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MOT fail thread

A leak like that would empty the system very quickly. For it to be literally pouring out as it looks in the video (presuming it hadn't just started when it arrived at the garage) he must have been topping it up every time he drove the car.
 
The car would have gone from having power steering to having intermittent power steering, to not having power steering at all, there's not much chance of not noticing that imo.
 
How anyone can drive a car like that I don't know. If I see a leak from anywhere, the first thing I go is either sort it myself or have someone sort it. And believe me, because I've owned many BMWs, I'm very familiar with leaks.
 
Blimey. March 2001 tyre. No wonder it looks like that. It must have driven like the tyres were made of glass.
 
JonRGV250 said:
As you asked so nicely..


Huge slick of oil underneath the car ✓
Absolutely no power steering ✓
Not mentioning either of those things when bringing it in for MOT ✓

Maybe the driver thought I wouldn't notice..

Click to expand...

"It weren' like that wen a brot it tin, tha musta don somat to it you toerag. Tryna 'ave me pants darn"
 
Took my 2003 Celica T-Sport in for it's MOT today (well, dropped it off last night), it was last MOT'd 4 years ago it seems, I thought it was less than that, and failed on 5 things. I successfully fixed 4 of them, it also gained a further 4 items, d'oh!

I knew the one from the previous fail was still there though as I had a look at it (it was a rust/corrosion fail, there were 2 last time) and felt it was beyond my skill set to even judge if it was fixable at all let alone to try to fix it. So I did that thing where I put a car in knowing it would fail :p

Anyway, new list is:
Code: 
Repair immediately (major defects):

    * Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))
    * Emissions unable to be completed exhaust leak (8.2.1.2 (d))
    * Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength floor pan (5.3.6 (a) (i))
    * Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced inner sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))
    * Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage insecurely attached (5.3.3 (a) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

    * general corrosion to underside
    * oil leak
    * slight noise to both rear wheels
    * o/s front fog light not working

The front suspension/floor pan fail is the one from the previous MOT. Seems it's added a new inner sill rust area so that's fun. As the advisory says though she be rusty as hell.

Obviously the question on emissions as they didn't do it which is fair enough, but don't think I have any real worries there. Asked them to quote me for the work, not really sure what to expect especially that floor plan one as it kinda encroaches into the frame rail which is why I balked at it.

After driving it to the centre last night I did enjoy it though even going fairly mildly, I did rev/use it a bit as I wanted some stops to clear the rust from the discs, kinda surprised they passed still tbh. So hoping it's not too expensive, probably arguably not worth it on a rusty heap but hey, smart choices didn't lead me to this point why start now.

Also, in Today I Learned, Front fog lights are not a fail and rear wiper blade being knackered isn't even an advisory :p
 
SKILL said:
<snip>

The front suspension/floor pan fail is the one from the previous MOT. Seems it's added a new inner sill rust area so that's fun. As the advisory says though she be rusty as hell.

Obviously the question on emissions as they didn't do it which is fair enough, but don't think I have any real worries there. Asked them to quote me for the work, not really sure what to expect especially that floor plan one as it kinda encroaches into the frame rail which is why I balked at it.

</snip>
Click to expand...

So, got a call today and they basically said it was too far gone for the level of welding repairs they do, which could mean anything surely :p

Walked over, paid for the MOT and got it back earlier and had a bit of a look now, the previous look was when I had it jacked up at the rear so didn't exactly have the greatest view of the front of the frame rail and 'ran out of time' to get a proper look, this time I jacked it up at the front and got a much better view for better or worse.

The 'new' inner sill fail is actually close to the same area as the floor pan/frame rail bit and they've done some poking around with a screwdriver as I'm pretty sure I would've noticed the size of holes that are there now :D

The bit near the framerail actually doesn't seem all that terrible, basically dunno what it's called but there's a formed sheet that seems to 'connect' the front of the framerail where the subframe bolts in to the front of the inner sill. That's been dented (presumably from someone jacking it up there, presumably after the pinch weld was also destroyed) and then rusted through. That looks doable to replace where the actual rust hole is and enough solid metal to weld into, also the framerail itself actually seems ok/solid, so I feel like that bit actually I could take on.

But then there's the inner sill, basically the piece above with the rust hole in it near the framerail also sits 'on top' (or underneath, closest to the ground, if that makes sense) what is now an extremely rusted, potentially non-existent inner sill... So yeah... About that :p I'm guessing the repair would be to get that piece off somehow, ideally intact, then cut out a big chunk/all of the inner sill and replace (no panels available it seems to fab a new sill!)

No doubt doing that, including taking the side skirt off which I haven't done yet, will expose a shed tonne more rust all along/inside the sill to cut out and replace.

But, doable?

If I do it myself, very amateur welder but with some confidence I can get a solid if not always pretty weld done, then it's just time and a sheet of good metal or two right?

Am I crazy for considering this as my second welding project (admittedly my first, on this car, seems to have gone fine/passed an MOT, eventually)?

EDIT: Just taken the side skirt off, crazy how much that stuff hides, there's like a foot or more of the outer sill that just isn't there anymore :cry:
 
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Good, the current fee is ridiculous compared to rising costs.
Whether the govt listen is another matter..

www.autoexpress.co.uk

MoT test price could almost double under new proposals | Auto Express

The IGA says raising the price of the test will counterbalance rising business costs
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk

What the article didn’t mention is if we have to log EV mileages for the incoming tax, then it’s even more work for MOT stations.
 
JonRGV250 said:
Good, the current fee is ridiculous compared to rising costs.
Whether the govt listen is another matter..

www.autoexpress.co.uk

MoT test price could almost double under new proposals | Auto Express

The IGA says raising the price of the test will counterbalance rising business costs
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk

What the article didn’t mention is if we have to log EV mileages for the incoming tax, then it’s even more work for MOT stations.
Click to expand...

Whilst it makes sense, it's also another rising cost for households, which we really don't need.
 
JonRGV250 said:
Good, the current fee is ridiculous compared to rising costs.
Whether the govt listen is another matter..

www.autoexpress.co.uk

MoT test price could almost double under new proposals | Auto Express

The IGA says raising the price of the test will counterbalance rising business costs
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk

What the article didn’t mention is if we have to log EV mileages for the incoming tax, then it’s even more work for MOT stations.
Click to expand...
One of the garages did mention this and something around additional checks being added to MOT (something around taking the wheels off) being proposed. Have you heard something similar?
 
No, it’s extremely unlikely we’ll ever be allowed to remove wheels, in fact I’d put my house on it.
We’re not even allowed to remove wheel trims or say the brake fluid reservoir cap.
 
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