Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: JamesV6CDX on 27 June 2008, 18:10:09
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I knew I had a dodgey front brake disk on the GLS and I was getting a bit of judder when braking. It was in the back of my mind and I wasn't prepared to drive up to the Lakes without checking it out.
I just popped off the wheel and... I'm glad I did. I don't think I have ever seen a brake disk in such bad condition and frankly, I'm amazed it ever stopped.
This car has just passed an MOT. There is no way on the lords earth that this has deteriorated to this state within the last couple of weeks ::) So it raises question marks over the validity of the MOT :o
Needless to say I've just changed them.
I recognise having done this there's no recourse or possibility of informing VOSA etc... but TBH our safety on the lakes run is more important :y
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:o :o I have had some very dubious mot pases in the past. There was a guy locally who wa know for issuing dodgy mot's... not sure what happened to him but the garage closed about 3 yrs ago.
Glad you have stopping power!! Enjoy the lakes.... and pass my regards to all and inform them they MUST have a pint for me!! :y
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remember a mot tester carnt remove the wheels and if the brakeing effiecncy is within tolernce he carnt fail them james can only test what he sees !! :-/
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sorry to hear your news james but things like this are far from uncommon, the one thing against us testers is if you carnt see an item your testing susch as pads,discs, shoes, wheel cylinders, brakepipes etc you must pass and advise. we are not even allowed to remove a hubcap!! many cars today from porsche to smart car have plastic covers on all of the undersides, if you cant see it you cant test it!! no exceuse for a worn brake disc on a miggie !!
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My rear spring broke a few days after MOT. He really should have warned me. ::) ;D
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sorry to hear your news james but things like this are far from uncommon, the one thing against us testers is if you carnt see an item your testing susch as pads,discs, shoes, wheel cylinders, brakepipes etc you must pass and advise. we are not even allowed to remove a hubcap!! many cars today from porsche to smart car have plastic covers on all of the undersides, if you cant see it you cant test it!! no exceuse for a worn brake disc on a miggie !!
So what you are saying then, is is I buy an old rotton 4x4 that has worked it's life on a farm by the coast. Then I can build a full length underbody pan to cover up the rotton and corroded chassis and there aint a think you can do about it?
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remember a mot tester carnt remove the wheels and if the brakeing effiecncy is within tolernce he carnt fail them james can only test what he sees !! :-/
I agree for the most mate, but you could see even with the wheels on that these disks were absolutely shot - I must post up some pics!
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Think i might have be inclined to pop it to an MOT station i was known at.......and asked them to test just the brakes.......with the reason 'it doesnt seem to stop in a straight line and was wondering if the brakes was causing it'.......would cost a few quid but you woulda known if the brakes passed or failed ;)
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There is details on the back of your certificate on how to contact VOSA if you feel that the vehicle should not have passed, phone 0870 60 60440, this is valid for 28 days after the test, not sure what they would do if its after that.
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Give them a ring, they will send an inspector round to check them out with a "special brew" car for a test.
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Bit difficult now.........as James has changed the disks himself....
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Bit difficult now.........as James has changed the disks himself....
Maybe so. But if not reported then these things go by unnoticed and things carry on as they were.
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sorry to hear your news james but things like this are far from uncommon, the one thing against us testers is if you carnt see an item your testing susch as pads,discs, shoes, wheel cylinders, brakepipes etc you must pass and advise. we are not even allowed to remove a hubcap!! many cars today from porsche to smart car have plastic covers on all of the undersides, if you cant see it you cant test it!! no exceuse for a worn brake disc on a miggie !!
So what you are saying then, is is I buy an old rotten 4x4 that has worked it's life on a farm by the coast. Then I can build a full length underbody pan to cover up the rotten and corroded chassis and there aint a think you can do about it?
Can only comment on experience and for me at least yes you can and i have (Unknowingly mind).
Basically bought an old Fiesta off a mate cheap (no MOT) had some remedial work done on it and whilst they were doing some bits and bobs they found a rotten section of flooring,welded (very very poorly) a plate and they took it for mot....failed on the plate (mot tester said he could have pulled it off with two fingers as it was just tacked on each corner of plate,so original guy who did the welding tacked it in a couple more places then painted some thick black type paint over it so it wasn't as visible and mot tester had no choice but pass it.....After when speaking to mot guy he said it was a piss poor repair and id be better off scraping the car.
Most people assume if a car has a decent amount of mot it must be in fairly good health...maybe people put too much faith in a slip of paper. :-/
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remember a mot tester carnt remove the wheels and if the brakeing effiecncy is within tolernce he carnt fail them james can only test what he sees !! :-/
I agree for the most mate, but you could see even with the wheels on that these disks were absolutely shot - I must post up some pics!
Shouldn't you have noticed then? ;)
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From what i remeber, Officially the MOT is only valid at the time of the test. ie you could theorectially drive out of an MOT station, and a brake pipe split or spring snap after hitting a pothole in our wonderfully kept roads.
So although it's used as a roadworthy certificate for 12 months if a car fails the following year, WHEN did the suspect part fail. 1 week, 1 month, 6 months after.
I know general maintainence should pick up most faults. but some people do not take care of their cars.
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remember a mot tester carnt remove the wheels and if the brakeing effiecncy is within tolernce he carnt fail them james can only test what he sees !! :-/
I agree for the most mate, but you could see even with the wheels on that these disks were absolutely shot - I must post up some pics!
Shouldn't you have noticed then? ;)
Maybe so, but the whole point of the thread is what actually gets through an MOT. Most Miggys have alloy wheels that be be seen through so I would have thought the MOT station would have done so.
But, as mentioned, if they passed the brake test on all points, then it passed the MOT
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remember a mot tester carnt remove the wheels and if the brakeing effiecncy is within tolernce he carnt fail them james can only test what he sees !! :-/
I agree for the most mate, but you could see even with the wheels on that these disks were absolutely shot - I must post up some pics!
Shouldn't you have noticed then? ;)
I did (TB did first!) but the damage is mostly on the inside...
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guys!! as i have said before! the wording on the vt20 mot certificate is~ WARNING A TEST CERTIFICATE IS NOT EVIDENCE THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN A SATISFACTORY CONDITION. it is a minimum safety standard test,not, a 12 month warranty stating that YOUR car is in fantastic condition! you are ALL responceable for the maintanance and upkeep of your own cars, not VOSA,not the MOT tester, YOU!! as i have said many times before you would not belive what the great british public ride around in and try to get away with! maybe i will post some horror story pics up and let some of you decide for yourselfs?
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From what i remeber, Officially the MOT is only valid at the time of the test. ie you could theorectially drive out of an MOT station, and a brake pipe split or spring snap after hitting a pothole in our wonderfully kept roads.
So although it's used as a roadworthy certificate for 12 months if a car fails the following year, WHEN did the suspect part fail. 1 week, 1 month, 6 months after.
I know general maintainence should pick up most faults. but some people do not take care of their cars.
I took my son's car to the local garage yesterday because it seemed to be a bit more bouncy than I would have expected. In fact, it's been like that since I got it on 27 May. I thought the shocks must be worn out or leaky or something, but I wasn't too worried as it passed its MOT on 8 May, and I was pretty sure that was one of the things they checked.
It turned out that 3 of them were OK and the 4th was completely buggered - push car down, it stays down, pull it up, it stays up. "And", said the mechanic, "that brake pipe is so rusty, it should never have got through". He then reminded me that the MOT is only a statement of the condition of the car on the day the test was carried out.
OK, I may not have inspected the car very thoroughly when I bought it, but at least I can take credit for recognising that something's not right, and at least I'm going to get it fixed before allowing the lad to zoom all over the country in it.
It's going in to be fixed on Wednesday - I wonder what else they'll find :(
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thats worrying, but glad its been picked up on by someone at least, especially before going out on a trek.
as said, if you feel somewhat put out, get in touch with VOSA and they will deal with it.
although, if its a garage you use often, maybe a quiet word in their shell likes maybe more on the cards.