Tips for passing NCT?

Huza91

Hey All,

I have a Megane 3 1.5dci 2012 with 32000km.

This is the first time I'll be doing an NCT.

I got the car serviced, all liquids are topped up, car is immaculate inside and out.

No issues with tracking, brakes etc.

I do however have an aux cable running behind the glove compartment and popping out beside the centre console.

Should I completely remove this or will it be ignored?

Also, should I get some of that liquid from halfords that clears emissions from the engine?!

Any other tips would be brilliant guys

Atlantic Dawn

Check all the lights on the car, every single one including the number plate lights.
Check that all tyres are correct air pressure and are legal thread depth.
Check none of the rubber on the wipers are ripped.

I'd remove the aux cable or hide it so it's not in an awkward position.

Your car is a diesel so emissions are contents are not tested, the only test they do is to see there's no big black cloud out of the back, if you havn't noticed any you will be fine.

Cheensbo

Sounds like you've done some good preparation, fair play!

Don't mind the aux cable it doesn't need to be moved once it's not intruding on the controls of the car, I. E. Pedals, steering wheel etc. You'll just have a pain in the neck putting it back after.

Make sure the boot is empty and there's no loose items in the cabin either. If there's a spare wheel make sure it's in good nick, if not - remove it. If it's not there it can't fail.

Make sure all wheel nuts can be seen I. E. No hubcaps or nut covers.

Make sure to bring the vlc and either your driving licence or passport or they won't issue the certificate.

Then just cross your fingers!

savagethegoat

put the tip in the ashtray

Mc Love

savagethegoat wrote: »

put the tip in the ashtray

I was going to say bring a tin of biscuits

Alanstrainor

It sounds like you're well prepared, so I wouldn't worry. Check all lights, remove wheel trims (if you have any!) and just put it through. I wouldn't do anything about the aux cable either.

dev100

If you have a light right foot my advice put some dipitane into the tank about a week before test usually come in 1 ltr bottle it'll tell u what to throw in . Give her good hard driving on a motor way so it can clear it lungs ..... it's painful going back to the money making scheme to retest for smoke test...

minikin

They don't check diesel emissions?? I was wondering how the VW scandal would play out in relation to the NCT. That's weird that they don't check! (Indignant petrol purchaser)

lawred2

I did nothing other than pump the tyres on our 2012 Qashqai

Boom - passed first time

Special Circumstances

minikin wrote: »

They don't check diesel emissions?? I was wondering how the VW scandal would play out in relation to the NCT. That's weird that they don't check! (Indignant petrol purchaser)

The big companies tell us diesel is so clean it doesn't need to be tested. We believe them.

ebbsy

The envelope must be 3 fingers thick.

biko

Back on topic

db

dev100 wrote: »

If you have a light right foot my advice put some dipitane into the tank about a week before test usually come in 1 ltr bottle it'll tell u what to throw in . Give her good hard driving on a motor way so it can clear it lungs ..... it's painful going back to the money making scheme to retest for smoke test...

Don't do this.

CiniO

db wrote: »

Don't do this.

Why?

corks finest

Huza91 wrote: »

Hey All,

I have a Megane 3 1.5dci 2012 with 32000km.

This is the first time I'll be doing an NCT.

I got the car serviced, all liquids are topped up, car is immaculate inside and out.

No issues with tracking, brakes etc.

I do however have an aux cable running behind the glove compartment and popping out beside the centre console.

Should I completely remove this or will it be ignored?
E100
Also, should I get some of that liquid from halfords that clears emissions from the engine?!

Any other tips would be brilliant guys

e100 in the visor,smiley face on it,highlight the word enjoy on it,that should do the trick

corks finest

corks finest wrote: »

Huza91 wrote: »

Hey All,

I have a Megane 3 1.5dci 2012 with 32000km.

This is the first time I'll be doing an NCT.

I got the car serviced, all liquids are topped up, car is immaculate inside and out.

No issues with tracking, brakes etc.

I do however have an aux cable running behind the glove compartment and popping out beside the centre console.

Should I completely remove this or will it be ignored?
E100
Also, should I get some of that liquid from halfords that clears emissions from the engine?!

Any other tips would be brilliant guys

e100 in the visor,smiley face on it,highlight the word enjoy on it,that should do the trick

Joking,bring it in,if you've looked after it,youll have a good chance of passing,good brakes,low emissions,good tyres ,etc ,and hopefully you'll be grand,worse than the dentist's waiting room

dodzy

Cheensbo wrote: »

Sounds like you've done some good preparation, fair play!

Don't mind the aux cable it doesn't need to be moved once it's not intruding on the controls of the car, I. E. Pedals, steering wheel etc. You'll just have a pain in the neck putting it back after.

Make sure the boot is empty and there's no loose items in the cabin either. If there's a spare wheel make sure it's in good nick, if not - remove it. If it's not there it can't fail.

Make sure all wheel nuts can be seen I. E. No hubcaps or nut covers.

Make sure to bring the vlc and either your driving licence or passport or they won't issue the certificate.

Then just cross your fingers!

VLC not needed.

Just an additional.... lock passenger and all rear seat belts into their receivers. Just makes their life a little easier (always keep them sweet), and will alert you for possible receiver that may have lodged under rear seat. Common enough.

Cheensbo

dodzy wrote: »

VLC not needed.

Agree, strictly speaking, but some bollixes in there look for it, better to be looking at it than looking for it

Atlantic Dawn

dodzy wrote: »

VLC not needed.

Just an additional.... lock passenger and all rear seat belts into their receivers. Just makes their life a little easier (always keep them sweet), and will alert you for possible receiver that may have lodged under rear seat. Common enough.

Would that not be a pain in the hole for the tester in that they then have to release each one and check it freely extends back and also connects to the receiver?

db

db wrote: »

Don't do this.

CiniO wrote: »

Why?

Why would you put dipethane into a well maintained, low mileage 2012 car (even if the mileage is very low for a diesel)? Waste of money at best.

Dipethane and a blast up the motorway may help an older car that is running a bit smoky. If there's a problem with his emissions he's much better finding it and fixing it.

Cheensbo

db wrote: »

Why would you put dipethane into a well maintained, low mileage 2012 car (even if the mileage is very low for a diesel)? Waste of money at best.

Dipethane and a blast up the motorway may help an older car that is running a bit smoky. If there's a problem with his emissions he's much better finding it and fixing it.

If there is a smoke issue it would be due to the 8000km a year mileage on a diesel, so a good ragging/Italian tune up to burn off any excess carbon buildup would do the trick perfectly. Dipetane might just help it along a little too. Certainly not going to do any harm either way..

Special Circumstances

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Would that not be a pain in the hole for the tester in that they then have to release each one and check it freely extends back and also connects to the receiver?

It annoys me way more trying to figure out what fits in clips into what in a threeway back seat.
We're still talking seatbelts here.

Atlantic Dawn

Special Circumstances wrote: »

It annoys me way more trying to figure out what fits in clips into what in a threeway back seat.
We're still talking seatbelts here.

Yes the middle one is a pain. They should be some universal colour code for the central one, there's my Dragons Den idea

clonagam

Huza 91

You have got some really good advice from earlier responders. Here is my tuppence worth:

I was inconvenienced twice at the NCT.
First time they refused to pass the car because the seatbelts were not prominently displayed. My car has a fold-down back seat which, when re-erected, leaves the seat belt fastenings obscured. (They only need to be pulled up through the seat openings). I should have clipped them into their respective receivers - something I always do now.
The second experience was that I carefully checked all the lights the night before the test. All were O'K. Come the morning of the test and one rear brake light had failed. Lesson: Check the lights immediately before the test -(handy to keep a few spares on board for a quick change).
Both incidents were rectified and passed on the same day but be warned and avoid the hassle!

dev100

db wrote:

Why would you put dipethane into a well maintained, low mileage 2012 car (even if the mileage is very low for a diesel)? Waste of money at best.

db wrote:

Dipethane and a blast up the motorway may help an older car that is running a bit smokey. If there's a problem with his emissions he's much better finding it and fixing it.

Most people don't drive their diesels like formula one cars . Go into an Nct centre and they don't do gentle revving if your car is one of these cars that doesn't have it's lungs coughed up reguraly she s gonna spuu out smoke when the Nct clowns rev the ****e out of her .

Those dpf valves and egr valves are always getting clogged up on newer cars as people ain't doing the mileage for regens to happen.

I've always used dipatane and give her a good run before the test and this time she failed as I didn't do that....

Any mechanic you talk to will tell you about problems with modern diesels and what to do to pass nct

aujopimur

lawred2 wrote: »

I did nothing other than pump the tyres on our 2012 Qashqai

Boom - passed first time

You wasted your time, the testers check tyre pressures.

zilog_jones

minikin wrote: »

They don't check diesel emissions?? I was wondering how the VW scandal would play out in relation to the NCT.

They test for smoke, i.e. particulates. The VW scandal isn't a problem for the NCT but is in other countries where NOx is tested, and to all the governments where they cheated on tests and deceived owners.

porsche boy

The best tip for passing the NCT is regular maintenance of your vehicle & don't put repairs on the long finger. A properly maintained car will pass every time.

BrianD3

An unusual one and unlikely to be an issue but no harm mentioning it - I have a Megane III which failed its first NCT because the tester couldn't find the chassis number stamped on the car. I couldn't find it either and had to ring a Renault dealer who didn't know straight away and had to get back to me with the location (and a big rant about NCT staff being useless)

Anyhow - the number is stamped vertically on the driver's side A pillar.

Huza91

Hey All,

The car flew through the test.

It literally took 15 minutes.

In all fairness though, i cleaned the engine bay, got her valeted and washed on the day (yesterday) so she was gleaming.

Thanks for all the tips.

The tester said he's never seen a car that had so much care etc.

Thanks for everything guys