NCT dodgey requirements- diesel car disclaimer

VM1

I brought my 'diesel' car to get NCT'd recently and they made my sign a disclaimer- only diesel cars sign this - but the test is the same for all cars.(the test is mandatory and so is signing the form). The disclaimer states that your car is in sound, working condition.

I think this sounds very dodgey but also discriminatory to diesel cars.
Why is the test the same for all cars yet diesels are being singled out with the disclaimer?
My car engine subsequently died straight after the test- while still at the centre but as it was being driven out. Technically it was still under the remit of the tester. The tester gave me the NCT form showing that the car was fine. But the engine died when it was in his possession and he recommended that I didnt drive it!
No one is taking responsibility.
Anyone any advice or similar experiences?

tombull82

VM1 wrote: »

I brought my 'diesel' car to get NCT'd recently and they made my sign a disclaimer- only diesel cars sign this - but the test is the same for all cars.(the test is mandatory and so is signing the form). The disclaimer states that your car is in sound, working condition.

I think this sounds very dodgey but also discriminatory to diesel cars.
Why is the test the same for all cars yet diesels are being singled out with the disclaimer?
My car engine subsequently died straight after the test.
No one is taking responsibility.
Anyone any advice or similar experiences?

Are you sure it was not a disclaimer that the timing belt has been done?

VM1

Definitely not the timing belt. Just a disclaimer to say that I declare my car is in fit working order.

eden_my_ass

VM1 wrote: »

Definitely not the timing belt. Just a disclaimer to say that I declare my car is in fit working order.

I think I remember hearing something about this in reference to revving the diesel hard..harder than you would need to in daily driving. I wonder how it covers them legally, looks like you'll be finding out though, sorry!

kildare.17hmr

that is the disclamer for the timing belt, thats the only disclamer they ask you to sign and its incase the belt snaps during the test. I would reckon whatever problem caused your car to cut was already present before the test

They rev the guts out of diesels for the emissions test as said above, up to the redline. They don't do this for petrols. I think it's a fairly daft test.

tombull82

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

that is the disclamer for the timing belt, thats the only disclamer they ask you to sign and its incase the belt snaps during the test. I would reckon whatever problem caused your car to cut was already present before the test

Sorry but I'm with kildare.17 on this thought

VM1

I am not disputing that the car had something wrong but i just think its not right that the test is the same for all cars but they are making the diesels sign the disclaimer. surely this is indicating that the test needs to be changed to accomodate diesels differently?

Repolho

I had to sign a similar disclaimer when i brought my car in the be tested (diesel focus). This is my first diesel car and I never had to sign any disclaimer when having my previous cars tested. I asked the tester why and he told me it was because they have to rev the car so high for the emissions test.

On a sidenote; I watched while he was doing the test and the guy revving the ****e out of it. All the time he was doing this he was texting on his mobile phone and paying no attention to the rev counter or any of his own equipment. I Took my own phone out to video it incase something happened but fortunately nothing did.

Sorry to hear about your car OP.

galwaytt

....mmm, I'm not enamoured with the idea of them flogging the nuts of mine, either, tbh. I see nothing to justify them doing something to my engine that I wouldn't do myself.

So, is there an easy way to set a rev limit on it, via, say the OBD port, before it goes in ?

kildare.17hmr

VM1 wrote: »

I am not disputing that the car had something wrong but i just think its not right that the test is the same for all cars but they are making the diesels sign the disclaimer. surely this is indicating that the test needs to be changed to accomodate diesels differently?

It is differant, they get you to sign the disclamer! nothing else is needed

kildare.17hmr

Lads if the car is fine there is no problem, if you have neglected your motor and not had things done when they should have been done, ie timing belt, then you should worry. it needs to be done to test the emissions on the diesel end of! as for the guy on the phone, unprofessional but thats all, he does not need to look at the rev counter as he knows he is reving it out and only needs to look at his screen when he is finished.

Alun

Read the NCT test handbook that's downloadable on the site. The test involves revving diesel engines up to the limiter, whatever that is, so no need for him to be looking at the rev counter on the car or his equipment. Petrol engines are only revved up to a more modest level, only 2.5k rpm IIRC.

Mine's survived two of these so far with no troubles, so I can only assume there was something wrong with your car beforehand that the test brought to light. The fact that you never rev the car up to the red line is irrelevant, it's only for a brief period, and if it was unsafe for the engine to be at those revs for such a short period, then I'm sure the manufacturer would have set a lower limit.

Repolho

Alun wrote: »

...if it was unsafe for the engine to be at those revs for such a short period, then I'm sure the manufacturer would have set a lower limit.

Then why make you sign a disclaimer?

kildare.17hmr

Repolho wrote: »

Then why make you sign a disclaimer?

INCASE YOUR TIMING BELT SNAPS!! ffs man this has been said already! no need to sign for petrol cars as they are not reved high! how is that so hard to understand???

Slidey

I have done hundreds of smoke tests on diesels. The reason they are reved is because the test is done to measure the opacity of the smoke and not its content.

Only once in all the time of doing them have I come close to damaging an engine. It was a 97 Caddy van and when I started to rev it I could here it clatter. The timing was out so I didn't finish the smoke test.

Once you have done them for a while you will have no need to watch the rev counter, you will know when it is close to red lining. It should not be held on redline, only reved to it and then let the throttle off

tombull82

Repolho wrote: »

Then why make you sign a disclaimer?

If a car has been looked after as per manufacturer's spec, i.e serviced correctly and correct parts used.
Then it will be ok to hit it off the limiter BUT you have to sign the Disclaimer for the NCT guys as they do not know if you have or have not looked after it in such a way.

This only came about as many people hadn't and the firm had to cop out a load of money for new engines for cars that were in bad condition via neglect and could have thrown the belt on the way there never mind during the test.

langdang

tombull82 wrote: »

This only came about as many people hadn't and the firm had to cop out a load of money for new engines for cars that were in bad condition via neglect and could have thrown the belt on the way there never mind during the test.

"Twas a grand little yoke til the NCT boys got it, shur I was driving it around for years and it never had to see the inside of a garage for anything,grand yoke so it was":rolleyes:

Anan1

galwaytt wrote: »

....mmm, I'm not enamoured with the idea of them flogging the nuts of mine, either, tbh. I see nothing to justify them doing something to my engine that I wouldn't do myself.

So, is there an easy way to set a rev limit on it, via, say the OBD port, before it goes in ?

AFAIK all engines have rev limiters these days - the only way to overrev is to downshift at speed?

Nonoperational

Ya all engines would have electronic rev limiters. No problem in hitting it as long as the car is maintained correctly.