Ka Failed nct, now battery flat

Fiona B

Hi,

I'm new here, but hopefully someone can help, Last week i went for my nct, i drive a 02 ford ka, i was failed because the wiper blades "were not acceptable" and i never took off my wheel caps, so i got new wiper blades and took off the wheel caps and went back, this time i passed, then the day after i leave, my car won't start, the engine light comes on and its just dead, I'm so annoyed because they failed me over wiper blades but failed to noticed my battery on its way out, could they have spotted this while doing the nct?

sheehan12

Fiona B wrote: »

Hi,

I'm new here, but hopefully someone can help, Last week i went for my nct, i drive a 02 ford ka, i was failed because the wiper blades "were not acceptable" and i never took off my wheel caps, so i got new wiper blades and took off the wheel caps and went back, this time i passed, then the day after i leave, my car won't start, the engine light comes on and its just dead, I'm so annoyed because they failed me over wiper blades but failed to noticed my battery on its way out, could they have spotted this while doing the nct?

NO

renofan

Fiona B wrote: »

.... I'm so annoyed because they failed me over wiper blades but failed to noticed my battery on its way out.....

Wiper blades are a SAFETY issue. If your wipers are not working correctly how do you expect to see safely when it is raining. And if the car starts and runs on the day of the test its hardly their fault the battery is gone....its not part of the test to test the charge condition of the battery etc.

MidlandsM

no, nor do they they have a crystal ball......

biko

It's not the NCT guys job to spot a bad battery. Just get another one and move on
Go to a motor factors and bring the old battery in with you, they'll sell you a fresh one and take the old battery away for recycling.

MidlandsM

biko wrote: »

It's not the NCT guys job to spot a bad battery. Just get another one and move on
Go to a motor factors and bring the old battery in with you, they'll sell you a fresh one and take the old battery away for recycling.

and OP, if you cant use a spanner, get a jump start and go down to a local halfords......they'll fit one for you.

aujopimur

Most motors factors will load check your old battery, if you need a relacement they'll be the cheapest, and will fit it FOC

Wheelnut

Sorry to Fiona and at the risk of offending the mods, I think that first post must be one of the *****dest I ever read. I hope you won't mind if I post a link on Octane.

colm_mcm

So youre not happy enough to insult the OP here, you have to do it on octane

Motors is supposed to be helpful. Like if I posted in the domestic appliances section about why my washing machine isn't emptying I wouldn't expect them to take the piss.

Wheelnut

colm_mcm wrote: »

Like if I posted in the domestic appliances section about why my washing machine isn't emptying I wouldn't expect them to take the piss.

I might if you blamed the ESB for not telling you!

Seriously, I am aware that there might be certain tensions between certain sites (or maybe they might not really be tensions) so I tried to be as careful as possible. In particular I avoided insulting anybody, unless anybody who posts on a public forum is insulted by being quoted on another public forum.

awec

This post has been deleted.

2 Espressi

Typical "Blame someone else" attitude. It's your car, don't expect the NCT or anyone else to mind it for you.

When was the last tim the car was serviced?

Nissan doctor

awec wrote: »

Personally I'd be more annoyed at the fact that I failed over wiper blades and not taking the hubcaps off.

The first one is something that should be plainly obvious to any driver, especially a driver in Ireland where it likes to rain.

The second one, well, what's to say really?

I agree there is no excuse for any car being presented at the NCT with poor wipers and as for the hubcaps, it may seem silly, but 1, the NCT don't want to be responsible for hubcaps breaking if they take them off(like many of these cheap hard plastic ones do) and 2, it states clearly on the NCT website/booking forms etc that the car has to be reasonably clean, boot empty etc as well as hubcaps removed, so there is no excuse for failing on that either IMO.

Ronnie Beck

colm_mcm wrote: »

Motors is supposed to be helpful. Like if I posted in the domestic appliances section about why my washing machine isn't emptying I wouldn't expect them to take the piss.

I think she would have got a better reception in the motors thread. It would have turned into a six page debate over wheter or not the NCT should change your battery. There does seem to be a few nonsense threads popping up here and there just because they're in the wrong forum. This wasn't a DIY question so she got the 'NO' answer.

jimmyw

As per usual, the high horse brigade are out in force:rolleyes:.If everyone posting here knew everything about cars or any other subject on here, boards wouldn't exist. Thats why we post to get some answers, so patronising other posters is not nice.

Anyway, OP the NCT only covers safety items and the battery is not a safety item so you cant blame them for that because its not covered.

nct tester

i've often had to jump start cars in the yard before they were even brought into the test lane and jumped them once or twice on the test lane because the battery is dead. but soon as the car is outside , i turn it off and its up to the owner to start it whatever way they wish. And as usual they say its the first time that ever happened

Ded_Zebra

Well OP welcome to boards .

It's a pity to get such a frosty response to your first post, the NCT is a sensitive subject in these parts.

It is nothing to do with the NCT people that your battery sh*t itself. It's annoying but batteries do fail (often first noticed coming into cold weather that they are getting weak).
The best thing you could do is bring the car to your local motor factors and have them fit a new battery for you (support local jobs. yada yada yada)