test , I do it every time , gives you time to fix problems before it does expire , that's why they say , you can present the vehicle no sooner than ??? to preserve the anniversary date .
After the expire date they can refuse to hand over the keys if it a dangerous fail because the insurance would also become invalid

 

[suffolksmallholder]

With a month of valid MOT left , the garage can't refuse you to drive it away .
You've been driving it with the faults so you could have driven it home .
My old Toyota Colorado failed on rotted chassis, break pipes , couple of minors .
Garaged asked what I wanted to do , don't bother fixing it .
I drove it home , advertised it with it's faults and imminent MOT expiry .
Two guys of Asian origin turned up from 200 miles away .
It was driven back to where they came from .
A year later I checked it's mot history , they had fixed it as it was was still on the road .

I flagged down an asian driven taxi when dropping the children off at school.
I’d spotted it crabbing along the road.

The very pleasant driver pulled up to the kerb with the front wheels fairly close and the back wheels 9” away!
In those days it could have been a cut-n-shut made from the better half of a front and a better half of a rear.
I just explained to him that if it was my vehicle I would get it checked over PDQ
SS

 

[tepapa]

I'd look up the rules. As far as I'm aware if the car fails a test before it's expiry date, it fails, and the previous MOT is now void. You can stop the test mid way before completion if they've found a failure and the old MOT will still be valid until it's expiry.

 

[spanners and hammers]

surely if you leave the test station , after they have found a fault , you are now knowingly driving a vehicle on the road that not road worthy

 

[Lincsman]

I'd look up the rules. As far as I'm aware if the car fails a test before it's expiry date, it fails, and the previous MOT is now void. You can stop the test mid way before completion if they've found a failure and the old MOT will still be valid until it's expiry.

The thing is if it's a dangerous fail you do not drive ...eg tyre badly cut, ....chip in screen where driver looks you can take it home.

I despair at times while waiting for my Car, people bring them in with a sidelight not working so it fails, and they tell me they are the only ones to open the bonnet one year to the next on some customer cars.!

 

[Wellytrack]

Northern ireland system is much fairer with government body doing the tests not making work for themselves and treating everyone with equal distain.
Waiting times are bad atm for sure.

I used to think our system was less open to abuse of folks now I’ve changed my mind. Pass rates are largely determined by what test centre you take a car to, who sees it and just how far along on their manstrual cycle they are.

 

[Netherfield]

One of my nieces rings me up, 'red light has come on dashboard, mum and dad are on holiday, what can I do'.

I went down and had a look, no oil showing on the dipstick, 'don't you ever check the oil' says I , 'well no, but it only passed the test last week, why didn't they spot it then.

Turned out the car was 5 years old and had never been serviced in the 3 years they'd had it, drips of oil on the drive didn't alert anyone to a problem either.

 

[steveR]

One of my nieces rings me up, 'red light has come on dashboard, mum and dad are on holiday, what can I do'.

I went down and had a look, no oil showing on the dipstick, 'don't you ever check the oil' says I , 'well no, but it only passed the test last week, why didn't they spot it then.

Turned out the car was 5 years old and had never been serviced in the 3 years they'd had it, drips of oil on the drive didn't alert anyone to a problem either.

Cannot say I am surprised...

No.1 daughter here for all her good points, is dreadful on car care.... Rocked up here one time, driven from London, MOT well out of time. I usually have to go round it for oil and air while she is visiting. Happily, the son is better and even has tools and a compressor in his motor.... and has been known to use both!

 

[box]

OP got sucked in. Better luck next time.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10160661232355112

 

[bravheart]

Not every car has a dipstick these days of course.

 

[dun tilling]

Not every car has a dipstick these days of course.

what about the one behind the steering wheel ?
Our Garage always does a pre test inspection and rectification , if ok then tested