Rob
Nominated Tester
Posts: 279
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Post by Rob on Jun 30, 2006 22:24:28 GMT
We had a Rover 820 in for test today, the customer said, "I know it's going to fail, the brakes aren't very good, so be careful." The brake pedal was non-existant and I nearly stacked the car coming into the workshop, so there was no way I was going to bother testing it, when we got it up on a ramp I couldn't believe my eyes. The inner pad had fallen out, the piston had come out of the caliper, and was just sitting there touching the disc, the outer pad was metal to metal. There was no brake fluid in the reservoir, apparently the brake warning light had been on for a month, and allegedly he'd taken it into a garage in Watford, who told him it was probably a broken indicator wire, which was garbage this model doesn't have wires, just the metal tab. Someone's telling porkies. He couldn't afford the £250 to fit new discs and pads and a new caliper, and much to our horror and advice not to, drove it away.
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daveh
Authorised Examiner
My snooker room
Posts: 87
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Post by daveh on Jul 1, 2006 7:50:57 GMT
In circumstances like that we report the vehicle to the local police and inform them of the condition of the vehicle, then tell the owner that we have told the police and that they are aware. If they still drive it away then they deserve to get done for it !
Regards DaveH
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Post by jayeastanglia on Jul 3, 2006 17:59:34 GMT
have seen that happen to other cars as well.makes you wonder what else was wrong with the car!
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Rob
Nominated Tester
Posts: 279
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Post by Rob on Jul 4, 2006 6:18:09 GMT
have seen that happen to other cars as well.makes you wonder what else was wrong with the car! How often do you see a car come in for a repair to something, and find major faults? Unfortunately it's quite often. We had a Rover 220 in not that long ago for an overheating problem, which turned out to be a blocked radiator. I was asked to take it out for a test drive just to make sure everything was ok, but it had a major power steering leak, both cv boots were split and the joints were dry, it had a huge crack in the windscreen and bald tyres. When I checked the tax disc which had 'slid' down between the dash and the screen it was for a 54 plate motorbike, price £15. Needless to say the test drive idea was abandoned, even if we'd had trade plates I wouldn't have gone out in it for any money.
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Tom
Nominated Tester
Posts: 227
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Post by Tom on Jul 4, 2006 8:36:49 GMT
It's reassuring to know that I am not the only one to have 'sheds' presented for testing.
Although the thought of the number of these death traps on the road makes you want to stay indoors.
Let's hope MoT computerisation, ANPR & electronic licensing helps eliminate them.
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micoli
Motoring Public
Posts: 8
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Post by micoli on Jul 16, 2006 22:42:08 GMT
Isn't it an offence to present a vehicle to test that you know is going to fail?
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Rob
Nominated Tester
Posts: 279
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Post by Rob on Jul 17, 2006 18:04:59 GMT
Isn't it an offence to present a vehicle to test that you know is going to fail? No, why should it be? A lot of people present a car for test to see if the damn thing is worth keeping. I must have written off ten or twelve cars in the last three months. I more or less wrote off a 1960 Morris Mini last week, it need new inner and outer sills both sides, front and rear floor pans both sides. The mechanical parts of the car are superb for it's age, the bodywork is in excellent condition, but the rest is just severely corroded. It's so bad that our bodyshop is doing the repairs, I told the customer there's no way on this earth that the corroded areas can be patched, like they have been for the last few years, there's just no strength left in the chassis and sod all to weld to. It's going to cost her about £800 to make it roadworthy.
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