Mot Time

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

OK, my car went in for it's MOT yesterday, and failed on the brakes.

1, They said the front brakes were out of balance, one side was braking and making the wheels brake un-evenly, which was very dangerous. ( when I drive the car, it brakes in a straight line, but hey, what THEY say goes right..., cos I'd only just put NEW discs and pads on it last Sunday. Warped discs guys from my sticking OSF caliper which I changed).

2,They said the hand brake travel was too excessive. Doesn't everyones hand brake lever pull up some way BEFORE it even clicks? Theres about half of the meat left on the rear pads. I checked them on Sunday. Am sure for an MOT, it has a maximum of 6 clicks right? It clicks 2 times and holds the car, use both hands and it'll click 3!! I'd only had the H/B cables changed a cpl of months back at Millway.

What you guys think? Conned or ok?? hey ae charging me 49 quid an hour labour!! I thought I'd be better off letting THEM do the work, cos the free retest is only if THEY do the work. They said it'd be about 2 hours to strip the front brakes down to see which was sticking, and an hour to adjust the H/B cable. This is the tyre place called Trade Tyres in Sandhurst, down Swan Lane for those of you living in Surrey/Berks area. They've only just started doing MOT's a cpl of months ago. The MOT is 25, which is cheap, but sometimes, cheap isn't everything!!

[EarL]

If you had new disks etc, and the car brakes in a straight line, what are they on about? The brake machine will show flaws in ANY braking system if they want to be pedantic, but there's an acceptable pass mark.

My car passed it's MOT two weeks ago and the hand brake had 5 clicks to full lock. The tester even said about the 6 clicks minimum rule!

Conned...? I'd say so.

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

Does your H/B lever come up a cpl of inches, and THEN click? Mine does come up to about 50 degress, then click 2 times and the car is going no where. You REALLY need to pull on it to make it click 3 times. I think all MR2's h/b lever ' shoot to the sky ' don't they when they are up?!?! D'ya reckon I should get a 2nd opion on all this? After I put my new front discs and pads on, I've driven it about braking gently, and it totally brakes in a straight line, at what ever speed. It'll only pull when theres like tramling in the road or something. I've taken it up to about 60 on a dual carriage way at night to test it, and it still brakes straight, no veering whatsoever. :( Blox. Well, I need an MOT to sell the car, so I need to get it done. Blox. God does it look stupid with the front number plate on!!

[Bibbs]

My HB goes about 90 degrees and you can then push the car down the road ..

Got my MOT Friday ;)

[alexwainwright]

Just take it somewhere else - sorry to say but it really sounds like they are trying to rip you off, which is often the case with the cheaper places for MOTs. At £25 they are making very little profit, and so get their money from trying to find any small problem they can pick you up on. When they mention faulty brakes to someone who isn't really into working on cars, the usual reaction is "Oh My GOD, fix it please!!" ££££££££££ Thank you very much.

I always **** them off by taking the car away and doing the work myself. Always passes the next time when they realise they ain't gonna make a quick buck from me.

Taking it somewhere else may cost you another ~£30, but from what you're saying, it doesn't sound like you need any repairs.

Alex

[jdbecks]

sounds like they are taking ya for a ride!

i would tell em where to go

[AE82 GT]

good point chaps, in fact i was just about to ask the question about peoples handbrakes.

mine to seems to come up about 1/3 + before engagment of the ratchet.

which leads me to another question:

How do you ajust the H/B? any sugestions

[Bobby-H]

good point chaps, in fact i was just about to ask the question about peoples handbrakes.

mine to seems to come up about 1/3 + before engagment of the ratchet.

which leads me to another question:

How do you ajust the H/B? any sugestions

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adjusting the hand break probably wont make any difference to where the ratchet starts to click.

[houston]

theres a plate under the car, above the plastic panels, u cant miss it, use this to tighten up the cable so the handbrake engages sooner.

[JappyBeast]

My handbrake pulls WAY up and it passed recently.

The brake thing sounds a bit rough also.

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

I took the car back in this morning for the work to be done, and they said they'd ring me when it was done. the fone rang at 1:30,

and the matey say's, 'What do you want doing to your car?'

I thought, wtf???

Then he goes, 'Do you want new discs and pads putting on ALL round?'

I thought, wtf???

I asked,' What exactly needs doing to pass the MOT? It's just balancing the front brakes and adjusting the h/b isn't it?'

He retorted, 'So you don't want new brakes then?'

I said, I've only just put new discs and pads on last Sunday.

Matey, What about the rear discs then?

I said, ' Just balance the front brakes and adjust the h/b yeah, so it'll pass the MOT.

Matey, OIC, so you just want it to pass the MOT then?

I don't think I'll be using THAT place again. A reminder to those living in the Surrey/Berks area, the place is called Trade Tyres, down Swan Lane, in Sandhurst. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!

[newtomymr2]

Nasty sods, get a decal made up of the name of the place and telling people not to use them, then just drive around all day and night so plenty of people in your area get the message, should put a dent in their profits, thieving fly by night's :censor:

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

I got a phone call fromthem earlier/later this afternoon, saying they had adjusted my h/b lever, had cleaned off my frontcalipers so they were balanced up now, but I needed to replace one of my front brake hoses, cos they were corroded, but wern't able to get the hose till Friday. If I didn't change the hose, then I wouldn't be able to get a MOT ticket. So I MUST have it changed in order for them to let it pass, even tho it was only an advisory note on the failure sheet, not a failure item. I asked how much all this would cost then at the end, and the guy said it'd cost no more than 200 quid!! I still don't know if that includes VAT or not.

[c_master]

I got a phone call fromthem earlier/later this afternoon, saying they had adjusted my h/b lever, had cleaned off my frontcalipers so they were balanced up now, but I needed to replace one of my front brake hoses, cos they were corroded, but wern't able to get the hose till Friday. If I didn't change the hose, then I wouldn't be able to get a MOT ticket. So I MUST have it changed in order for them to let it pass, even tho it was only an advisory note on the failure sheet, not a failure item. I asked how much all this would cost then at the end, and the guy said it'd cost no more than 200 quid!!  I still don't know if that includes VAT or not.

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DONT DO IT. They obviously have to make some kind of sale with every mot to increase there profit margins enough. if it was only advisory to start with, raise this to them and refuse. They can't hold you to ransom.

btw LMFAO at posting there business name. I wish they could read the post!

[Bibbs]

Corrode? It's a rubber hose

Goodridge hoses are like 80 for all 4 corners ..

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

Trade Tyres, Swan Lane, Sandhurst, Berkshire. DONT go there!!! I only wanted to get the MOT so I could sell it!! Man.

[boundsw]

I have been following this thread...DONT DO IT. there must be some kinda law against that, some kina authority.

Somwone somewhere must issue MOT'ing licences..find out who and give them a call, see where you stand !!

I know that if someone / the authorities recon a garage is doing dodgy MOT's then it gets MOT'd there, and then they take the car to be MOT'd at a garage where the MOT'er (the bloke) holds a government card...basically..he wont be dodgy !!! Then the 'dodgy garage can have their MOT licence taken away !! id check it out mate...dont let them rip you off !!! - GET EM SHUT DOWN .... LOL.

[newtomymr2]

I have been following this thread...DONT DO IT. there must be some kinda law against that, some kina authority.

Somwone somewhere must issue MOT'ing licences..find out who and give them a call, see where you stand !!

I know that if someone / the authorities recon a garage is doing dodgy MOT's then it gets MOT'd there, and then they take the car to be MOT'd at a garage where the MOT'er (the bloke) holds a government card...basically..he wont be dodgy !!! Then the 'dodgy garage can have their MOT licence taken away !! id check it out mate...dont let them rip you off !!! - GET EM SHUT DOWN .... LOL.

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or you could just do it GTA style and blow the place up......maybe

[tooyoung]

I wouldn't do any work from them. Oh and I'm sure there's someone you can complain to.

Moral of this story (what I've learnt from your story aswell) - If you get a cheap MOT with free retest, ask if you can take it somewhere else to get the work done. If they say no, take your business elsewhere!!!

[urotsukidoji_badassdemon]

In their flyer, it says MOT's - 25 quid( sorry, don't have a quid key), Free re-test if we do the work. Well, am going to ask in the garage I usually use 2 doors down from me about a complaints authority for MOT testing places, see what the low down is. BTW, The place is called

Trade Tyres, Swan Lane, Sandhurst, Surrey.

Their phone number is 01252-879911. But don't call them tho, it'll be a waste of your money.

I went in there last year, just to enquire about a price for a cpl of tyres, and I said thanks, and was about to leave when the guy says, ' So I'll order them then'. I said no, I was just after a price. The matey didn't look impressed.

[Bobby-H]

I have been following this thread...DONT DO IT. there must be some kinda law against that, some kina authority.

Somwone somewhere must issue MOT'ing licences..find out who and give them a call, see where you stand !!

I know that if someone / the authorities recon a garage is doing dodgy MOT's then it gets MOT'd there, and then they take the car to be MOT'd at a garage where the MOT'er (the bloke) holds a government card...basically..he wont be dodgy !!! Then the 'dodgy garage can have their MOT licence taken away !! id check it out mate...dont let them rip you off !!! - GET EM SHUT DOWN .... LOL.

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Yes there is, its all here Clicky

[houston]

every mot station does a free retest by law!!!

[mr2mk1g]

every mot station does a free retest by law!!!

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They only have to do that if they do the work the car needs. If you take the vehicle away they are quite within their rights to charge you again.

[System~G]

The place I send my cars to for MOT's charge just under £40 for the test. They offer free re-test regardles of whether they do the work or not.

They are resonable and fair on the test. They also point out work you might want to look into before sending it in for it's next test 12 months down the line where it might not even be bad enough for a caution now.

There's always that saying: "You get what you pay for"

[houston]

ive been told by every mot station that ive been to that by law they have to give a free retest! i even read it on one of the dvla posters that they had on the wall. if they try to charge u again then theyre ripping you off