Scrap the NCT? Or how to make it better?

Terry Sam

While there is a positive in that it keeps any heaps of junk off the road there's also the side of it where people are failed on silly stuff.

I was failed this year on having a loud exaust noise. A bit much really.

Should it be scrapped for a new system?

jelutong

The exhaust system or the NCT?

Jan Laco

It's doing what it's supposed to and raking in lots of revenue. So its not going to be changed IMO

biko

I think it's great that you get car thoroughly checked once a year for 55 euro (every few years for a new car).

About the noise

Vehicle exhaust noise has reached or exceeded a specified level of 99dB(A).

https://www.ncts.ie/pdf/NCT%20Manual%20July%202014.pdf

99 decibel is fracking loud!

Atlantic Dawn

Terry Sam wrote: »

I was failed this year on having a loud exaust noise. A bit much really.

Nothing worse than gob****es going around making noise in the evenings or early mornings, since it was brought in there's far less of them going around.

Voodoomelon

One persons silly thing is another persons dangerous fault.

A lot of people would class blown brake lights as a "silly" fail, or a bald spare tyre as a "silly" fail, or broken rear seatbelt as a "silly" fail when they're all dangerous and deserve to fail.

Nichard Dixon

The NCT is a necessary and useful thing. There probably could be some improvements but ignoring exhaust noise is not one of them.

joujoujou

Terry Sam wrote: »

[...]

I was failed this year on having a loud exaust noise. A bit much really.

Should it be scrapped for a new system?

Yes, definately. Scrap current exhaust system and get a new one.

YbFocus

If your car failed a 99dB Limit then it's silly loud and needs to be quietened.

NCT is a great thing allowing a full check of a car for 55 euro. Fix what needs fixing and away you go again.

It also stops those who wouldn't check a car over unless it stops on the road getting away with it too. .

GavRedKing

If the NCT keeps dangerous and unsafe cars off the road I'm all for it.

Some people only do work on their cars when the NCT is due and even if thats the case its better than someone driving around without an NCT and leaving their car become a death trap.

5W30

If the NCT didn't exist people would use tyres until they either crashed their car or the tyres wore down so much that the tyres would flat

Duke O Smiley

Its actually worrying that some people rely on just the NCT to tell them what their car needs.

I can't begin to imagine what a lot of cars would be like without it.

Silly argument. Absolutely no logical reasons for anyone to be for scrapping it

Eric Cartman

You can have a pretty loud exhaust under the 99db limit, its a fair limit. Setting off car alarms and being able to be heard by everyone within 5km is not the purpose of an exhaust.

the_syco

Considering the amount of ****'s that drive around with only one fog light working, no dims, and maybe a barely visible parking light, I'd wonder should there be a yearly test on the lights and tyres, no matter the age of the car?

A visual inspection for €10, with the retest being €50 to give people the push to ensure their effing car has working lights?

iano.p

I think the nct should be done each year for all cars. Some people on the road in newish cars that are death traps and they think it's fine because it passed the nct 18 months ago. I think we all failed on silly things at some stage but it works.

Marcusm

Jan Laco wrote: »

It's doing what it's supposed to and raking in lots of revenue. So its not going to be changed IMO

The govt doesn't make any money from the NCT.

the_pen_turner

definetly keep the nct and doe system.

just change it to make it fairer.
if you fail for small things like a blown bulb, tracking, tire depth etc then have a way for the nct place to sort these issues out. make it more of a fine tune sevice as well as fault finding

Duke O Smiley

the_pen_turner wrote: »

have a way for the nct place to sort these issues out. make it more of a fine tune sevice as well as fault finding

I couldn't see this working tbh, you'll just get too many people saying they're further being ripped off for the price of a bulb :rolleyes:

the_pen_turner

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

I couldn't see this working tbh, you'll just get too many people saying they're further being ripped off for the price of a bulb :rolleyes:

yes they would.
the way I see it is that you have to get the tracking and light alignment checked before going to the nct.
if that was included in the price (they have all the gear out anyway) then people would save money
also its fairly obvious if your type depth or bulbs are nackered . how can you feel robbed

quadrifoglio verde

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

I couldn't see this working tbh, you'll just get too many people saying they're further being ripped off for the price of a bulb :rolleyes:

Agreed, or people saying they failed me so they could make more money.
Imagine advanced pit stop doing the nct test

Wanderer2010

NO way should the NCT be scrapped. In fact the yearly testing for cars 10 yrs old is a fantastic idea. Ireland isn't exactly known for car maintenance, with a huge number of motorists just turning the key in the ignition and nothing else from one year to the next. If the NCT manages to stop a dangerous car with no lights or bald tyres etc from posing a risk to other people, then its a good system and even the threat of having your car taken off you if the NCT is not up to date is enough to deter many people from ignoring the test.
It can be a bit annoying to be failed on minor things but theres a safety reason behind all of these tests and you have a month in most cases to sort the issue so its very reasonable. As other posters have said, I dread to imagine a world where the NCT didn't exist, the amount of lethal machines on our roads would lead to absolute carnage. I'm all for it. At the very least, it forces people who don't service their cars to pull up their socks.

Atlantic Dawn

There should I think also be a pure visual NCT for all cars less than 4 years old for tyres and lights.

Tigger

i maintain my own stuff
i've been very busy this year so when i threw up the jeep on a ramp and saw my brake pipes were badly corroded in one spot (i use it on the beech)i gave myself a failed dangerous, took her off the road and am currently fitting all new lines that wont rust
the nct is the reason i didn't wait till i had time to do a full inspection. :eek:

visual

If anything the NCT should be more strict as many if not most don't bother with maintenance and those that get an oil change believe it is full service and car 100%.

In fact most including many posting here believe a newly nct'ed car is perfect.

If a car fails nct for something minor like a bulb or illegal thread depth then it's a sign owner doesn't give a toss as long as engine starts

Del2005

the_syco wrote: »

Considering the amount of ****'s that drive around with only one fog light working, no dims, and maybe a barely visible parking light, I'd wonder should there be a yearly test on the lights and tyres, no matter the age of the car?

A visual inspection for €10, with the retest being €50 to give people the push to ensure their effing car has working lights?

Wouldn't it be great if we had a load of people to do all the time and not just annually, but our leaders have determined that our law enforcement officers are only for exceeding the posted speed limit and DUI so once you don't do either of them you are the safest driver on the road. I'd make it a €10 on the spot for a blown bulb with €50 if you don't have a spare.

the_pen_turner wrote: »

definetly keep the nct and doe system.

just change it to make it fairer.
if you fail for small things like a blown bulb, tracking, tire depth etc then have a way for the nct place to sort these issues out. make it more of a fine tune sevice as well as fault finding

There's enough people complaining it's a money making scam without having the repairs done on site.

They decided to make the NCT a pure test as they looked at the MOT in the UK and saw how corrupt that was, with the tester fixing the fails. So the UK has followed us and the MOT in NI is now done in approved centres.

the_pen_turner

Del2005 wrote: »

Wouldn't it be great if we had a load of people to do all the time and not just annually, but our leaders have determined that our law enforcement officers are only for exceeding the posted speed limit and DUI so once you don't do either of them you are the safest driver on the road. I'd make it a €10 on the spot for a blown bulb with €50 if you don't have a spare.




There's enough people complaining it's a money making scam without having the repairs done on site.

They decided to make the NCT a pure test as they looked at the MOT in the UK and saw how corrupt that was, with the tester fixing the fails. So the UK has followed us and the MOT in NI is now done in approved centres.

I agree the mot system is a joke and totally corrupt.
anything serious should be a proper garage repair but a small easily spotted (and obvious ) fail could be fixed without a retest,

I think you should be there when the vehicle is tested so you can see how your property is treated and that nothing is added on when its ok.

if you take you vehicle to get the wheels tracked you can watch the screens and see whether it is right or wrong,

Eric Cartman

Del2005 wrote: »

They decided to make the NCT a pure test as they looked at the MOT in the UK and saw how corrupt that was, with the tester fixing the fails. So the UK has followed us and the MOT in NI is now done in approved centres.

In a way that works, but at the commercial end its pretty handy to be able to hand over a vehicle to a test centre and get it back certified and with any outstanding work done. Saves employee downtime and having to move vehicles about.

El Guapo!

I wouldn't mind the nct if they actually did their job properly.
It's so inconsistent that it's a joke.

And on a serious safety issue, I've attached a photo of a tyre I saw on a car a while back. The car had literally just left the nct centre with a pass certificate. Terrifying.

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

Del2005 wrote: »

MOT in NI is now done in approved centres.

The MOT in NI was never divested to the private sector, unlike mainland UK.

mickdw

El Guapo! wrote: »

I wouldn't mind the nct if they actually did their job properly.
It's so inconsistent that it's a joke.

And on a serious safety issue, I've attached a photo of a tyre I saw on a car a while back. The car had literally just left the nct centre with a pass certificate. Terrifying.

Are you saying that this tyre was given the ok by the nct man or was it a case of a car going back for a retest and the owner pulling a fast one and swapping tyres around when perhaps only one tyre was to be inspected on the retest.
I refuse to accept that this tyre went through the nct in the normal manner and was not spotted.

FreshCoffee

Marcusm wrote: »

The govt doesn't make any money from the NCT.

According to the NCT website the NCT fee is inclusive of VAT. All company profits are also subject to tax and all employees pay the usual income taxes. None of this NCT related Government tax income would exist without the NCT.

jimgoose

Overall, I think the NCT is a good thing. I would like to see it improved by the addition of full emissions tests for both petrol and diesel, including NOx. The good folk at the RSA tell me this isn't happening in the foreseeable as it's not in any of the EU directives. Oh well..

El Guapo!

mickdw wrote: »

Are you saying that this tyre was given the ok by the nct man or was it a case of a car going back for a retest and the owner pulling a fast one and swapping tyres around when perhaps only one tyre was to be inspected on the retest.
I refuse to accept that this tyre went through the nct in the normal manner and was not spotted.

I was shocked too when I saw the tyre. The car passed the nct and one front tyre was given a pass/advisory. She came directly from the nct centre to my job to replace the front tyre on the recommendation of the nct. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see the nct report myself.
The tyre on the opposite side was also in a bad way, albeit not quite as bad as the one in the picture. She ended up getting 2 tyres and wheel alignment and went on her way.

Duke O Smiley

El Guapo! wrote: »

I wouldn't mind the nct if they actually did their job properly.
It's so inconsistent that it's a joke.

And on a serious safety issue, I've attached a photo of a tyre I saw on a car a while back. The car had literally just left the nct centre with a pass certificate. Terrifying.

A fcuking Triangle no less

El Guapo!

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

A fcuking Triangle no less

It was actually a Goodyear run flat from a Mini.

greasepalm

i can well believe in things that pass nct tyres that you can insert a 50p coin into the cracks and non working rear brakes having 1 inch of pad contact on rusty worn disks.
just because you have a cert saying car is safe,dont trust your life on it! car servicing is vital and knowing how to use all functions buttons and what there used for.
winter is here and anybody bothered to check their cars yet?

corsav6

They failed me on sharp edges a few years ago. The tester scratched the back of his hand on a cable tie that was holding the grill on, under the bonnet!!

Also failed me because I had no split pin on the outer hub drive shaft. When I went back a different tester told me to lock the steering while he looked at the CV boot?

Great bunch of lads in there, I completely trust their judgment on the safety of my car.

millington

biko wrote: »

I think it's great that you get car thoroughly checked once a year for 55 euro (every few years for a new car).

About the noise

https://www.ncts.ie/pdf/NCT%20Manual%20July%202014.pdf

99 decibel is fracking loud!

I've seen cars fail that are nowhere near that loud, they don't always test the noise they just judge it themselves and get it wrong a lot.