View Full Version : Just MOT'd, need advice.
Hi guys :)
Just had my valver MOT'd today and it failed (I was aware it would). I was surprised as I thought it would fail on more! The car was structurally speaking very sound, not bad for a K-reg :)
Basically I have just had to buy new front discs + pads, rear pads and a rubber exhaust mount. Will fit those in next few days. Have bought a few service items as well :)
The handbrake is very inefficient though so that will need attention as it makes heck of a noise when pulling it on it sometimes doesn't hold the car on a mild hill. Not sure but might leave garage to sort it as it could mean new cable or just adjustment. Not sure.
Bizarrely, they didn't actually pick up on the fact that the spare tyre was punctured and flat, even though I was actually running on one steel wheel!
The Question
The one thing I need advice from you guys is about the front lights. Can you manually adjust the level of the lights when the lights are based on the cable system? Also, wondering if I did happen to buy new lights, is it considered better to get the manual items or the cable ones when going for new items?
Thanks,
Matthew
stevie_b
05-02-2008, 16:56
Yes, you can manually adjust the level as I disconnected my cables as a weight saving measure :D There is a little white plastic nut on top of the light unit - this can be turned (carefully as the plastic looks quite brittle) with a socket to move the light beam direction up and down.
Fantastic :) Do I 'have' to disconnect the cable for this to work?
If I buy new cable versions and then can't manually adjust that would be pants lol.
Matthew
MatBrown
05-02-2008, 19:14
Just a point to note, they are not cable adjusted, they are hydraulic.
Mat.
white16valver
05-02-2008, 19:21
Pedant ;)
lol
Careful with that white adjuster thing though - mine's come off somewhere as I don't think they're held on that well :?
Okie dokie, will be careful, and hydraulic? eek!
Today is the day of doing all the brakes (front disks, front and rear pads). Should be a laugh as I know the 1.4 clio my wife has was a bugger to get the stupid slide pins out on the calipers.
If I do all that fairly quickly I will put up up on some small ramps and take a look underneath for the handbrake.
Wish me luck!
Matthew
donsrno1
06-02-2008, 13:28
With the handbrake it could be that the calipers are screwed or you might be lucky and find its just your cables. To check just try clamping the bit the handbrake cable pulls on yourself and see if it holds the wheels. If that fails to work it will probably be your calipers.
I had always thought you couldn't fix the calipers without renewing them but I just stripped down and rebuilt the handbrake mechanism on mine last week and it now works a treat and passed its MOT yesterday. Its a fidly job but can be done.
spare wheel not included in mot test
If rears are stuffed, how much are recon rears?
Matthew
MatBrown
06-02-2008, 19:38
spare wheel not included in mot test
That must have changed cos it used to be.
Mat.
stevie_b
06-02-2008, 21:00
Well, they can't fail you on it (only the tyres in contact with the road at time of testing need to meet the checks) but they are supposed to advise you if they spot something wrong with it. If present it needs to be mounted securely though to avoid a failure.
Good to know :) Certainly no advice on that anyway lol.
Matthew
Well, they can't fail you on it (only the tyres in contact with the road at time of testing need to meet the checks) but they are supposed to advise you if they spot something wrong with it. If present it needs to be mounted securely though to avoid a failure.
thats wrong. if its present then it needs to be legal..
if its not present then its not a failure
stevie_b
06-02-2008, 21:16
Says who? :lol:
might have changed but thats how i used to test cars
stevie_b
06-02-2008, 21:26
Until recently I thought the rules were exactly as you had described too. Hence why I always removed my spare before the test, just in case :lol: But then I read a testers manual that suggested otherwise:
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_420.htm
It doesn't look like a government/DoT site though, so I guess it could still be wrong.
its the tyre that has to be legal really
MatBrown
06-02-2008, 21:53
Well, they can't fail you on it (only the tyres in contact with the road at time of testing need to meet the checks) but they are supposed to advise you if they spot something wrong with it. If present it needs to be mounted securely though to avoid a failure.
thats wrong. if its present then it needs to be legal..
if its not present then its not a failure
Thats what i thought as well, but had a search earlier and it appears it has changed.
Official site too:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_10016070
Wheels and tyres - condition, security, tyre size and type, and tread depth. Spare tyres are not tested
Mat.
hhmm...
still as soon as you fit the spare on the car bet you get busted
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