Can't find it? grind it?

realscot · 19 May 2011 at 20:41

Well don't ever drive a VW Transporter 4-Motion with that attitude.
Customer of mine did and broke something, it burst a hole through the gearbox casing and jammed between the clutch and flywheel taking them out too.
Difficult to get a second hand gearbox for such a van as the 4wd one is a lot rarer, so we had to get a new one from VW. VW didn't like the big hole in the casing so told us we'd have to pay the £1200 surcharge.
So, £6249 later the thing is finally up and running again. Most expensive gear change ever?

In other news;
just under the 10 working days ago I failed a Merc sprinter van on a few faults, it came back today for a retest all fixed. It had done 3980 miles since i tested it less than 2 weeks ago!! where the bloody hell had the guy been with it??!

The proposed 2 year between MOT's... Good idea or bad? Very bad imo, so many poorly maintained cars on the road, giving them another year without even lifting the bonnet is just suicide.

MOT TEST 2012.. Lots of new things being added to the MOT test as reasons for refusal that previously were a pass.
See MOT Magazine

PhillyDee · 19 May 2011 at 20:47

284 miles per day isn't that bad . . . .

2 years between? I see a lot of cars on tyres below the legal limit, and a lot of people are not aware the car has a problem until a mechanic looks over it. I imagine this would increase accidents (which would then probably be blamed on speeding of course!) and fatalities on the road.

[TW]Fox · 19 May 2011 at 20:56

realscot said:
MOT TEST 2012.. Lots of new things being added to the MOT test as reasons for refusal that previously were a pass.
See MOT Magazine

Checks to power steering will now
include a check of the fluid level.
But because there is no need to
remove the reservoir cap, the
check will only apply where the
fluid level is visible in the reservoir.

Just wow - that is properly pathetic.

realscot · 19 May 2011 at 21:08

[TW]Fox;19178316 said:
Just wow - that is properly pathetic.

that's already the way everything is in an mot test. If you can't see it you can't test it.

Geeman1979 · 19 May 2011 at 21:09

Well looks like my car wont be passing its MOT in 2012,it just scraped through this year.

Lopéz · 19 May 2011 at 21:24

Well as someone who drives what is just an old shed of a car to most people, I have a vested interest in MOT's every 2 years because it's less hassle, less repairs to be done and so on - and even I think it's a bad idea!

Fr0dders · 19 May 2011 at 21:56

Headlamp cleaning and self‐levelling if high‐intensity discharge (HID) lamps are fitted

So thats the illegal HIDs all outlawed next year then. None of these chavs are going to be able to retrofit a headlight cleaning system cutting holes in bumpers and fitting correct self leveling.

another one that was interesting

Catalytic converter missing

will affect those of us that have decat exhausts. Have you got any more information on what happens if 2 catalytic converters are fitted ?

My vectra for example had two. I removed one and was still able to pass the emissions test with it, so will the test be testing to see if all cats that were fitted as standard are stil fitted, or just to see if the one under the car is there ?

[TW]Fox · 19 May 2011 at 21:57

MrLOL said:
So thats the illegal HIDs all outlawed next year then. None of these chavs are going to be able to retrofit a headlight cleaning system cutting holes in bumpers and fitting correct self leveling.

But they will of course be able to refit the old lights for the MOT in circa 4 minutes, rendering it a non-issue. Besides, its tackling the wrong problem, which is HID's in reflector lenses not whether or not the system has headlight washers, which are rubbish anyway!

sigma · 19 May 2011 at 22:20

Same with the cat too, 4 bolts to undo to change it over! Easy peasy.

2 years between MOTs? Why? What a retarded idea.

act smiley · 20 May 2011 at 00:07

"Driver's seat adjustment" a failure reason now according to that? eh? I mean, unless the seat can't lock into place then why should that be a problem?

BennyC · 20 May 2011 at 07:14

MrLOL said:
will affect those of us that have decat exhausts. Have you got any more information on what happens if 2 catalytic converters are fitted ?

Two? Are you sure one wasn't just a center silencer?

Fr0dders · 20 May 2011 at 07:20

BennyC said:
Two? Are you sure one wasn't just a center silencer?

Yes

it had a pre-cat in the downpipe up in the engine bay, and a main cat under the car.

The pre cat is more restrictive than the main cat, so the pre cat alone was sufficient to pass an emissions test.

adam cool dude · 20 May 2011 at 07:54

[TW]Fox;19178844 said:
But they will of course be able to refit the old lights for the MOT in circa 4 minutes, rendering it a non-issue. Besides, its tackling the wrong problem, which is HID's in reflector lenses not whether or not the system has headlight washers, which are rubbish anyway!

I imported my headlights from japan as they were a factory fit option in japan only. Only problem is they are adjusted manually and do not have headlight washers. Does this mean it will fail even though they are a factory fit?

Fr0dders · 20 May 2011 at 07:57

Yup

they need self levelling and the washers to pass the MOT next year.

adam cool dude · 20 May 2011 at 08:11

MrLOL said:
Yup

they need self levelling and the washers to pass the MOT next year.

There are many cars from the turn of the 21st century without these but have HID lights so how are they going to pass the MOT?

R34 skyline GTR for example do not have headlight washers and have no replacement headlight.

Fr0dders · 20 May 2011 at 08:25

Presumably they are going to be forced to remove them. Or its possible that VOSA simply havent thought of that yet

bad_ass_neil · 20 May 2011 at 09:05

all 98 spec tegs will fail on the HID test as well. also my mates Laguna does not have washers either.

cant see that working out.

Gamefreak501 · 20 May 2011 at 09:22

act smiley said:
"Driver's seat adjustment" a failure reason now according to that? eh? I mean, unless the seat can't lock into place then why should that be a problem?

Bit of a concern for me - my car seat adjustment bar has broken off on my passenger seat.

Also, my power steering belt is squeeling, so that's another potential fail!

Kind Regards

PhillyDee · 20 May 2011 at 13:21

Gamefreak501 said:
Bit of a concern for me - my car seat adjustment bar has broken off on my passenger seat.

Also, my power steering belt is squeeling, so that's another potential fail!

Kind Regards

Missed the bit which says "Drivers"??

Scania · 20 May 2011 at 13:53

realscot said:
In other news;
just under the 10 working days ago I failed a Merc sprinter van on a few faults, it came back today for a retest all fixed. It had done 3980 miles since i tested it less than 2 weeks ago!! where the bloody hell had the guy been with it??!

He's driven down to civilisiation & back a few times .....

- Assuming he's doing light haulage / courier work with it, based in Aberdeenshire his mileage is going to be huge.

I'm off for 10 days after today

D) I'll be surprised if my truck has not gone past 90k miles - its on 85,500 atm - by the time I get back, granted I have a Scania 440 not a Merc Sprinter....