Just had my NCT done in Arklow..

Gilhooley

I just had my NCT done in Arklow and the car passed no problem. Five minutes after driving away from the test centre, a weird warning light popped up on my dash. I had to pull over and check the car manual as I'd never seen the light before. According to the manual it is the disk brake replacement warning telling me brakes are going bad. So, I drove back to the test centre, explained what happened and the guy looked at me like I was insane and said "Well maybe your brakes are going bad". He then explained that maybe the brakes were good enough to pass the NCT but still going bad..????

So, for some strange reason, my brake warning lights come on five minutes after my NCT? I've had the car for six years and never seen the lights before. If I have to bring the car to the mechanic and there is a problem due to negligence on the part of the NCT testing centre, can I be re-imbursed for expenses? Has anyone had a similar problem such as this?

djimi

If youre brakes are going then its not the fault of the NCT tbf. Perhaps they could have pointed it out to you but I really dont see how or why you would get reimbursed for anything from them for it?

Mr. Presentable

The NCT test that your brakes work. Your car has a brake sensor. Your brakes work so no problem NCT. The car has detected they will need replacing soon. They still work, though.

Go get your brakes done and hopefully you will be OK at the next NCT.

Max Power1

After getting the NCT cert, why would you go back and say there was a fault??

Take the cert, and go to a garage to get the brakes checked imo;)

Gilhooley

Well, because the sensor came on five minutes after having the NCT done and never before in five years? You wouldn't think that brakes that are going bad should pass the NCT would you? Brakes passed no problem according to the NCT...

DannyBuoy

Gilhooley wrote: »

Well, because the sensor came on five minutes after having the NCT done and never before in five years? You wouldn't think that brakes that are going bad should pass the NCT would you? Brakes passed no problem according to the NCT...

Its most likely the brake wear warning light, which means pads are nearing their replacement time due to limited friction material left on them. That doesn't mean there's a fault with them or they're not working properly. It just means they will need replacing shortly.

Gilhooley

Gilhooley wrote: »

If I have to bring the car to the mechanic and there is a problem due to negligence on the part of the NCT testing centre, can I be re-imbursed for expenses? Has anyone had a similar problem such as this?

There is no negligence on behalf of the NCT chap. Your car passed the tests, NCT have the report to prove this. Go and get your pads / discs whatever replaced and stop trying to blame someone. Re-imbursed for expenses :rolleyes: In all f ing fairness.

djimi

Go to a mechanic and get it checked out. Chances are the brakes are on the limit of what is acceptable to pass, but low enough to trigger the sensor. It could be a coincidence; Im not entirely sure what the NCT would have done to make the sensor light come on, but a trip to a mechanic should reveal all.

Max Power1

Gilhooley wrote: »

Well, because the sensor came on five minutes after having the NCT done and never before in five years? You wouldn't think that brakes that are going bad should pass the NCT would you? Brakes passed no problem according to the NCT...

The sensor is a warning light that the brakes are wearing and need to be replaced soon. Still retaining functionality for another while, hence why they passed the NCT.

peasant

The only thing that the NCT could have possibly done to "cause" this fault light coming on all of a sudden is that they shook a dodgy electrical connector on the sensor back into life.

Gilhooley

"It just means they will need replacing shortly."

Just to clarify, I am not trying to blame somone or get something for nothing. If the NCT tells me that my brakes are in good shape and my mechanic does as well, then why does the sensor suddenly come on after the NCT lads looked at my brakes? Had the car serviced two weeks before NCT and all was good. Five minutes after NCT I have this warning light permanently on my dash that was never there before? Seriously....

johnos1984

peasant wrote: »

The only thing that the NCT could have possibly done to "cause" this fault light coming on all of a sudden is that they shook a dodgy electrical connector on the sensor back into life.

I was just thinking the same.

On a car that age I would expect the pads to need doing, also a sensor could of worked loose.

Either way i would consider it a classic case of wear and tear

Gilhooley

"I'm not entirely sure what the NCT would have done to make the sensor light come on, but a trip to a mechanic should reveal all."

Yeah, but I gotta pay for that! Just had it serviced and now I have to bring it back?

NCT lads have a peak at the discs to make check they are not worn excessively thin, they'd want to wafer thin to fail though, they'll pass them no probs with a good wear lip on them. The light is no doubt for the pads wearing, there is probably a good few hundred miles left in them.

langdang

Max Power1 wrote: »

The sensor is a warning light that the brakes are wearing and need to be replaced soon. Still retaining functionality for another while, hence why they passed the NCT.

Exactly, the brakes are fine for the moment but due to normal wear and tear they will need to be replaced soon. It wouldn't be much of a system if it waited until 0.1mm before metal on metal, waited til you got to motorway speed, then told you "BTW your brakes are F****d. LOL"

djimi

Gilhooley wrote: »

"I'm not entirely sure what the NCT would have done to make the sensor light come on, but a trip to a mechanic should reveal all."

Yeah, but I gotta pay for that! Just had it serviced and now I have to bring it back?

There is a light on your dashboard telling you that your brakes are on the way out. You have two choices; you can ask a mechanic to look at it or you can remain mad, do nothing and hope that its something that the NCT have broken. This is your brakes we are talking about. Are you really in a pickle as to what to do about it?

Take it to a mechanic. If it does turn out to be something that was caused by the NCT then at least you have something to base your complaints on when you go back to them. At the moment you, nor any of us, have any idea what the problem might be.

When you got the car serviced, are you sure the mechanic said the brakes were fine, or did he say that they would pass the NCT? Two different things...

Gilhooley

Right, nice to know that you can pass the NCT with brakes that will fail in a few weeks. What was I so worried about?

ronaneire

Gilhooley wrote: »

"It just means they will need replacing shortly."

Just to clarify, I am not trying to blame somone or get something for nothing. If the NCT tells me that my brakes are in good shape and my mechanic does as well, then why does the sensor suddenly come on after the NCT lads looked at my brakes? Had the car serviced two weeks before NCT and all was good. Five minutes after NCT I have this warning light permanently on my dash that was never there before? Seriously....

Have you heard of wear and tear?
Brakes do wear down!

Gilhooley wrote: »

"I'm not entirely sure what the NCT would have done to make the sensor light come on, but a trip to a mechanic should reveal all."

Yeah, but I gotta pay for that! Just had it serviced and now I have to bring it back?

Nothing is free, but maybe your mechanic missed something.
Come back and tell us after your mechanic as taken a look.

djimi

Youre brakes wont fail in a few weeks. Any sensors on brakes will warn you in plenty of time that they need changing.

The NCT is not a car servicing service; they are there to tell you whether your car meets the minimum safety standard. Your brakes obviously meet this standard, ie they will continue to stop your car safely for another while, but your car is telling you that it is time to get them changed.

Edited to say I dont actually know if your brakes will fail in a few weeks or not; for all I know both your mechanic and the NCT could have missed something and they could well be on their last legs. My advice is to get them checked out ASAP.

Gilhooley

"When you got the car serviced, are you sure the mechanic said the brakes were fine, or did he say that they would pass the NCT? Two different things."

I always get my car serviced twice a year and had this done two weeks ago. The mechanics will take any opportunity to replace anything that needs to be done since I won't be back for another six months (as most good mechanics would). I don't have the measurements but the brake pads were fine two weeks ago according to my mechanic. Anyway, yeah I'll have to bring it back but don't really trust the lads at the NCT Centre. Anyway, thanks for all the advice, but I still think something is up...

daRobot

It's either just a co-incidence that this happened at that time, or the sensor was "shook" back into life.

Either way, get your brakes attended to.

Gophur

OP, you obviously do not fully understand what the NCT is about.

It is not a certificate of road-worthiness for your car. It's simply a certificate stating your car conformed to certain standards at one particular time. NCT has no obligation re: car safety, once your car leaves the NCT office.

Henry Ford III

Not commonly known but NCT try their best to wear braking systems to the bone, so that they'll either display a warning light or ideally fail altogether, immediately after passing the test.

p.s. They are in cahoots with the reverse vampires, rand corporation, and the saucer people.

johnos1984

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Not commonly known but NCT try their best to wear braking systems to the bone, so that they'll either display a warning light or ideally fail altogether, immediately after passing the test.

p.s. They are in cahoots with the reverse vampires, rand corporation, and the saucer people.

They'll shaft you every time

Gilhooley

"OP, you obviously do not fully understand what the NCT is about.

It is not a certificate of road-worthiness for your car. It's simply a certificate stating your car conformed to certain standards at one particular time."

Oh, sorry for being so naive. I stand corrected...

Gilhooley

"Not commonly known but NCT try their best to wear braking systems to the bone, so that they'll either display a warning light or ideally fail altogether, immediately after passing the test."

Wow, that is really really funny. I think your talents are being wasted at the call centre.

langdang

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Not commonly known but NCT try their best to wear braking systems to the bone, so that they'll either display a warning light or ideally fail altogether, immediately after passing the test.

p.s. They are in cahoots with the reverse vampires, rand corporation, and the saucer people.

Get on to Jim Corr gilhooley, he'll explain it all to you!

Gilhooley

langdang wrote: »

Get on to Jim Corr gilhooley, he'll explain it all to you!

Yeah, I am beginning to think so...

OP - stop digging a hole and get your pads changed. Question the mechanic who serviced the car why did he not mention to you the pads were quite worn.

peasant

There is however the slight possibility that the brakes are just dandy and the NCT fella broke a sensor cable while poking around

Gilhooley

"There is however the slight possibility that the brakes are just dandy and the NCT fella broke a sensor cable while poking around"

My point exactly, thank you! I will get it checked out and report back but I am quite sure that the brakes are fine...

Gilhooley

Gilhooley wrote: »

My point exactly, thank you! I will get it checked out and report back but I am quite sure that the brakes are fine...

In 3 pages you haven't yet made a point :eek:

Gilhooley

"In 3 pages you haven't yet made a point "

Ouch! Actually I did, you missed it. So, to summarize for you:

1. Car full service two weeks ago, brakes fine.
2. Car passes NCT and five minutes later, faulty brake sensor goes off (first time in five years)
3. The point? Maybe something happened at the NCT centre to cause the sensor to operate incorrectly. That is my point.

You don't see to understand how to quote posts either
Makes your posts / ramblings a bit hard to read.

Gilhooley

RoverJames wrote: »

You don't see to understand how to quote posts either
Makes your posts / ramblings a bit hard to read.

OK, thanks for the pointer and sorry to confuse you.

Gone Drinking

Just take a look at the brake pads yourself, you can see them through your front alloys on most cars.

If the sensor is telling the truth, then they're won't be a massive amount of brake pad left on them.

You're freaking over nothing here OP

jimmycrackcorm

In a similar vein I brought the oh's car to a dealer to get an abs sensor fixed. Five minutes after picking up the car I saw the airbag light come on.

I took it back and the first thing the mechanic asked me was did I adjust the drivers seat and that doing that probably loosened a connection under the seat. So I checked that and sure enough that's what it was.

My bet is that a sensor connection became loose during the test

Gophur

Gilhooley wrote: »

"OP, you obviously do not fully understand what the NCT is about.

It is not a certificate of road-worthiness for your car. It's simply a certificate stating your car conformed to certain standards at one particular time."

Oh, sorry for being so naive. I stand corrected...

With respect, what was your original post about, so?


You do know the braking test in the NCT? It's minimal, and, if it led to a problem in your brakes, you need a new mechanic.

R.O.R

I've also heard of the Brake warning indicator coming on in some cars when a Brake light goes. First thing I'd check.....

slimjimmc

OP, brakes wear down with use that's normal. It sounds like your pads were just on the limit to trigger the wear indicator light on the dashboard and this was about to happen anytime soon.

The pad-wear indicator works on the principle of closing an electrical circuit. In metal backing of the pad there is a small plastic probe sticking out. This probe consists of a metal core which is total insulated by the pastic and is connected to the warning light. As the pads wear thinner this probe eventually makes contact with the brake disc and the plastic face starts to wear off. The eventually exposes the metal core inside the probe and when you press the brakes this core touches the disc and closes the electrical circuit (just like a switch) and lights up the warning light on the instrument panel.

Your mechanic probably just looked at the pads is situ and saw there was enough friction material on them (commaon enough practice). If he had actually pulled the pads out he may have noticed the plastic wearing on the probe and advised you that the pads were still good but were nearing end-of-life. On the other hand, even if he did take out the pads the probe may not yet have started to wear and therefore there was no indication the pads were borderline.

Anyways the NCT are not concerned about the wear indicators, they test the actual brake performance which is much more important.

RobertM

Assume that instead of an NCT, you had your car serviced. 5 minutes up the road, the warning light on your dashboard comes up, take it down to the mechanic again, and he tells you the car was roadworthy when left the workshop. What do you do then ? Come here and make a new thread slating the garage that did the work ?


Accept it that it's only a coincidence and your brakes will (not right now) need be changing.
But as others said, check the sensor first, they do fail.

slimjimmc

slimjimmc wrote: »

If he had actually pulled the pads out he may have noticed the plastic wearing on the probe and advised you that the pads were still good but were nearing end-of-life. On the other hand, even if he did take out the pads the probe may not yet have started to wear and therefore there was no indication the pads were borderline.

Do any mechanics remove brakepads for any reason other than to change them ?

djimi

RobertM wrote: »

Assume that instead of an NCT, you had your car serviced. 5 minutes up the road, the warning light on your dashboard comes up, take it down to the mechanic again, and he tells you the car was roadworthy when left the workshop. What do you do then ? Come here and make a new thread slating the garage that did the work ?


Accept it that it's only a coincidence and your brakes will (not right now) need be changing.
But as others said, check the sensor first, they do fail.

Id be a little cautious about saying this. We dont know that his brakes arent dangerously low, and that the NCT didnt just kickstart a sensor into life that had previously been broken. Unlikely perhaps, but the best thing to do is get it checked out ASAP.

RobertM

djimi wrote: »

Id be a little cautious about saying this. We dont know that his brakes arent dangerously low, and that the NCT didnt just kickstart a sensor into life that had previously been broken. Unlikely perhaps, but the best thing to do is get it checked out ASAP.

Exactly, we can moan and speculate anything, but until he will check the brakes, we won't know for sure.

slimjimmc

RoverJames wrote: »

Do any mechanics remove brakepads for any reason other than to change them ?

Usually not that's why I said it's common enough practice, but they probably should. If they did they might detect other issues such as uneven wear, damaged seals and, as I found when replacing my own brake pads, the big chunk of friction material that broke away leaving only about 70% of effective pad.

mickdw

Ok, the mistake you are making here OP is that you are confusing normal wear & tear with being faulty.
Brake pads come with maybe 15mm of wear material when new. They will function perfectly as this wears down and they must then be renewed when completely worn. THe warning light is to tell you that there is only a few mm of wear left before you need to get them replaced. This does not mean they are going bad or faulty or are in a condition unsuitable to pass an NCT, it is just a friendly notification that you will need to replace the worn away stuff soon.
I assume the light shows a circle with lines or dots outside the circle at each side?

There is the possibility that the NCT guys did something to acivate this light but on many cars, it is the completion of a circuit that switches this light on so breaking a wire or something like that would not cause the light to come on.
My opinion would be that you definitely need brake pads within the next few thousand miles and it is either coincidence that the light happened after the test or else the checks underneath happened to get the brake warning light working that perhaps had not been working for the last few years as it would be unusual not to see a pad wear warning in 5 years of driving