MOT

[tamborine]

Last years MOT recommended disc brakes needed renewing, which I didn't do.

This years MOT went thru a garage (for required repairs, if necessary). The only comment was a nail in the tyre needing attention.

No mention of disc brakes as previously. MOTs seem hit & miss with unreliable faults.

[TWR]

Would it have been K.Fit by any chance? if it wanted disks this would have shown up on the brake test & you would have been advised Tam.

[tamborine]

not kfit but am worried why the pads got thru wen they should've been done last year. i've been driving another vehicle and forgot the mot on this car till the reminder. do you think the car is safe?

[denis567]

How's this then? I took a car in for an MOT a few years ago, it was a Citroen BX, so I took it to the main Citroen dealer, and they failed it saying that the hand brake cable had snapped.
I took it to a local garage and they said the cable only wanted adjusting, which they did for free, and passed it for it's MOT

[Andyvon]

Hi Tamborine,

If you're worried about the condition of the brakes have new brakes fitted so you know they are good. Fitting new pads (and shoes if your car has them) is straightforward and any local mobile mechanic or garage will be able to do the work for a reasonable price. They'll also be able to advise you on the state of the discs and other brake parts. If you need new discs they are fairly cheap (£12 each for my car). Don't go to KwikFit though - they don't have a good name. Local owner-operated garages are your best bet for a fair service but try to get some recommendations as it's all a bit of a minefield. Good luck.

[TWR]

Denis, this comes up every time! you do NOT have to use the Dealers, any garage that is VAT Reg & uses the genuine parts " Velio" will be cheaper time wise, & will not charge over the top prices.

[Toureman]

The reason your vehicle passed the test was because the MOT rules have been changed !

If the braking performance is OK on the rolling road they must pass unless the discs are cracked, heavily scored or thinner than the manufacturers spec.

"hit and miss" is very unlikely now the MOT is computorised and the authorities can keep a close eye on the results.

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

[BertiWooster]

Ahem , could it be that the car has not done many miles since it's last MOT ?

[tamborine]

Less mileage yes but the pads would still be worn as I've not fixed them....yet! Will test them at the castle, wen the R. Standard is down :/

[BertiWooster]

Yes , but it was a recomendation - if the brakes weren't performing at the required level , it would not have passed last year .

So if you had not done many miles since last year , the brakes could still be performing at the required level

[Andyvon]

Just get the pads changed if you aren't sure Tamborine. I don't know what car you have but a set of front pads for my Golf was about £15 this year. A local garage would only charge you an hour's labour to fit them.

[maggie01]

My MOT is due in a few weeks time.
I have had fog light replaced . 3 new tyres and just had a service but I am sure they will find something wrong.
Anything wrong with the brakes is worrying.

[SpikeyBush]

I took my car to Ballyrobert Vauxhall in Mallusk, Co. Antrim to have the indicator bulb replaced. They couldn't do it even though they tried for half an hour or so, said it had to be booked in to have the bumper removed. After having it booked in and giving them a hundred of my hard-earned they said the headlight was broken and could not under any circumstances be fixed. I also needed a new air conditioning compressor, suspension strut, pads and discs on the front. All in all they said I needed to spend two grand on this motor.

Now the front o/s suspension does make a bit of a noise when steering sharp at low speeds but it still passed the test like that, there's no play in it. The aircon still works fine. And while there is a bit of a lip developing on the front discs they are still plenty thick enough and I easily changed the pads myself. And the headlight? Well I took the bumper off, had the headlight out, repaired it with 'spit und kleenex' and had it all put back together again in less than an hour.

So the garage quote was two grand. I spent £30 on a new set of pads and in total spent two hours and three cups of tea working on it. And I bet my workmanship is ten times better than the main dealer.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that I need new discs just because there is a bit of a lip developing. It's bo11ox. Just garages touting for business. The mechanic I use for jobs that are beyond my own capabilities is honest when he advises me what needs doing and what doesn't. He is rewarded with return custom and recommendations from me.