Will NCT care that my boot is full of stuff considering the car doesn't have compartment for spare

arleitiss

Have NCT tomorrow.

Have subwoofer installed in the boot, so floor compartment in the boot cannot be easily accessed.

It's a BMW 3 Series E90 so it doesn't have space for spare tire, I assume it will be okay since I am not expected to have one?

bazz26

My BMW doesn't have a spare either but they still opened the boot when it went through the NCT back in June.

kdevitt

They failed me on having a small box in the boot of a Saab 9-3 once. Had to walk outside, remove the box, and wait for another tester to appear so he could do the visual inspection. Judging by his reaction to having to do this, I think you can potentially get certain testers who will make a big deal of it and others who won't.

Spook_ie

If they can't inspect for corrosion because the boot is full of whatever they could refuse a pass

nct-manual-june-2021.pdf

Page 10

Seth Brundle

IIRC, they also remind people to remove stuff from the boot in the letters they send out. It is also written on the FAQs page on their website (see numbers 2 & 3 and the note at the end)...

11

How can I best prepare for the NCT and what documents should I bring?

Click here to download and print and NCT checklist on how best to prepare for the NCT

Please prepare for the test by ensuring that:

1. Your car has adequate oil and water.

2. The boot is empty and seats are clear of personal belongings such as removable baby seats. If the baby seat is left in the car for the NCT, it will be checked that it is fitted correctly.

3. Your glove compartment is unlocked & clear of personal belongings, this is to allow for OBD testing.

4. The vehicle is reasonably clean (especially the under body).

5. The wheel hubcaps are removed (only in the case where the wheel nuts are not visible) and the tyres are inflated to the correct pressure.

6. The engine is in a fit state to be tested e.g. Cam belt/timing belt. You may be asked to sign a disclaimer at the test centre.

7. Seat belts and clips are fully visible.

8. Your registration plates comply with current regulations.

9. NCTS recommend that you have your lights checked and set prior to the NCT.

10. Please ensure the person who brings the car for inspection brings identification with them in the form of a driving licence as failure to provide the required identification will result in the vehicle not being issued an NCT certificate at the time of testing.

11. Please ensure your vehicle is at a normal operating temperature prior to arriving at the test centre for inspection.

12. Don't forget to bring your vehicle registration book, registration certificate or licensing certificate and your test fee!

13. The use of dashcams and recording devices of any kind are prohibited at the NCT centre. We kindly ask that if your vehicle contains a dashcam, it is switched off in advance of the test

Please ensure you remove all valuables/personal belongings from the vehicle prior to the NCT.

If the above items are not taken care of, NCTS may be unable to test your vehicle.

zilog_jones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736595#Comment_117736595

I'm sure there's a lot of modern cars where you can't just lift a piece of carpet and see the metalwork, especially hybrids and EVs if the traction battery is under the boot floor. Either way I'd go for the path of least resistance and clear out anything that's not fixed in the boot.

arleitiss

I took out subwoofer this morning, it was only three screws with cables anyway.

Passed easily,

Was mostly surprised by emission test result of 0.050 /m

Esel

Always have a load of stuff in mine, never a problem. Afaik, the reason for wanting the boot empty was to check the spare wheel. I don't think this is checked anymore.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736767#Comment_117736767

I think you'll find it's the other way around.

With newer cars being more lightweight/efficient etc there's less in them so a tester would be able to have a look in the boot

ohnonotgmail

3. Your glove compartment is unlocked & clear of personal belongings, this is to allow for OBD testing.

what if the OBD port isn't in the glove compartment?

zilog_jones

I didn't find the European (EOBD) requirements, but for the (US) OBD-II standard the connector must be within 2 feet of the steering wheel - so unless you have a glove box under the steering wheel, that doesn't make sense to me. Some pre-EOBD (pre-2000) cars may have the connectors in funny places, but they're also probably not compliant with standard OBD-II readers so unlikely to work without manufacturer-specific stuff that the NCT don't have.

arleitiss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774721#Comment_117774721

My glovebox was full of SH..

But it passed anyway since OBD port is beside bonnet release lever.