MOT Failure help?

paradigm

paradigm

paradigm

Caporegime
Joined
26 Aug 2003
Posts
37,508
Location
Leafy Cheshire
Hi,

Leon had its MOT today, and has failed on a few things, three of which I cannot see anything wrong with at all.

  • Offside front (d bush) anti-roll bar has excessive play in pin/bush
  • Nearside front suspension rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement
  • Offside front suspension rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement
Now, I know I'm not a trained mechanic, but I'd like to think I'm no noob with a spanner, but I cannot find anything wrong for love nor money.

Either this guy was superman, and as such can bend both steel and time, or he is lying about there being play in anything at all.

What EXACTLY should there be play in here? And what type of force should I be applying, as I can't visualise any play in the suspension arms, even by forcing them to move with a trolly jack!
 
Hmm, I would have thought there would be play in them if they were knackered. At the very least you'd get some vibration at speed.

BMW pulled this trick with me when I had a service done - said there was excessive play in the bushes. I didn't believe them, so had it checked out by and Independant garage who said all was ok. Had it serviced by another BMW dealer since who haven't mentioned it, so the first garage had tried to pull a fast one.

I think one way of telling is by jacking the wheel up and gripping the top of it. Push/pull it backwards and forwards - if there is any play, then something is up.

If the anti roll bar bushes were worn, you would be getting a knocking noise over speed bumps.
 
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I'm not 100% but if the car is on the ground fully loaded susp will no move it might have been on a lift....maybe try jacking the front up and see if there is any play.
 
Yep, as above, they would've checked the car while it was jacked up, so you're best off to get it off the ground and give the wheels a tug about.
 
Is it your usual garage? If so just take the car down and ask? If my garage says something is wrong he normally shows me when I pick the car up.
 
paradigm said:
It is jacked up guys.

EDIT: Also, rocking the wheel will do nothing to the ARB now will it?
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I don't think so - only test I can think of for that is driving over a speed hump with the window open listening for knocking. Try getting under the car and pulling it otherwise if you can.
 
Defcon5 said:
Is it your usual garage? If so just take the car down and ask? If my garage says something is wrong he normally shows me when I pick the car up.
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No its not. My dad took it somewhere random whilst I was at work, and didn't watch it get done.

Nick: I AM under the car (well at the moment I'm on the laptop sitting on the engine), and it will not budge no matter how I contort it.
 
Hmmm its hard to tell. Cheap and easy to fix yourself though.

I once took my old 306 dt to a garage when at uni for MOT and they too failed it on wishbone bush's even though none were knocking and they were not cracked. They just seen it as easy money but I changed them myself and took the old ones back and asked what was wrong with them on the counter, he just said they were cracked on the car :(
 
DannyW said:
dont they use crow bars to wobble it about

my local also has a machine which shakes the whole car
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Yep. The sometimes use bars under the tyre with one hand on top and a push and pull movement is made. you can check the play from that. We have a new MOT ramp with the pads that move side to side. The amount of travel on the tyre side walls in unreal!
 
Top mounts ok?

I'd phone them up and ask, they might have made a mistake and entered something incorrectly into the computer. Last MOT I had said my OSF indicator wasn't working, when I checked it was the other side.
 
MOT testers do not use crow bars at any point, and they certainly don't use a machine to shake the car. The worst they can do is use their little MOT approved hammer to try and penetrate through rot on the sills.
 
L1J said:
Top mounts ok?

I'd phone them up and ask, they might have made a mistake and entered something incorrectly into the computer. Last MOT I had said my OSF indicator wasn't working, when I checked it was the other side.
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Yep, everything is absolutely fine, physically no play in any direction, using as much force as I dare use.

I have possibly found a potential issue with the ARB bush, but its not the bush itself, its the fact that the bolt holding it on is finger tight... hmmm.
 
Clarkey said:
MOT testers do not use crow bars at any point, and they certainly don't use a machine to shake the car. The worst they can do is use their little MOT approved hammer to try and penetrate through rot on the sills.
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They have pry bars about 18 inches long - take a look in any MOT station. :p

Ltme2001.jpg
 
Clarkey said:
MOT testers do not use crow bars at any point, and they certainly don't use a machine to shake the car. The worst they can do is use their little MOT approved hammer to try and penetrate through rot on the sills.
Click to expand...

What a load of BS, yes they do i've seen it with my own eyes!
 
paradigm said:
Yep, everything is absolutely fine, physically no play in any direction, using as much force as I dare use.

I have possibly found a potential issue with the ARB bush, but its not the bush itself, its the fact that the bolt holding it on is finger tight... hmmm.
Click to expand...

ARB bushings might not show play unless you have both front wheels off the floor, just jacking up one side of the car will force the other side down.

I know when i got my last MOT done they put a beam under the car and lifted the whole axel off the floor.
 
I have another quandry now anyway, which the idiots at SeatCupra.net seem to not want to answer, they would rather state the obvious and tell me it depends on what size my ARB is, or that I need a 25mm or 28mm ARB (I don't need a new ARB, noobs) :rolleyes:

I need to know if the stock front ARB mounts are 21mm or 23mm.
 
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