NCT Fail

paulgalway

NCT failed this morning; but only for "wheel caps not removed". I was so suprised that there were no major problems that I forgot to ask what exactly this is.

Note: car has alloy wheels.

DublinDilbert

They need to be able to inspect the wheel nuts/bolts, even if you have alloys.

There might be a central cover hiding the wheel nuts/bolts or the bolts have them plastic caps on them..

mp3kid

The wheel nuts need to be exposed for the NCT.

These wheel caps were probably covering them.

shawnee

Think you should ring and check this one with Nct. Generally they need to be able to see that wheel studs are secure. If they are covered ( usually by wheel trims ) then they can't see them. If the nuts are clearly visible on the alloys, then there shouldn't be a problem, perhaps they mistook them for wheel trims

Mr Magners

Same thing with my wife's Mini recently.

It's only a visual re-test afaik so pop off the covers and back to the test centre where they should give you the all-clear.

seamus

Here's an example of an alloy wheel with a cap covering the nuts;



They should just pop out with a screwdriver and it's a visual fault (afaik), so just bring it back and they'll look at it for free.

Col200sx

It says it in the notes to have hubcaps/covers removed where wheel nuts are not visible.

I'm sure a free visual check will cover it once you call back.

smartaform

Our car failed because the letters and numbers on the number plates were too small.

OH Forgot to mention, the same car passed only 3 months previously, with the same plates....

Talk about a scam of a system.

cjt156

smartaform wrote: »

Talk about a scam of a system.

Yep, scamming people for 50 quid once every two years...:rolleyes:

There may be inconsistencies and mistakes, but a scam? For less than a tank of petrol once every 24 months? I think not.

Mr. Presentable

smartaform wrote: »

Our car failed because the letters and numbers on the number plates were too small.

OH Forgot to mention, the same car passed only 3 months previously, with the same plates....

Talk about a scam of a system.

If it passed, why was it getting tested again three months later?

Bruthal

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

If it passed, why was it getting tested again three months later?

Well that is possible to happen, if you leave it not tested for a year and 8 or 9 months after it should of been done.

Bruthal

cjt156 wrote: »

Yep, scamming people for 50 quid once every two years...:rolleyes:

There may be inconsistencies and mistakes, but a scam? For less than a tank of petrol once every 24 months? I think not.

Still would be annoying though, if it passes, then next time it fails. Cant really see the danger to driving caused by a number plate with numbers a bit smaller and that passed the test before.

Guy:Incognito

robbie7730 wrote: »

Still would be annoying though, if it passes, then next time it fails..

Human error has a name for that reason.

The alternative is to spend lots of mney on computers and cameras to automatically scan and check the plates on every car in every centre.

that or everyone stops dickign roudn with their bloody number plates and just get the ones they are mean to .

Bruthal

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Human error has a name for that reason.

It would not bother you so:)

that or everyone stops dickign roudn with their bloody number plates and just get the ones they are meant to .

Yes its a bit silly that alright, whats the point of it.

seamus

robbie7730 wrote: »

It would not bother you so:)

It wouldn't bother me anyway because I'd have the right plates fitted to begin with

If the car came with the wrong plates, I'd feel a bit stiffed, but I can't blame the NCTS for applying the legislation.

You have to account for human error in these things. At my last test, the guy told me I had no rear fog light. I did, he just couldn't see it with the sun shining on the back of the car. Annoying, yes, but they're still only human.

dougie-lampkin

cjt156 wrote: »

Yep, scamming people for 50 quid once every two years...:rolleyes:

There may be inconsistencies and mistakes, but a scam? For less than a tank of petrol once every 24 months? I think not.

€50 every year for me. And that's the price of two full tanks every year. Just for a lad to spend 10 mins driving my car on a few machines, jack it up and wobble the wheels a bit and then give me a nice printout of how my car is showroom condition, but I need to come back in 12 months anyway.

If €50 is nothing to be sneezed at, why don't you fill my car for me twice a year? :rolleyes:

Not to mention the horror stories of people being failed on the most ridiculous of things, only to be passed the next day with nothing changed on the car. Like the poster above being failed on number plates when they passed fine 3 months beforehand.

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

If it passed, why was it getting tested again three months later?

Could be an import? Or could have been off the road for 45 months since its last test date, so it fell due 3 months after being put back on the road.

seamus

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Not to mention the horror stories of people being failed on the most ridiculous of things, only to be passed the next day with nothing changed on the car.

Most of these "silly" fails are visual retests, which are free. Sure, they're an irritation for the driver, but ultimately cost the NCTS more in terms of manpower. Surely if the intention was to scam people out of money, they would charge for visual retests?

no1beemerfan

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

€50 every year for me. And that's the price of two full tanks every year..........

What in God's name do you drive if its only €25 to fill a tank?


The NCT has gotten rid of a good few dangerous cars so in that regard its a brilliant thing and if the NCT was scrapped in the morning a lot of people would go back to "forgetting" to look after their cars.

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

€50 every year for me. And that's the price of two full tanks every year.

A 16 litre tank. A novel way of making fill ups cheaper.

Or could have been off the road for 45 months since its last test date, so it fell due 3 months after being put back on the road.

Must be the 4 year NCT test there.

dougie-lampkin

seamus wrote: »

Most of these "silly" fails are visual retests, which are free. Sure, they're an irritation for the driver, but ultimately cost the NCTS more in terms of manpower. Surely if the intention was to scam people out of money, they would charge for visual retests?

I'd say most of the visual retests are down to the driver's negligence to follow NCT rules, like removing hubcaps, clearing out the boot, blown bulbs, etc. There are threads on here of cars failing on brake or shock imbalance, but passing the retest with no work done.

no1beemerfan wrote: »

What in God's name do you drive if its only €25 to fill a tank?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70924468&postcount=14

I can almost squeeze €30 with current fuel prices if I keep going until it cuts out But that then includes the fuel lines, filler neck and carb float bowl so we'll say €25. I remember when €20 used to fill it

no1beemerfan wrote: »

The NCT has gotten rid of a good few dangerous cars so in that regard its a brilliant thing and if the NCT was scrapped in the morning a lot of people would go back to "forgetting" to look after their cars.

Absolutely, I'm not disputing the need for an NCT at all.

robbie7730 wrote: »

A 16 litre tank. A novel way of making fill ups cheaper.

I wouldn't mind but I get 30mpg on a very good day. And you're paying nearly 1.57 a litre for petrol? Poor guy, still 1.48 around here.

robbie7730 wrote: »

Must be the 4 year NCT test there.

What four year "NCT test"? The test so nice they named it twice? :rolleyes:

And 45 months is the minimum it would have to be off the road for. If it was off for less than two years since the last test, it wouldn't need a test to go back on the road, the old test would still be valid until the full two years expire. The only time it would need a test and then another one 3 months later is if it was off for 3 years and 9 months (or 5 or 7 years and 9 months).

Of course, it wouldn't have to be off the road for the full 45 months obviously, it could have been driving until the NCT expired. For simplicity's sake (since you're not getting it), I'm using the full 45 months as an example.

Although your sarcasm is greatly appreciated, I'd appreciate more if you actually paused for a minute (or possibly more) and thought about it before attempting a smart assed (and laughable) reply. I'm not sure how else I can explain this to you

no1beemerfan

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70924468&postcount=14

I can almost squeeze €30 with current fuel prices if I keep going until it cuts out But that then includes the fuel lines, filler neck and carb float bowl so we'll say €25. I remember when €20 used to fill it

Ohhh very nice! I didn't realise the tanks were so small

cjt156

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Blah blah blah blah and stuff... I'm not sure how else I can explain this to you

So you still maintain 50 quid once a year, though for most its every second year, is a scam?
As I and others have said, there may be inconsistencies and mistakes; you indicated some yourself. That doesn't make it a scam. All the infrastructure, advertising, employees and admin costs and you reckon its all in order to scam the poor Irish public out of 50? Which most people here will probably p!ss away on a Friday night?

Its flawed, its not a scam.

dougie-lampkin

no1beemerfan wrote: »

Ohhh very nice! I didn't realise the tanks were so small

Haynes says it's close to 30 litre capacity, but about 10 litres of this is unusable due to the design, unless I get the car onto a 45° slope when I fill up (but then it'd fall out of the cap when I go back to level again anyway :pac:). You can see the tank in the boot on the left of this picture, they're tiny

cjt156 wrote: »

So you still maintain 50 quid once a year, though for most its every second year, is a scam?
As I and others have said, there may be inconsistencies and mistakes; you indicated some yourself. That doesn't make it a scam. All the infrastructure, advertising, employees and admin costs and you reckon its all in order to scam the poor Irish public out of 50? Which most people here will probably p!ss away on a Friday night?

Its flawed, its not a scam.

Would you like to quote where I said it was a scam? Because I don't recall posting that.

€50 for 15 mins work is extravagant, is all I said. A mechanic will not only inspect my car, but fix it for a third of that.

bmaxi

Strangely, I brought my car for NCT this morning and forgot to remove the caps, there was no mention of them.
One thing I did notice was a "pass advisory" on one of the tyres, the reason being it was six years old. This wheel was bought with the car and was never on the road until about three weeks ago, never had a puncture, even the original coloured markings are still visible. WTF is going on there? Does this mean if all the original tyres, (2005 Hyundai) were still on it, I would have to replace them before it's next NCT even if they are perfect?

seamus

bmaxi wrote: »

Does this mean if all the original tyres, (2005 Hyundai) were still on it, I would have to replace them before it's next NCT even if they are perfect?

Nope. According to the manual, the owner should only be advised when the tyre is more than six years old, but if the tyre is otherwise fine you cannot be failed for old tyres.

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Although your sarcasm is greatly appreciated, I'd appreciate more if you actually paused for a minute (or possibly more) and thought about it before attempting a smart assed (and laughable) reply. I'm not sure how else I can explain this to you

Yea a bit of an NCT fail on my part:D. I hope mellor is not reading this.

You have to never ever make a mistake on boards or your an idiot.

Guy:Incognito

seamus wrote: »

Nope. According to the manual, the owner should only be advised when the tyre is more than six years old, but if the tyre is otherwise fine you cannot be failed for old tyres.

It's coming up on or just passed 6 years old if it was registered in the first couple of months of 05.

Bmaxi, just like the rubber in a timing belt or anything else, tyres perish over time and have a usefull life. Which is why timing belts have a life of X miles or X number of years (usually 5-7) , whichever comes first.

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

I wouldn't mind but I get 30mpg on a very good day. And you're paying nearly 1.57 a litre for petrol? Poor guy, still 1.48 around here.

Well no, my mistake again, €25 to fill tank was it? €1.48 a litre, 16.9 litre tank so.

antodeco

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yea a bit of an NCT fail on my part:D. I hope mellor is not reading this.

You have to never ever make a mistake on boards or your an idiot.

You're!
:pac:

dougie-lampkin

Around 18-20 usable litres, so about right I guess. Hard to know when it's truly empty unless it runs dry :rolleyes:

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Around 18-20 usable litres, so about right I guess. Hard to know when it's truly empty unless it runs dry :rolleyes:

How long have you got that?

dougie-lampkin

robbie7730 wrote: »

How long have you got that?

The car? 3 years now, about half of which it was in use.

Bruthal

antodeco wrote: »

You're!
:pac:

O the grammer/spelling thing. Not too many on boards are flawless in that dept. Im afraid to tipe now:D

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

The car? 3 years now, about half of which it was in use.

I didnt think they had that small a tank in them all the same.

LizT

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Not to mention the horror stories of people being failed on the most ridiculous of things, only to be passed the next day with nothing changed on the car. Like the poster above being failed on number plates when they passed fine 3 months beforehand.

My sister's car was in for the NCT and the guy said it had "failed badly". My sister asked to see what the problem was and the guy brought her out and said "See, your back seat doesn't click in. If someone was sitting there and you crashed they'd be thrown forward". Cue him demonstrating it, the seat clicking in first time and him heading back in the change the result to pass... And if my sis hadn't questioned it, she would have just failed.

It probably was a genuine mistake but still...

dougie-lampkin

The earlier coopers came with twin tanks, around 10 gallons I think, and the later injection models came with a larger 7(?) gallon tank, mine's the last of the carb'd ones ('94) so still comes with the crappy single tank :mad:

I could fit a tad more than €25 in with current fuel prices in fairness, still less than €30 though. Getting ~120 miles out of a full tank gets tiring quickly

Not that it matters how many fills I can get from the price of an NCT anyway :pac:

Bruthal

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

120 miles out of a full tank gets tiring quickly

I know what you mean, i hate having to stop for petrol, and even more having to pay the price for it now.

cjt156

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

Would you like to quote where I said it was a scam? Because I don't recall posting that.

No but were arguing against my previous post where some other numpty called it a scam.

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

€50 for 15 mins work is extravagant, is all I said. A mechanic will not only inspect my car, but fix it for a third of that.

A mechanic will inspect and fix a car for 17 Euro? Riiiight.....? Are you sure that's not a scam?

50 euro once every two years for a general safety check is a bloody good deal. The Irish have a constant need to run things down and make "rip-off" accusations. In this case its unwarranted.

paulgalway

Removed the cap from each wheel, 1 screw per, total time = 2mins; and went back. Same guy did the visual and passed the car.

If he had explained to me what the problem was this morning, I could have saved me time and him paperwork; and removed the caps before he printed the test result.


He did say they do see cars with only 2 or 3 bolts holding the wheels in place!:eek:

E39MSport

One of the testers in Naas called me in and asked me to remove the alloy wheel nut caps. I thought it was very considerate of him.