|
|
Post by valhalla on Feb 16, 2021 23:23:13 GMT 1
On paper, the answer to this question should be an emphatic NO, but I'm getting the question asked of me almost every day;
Local garages are picking on the cars running around these parts, and are failing much more on split gaiters, rather than advisory points, for example, even where the fault is quite clearly in the early stages of failure.
This has been quite clear since August last year, and several people have now asked me (as a non-MoT repairer) whether there has been any government policy to "stiffening things up a bit" to try to remove as many older cars over 6years of age from the roads as possible before we come properly out of lockdown. A sort of clear-out of the market to jolly it up a bit.
One or two are vexed enough to consider writing to our local MP, who is (unbelievably) aware of what is going-on right now on the Isle - I filled him in before Xmas. Not only is the litany of advisory points making it impossible to resell any of these cars so affected (2pages of A4 is typical), but there is the question about whether this is really all that good for the environment, given that 6-years is not that old for a car these days.
Hence I'm having to dot-i's and cross-t's on my own transport at this very moment in time, and even then it isn't likely to be able to get a 20-year Disco2 TD5 through an MoT any more - galvanised chassis or not....  |
|
|
|
Post by remmington on Feb 17, 2021 7:28:03 GMT 1
We are getting high MOT failure rates for:
Smoke on diesels - as the owners are not taking them any distance in the lockdown to clear them out!
Tyres/lights on "newer stuff" - give your average motorist an extra six months on the MOT. And this is what happens. Mileage is down and this stuff is not getting picked up on servicing. Proves one thing thou! 4/4/2 was never gonna work!
The amount of tyre failures is unreal - my monthly tyre bill is now huge!
Not really noticed a higher than normal failure for older stuff - I have done alot of "MOT patch welding" of late. But I think our local Halfords Auto Centre or Kwik Fit have started sending the welding jobs to us - as they both don't do any welding now.
Most of my customers are just booking an MOT - not an MOT and service. I am also getting a few oil/fitler changes instead of full servicing.
Most of my customers are down on mileage....
|
|
|
|
Post by Roverman on Feb 17, 2021 9:40:01 GMT 1
My 17 year old Rover 75 as just sailed through its mot with no advisory points, its how you look after them what counts, if you look after your car your car will look after you  this car as never failed a mot in its life although its only done 54k in 17 years, too many people now just drive there cars till they break down, I know money is tight for a lot of people but a car needs a service every year, and some of the cars I see should never be on the road  |
|
|
|
Post by sorted on Feb 17, 2021 11:57:42 GMT 1
My 17 year old Rover 75 as just sailed through its mot with no advisory points, its how you look after them what counts, if you look after your car your car will look after you this car as never failed a mot in its life although its only done 54k in 17 years, too many people now just drive there cars till they break down, I know money is tight for a lot of people but a car needs a service every year, and some of the cars I see should never be on the road I couldn’t agree more- it’s the difference between properly looking after a car and doing the minimum to keep it on the road- far too many people do the latter then get upset when one year there’s a huge bill needed to get the next MOT. I do the former for all the cars I look after. I wouldn’t let a split gaitor go for example, and they get a good check (wheels off) every 6 months. Result is out of the 6 or so cars I look after, I have not had an MOT failure in the last 15 years. And I suggest this means that over that time it has probably cost no more overall to maintain that fleet  Well ignoring the Stag resto maybe 🤔 |
|
|
|
Post by givusaclue on Feb 17, 2021 13:55:08 GMT 1
as a tester you are encouraged to put mot advisories on paper, if you don't advise the items they want & it comes to a dvsa re-inspection regardless of which side their intervention is about you as the tester will accrue disciplinary points if you failed to advise what they think you should. the regularity of these may seem more prevalent due to a stiffening in the disciplinary process that is playing a large part in this years annual cpd mot training exam & it would seem prematurely making a lot of testers decide they don't want the hassle that accompanies the status, mostly the older ones that know the job inside out, but are less savvy on a computer, it seems less mot test orientated & more computer navigation by all accounts this year, let you know that next month when i do mine  the other thing could be that dvsa have been round the mot garages on Skye & impressed their personal standards on the tester |
|
|
|
Post by remmington on Feb 17, 2021 19:38:04 GMT 1
as a tester you are encouraged to put mot advisories on paper, if you don't advise the items they want & it comes to a dvsa re-inspection regardless of which side their intervention is about you as the tester will accrue disciplinary points if you failed to advise what they think you should. the regularity of these may seem more prevalent due to a stiffening in the disciplinary process that is playing a large part in this years annual cpd mot training exam & it would seem prematurely making a lot of testers decide they don't want the hassle that accompanies the status, mostly the older ones that know the job inside out, but are less savvy on a computer, it seems less mot test orientated & more computer navigation by all accounts this year, let you know that next month when i do mine the other thing could be that dvsa have been round the mot garages on Skye & impressed their personal standards on the tester "Pass and advise" I get it... As a vehicle repairer - I like a lot of advisories - I really do! But if you are selling a car - this is not gonna help you much! Car re-sellors - the "car selling trade" hate advisories. But I do get why testers "pass and advise" Your quote "more computer navigation by all accounts this year" - this is what we have been led to believe... |
|
|
|
Post by valhalla on Feb 17, 2021 20:54:19 GMT 1
The strange thing on some of the fauils I'm seeing coming into my workshop right now - they are a mixture of cars, some "on a budget" but many of them are very well known to myself, and well looked-after; the sort of people who don't quibble about pre-emptive maintenance each year. Particlarly, it seems to be the older cars that have been nurtured for many years by good owners, and good garages, that seem now to be in the crosshairs.
I could quote example after example, as I do keep photographic records of everything that comes in - as much to cover myself as anyone else. A couple of the cars that have failed this Winter are far and away excellent examples of their kind, which makes it all the more illogical that they would have been picked-up on IMO minor items - softness in aging bushes, but no free-play / rusting to the surface of suspension components / cracking to ball-joint gaitors, but no ingress of dirt / thinning of metal in sills, but no perforation (until hit with a pointed tool), etc. etc.
At the end of the day, the MoT tester is God on the day, as we used to say at my previous workplace.
|
|
|
|
Post by studabear on Feb 17, 2021 23:23:48 GMT 1
I'm really starting to hate testing, I don't think 45min appointments help.
Nearly always running behind or people rock up late. Trying to fit retests in.
People moaning that their P.O.S has failed.
Smoking the place out with filthy stinking diesels.
Trying to get the diesels upto temp for smoke testing when ambient temperature is close to 0°C
Dirty horrid interiors to have to navigate to check testable items.
The constant threat of DVSA walking in and really brightening your day up.
|
|
|
|
Post by Noberator on Feb 18, 2021 0:24:37 GMT 1
I'm really starting to hate testing, I don't think 45min appointments help. Nearly always running behind or people rock up late. Trying to fit retests in. People moaning that their P.O.S has failed. Smoking the place out with filthy stinking diesels. Trying to get the diesels upto temp for smoke testing when ambient temperature is close to 0°C The constant threat of DVSA walking in and really brightening your day up. Stu correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a dirty car ie (inside or out or both)a justifiable reason for an MOT tester refusing to carry out the MOT.  I know of a NT who does this and he tells he's correct because in his opinion the car was excessively dirty and full of rubbish including the boot as well. |
|
|
|
Post by valhalla on Feb 18, 2021 1:43:31 GMT 1
Stu correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a dirty car ie (inside or out or both)a justifiable reason for an MOT tester refusing to carry out the MOT. Like that Suzuki Vitara that one of my local "bag Ladies" used to run around in - the one where it used to take her a day, or so, to empty it enough to have any work done on it.......level to the waistline and above, from dashboard to tailgate door-card......
Never failed an MoT. I'm not sure it ever had one.
|
|
|
|
Post by remmington on Feb 18, 2021 7:45:30 GMT 1
I'm really starting to hate testing, I don't think 45min appointments help. Nearly always running behind or people rock up late. Trying to fit retests in. People moaning that their P.O.S has failed. Smoking the place out with filthy stinking diesels. Trying to get the diesels upto temp for smoke testing when ambient temperature is close to 0°C Dirty horrid interiors to have to navigate to check testable items. The constant threat of DVSA walking in and really brightening your day up. Not much fun it is? (in the winter) OH... And you missed out the worst bit - snowy cars melting on you - (wading about in icy cold water). It all looks better on a sunny day mate... |
|
|
|
Post by studabear on Feb 18, 2021 8:44:06 GMT 1
Nobster I think I've only ever refused to test a couple of cars in 20 years.
A young girls Ka rubbish level with the seats and stinking to go with it.
A Daewoo Matiz that some prized prick had decided to have it oil sprayed on the way to its inspection. Shockers, brake hoses,exhaust, everything dripping with used engine oil. Presenter said what am I supposed to do now, told him I don't care it's not my problem.
|
|
|
|
Post by remmington on Feb 18, 2021 9:53:33 GMT 1
I have only refused one car repair job ever - on the basis of "hygiene".
Woman Asian doctor - four year old Land Rover Disco - in for airbag repair.
Passenger footwell full of soiled nappies - when I mean full - I mean knee deep - flies and maggots as well.
She kicked off at me - when she collected the unrepaired car.
Stating "I was a car mechanic and should not mind a bit of dirt."
I replied "you are a doctor and you should know better".
------------------------------
I can take dog pooh on wheels - cats committing suicide in engine bays - lost pet hamsters/mice nesting/shitting behind dashboards.
I have even retreived a lost bit of wet fish from under a seat - weeks/months ofter it was lost in the summer months on a day trip out for a nice retired chap (this really did stink when disturbed). His wife watched me do it - then gave her hen pecked hubby hell!
But 50+ soiled nappies full of maggots and flies - was too much for me!
Yeah you wanna see some of the cars we have in our workshop - full of rubbish! I often wonder what their houses are like? But when you look at the owners they look clean and smartly dressed.
We get cars smelling of wet dog - full of mud - where people are using it to run around for dog walking. This is normal family life.
It is normally female owned cars with kids that are the worst - don't know why?
Times have changed - when I was a kid - I was not allowed to eat in the back of my Fathers car. You might have a got a boiled sweet on a day out - but that was as far as it went.
|
|
|
|
Post by valhalla on Feb 18, 2021 23:18:54 GMT 1
Times have changed - when I was a kid - I was not allowed to eat in the back of my Fathers car. You might have a got a boiled sweet on a day out - but that was as far as it went. Oh, I don't know - I still find these sorts of things under peoples seats these. Reminds me of the good old days. Once I start sucking on them.
Aye, women, mostly the ones with kids, but not always. Filthy cars that are used as mobile rubbish bins....  |
|
oli
Apprentice
Posts: 1,065
|
Post by oli on Feb 19, 2021 1:40:16 GMT 1
Times have changed - when I was a kid - I was not allowed to eat in the back of my Fathers car. You might have a got a boiled sweet on a day out - but that was as far as it went. That made me laugh! My wife and I can never agree on this. She thinks I’m an ogre because I don’t like our two (1 and 4) having food in the back. I don’t mind the outside of my cars being muddy or junk in the stowage bins, but I can’t stand stinky crisps or sticky sweets all over the place! On the other hand, she’s always taking hers to the car wash but couldn’t understand why I made a fuss after finding a load of chocolate buttons under one of the car seats. |
|
this car as never failed a mot in its life although its only done 54k in 17 years, too many people now just drive there cars till they break down, I know money is tight for a lot of people but a car needs a service every year, and some of the cars I see should never be on the road 
