MOT sorted on my old Z3!

[GazHyde]

After the long list of failures on my Z3, my mate put it in again yesterday for a retest. We changed the broken springs last weekend, but didn't touch any of the other issues.

Passed without any issues :-\ makes you think about the differences in test centres! I get the feeling the MOT centre I used were touting for business.

According to this MOT centre the brake lines were corroded, but not enough to fail. The headlamps being out of alignment was fixed by using the headlight adjustment dial on the dash - my MOT centre said the light adjustment was phyisically broken. So the only thing he spotted which was an issue was the springs - they quoted £250 to change them X(

 

[board]

I would always recommend using an mot centre that does not do repairs. It's not in their interest to fail the car and try to rip you off then

 

[Snoops]

I would always recommend using an mot centre that does not do repairs. It's not in their interest to fail the car and try to rip you off then

Blimey that's a bit of a sweeping statement.

Snoops ont'apatalk

 

[board]

Yup but from experience has been the case way too often. I would never go to a garage that does repairs to get an MOT done unless you know them. It's just too easy to scam you as you have the car there already it's all too easy to say go on then fix it. It's probably a case of the minority getting a bad name for the majority but I know too many people who have got ripped off by that situation.

 

[board]

I should also have added, proven once again by Gary's experience above

 

[Snoops]

I have always felt that unless you're able to do your own repairs finding and building up a relationship with a garage is key, like other tradesmen. You find a good one that you can trust they are worth their weight in gold. There are cowboys in every trade unfortunately.

Snoops ont'apatalk

 

[r37]

both me and my dad tend to get out cars MOT'd as soon as possible so we can drive them away if needs be and get the work done elsewhere, usually by me though. Not that our local garage tries to stitch us up, did have a garage try and tell me a tyre needed replacing even though i had it replaced about a month earlier though.

 

[NeRo]

I've used the same garage on and off for approx 30 years

Last MoT - failed on springs, they want £500+ to repair. There were also a number of advisories, all underneath the car?

Last service was an Inspection 2 - it needed discs and pads all round, brake pipes and a couple of other bits and pieces. Then to top it off I needed a new set of tyres. What didn't go down well was that on my way to get new tyres, the clip that holds the brake pad sprung off on the front offside, scoring the inside of the wheel. Car had to go back in to get another clip fitted and the wheel refurbed - I say refurbed, rubbed down and sprayed

With my other car, I've recently used another garage, so far my experience has been good, they even sent their driver to pick me up and collect my car after a service

 

[hard top]

Saying nothing at the moment, mine is due on the 28th... :-ss

 

[board]

I have always felt that unless you're able to do your own repairs finding and building up a relationship with a garage is key, like other tradesmen. You find a good one that you can trust they are worth their weight in gold. There are cowboys in every trade unfortunately.

Snoops ont'apatalk

yes that's very true but if you haven't got that relationship then if you get the MOT done at a place that does not do repairs they have no interest in failing items that are not failures. If it does fail and you take it to be repaired then the garage doing the repair will know that it's going somewhere else to get the MOT done. So my thinking is, if they don't do the job properly they will be caught out. Just a bit of extra peace of mind making sure work carried out is done properly.

 

[Snoops]

I do understand where you're coming from James, just for me personnaly I'd rather build that trust, it just takes time.. and it feels so much better knowing you can trust them, especially when I take Zippy in.

 

[Jonttt]

I've never done this myself but I've been told the best place to get an MOT done is the local council one that does their vehicles. They don't do repairs so no hidden agenda ?

 

[DangerousDave]

I've never done this myself but I've been told the best place to get an MOT done is the local council one that does their vehicles. They don't do repairs so no hidden agenda ?

Downside is that they charge the full fees and the appropriate fee for a retest.

 

[Aceman]

And can be a little perdantic when it comes to strict rules, my little runabout got an advisory for an air freshner hanging down from the rearview mirror when the previous owner had it MOT's at our local council just before I bought it. 8-|

 

[gookah]

My Peugeot passed,......... with only one Advisory.



it said "get rid"......... X(

 

[gookah]

I've never done this myself but I've been told the best place to get an MOT done is the local council one that does their vehicles. They don't do repairs so no hidden agenda ?

Downside is that they charge the full fees and the appropriate fee for a retest.

I had that with one of the 'MOT only' test places, charged me nearly £50 (full fee) and because I HAD to take it away to change a ball joint, the full fee was charged for re-test. Never been to one since..... and pay £33 now and never paid for a retest after a fail since.

 

[wildeboy]

It would make sense than an MOT test centre offering cheap MOTs is more likely to fail the car to try and make money back on the repairs, but I took my Z3 to a garage offering an MOT for £15 and it passed! Just 1 advisory for slightly corroded brake pipes and they didn't even ask me if I wanted a quote for repair!!

I would take it back next year but they will probably have gone bust by then!

 

[DangerousDave]

I pay £45 for a test and a free re-test. I could get it cheaper, but the guy I use is known to be very fair. He has never failed anyone for number plates as long as there is a legal one in the boot .

Before I take the car I tell him what I think is wrong with it and I fix the things that are cheap or free. I made the mistake of fully preparing a car once and it then failed on serious welding. I scrapped the car and the pretest repair money was wasted. Now I don't even fix broken windscreens before the test.

He knows that I do all my own repairs and I've never failed a retest.

 

[TWO]

After the long list of failures on my Z3, my mate put it in again yesterday for a retest. We changed the broken springs last weekend, but didn't touch any of the other issues.

Passed without any issues :-\ makes you think about the differences in test centres! I get the feeling the MOT centre I used were touting for business.

According to this MOT centre the brake lines were corroded, but not enough to fail. The headlamps being out of alignment was fixed by using the headlight adjustment dial on the dash - my MOT centre said the light adjustment was phyisically broken. So the only thing he spotted which was an issue was the springs - they quoted £250 to change them X(

Just had mine MOT'd and it failed :-o ..............

First, for a small gauge in the front tyre (directional) side wall. It was a good excuse to get a pair of Falken Ziex ZE912's which really has improved the problems of tramlining :-bd

Second, windscreen wipers, which I am blowed that I can see any differrence between old (no splits, not worn and rubber still soft) and new. :-?

Third, the thing that got me was that MOT inspector insisisted there was a leak from one of the brake servors and that it would need booking in 'for investigation work' with no time limit!..............'we cant tell until we find it' The guy sat me in the car to press the brakes with a comment, 'can you hear that noise?'.......NO...........second time 'can you hear that noise?'.......NO...........third time he started to look a bit gaunt, and suggested that he would put it down as an advisory when the Zed was retested......if I got first & second done.

I got the tyres & windscreen wipers replaced and collected the MOT certificate........................which had no mention of the 'advisory' brake servor.....only an advisory on front slightly pitted brake discs, ............which were never ever mentioned at all in the previous conversations.

I was just glad to take hold of the MOT certificate and get out of there. #:-s

Needless to say I cannot recommend this 'approved' BMW agent based in Chelmsford.........please PM me if you wish to know the name..........don't want to be done for slander :-ss

 

[deano1712]

Im lucky my local garage is great. He knows I will fix problems myself but he has a reputation for being fair. Trait of a long established local garage in a village methinks.
Last year at MOT time I asked him to spend an hour having a good look over the car to make sure everything was good (it was straight after my V8 conversion). He did that and passed it and charged me just £60. I was happy with that.

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