Fog light failed Nct

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:06pm #1

My car failed the NCT because my fog light wasn't working so I brought it to a mechanic and he wired the fog light switch to rear window demister switch instead. Fog light works perfectly now, but car failed the re-test on it. Is there any point taking it to another test centre or should I just get a new switch put on the dash to the right of the steering wheel? To get it back working on the stick would be a big job as I'd have to pull the whole dash out.

Ultimate Seduction · 10-11-2017 12:06pm

MrRapid wrote: »

My car failed the NCT because my fog light wasn't working so I brought it to a mechanic and he wired the fog light switch to rear window demister switch instead. Fog light works perfectly now, but car failed the re-test on it. Is there any point taking it to another test centre or should I just get a new switch put on the dash to the right of the steering wheel? To get it back working on the stick would be a big job as I'd have to pull the whole dash out.

Change your mechanic. What a cowboy

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 12:09pm

MrRapid wrote: »

he wired the fog light switch to rear window demister switch instead.

How do you demist the rear window now?

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:10pm

That's not really helping me but thanks ultimate seduction. We are from the north and usually during the MOT I would sit in the car and the tester would ask me to turn the lights on myself , so it was a quick fix for a difficult job. He's not a cowboy at all.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 10-11-2017 12:10pm

I think the switch has to be labelled clearly and if its on the rear demist switch then it certainly isn't clear.

Anyway why on earth did he wire it to the rear demist? It would have been so much simpler to wire in a new toggle switch and put it somewhere to the left/right of the steering wheel. You will also need to put a small label stating 'Fog Light Rear' beside the switch in order for it to pass the NCT.

bazz26 · 10-11-2017 12:10pm

That was a pointless thing for your mechanic to do unless you instructed him to do it that way.

The testing of the rear foglight in the NCT is by the tester pressing the rear foglight button on the dashboard. If the foglight doesn't come by pressing the foglight button then it fails. The tester are not going to know or probably care that yours was rewired to the rear demister instead. Bringing it to another test centre will result in the same.

You really need the foglight rewired back to the original way including finding what the original problem was that caused it to stop working (assuming the bulb was already checked).

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 12:13pm

MrRapid wrote: »

That's not really helping me but thanks

I disagree. Getting a proper mechanic that will fix the problem in a way that will pass the NCT would be helpful.

Del2005 · 10-11-2017 12:14pm

Never mind the failing of the NCT but why was a fairly critical feature, the rear demist, removed for a feature that is rarely required in this country?

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:15pm

Thanks Cee Jay Cee, yea that's what I'm talking about. Is it a big job to get that done do you know?

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:16pm

I love Sean nos wrote: »

I disagree. Getting a proper mechanic that will fix the problem in a way that will pass the NCT would be helpful.

Read my above post re: why it was done that way

bazz26 · 10-11-2017 12:17pm

Bring it to an auto electrician. Some mechanics are somewhat good with car electrics but ultimately it's the job of an auto electrician you really need to sort it out if you or your mechanic is not competent enough in that area.

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 12:20pm

MrRapid wrote: »

Read my above post re: why it was done that way

This one?

MrRapid wrote: »

My car failed the NCT because my fog light wasn't working so I brought it to a mechanic and he wired the fog light switch to rear window demister switch instead. Fog light works perfectly now, but car failed the re-test on it.

Did you want to fail the retest?

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:24pm

As I've said it was a quick fix to get it through the NCT. We were not aware that I wasn't going to be in the car switching the lights on during the test as you are in the North. I'm not a mechanic myself that's why I've come here looking for advice. ðŸ˜

Cee-Jay-Cee · 10-11-2017 12:26pm

MrRapid wrote: »

Thanks Cee Jay Cee, yea that's what I'm talking about. Is it a big job to get that done do you know?

No it should be a reasonably simple job. The mechanic that wired the switch to the rear demist will have had to have taken wiring from the original switch to the rear demist so you simply need to cut these two wires (and tape up any remaining bare wires) and extend them to where ever you fit your toggle switch and hook them up to it.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:28pm

I love Sean nos wrote: »

This one?

Did you want to fail the retest?

Your comments are pointless. I have already stated why it was done that way. Why would I want to fail the retest? I've come here looking advice on what to do, is that not the point of these threads??

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:30pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

No it should be a reasonably simple job. The mechanic that wired the switch to the rear demist will have had to have taken wiring from the original switch to the rear demist so you simply need to cut these two wires (and tape up any remaining bare wires) and extend them to where ever you fit your toggle switch and hook them up to it.

Thank you very much for your help Cee-Jay-Cee. It's much appreciated. Would it cost a lot to get done?

Ultimate Seduction · 10-11-2017 12:34pm

They are not pointless respones. There's no reason why mechanic would wire it to demister, it would be just as easy if not easier to fix/replace the old switch.

Ashbx · 10-11-2017 12:34pm

MrRapid wrote: »

As I've said it was a quick fix to get it through the NCT. We were not aware that I wasn't going to be in the car switching the lights on during the test as you are in the North. I'm not a mechanic myself that's why I've come here looking for advice. ðŸ˜

You didn't put on your lights yourself the first time you did the NCT so why would you think you would be doing it the second time?

The guys at the NCT test centre take your car from the car park and check everything. So to answer your original question, no there is no point going to another NCT centre, you will still fail. Unfortunately, looks like you will have to get it properly fixed.

As someone else said, the demister is probably more important than the fog lights so I would be getting your mechanic to be putting it back the way it was.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 10-11-2017 12:35pm

It shouldn't be that expensive, as I said the previous mechanic would have had to extend the wiring from the original switch on the stalk to the rear demister so it really only is a matter of disconnecting those wires at the rear demister and extending them to a toggle switch. An hours work should cover it.

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 12:35pm

MrRapid wrote: »

As I've said it was a quick fix to get it through the NCT.

That worked out well.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:39pm

Ashbx wrote: »

You didn't put on your lights yourself the first time you did the NCT so why would you think you would be doing it the second time?

The guys at the NCT test centre take your car from the car park and check everything. So to answer your original question, no there is no point going to another NCT centre, you will still fail. Unfortunately, looks like you will have to get it properly fixed.

As someone else said, the demister is probably more important than the fog lights so I would be getting your mechanic to be putting it back the way it was.

They don't test for the demister in the NCT. I told the tester about the switch before he took the car. I wasn't aware it was going to fail it. The fail states faulty/not working.

sjb25 · 10-11-2017 12:44pm

MrRapid wrote: »

They don't test for the demister in the NCT. I told the tester about the switch before he took the car. I wasn't aware it was going to fail it. The fail states faulty/not working.

But you need a demister do you not? Like in the real world
Just coz they don't test it doesn't mean you don't need it sound to me like a bodge job that yourself and this "mechanic" thought was a great smart way around the NCT and they have quite rightly failed it again.
Go get it fixed properly and it will pass and as others have said it would have been a lot easier just to wire a new switch than the bodge you got done

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:48pm

I love Sean nos wrote: »

That worked out well.

Pointless

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 12:50pm

MrRapid wrote: »

Pointless

I agree. Your second visit to the NCT centre was pointless.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 12:53pm

sjb25 wrote: »

But you need a demister do you not? Like in the real world
Just coz they don't test it doesn't mean you don't need it sound to me like a bodge job that yourself and this "mechanic" thought was a great smart way around the NCT and they have quite rightly failed it again.
Go get it fixed properly and it will pass and as others have said it would have been a lot easier just to wire a new switch than the bodge you got done

A bodge job that me and the mechanic thought would be a smart way around the NCT? I know nothing about cars I'm not a mechanic I'm a nurse so I haven't a clue about cars. Read the thread properly before you make assumptions
I came here looking for advice and this is the crap that's posted.

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 1:00pm

MrRapid wrote: »

A bodge job that me and the mechanic thought would be a smart way around the NCT?

Again, that worked out well. For the mechanic at least. I assume that you paid him.

s15r330 · 10-11-2017 1:01pm

MrRapid wrote: »

A bodge job that me and the mechanic thought would be a smart way around the NCT? I know nothing about cars I'm not a mechanic I'm a nurse so I haven't a clue about cars. Read the thread properly before you make assumptions
I came here looking for advice and this is the crap that's posted.

What you thought was smart and what was actually smart are 2 different things.

I can't understand why it would be wired to the demister switch (or the excuses for the quick fix), its the rear fog, wire it to the rear fog switch which is where it is supposed to be.

You say you're a nurse, if i'm in a bed and say I need to wee, are you going to bring the bedpan and stick it under my nose? No, it'll go where it is supposed to go.

You don't need advice, to pass the nct you need a mechanic who will wire the fog light to the fog light switch, end of.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 1:04pm

s15r330 wrote: »

What you thought was smart and what was actually smart are 2 different things.

I can't understand why it would be wired to the demister switch (or the excuses for the quick fix), its the rear fog, wire it to the rear fog switch which is where it is supposed to be.

You say you're a nurse, if i'm in a bed and say I need to wee, are you going to bring the bedpan and stick it under my nose? No, it'll go where it is supposed to go.

You don't need advice, to pass the nct you need a mechanic who will wire the fog light to the fog light switch, end of.

Joke

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 1:04pm

I love Sean nos wrote: »

Again, that worked out well. For the mechanic at least. I assume that you paid him.

What's that got to do with you

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 1:07pm

MrRapid wrote: »

What's that got to do with you

Nothing. Just estimating the cost of your failure.

NCT? Paid
Mechanic? Paid
You? Bupkis

Would that be an accurate summary?

tossy · 10-11-2017 1:12pm

Whaf was fhe craic wifh driving in fog prior to fhis ?

*apologies my 't' key doesn't work so i got the I.T guys to wire it to the 'f' key

Ultimate Seduction · 10-11-2017 1:13pm

Comes on looking for advice, then calls all the good advice pointless and a joke. Your mechanic is the only joke I'm afraid.

What kind of "shortcuts" or quick fixes would he take doing a more serious, time consuming job?

s15r330 · 10-11-2017 1:29pm

MrRapid wrote: »

Joke

No the joke is you forking out twice for the job that should have been done properly the first time.

Do us all a favour and stay off the road.

I love Sean nos · 10-11-2017 1:33pm

Good job the OP's a nurse and not a traffic light engineer.

"The red isn't working, so I wired it up to the green."

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 1:47pm

s15r330 wrote: »

No the joke is you forking out twice for the job that should have been done properly the first time.

Do us all a favour and stay off the road.

What has me driving got to do with anything??

s15r330 · 10-11-2017 1:53pm

MrRapid wrote: »

What has me driving got to do with anything??

Probably got to do with the fact that if you take shortcuts what else could be wrong with your car.

Plus your attitude here with posters trying to give you the advice you were looking for ie get a mechanic who will wire the fog to the fog switch, which will pass the nct, it's quite simple so I fail to see your problem with the suggestion.

sjb25 · 10-11-2017 1:55pm

Look OP you are where you are so you need to get this fixed basically the consensus here is your mechanic has made a complete balls of the fix...... So you need to get it fixed properly to pass NCT and you want to know how

To do this best bet would be a auto electrician as the electrics are what they do and get it fixed by them

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 1:58pm

Thanks to everyone who was helpful. It's much appreciated. I've actually got someone to fit a toggle switch tonorrow as Cee-Jay advised.
Thanks ðŸ˜

Ultimate Seduction · 10-11-2017 2:02pm

MrRapid wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who was helpful. It's much appreciated. I've actually got someone to fit a toggle switch tonorrow as Cee-Jay advised.
Thanks ðŸ˜

Be sure to label the new switch.

good luck

Ultimate Seduction · 10-11-2017 2:04pm

And BTW, people who criticized your mechanic and told you get a new one are also being helpful.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 2:04pm

Ultimate Seduction wrote: »

Be sure to label the new switch.

good luck

Thanks I will ðŸ˜

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 2:05pm

Ultimate Seduction wrote: »

And BTW, people who criticized your mechanic and told you get a new one are also being helpful.

I've already said thanks. ðŸ˜‚

CiniO · 10-11-2017 2:16pm

I have a feeling that wiring rear fog light to rear demister was done not at the switches on the dash, but at the rear of the car.
Simply mechanic seen no voltage on rear foglight wire, so instead of bothering to look at switches at the dash which very likely would require disassembly of dash, he decided to cut the wire and plug it in together with rear demister wires at the back. That job would take 10 minutes the most if access was easy there, and probably now once OP turns on demister switch, both demister and rear foglight turn on.

Obviously I'm only guessing, but that would look most likely to me.

What OP can do now is to amend markings on rear demister switch to indicate it's a rear foglight switch and that should pass NCT - but that's just again only a guess.

Better to have it wires properly.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 2:22pm

CiniO wrote: »

I have a feeling that wiring rear fog light to rear demister was done not at the switches on the dash, but at the rear of the car.
Simply mechanic seen no voltage on rear foglight wire, so instead of bothering to look at switches at the dash which very likely would require disassembly of dash, he decided to cut the wire and plug it in together with rear demister wires at the back. That job would take 10 minutes the most if access was easy there, and probably now once OP turns on demister switch, both demister and rear foglight turn on.

Obviously I'm only guessing, but that would look most likely to me.

What OP can do now is to amend markings on rear demister switch to indicate it's a rear foglight switch and that should pass NCT - but that's just again only a guess.

Better to have it wires properly.

That's it exactly. So I've got a man that's going to fit the toggle switch tomorrow and sort it for me. Hopefully that will be the end of it then.

lawred2 · 10-11-2017 2:24pm

MrRapid wrote: »

My car failed the NCT because my fog light wasn't working so I brought it to a mechanic and he wired the fog light switch to rear window demister switch instead. Fog light works perfectly now, but car failed the re-test on it. Is there any point taking it to another test centre or should I just get a new switch put on the dash to the right of the steering wheel? To get it back working on the stick would be a big job as I'd have to pull the whole dash out.

why the f**k would he do that?

lawred2 · 10-11-2017 2:29pm

MrRapid wrote: »

A bodge job that me and the mechanic thought would be a smart way around the NCT? I know nothing about cars I'm not a mechanic I'm a nurse so I haven't a clue about cars. Read the thread properly before you make assumptions
I came here looking for advice and this is the crap that's posted.

You are getting good advice. What your mechanic gave you was a crap service.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 2:32pm

lawred2 wrote: »

You are getting good advice. What your mechanic gave you was a crap service.

I appreciate the good advice I was given but some of the stuff posted on this was not necessary...

Sleeper12 · 10-11-2017 2:32pm

MrRapid wrote:

That's not really helping me but thanks ultimate seduction. We are from the north and usually during the MOT I would sit in the car and the tester would ask me to turn the lights on myself , so it was a quick fix for a difficult job. He's not a cowboy at all.

For the NCT everything that worked the day the car was made has to work for the NCT. As it wasn't standard that your rear window heater turned on the fog light when manifactured it was never going to pass the NCT.

I annoying part is that if your car wasn't fitted with a fog light at time of maintenance the it would have passed with no fog lights at all

CiniO · 10-11-2017 2:38pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

For the NCT everything that worked the day the car was made has to work for the NCT.

Above statement is purely not true.

MrRapid · 10-11-2017 2:40pm

I annoying part is that if your car wasn't fitted with a fog light at time of maintenance the it would have passed with no fog lights at all[/quote]

Sorry Sleeper12 what does this mean?

CiniO · 10-11-2017 2:46pm

MrRapid wrote: »

I annoying part is that if your car wasn't fitted with a fog light at time of maintenance the it would have passed with no fog lights at all

Sorry Sleeper12 what does this mean?[/QUOTE]

I think he meant that if car wasn't fitted with rear fog light when new (from factory) then it would pass a test without it.

However every car first type approved in Europe from early 90's (or even late 80's) was mandatory fitted with rear fog light.

So only possible cars registered in the EU without a need for rear fog lights are out-of-EU imports to Ireland (usually Japan).
Everywhere else in the EU it's impossible to legally have car without rear fog light.

Fog light failed Nct

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