MOT time ? what worries you the most ?

[peanut]

you'd think that the obvious answer to that question would be the possibility that your car might need expensive parts and repairs but for me its quite a different sort or anxiety .

I dread putting my cars near a garage at any time simply because I fear what sort of accidental or negligent damage might occur.

I took my 944S2 to a local garage for its MOT a couple of months ago. The car had been SORN for the past 18 months .

Knowing that it had not been run regularly and the cam belt was due a change I sought out the MOT Tech and explained my concerns about both the cam belt and the intermittent cooling fan operation.
I specifically requested that they did not leave the engine running for extended periods in case the fan failed.

Several years earlier I had collected my 944 Lux from another garage to find plumes of white smoke on starting and a blown head gasket ! The garage denied all knowledge and responsibility but I have seen them shuffle customers cars in and out of the garage to make space and just leave the keys in the ignition and the engine running for 10-15 minutes or longer !
Anyway the final bill was about £1750 because I naturally had to have all the belts done and the water pump (they sheared all the studs )

So imagine my concern in the viewing room as I watch my car up on the ramp with the engine running for nearly 20 minutes whilst some %$£" checked the brakes and suspension etc and wandered off to assist another mechanic working on another car []

I finally couldn't stand it any longer and requested that the receptionist/ Garage owner tell the guy to turn the engine off. I was incredulous when the guy said he couldn't and it was standing practice to leave the engine running for the full duration of the MOT test (about 45 minutes ?) He said it was part of the MOT test and if I protested he would have to stop and void the MOT !.........

That was the final straw. I marched round to the workshop and explained my fears about over heating to the tech and demanded he turned the engine off which he duly did.

10 minutes later the engine was back on for another 15 minutes ...[]

My engine now has some white smoke when cold which may simply be condensation in the exhaust but until the weather warms up I'll not know for sure as the car is rarely used.


I just wonder how many other cars get handed back with head gasket issues or flat batteries or other damage or issues or is it just me that dreads putting my car in the garage.?

 

[tref]

I know exactly what you mean... the trouble is most cars work much more efficiently when hot, and as a result are a lot easier to get through the emissions test.

At both work and home I like dealing with "small" suppliers, because that way I am a "big" customer. I take my cars to the little garage across the road - he now knows 944/924 foibles, and has a regular "go on, I know you can get a better handbrake reading than that" cajoling to get me to strip and clean up the handbrake mech on pretty much everyone. Likewise, I sit in the car and rock the steering for him, foot on the brake whilst he inspects brake flwexis, and shows me anything he finds. Unfortunately one of the two retired Christmas and I haven't put any of the cars in to the new inspector or I would say bring it over. Fortunately the garage owner is still the same person, and he said if I don't like the new guy he will still do my cars on a Saturday morning for me...

Other than that, emissions, because I don't have the analysis equipment to be able to see if I have made an improvement or not for any changes I make.

After that, the dreaded handbrake, it is just so boring, and it makes my knees ache!

 

[Eldavo]

I dread finding a garage with MOT ramps low enough to for me to get onto.

OPC is the only one as their ramps are set into the floor. Last time I failed on the headlights not working, the tester had knocked it onto full beam with his knee so the pods wouldn't pop up - words were had!

 

[George Elliott]

Handbrake........

Here in N.Ireland the DVLA NI do the test in a state of the art Test Centre. I have come to admire the way its done,really thorough and fair.

No un-necessary messing with long running time described above. No monkeys employed.

The owner accompanies the tester for the Lights, Seat belts, Wiper & Washers, Brakes, Dampers test section. Bushes, wheel bearings, track rods, steering, tyres, underside, are done on a Lift while you watch.

I once asked the tester as he buried the brake pedal into the bulkhead, if he ever had a pipe failure......."Vectra last week" was the reply. Happens quite regularly [&:]

But the 944 handbrake is the risk area if the guy has poor right arm muscles. So you got to tell him, "the handbrake needs a good pull, the missus struggles with it" which usually gets the efficiency percentage into the pass range []

George
944t

 

[vitesse]

I take all 3 running cars to a small backstreet garage in Bootle where I know all the staff-the owner,an Iraqi, also runs a fantastic sandwich shop adjacent-he mainly does the MOT's although his right man does them also-I always start with the words-"it is going to pass isn't it"-as I am needing it etc, etc.
He has a expensive new ramp which is flush with the floor & when up can automatically shake & twist etc for the steering/suspension joints controlled from a handset-scares the living daylights out of me -he lets me look underneath with him points out any likely future problems with precise info re'brakes etc & is "gentle" when it comes to a bit of surface rust on fuel/brake pipes,a low tread tyre or my highish beam setting on the lowered BMW.

I also let them do awkward jobs that you need a ramp for whether BMW or Porsche & in fact his right hand man helped me lower the rear suspension using the adjuster bolts & fit the rear antirollbar on the red track day car.

Worth their weight in gold -every olderPorsche owner needs a place like this.

 

[George Elliott]

the words-"it is going to pass isn't it"-as I am needing

thats why over here the DVLA NI intervened, everything used to pass, and before that we only had a test at about 8 years old IIRC

When I live in England I had a similar guy for MOT's.

George
944t

 

[Diver944]

Funnily enough its always the handbrake that worries me too. It's probably because its the only thing it's failed on over the years but I do seem to remember its failed twice.

I'm no MOT tester but I'm pretty sure the emissions test has to be done with the engine fully warm and the fans clicking on and off which is why they always leave it running for the duration.

It's fair enough and reasonable that you warned them and asked them to keep an eye on the fans but each tester probably does ten cars a day and just gets into the habit of the same old rigmarole. To him it's just another lump of metal with wheels and an engine, to us its our pride and joy []

Playing devils advocate ( as I'd hate to wind up Peanut [] ) shouldn't you have had the belts changed and the fans fixed before even risking it?

 

[andy watson]

ORIGINAL: Diver944
I'm no MOT tester but I'm pretty sure the emissions test has to be done with the engine fully warm and the fans clicking on and off which is why they always leave it running for the duration.

Playing devils advocate ( as I'd hate to wind up Peanut [] ) shouldn't you have had the belts changed and the fans fixed before even risking it?

I thought - you typed! [][]

 

[George Elliott]

Paul,
if you alter the enrichment with the allen screw on the AFM, and the fuel / ignition timing switch on the ecu, it will sail through emissions.
Just thinking about it, that car has Promax L2 if that makes a difference.
Generally they do run rich as you suggest.

George
944t

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Playing devils advocate ( as I'd hate to wind up Peanut ) shouldn't you have had the belts changed and the fans fixed before even risking it?

That's my first thought as well. Sorry Peanut, and it's great to see you back! [&:]

If you're changing the belts anyway, do it before you need to run the engine IMHO.

I've never seen the 944 MOT'd, as it just goes off when it's being serviced. The guys who look after the van have a huge disclaimer in the office though. Essentially it says that your engine will be revved up, and if you aren't completely certain that the cambelt is up-to-date it's up to you to tell them. They would refuse to test it in that case.

The temperature thing is for the emissions test. They advise me every year to stick some injector cleaner in for two tanks before the MOT, then go for a good 30 minutes up and down the motorway in 4th, not 5th, on the day. It's then run to full temp whilst the MOT is done, so it's hopefully in the best state to pass.

I understand that telling them that the fan is dodgy should make them aware of running it for long periods, but I'd be more concerned about walking in to an MOT and starting by giving the tester a list of known issues: that's bound to get him on alert, and less likely to give you the benefit of the doubt on borderline points? [&o]

 

[peanut]

yes you're right []

 

[T3rra]

My last mot I watched and they left the engine running the whole hour, I was listen for the cooling fans but wasn't allowed to be inside and told to get out when I went closer. I know ofor someone who had a seat ibiza hg fail at mot test. 45mins is a long time to sit with engine running.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

45mins is a long time to sit with engine running

An average two mile drive in London? [8|]

Joking aside, I do a few trips to London every year and the run along the Euston Road can easily be slow traffic, but not slow enough to turn the engine off every time you stop. It's kind of what the fans are fitted for?

Will it restart fear is, to me, worse than will it overheat! [&o]

 

[T3rra]

I'm in London daily. At least there's some air flow, and your watching the temp gauge. As my intake temp is displayed live on the augtronic andriod app I'm quite aware off just how much under bonnet temps will rise without movement.

 

[chrisg]

I use the same MOT place in St Neots every year.

The chap knows me well and recognises me and the car each year. He's actually very fair and on occasions has let minor issues through, knowing that/ trusting me to fix them !

For me as a 'weekend warrior' ( just having a cuppa before hitting the garage), the biggest worry/ shoulder tension moment for any car is the stuff you can't test like emissions and anything that needs welding. Anything else inc. handbrake is a relatively easy job just might take time to fix that's all.

I have pre-mot handbrake test = local very steep hill, if the car can be held with the hand brake on this = should pass the MOT.

With the 944's its usually the lack of use/ rust & crud build up between the drum (within the disc) and pads that causes a failure/ low braking efficiency. Cleaning it all out/ good scrub inside the discs can remove the build up and rusty glazing so the pads can bite properly.

Another thought for any owners concerned about over rich mixture = remove the air filter temporarily this can help lean things up a tad

Chris

 

[ChasR]

For some time, my concern was rot on any car I took to them! Recently this has not been too bad.

As for warming up the engine I am with Diver here . My now deceased Mondeo V6 went from being an MOT failure on a cold engine to passing the emissions by simply letting it warm up (IIRC the emissions became shockingly low. The tester however is more careful with older cars (the Stag was turned off straight away in most instances!). Oddly enough my 951 passed despite it smelling rich, as did the 205 (again, that smelt rich and had a lazy thermostat as well!).

Now, its annoying issues that worry me. On a friend's modern, it went in with the rear fog light and no. plate lights not working. After playing about with it only the number plate lights did not work (despite the bulbs being fine). Now that is an awkward MOT failure. Bridging the no. plate lights from the side lights is not an option since that will also trip the CANBUS system (although he may get away with LEDs). Now that really is an awkward issue.

 

[Paul 290T]

Don't cars fitted with a LSD have to have their brakes tested on the road as opposed to the rolling brake tester. the rolling test machine runs one wheel at a time, and that puts lots of wear onto the LSD friction plates.

 

[DarrylH]

ORIGINAL: Paul 290T

Don't cars fitted with a LSD have to have their brakes tested on the road as opposed to the rolling brake tester. the rolling test machine runs one wheel at a time, and that puts lots of wear onto the LSD friction plates.

This is what I've heard recently from a garage down the road

 

[George Elliott]

the machine runs both wheels, but only brakes one at a time

Immediately the brake measurement is achieved it releases the wheel

Its a LSD not a diff lock [8|]

George
944t