Failed MOT need help and advice

easyrider

easyrider

easyrider

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Hi,

I have a problem and need some advice on what to do.

I have a 2003 320D sport Auto full leather and I took the car for MOT yesterday. It failed :frown

The car has done 147k and I wondering whether or not to keep it...I fear the repair costs are just to damn big.

imagejpg1_zps3f48ed2a.jpg


The exhaust bit is the front Exhaust downpipe cat and flexi..The trouble is I have no mechanical skills do do this work myself..

what would you do? Scrap the car and it is no longer financially viable to repair it?

Thanks in advance

Easy
 
The only part if that that would concern me is the brake imbalance, which could just as easily just be a sticking caliper as anything more serious.

The exhaust stuff is very cheap depending where the hole is.

Ball joint next to nothing, drop links are dirt cheap - you can do this with minimal mechanical knowledge

Handbrake, adjust - then sort it properly later- you can do this too
 
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Ball joint, (replace the pair), brake cleanup, exhaust repair/replace.

Not major problems financially, ask them for a breakdown.

If it runs well besides that, just fix it
 
rodenal said:
The only part if that that would concern me is the brake imbalance, which could just as easily just be a sticking caliper as anything more serious.

The exhaust stuff is very cheap depending where the hole is.

Ball joint next to nothing, drop links are dirt cheap - you can do this with minimal mechanical knowledge

Handbrake, adjust - then sort it properly later- you can do this too
Click to expand...

I'm going to jack the car tomorrow and take some pics of the exhaust if that's ok?

In terms of handbrake adjust how?
 
What you can/will do with it depends where the issue is and will affect price accordingly.

Rear brakes you just need to remove the rear wheels and discs then you'll see the shoes, each has an adjuster - turn until the disc is just about dragging when its put back on, this should sort the travel out.

Alternatively you might find the shoes are no longer secured when you rake the disc off. There are two pins that secure then to the backing plate. The holes are probably buggered. Either "persuade" them back into the right sort of shape or stick a washer in behind the pin. Again absolutely not the right thing to do ( which would be replace the backing plate) but would get you passable for pennies


Reality is if its that bad you probably need new shoes and discs too but it should get it mot passable
 
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Depending on where the hole is located , bodge it :p
As above the other bits don't sound too expensive tbh

what were you requested for the repairs?
 
Exhaust not a fail, pass and advise,its the system thats tested not 1 part.
Replace anti roll bar link. around £15.oo
It looks like both front and rear brakes are imbalanced. rears probably pads siezed in carriers. take them out if worn replace
Fronts is quite a lot of imbalance, check pads, caliper sliders and caliper piston.
Rear brakes,try adjusting the shoes first.
 
bobuk said:
Exhaust not a fail, pass and advise,its the system thats tested not 1 part.
Replace anti roll bar link. around £15.oo
It looks like both front and rear brakes are imbalanced. rears probably pads siezed in carriers. take them out if worn replace
Fronts is quite a lot of imbalance, check pads, caliper sliders and caliper piston.
Rear brakes,try adjusting the shoes first.
Click to expand...

What are you on about? Major leak of gases from the exhaust system is a RFR. Pass and advise would be a pinhole or minor leak.
 
I had the same issue (but only on rears ) .. new pads £12 and an hour cleaning up the calipers and back up the garage for a pass .

Tbh the pads on the xsara and really thin and just a clean of the claiper and hand brake adjustment would have been enough .

Also failed on emissions but a quick Italian tune up sorted that . All sorted for under £20

Get a local garage to replace front and rear pads and give the calipers a clean and bleed . Get handbrake adjusted and get whatever section is leaking replaced.. I would be surprised if it came to over 300-400
 
rodenal said:
There are two pins that secure then to the backing plate. The holes are probably buggered. Either "persuade" them back into the right sort of shape or stick a washer in behind the pin. Again absolutely not the right thing to do ( which would be replace the backing plate) but would get you passable for pennies


Reality is if its that bad you probably need new shoes and discs too but it should get it mot passable
Click to expand...

The backing plates are not expensive. Unfortunately (If this particular model is the same as all the other BMW's I have seen) there is no "Official" way of replacing them other than disassembling the rear hubs/bearings (Which is a massive job)

I have had some success in the past however by splitting the back plates so they can be installed around the hub (Once you see it in pieces you will understand what I am talking about) They are only thin steel and play no part in actually restraining the car (The load is taken by the trailing arm assembly)

The sort of things listed in the MOT cert are pretty minor for a 10 year old motor and only involve what are essentially "Consumables"

Spec me any 10 year old car that isn't likely to need minor (Or even Major!) exhaust/brake/suspension repairs from time to time!

No question that you should fix and keep :D

(Though I would be far more concerned about inlet manifold/swirl valve issues! This is something that you may well need to deal with!)
 
Scrapping it? Sure, it's a 2003 e46 320d, but surely it's worth fixing?!

Ball joint sounds like the ball joint on the drop links - easy to do and cheap.

Exhaust - bit pricier. Depends where it's leaking.

Brakes - should be pretty easy to sort.
 
As others have said:

ARB link - £15
Brakes - pay a small garage to go round them all, clean them all up and tighten the handbrake whilst they're at it - £50
Exhaust - Depending on where the hole is and how big it is? Front cat seems to be around £250 + fitting.
 
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Well your brakes seem to be buggered, as well as the handbrake, you would be aware of that if you've ever driven the car? when were the brakes last done, if ever?

Or are you saying it's a fake fail (took it to kwik fit?).
 
Orionaut said:
The backing plates are not expensive. Unfortunately (If this particular model is the same as all the other BMW's I have seen) there is no "Official" way of replacing them other than disassembling the rear hubs/bearings (Which is a massive job)
Click to expand...

Is this to do with the handbrake? This is what I was told....it's either really simple but if it's seized its dollor :(
 
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Every BMW of that era has handbrake issues. Its almost comical!

Brake imbalance, as said, can probably be sorted by cleaning although you might need new pads as well depending on what state they are in. Exhaust is easy to fix up enough to pass it until you can get it addressed properly.

I'm not sure what ditching it in this state would accomplish - you'd need to get it through the MOT anyway to sell it at a reasonable price and I'm not sure what else you'd replace it with for that money that wasn't likely to throw up bills!
 
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