NCT fails after pre-NCT & service

Waltons

Hey all, just looking for a few opinions here.

I'm driving an 01 Focus which was recently in for NCT and failed the brake test on a rear axle imbalance. I'd just had the car serviced the week before and they had spotted a few things (tyre thread was slightly under so they were replaced, etc.) but did see anything to do with the rear brakes.

The car had actually failed on the same fault last year, but passed on re-test.

When I dropped it in for a check over after the NCT failure, the guys found that the rear brake cylinders were leaking and the shoes needed to be replaced.

I've got all this done now, but my wonder is why this wouldn't have been seen during a service this year or last. I know that garages don't have a rolling brake test so can't check this, but I would have imagined that leaking rear cylinders should at least have been spotted if they were doing a decent job?

Should I be changing garage??

jca

In a word, Yes. Check your fluids regularly and these things will be spotted it only takes a few minutes.

enumbers

what does checking levels have to with it, a few tablespoons of fluid could contaminate the shoes enough to cause a balance issue, brake fluid level will naturally drop as the pads and shoes drop.
As for the initial question. if the garage concerned doesn't have a brake tester it will be difficult to check the brake balance on foot brake unless it is badly of

enumbers

just to add there is no way to check the cylinders visually without pulling the drums which can often damage the bearings on the focus

Odyssey 2005

The cheapest and best pre NCT is the actual NCT.

beauf

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

The cheapest and best pre NCT is the actual NCT.

+1 exactly.

Most places don't have the testing gear the NCT use.

That said leaking cylinders would usually be picked by a garage. Its certainly been flagged to me by different garages over the years on different cars. But you say the NCT didn't pick it up, just the unbalance. Which perhaps suggests it wasn't obvious.

Guy:Incognito

beauf wrote: »

That said leaking cylinders would usually be picked by a garage. Its certainly been flagged to me by different garages over the years on different cars. But you say the NCT didn't pick it up, just the unbalance. Which perhaps suggests it wasn't obvious.

Unless its pissing out the NCT isn't going to see a leaking cylinder and if it was pissing out the car would like have run dry of fluid well before the NCT anyway. They dont take drums off (or wheels for that matter)

savagethegoat

A leak may only be a slight weep that wouldn't be obvious but could get on the shoes and affect the brakes. It's one reason why we have an NCT

Waltons

Cheers for the responses.

Nothing was mentioned about a leak during the NCT so it seems that it was a slight leak over time degrading the performance.

All passed after the repairs in any case.