Another NCT Fail question.

PopIT

Hi All,
Not sure if there is anything I can do about this or not.
I have an Audi A6 TDI. Bought it back in October 2011 with a very limited warrenty. Despite that I have gotten the dealer to replace breaks, break servo, clutch and flywheel. He had it NCT'ed for me as part of the deal and it passed.

I had tested to-day and it failed on two points.
1 Break line on passenger side was worn and needs to be replaced. Not a biggey.
2 Smoke was 8.370 should be 3.0 and the oil temperature was 106c. Worried about this as it so high. When I went back to the test report for when I bought the car the smoke test says 0.000 and the oil temperature was 0c.

I rang the NCT line and they told me that because I wasn't the owner of the car back in October they couldn't comment on the previous test to me.

I can not understand how the car was tested back in October and the smoke test was not done.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

lockhartg

Advice?

Go to a garage and get it checked.

Henry Ford III

It's brakes not breaks!

p.s. I realise it's not a spelling test btw.

Satanta

You should be able to talk to someone about the figures for that original NCT and how come a certificate was issued. Was it out of NCT for a long time beforehand as well, or how come you only got a 5 month NCT?

After the farce last May where bribery in NCT centres made the news you should be able to query someone in Applus+ to get answers or raise your suspicions.

PopIT

lockhartg wrote: »

Advice?

Go to a garage and get it checked.

Naw why would I do that. I know it has to go to a garage and have a mechanic pricing the hose for me.

PopIT

Henry Ford III wrote: »

It's brakes not breaks!

p.s. I realise it's not a spelling test btw.

Yeah.

PopIT

Satanta wrote: »

You should be able to talk to someone about the figures for that original NCT and how come a certificate was issued. Was it out of NCT for a long time beforehand as well, or how come you only got a 5 month NCT?

After the farce last May where bribery in NCT centres made the news you should be able to query someone in Applus+ to get answers or raise your suspicions.

Thank you for your advice.

Been on to the nct again. They are looking into why the values are zero. Also been on to the dealer whose reply was " you must have done something to it as it passed and there is no control over the reading as it is computerized".

It was out of nct for a year and 7 months so the test had to be back dated to when it was last done.

slimjimmc

PopIT wrote: »

Thank you for your advice.

Been on to the nct again. They are looking into why the values are zero. Also been on to the dealer whose reply was " you must have done something to it as it passed and there is no control over the reading as it is computerized".

It was out of nct for a year and 7 months so the test had to be back dated to when it was last done.

The NCT cannot be back dated. The date on the test certificate is the date the test was done and the cert is valid from that day until the next due date.

eg. Due dates = 10/03/10, 10/03/12, 10/03/14
NCT done in 01/10/ 11 is valid from that day until 10/03/12. -- this cert cannot be backdated.
NCT done on 10/03/12 or within 90days before 10/03/12 is valid until 10/03/14.

PopIT

slimjimmc wrote: »

The NCT cannot be back dated. The date on the test certificate is the date the test was done and the cert is valid from that day until the next due date.

eg. Due dates = 10/03/10, 10/03/12, 10/03/14
NCT done in 01/10/ 11 is valid from that day until 10/03/12. -- this cert cannot be backdated.
NCT done on 10/03/12 or within 90days before 10/03/12 is valid until 10/03/14.

Thanks. I should have said I only got the few months on the test as it had been out 18 months the last time it was tested. Either way, I only got the 5 months on it.

challengemaster

PopIT wrote: »

Hi All,
Not sure if there is anything I can do about this or not.
I have an Audi A6 TDI. Bought it back in October 2011 with a very limited warrenty. Despite that I have gotten the dealer to replace breaks, break servo, clutch and flywheel. He had it NCT'ed for me as part of the deal and it passed.

I had tested to-day and it failed on two points.
1 Break line on passenger side was worn and needs to be replaced. Not a biggey.
2 Smoke was 8.370 should be 3.0 and the oil temperature was 106c. Worried about this as it so high. When I went back to the test report for when I bought the car the smoke test says 0.000 and the oil temperature was 0c.

I rang the NCT line and they told me that because I wasn't the owner of the car back in October they couldn't comment on the previous test to me.

I can not understand how the car was tested back in October and the smoke test was not done.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answered your own question, perhaps?

PopIT

challengemaster wrote: »

Answered your own question, perhaps?

Yeah. Going to wait and see what the NCT comes back with on Monday and take it from there. Obviously I wouldn't have bought the car if I had known about the problems and I was just really happy to see that it had passed the NCT. Never thought to check the report.

The lesson learned, when buying a second hand car even from a dealer always check the NCT report for inconsistencies.

Janedoe10

If it had an NCt in oct I thought u would have a year at least ? Or am I missing some thing ?

Guy:Incognito

Janedoe10 wrote: »

If it had an NCt in oct I thought u would have a year at least ? Or am I missing some thing ?

As Slimjim said, when you NCT your car, it's till the next due date. If the next due date is in 6 months then you get a 6 month cert. It discourages people from leaving their NCT an extra few months past when it should be done.

dr.fuzzenstein

PopIT wrote: »

2 Smoke was 8.370 should be 3.0 and the oil temperature was 106c. Worried about this as it so high. When I went back to the test report for when I bought the car the smoke test says 0.000 and the oil temperature was 0c.

Sounds like that smoke test was conducted via a €50 in the ashtray, since the previous owner knew damn well it would fail. I'm willing to bet on it.
Be very suspicious. Could either be bad neglect or knackered engine.

mgbgt1978

The readings from the test 5 months ago look more than dodgy.
IF an NCT tester was trying to pass a diesel car that was failing the smoke test, they would usually take the smoke reader out of the exhaust (or at least hold it near enough to the exhaust so that some reading would show up.
The oil temp would still be measured as normal though, so this is where it starts to look very dodgy.
The NCT will probably still insist that they cannot discuss a test carried out on a car that is/was not registered to you at the time of the test.
But, they will be very keen to see how a diesel car had an oil temp reading of 0 degrees at the time of the test.
First thing I would do is photocopy the results sheet from both tests (and never, ever give the originals to anyone).
Then go back to the seller and ask them to get it through the NCT again as they appear to be quite adept in this department.
If you get nowhere with them then start a fuss with the NCT crowd if you like, but that won't get your car through the test....it will only start an investigation into the the original test, which doesn't really help you.

CiniO

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

It discourages people from leaving their NCT an extra few months past when it should be done.

They tell us it's the reason, but in reality it doesn't discourage anyone from anything, but only it makes our lives more difficult.

PopIT

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

The readings from the test 5 months ago look more than dodgy.
IF an NCT tester was trying to pass a diesel car that was failing the smoke test, they would usually take the smoke reader out of the exhaust (or at least hold it near enough to the exhaust so that some reading would show up.
The oil temp would still be measured as normal though, so this is where it starts to look very dodgy.
The NCT will probably still insist that they cannot discuss a test carried out on a car that is/was not registered to you at the time of the test.
But, they will be very keen to see how a diesel car had an oil temp reading of 0 degrees at the time of the test.
First thing I would do is photocopy the results sheet from both tests (and never, ever give the originals to anyone).
Then go back to the seller and ask them to get it through the NCT again as they appear to be quite adept in this department.
If you get nowhere with them then start a fuss with the NCT crowd if you like, but that won't get your car through the test....it will only start an investigation into the the original test, which doesn't really help you.

Was thinking about this all right and if the NCT came out and said that the original test was done incorrectly (code for ashtray deposit) then would I have grounds to go back to the seller and seek a refund as I bought the car on the streangth of it passing the NCT?

Guy:Incognito

CiniO wrote: »

They tell us it's the reason, but in reality it doesn't discourage anyone from anything, but only it makes our lives more difficult.

How. Do it on time and you get a full NCT. Dont do it and your not gaining anything.

It encourages peopel to do it on time because if you drive without it you are supposed to be fined if caught, plus when you subsequently do do it you only get a disc to cover you till when it would have been due anyway.

CiniO

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

How. Do it on time and you get a full NCT. Dont do it and your not gaining anything.

People are not delaying doing their NCT because they want to gain anything.
Usually they don't do it for few reasons. Sometimes they just forget. Sometimes they don't want to do it, as they know that their car is not fine, and wouldn't pass. And sometimes they just don't give a hell.
In all those 3 cases, if NCT was valid for a year/2years from the date car was tested, those people wouldn't do it anyway on time, while people who care, and do NCT on time now, would still do it on time.

It encourages peopel to do it on time because if you drive without it you are supposed to be fined if caught, plus when you subsequently do do it you only get a disc to cover you till when it would have been due anyway.

With current system for cars older then 10 years, if you delay it for 9 monts after due date, you will skip the whole period and will get a disc for 15 months.

I must say I don't know any person who while now is doing NCT on time, would stop doing it, if they could gain extra month validity date for the price of driving for a month without NCT.

I however know some people who had to suffer from current system.
Few cases of someone buying a broken car without NCT, fixing it, putting through a test, and getting only 4 months valid cert. Just to be allowed to do another test in a month time, and then get a test for 15 months. That's really stupid.

Also I know someone who wanted to take his Irish registered car abroad for about 6 months. Unfortunately his NCT was due about 4 months after his departure date. So he couldn't do it before departure, and obviously he couldn't do it while abroad, so generally speaking he was forced to drive without NCT and risk a fine or even his car to be seized. If he could do NCT at any time and get it for a year/2years, he could easily do it before departure and have no trouble.

Current system only causes trouble for people, and doesn't help in anything.
Hence everywhere else in EU, you can do a car test anytime, and it's valid for a year or two from the date of the test.

PopIT

All this is true, but what about the guy who buys a car that was out of NCT like me and only ends up getting 4/5 months on it through no fault of their own. If some one buys a car out of NCT it should be given a full NCT at that point and under that set of circumstances.

The system we have is flawed and needs to be reworked. The Government should look more at some of the other European countries and the way they do things in relation to car testing.

Guy:Incognito

PopIT wrote: »

All this is true, but what about the guy who buys a car that was out of NCT like me and only ends up getting 4/5 months on it through no fault of their own. If some one buys a car out of NCT it should be given a full NCT at that point and under that set of circumstances.

The system we have is flawed and needs to be reworked. The Government should look more at some of the other European countries and the way they do things in relation to car testing.

The car you bought should have been NCT'd about 20 months before you bought it though, not when you were about to buy it 4 months before it was up again. Was it sitting around his garage that long? Either way it should have been done when it was due.

Did you question why it wasnt done before? , no excuse seeing as its due when its due , again nothing gained by waiting. If anything our system can help expose a car that potentially has problems. Why wasnt it done by its previous owner or even the garage as soon as they got it? Was it put through and failed? Was that why it didnt have one and needed "help" getting through when you bought it?

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

I must say I don't know any person who while now is doing NCT on time, would stop doing it, if they could gain extra month validity date for the price of driving for a month without NCT.

Current system only causes trouble for people, and doesn't help in anything.
Hence everywhere else in EU, you can do a car test anytime, and it's valid for a year or two from the date of the test.

Don't agree, my car (once I finally get it through this NCT) will be due an NCT on 31 Jan 2013, and I'll have it in no later than 1st Dec. this year so that I know the faults and can remedy them in time

I always test my car early for precisely this reason, so I've time to remedy defects. That said, I've only undertaken this practice the past four years when I've driven alfa romeos

However doing it from a resale point of view makes sense, if I nct my car in Nov. this year it has a 15 month NCT as opposed to 12 or less.

You see older cars on donedeal all the time with this sort of NCT, so it can't just be me doing it.

CiniO

Stheno wrote: »

Don't agree, my car (once I finally get it through this NCT) will be due an NCT on 31 Jan 2013, and I'll have it in no later than 1st Dec. this year so that I know the faults and can remedy them in time

I always test my car early for precisely this reason, so I've time to remedy defects. That said, I've only undertaken this practice the past four years when I've driven alfa romeos

However doing it from a resale point of view makes sense, if I nct my car in Nov. this year it has a 15 month NCT as opposed to 12 or less.

You see older cars on donedeal all the time with this sort of NCT, so it can't just be me doing it.

I never said I have anything against possibility to NCT car few months in advance it's due date.
I just said that making NCT cert valid only until next registration anniversary is nonsense.

AFAIK UK system is that you can MOT your car one month in advance of due date, and then you will get it for a year from last due date (so f.e. 13 months). But if you MOT your car at any other random time, you get a cert for 12 months, and that's very fair solution.

CiniO

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

The car you bought should have been NCT'd about 20 months before you bought it though, not when you were about to buy it 4 months before it was up again. Was it sitting around his garage that long? Either way it should have been done when it was due.

Why?
Is there any need to NCT a car which is not in use?
It's not required by any law to NCT car regularly.
It's only required to have a valid NCT disc when driving. When car is parked and not driven on public roads, there is no need for NCT so there is no point for anyone to actually test a car which is not in use.

Did you question why it wasnt done before? , no excuse seeing as its due when its due , again nothing gained by waiting. If anything our system can help expose a car that potentially has problems. Why wasnt it done by its previous owner or even the garage as soon as they got it? Was it put through and failed? Was that why it didnt have one and needed "help" getting through when you bought it?

What the previous owner has done with the car, is not an interest of new owner.
He just bought the car, made sure it's roadworthy, and put it through NCT.
It's completely unfair, that he is only getting a certificate valid for 4 months, while other people get it for 27 months. Just mad.


You just seem to misunderstand the point of NCT. It's not something like tv licence which you have to pay regularly every year.
It's aim is to encourage people to make sure that vehicles they drive are roadworthy. If they decided that check's once in two years are enough, and most likely car won't deteriorate that much during that period, there is completely no need for doing 2 test in the period of 4 months, just because it was not done earlier.

As well you still didn't take a stance about the situation described by me earlier, of someone driving abroad for longer, but with only few months left on NCT.
There is no physical possibility of doing NCT earlier, and therefore in the worst case, someone might be limited to drive abroad only for 3 months.
Do you really think that's all right?

Guy:Incognito

CiniO wrote: »

Why?
Is there any need to NCT a car which is not in use?
It's not required by any law to NCT car regularly.
It's only required to have a valid NCT disc when driving. When car is parked and not driven on public roads, there is no need for NCT so there is no point for anyone to actually test a car which is not in use.

Without the OP coming back to confirm, I doubt it's a stretch to assume it's not sitting on the dealers forecourt for the best part of 2 years

CiniO wrote: »

What the previous owner has done with the car, is not an interest of new owner..?

Surely a cars history is of huge interest to the new buyer, no?

CiniO wrote: »

He just bought the car, made sure it's roadworthy, and put it through NCT.
It's completely unfair, that he is only getting a certificate valid for 4 months, while other people get it for 27 months. Just mad.?

He didnt though, the dealer put it through the NCT and it now look like something was amiss.

His car could have had a 27 month NCT at one stage too if it had been done on time.

If he gets it through the NCT now and sells it in 18 months, is that now unfair on the new buyer?

CiniO wrote: »

As well you still didn't take a stance about the situation described by me earlier, of someone driving abroad for longer, but with only few months left on NCT.
There is no physical possibility of doing NCT earlier, and therefore in the worst case, someone might be limited to drive abroad only for 3 months.
Do you really think that's all right?

Since we dont here about it very often I'm going to assume its a relatively rare occurrance. Whats to stop the person taking the disc off the window and no one would know it doesnt have a current NCT. What if the system was 1 year NCTs for everyone and your going away for 11 months?

Every system has weaknesses. I hugely distrust the UK MOT system and our DOE system due to the very nature of the test being done in private garages where the incentive is to find stuff wrong and offer repairs on site.

PopIT

Am not sure where the car was during the period of no nct. Needed a car at the time and was happy that he agreed to nct it and that it passed.

Would bad smoke come under an "engine and gearbox warrenty" which is what he gave me? Taking into account he did repair the clutch, fly wheel, cv joint and break servo after I drove it away.

PopIT

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

PopIT wrote: »

All this is true, but what about the guy who buys a car that was out of NCT like me and only ends up getting 4/5 months on it through no fault of their own. If some one buys a car out of NCT it should be given a full NCT at that point and under that set of circumstances.

The system we have is flawed and needs to be reworked. The Government should look more at some of the other European countries and the way they do things in relation to car testing.

The car you bought should have been NCT'd about 20 months before you bought it though, not when you were about to buy it 4 months before it was up again. Was it sitting around his garage that long? Either way it should have been done when it was due.

Did you question why it wasnt done before? , no excuse seeing as its due when its due , again nothing gained by waiting. If anything our system can help expose a car that potentially has problems. Why wasnt it done by its previous owner or even the garage as soon as they got it? Was it put through and failed? Was that why it didnt have one and needed "help" getting through when you bought it?

All valid questions but an oversight on my part that I did not ask them. Unfortunately now looks like I am set to pay the price.

PopIT

Got a call from the NCT. They said "Due to a computer issue, the values for the smoke test and engine temperature failed to print on the report but were visible on the system. The possible reason was put down to multiple entries at the same time".

Sounds like a long tale to me.
Anyway thanks to all that offered advice.

gyppo

CiniO wrote: »

You just seem to misunderstand the point of NCT. It's exactly something like a tv licence which you have to pay regularly every year.
It's aim is to encourage people to make sure that vehicles they drive have paid their 50E

Fixed that for you!

Btw, totally agree with everything you have said on this thread - Im a little cynical when it comes to the NCT crowd.

Our man in Havana

PopIT wrote: »

Got a call from the NCT. They said "Due to a computer issue, the values for the smoke test and engine temperature failed to print on the report but were visible on the system. The possible reason was put down to multiple entries at the same time".

Sounds like a long tale to me.
Anyway thanks to all that offered advice.

Sounds like them closing ranks.

Anan1

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Sounds like them closing ranks.