NCT TEST DUE - Questions

daveg

Got a letter through the post yesterday. My NCT is due. Caught me completly by surprise.

Anyway my cars a `00 Audi A4. She had a full service only 3 weeks ago (oil, fuel & air filter, all levels topped up ect ect). I also put new brake pads on her 3 weeks ago (which are still screaching a bit btw - is this normal?). My question is should I put her through a pre-test? What should I look out for?

padraigmyers

The car will probably be fine. You may as well just do the test and if there is a problem then do a retest, it'll probably be cheaper than a pretest and test. Chances are you won't have to do a retest anyway.

aodh_rua

I had mine yesterday down in Deansgrange, and having heard all the fail stories about 'not orange enough indicators' or out of alignment head lamps - I was a little apprehensive. Turned out there was no need. The test is fine (even if the experience of sitting watching the test is the closest thing I've experienced to awaiting the birth of a child), and the list of things they check is quite short.

I also thought about getting a pre-test done - but you'll only lose the €30 retest fee if you don't and fail it, as you'll then have to go to a mechanic anyway.

daveg

Originally posted by padraigmyers
The car will probably be fine. You may as well just do the test and if there is a problem then do a retest, it'll probably be cheaper than a pretest and test. Chances are you won't have to do a retest anyway.

Thanks for the quick responce padraigmyers. What should I check before the test? As I said the car has been serviced only a few weeks ago. Types and breakpads are fine. All lights and levels are ok. I need to change my wipers though. Will this fail me?

DMC

This is the full list.... Oh, and make sure you have a proper number plate! See Bond James Bond's earlier thread.

From: www.nct.ie

Car Testing - Inspection list

1) BRAKES
Service Brake Pedal
Service Brake Operation (Inspection inside the Vehicle)
Mechanical Brake Hand Lever
Service Brake Performance
Service Brake Imbalance
Parking Brake Performance
Parking Brake Imbalance
Brake Fluid
Brake Lines / Hoses
Brake Wheel Units
Mechanical Brake Components
Master Cylinders / Servo / Valves / Connections

2) EXHAUST EMISSION
Exhaust Smoke (Diesel)
Exhaust CO / HC / Lambda
Exhaust System / Noise

3) WHEELS; TYRES
Tyre Condition
Tyre Specification
Tyre Tread
Wheels
Spare Wheel and Carrier
Wheel Bearings

4) LIGHT
Stop Lamps
Rear Lamps and Registration Plate Lamps
Indicators/Tell Tales
Side Lamps
Headlamp Condition
Headlamp Aim
Aux. Lamp Condition
Aux. Lamp Aim
Reflectors

5) STEERING; SUSPENSION
Steering Wheel Play
Front Wheel Side Slip
Rear Wheel Side Slip
Front Axle Suspension Performance
Rear Axle Suspension Performance
Steering Linkage
Front Springs
Front Suspension
Shock Absorber Condition
Rear Suspension
Rear Springs

6) CHASSIS; UNDERBODY
Doors, Locks and Anti-theft devices
Bodywork
Chassis / Underbody

7) ELECTRIC
Horn
Electrical System

8) GLASS; MIRRORS
Windscreen Wipers and Washers
Glass
Rear View Mirror(s)

9) TRANSMISSION
Transmission

10) INTERIOR
Seats
Speedometer
Safety Belts

11) FUEL
Fuel System

12) MISCELLANEOUS
Registration Plates
Adaptations for disabled drivers
Towing Bracket / Coupling

daveg

Thanks for that DMC. By the way how much is the test?

DMC

It should be on the letter you got, but its not on the website. I think its €48, IIRC.

Gmodified

The car test fee is €48.40 (£38.12) and a re-test costs €27.20 (£21.42) (both fees are inclusive of VAT and maybe subject to change). Re-tests, which do not require the use of test equipment, will be free. Free re-tests cover minor items, for example, a visual inspection to check that faulty windscreen wipers have been replaced.

more information here


http://www.nct.ie/faq.html

aodh_rua

It costs €48.40.

padraigmyers

I put a '99 A4 through the test about 6 months ago, it was heavily modified (mostly body modifications) so I was expecting some hassle, but it was all fine. Its often made out to be mouch worse than it is. If its been recently serviced and is in good driving order then it sould be fine, best thing is put it through and if it fails (which I think is unlikly for a '00 car) just fix that instead of trying to fix everything beforehand (often costing you unnecessarily).

daveg

Perfect. Thanks all for the info.

Mocking Burd

Originally posted by daveg
Got a letter through the post yesterday. My NCT is due. Caught me completly by surprise.

Anyway my cars a `00 Audi A4. She had a full service only 3 weeks ago (oil, fuel & air filter, all levels topped up ect ect). I also put new brake pads on her 3 weeks ago (which are still screaching a bit btw - is this normal?). My question is should I put her through a pre-test? What should I look out for?

The brakes screeching is pretty normal- and is usually worse if you have a set of alloys on 'cos the wet and muck from the road gets in there a lot easier.

projectmayhem

if you have any doubts or worries at all you should definately put it through a pre-test to be sure, but a '00 audi a4 should do grand.

Gmodified

i said it before and say it again. personally I think that pretest is total waste of money unless calculated in price of you last service or part of some major repair.

Ok, it will probably catch obvious things but nobody will guaranty you 100% pass which means if you fail you down the pretest money.

When car fails NCT you will have exact list of items which have to be fixed without replacing unnecessary parts ,wasting money and time.

padraigmyers

Originally posted by Gmodified
i said it before and say it again. personally I think that pretest is total waste of money unless calculated in price of you last service or part of some major repair.

Ok, it will probably catch obvious things but nobody will guaranty you 100% pass which means if you fail you down the pretest money.

When car fails NCT you will have exact list of items which have to be fixed without replacing unnecessary parts ,wasting money and time.

I totally agree, the only penalty for not passing is that you have to do a retest, lots of people spend so mouch money needlessly "just in case" they may fail. Pre-tests are primerily a money spinner for mechanics.

Gmodified

also re-test is €27.20 or free if procedure doesn't require the use of test equipment for things like:

tyres
bulbs
rubbers on the pedals
wipers
number plates

and 100 other things

thegills

It also depends on who did your service. I recently changed to a back street garage and got the car serviced. It failed the NCT a few weeks later coz. the handbrake was slightly loose. I brought it back to the garage and he told me that this wasn't normally covered in a service. I didn't believe him but there was no way I was getting the re-test fee out of him.

PS - When do the pass / compulsaries (or whatever they are called) become fails??

thegills

red-not-blue

The brake screach can be cured by putting some copper grease on the back of the pad before inserting them into the calipars. Can be bought at any motor factors.

R-N-B

red-not-blue

About 2 years ago the tester who did my car refused to give me the cert until I topped up my break fluid to the "MAX" line on the container. It was about 3mm below the "MAX" line and about 12mm above the "MIN" line !!!

The guy was decent enough about it and assured me that he did this with most cars. The reason he gave was that most people replaced brakepads before testing and as the pads wore the fluid level would drop and the majority of owners would not check fluid levels until the next service.

R-N-B

BluE-WinG

Question : I failed the NCT due to Windscreen wipers - I replaced both the front ones, Should I replace the back one aswell? Will they check for it? They didnt mention the back one specifically.