MOT Advisory

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Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
I'm clueless when it comes to cars and just want to get some advice to avoid being ripped off.

June 2013 I got a car on finance from car craft, first MOT passed with no advisory notes in July 2013. Cut to this year and the car has passed it's MOT again (with car craft) but now has some advisory notes. The notes say:
1 - front (inner) brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened.
2 - slight oil leak around engine
3 - Coolant level below minimum
4 - Exhaust backbox bracket snapped

I asked carcraft how much it would be to sort these and was quoted £290 but that's just to investigate the slight oil leak not fix it.

What I want to know is if you had these notes, would you take action on all of them? And how much should I expect to pay a garage for them?

I'm just about to go on maternity leave so really don't want to spend money on things that don't really need doing.

Car is a Pergeot 207 from 2009 and has done 35000 miles.

Thanks for any advice!!

TheEnd

15,370 posts

187 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Top up the coolant, check the oil level, and maybe see about an exhaust place to fix the exhaust bracket.

Magic919

14,126 posts

200 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Wonder why coolant level would be an MoT advisory.

vtecyo

2,122 posts

128 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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I'd tell them to hollow out a marrow, collect the appropriate number of scrabble tiles that would enable them to recreate the letter / email they sent, place the scrabble tiles in the marrow, and shove it right up their arse.

Take it to a Puggo specialist and pay them that to fix all the issues, assuming the "slight oil leak around engine" is just something like a cam cover gasket.

Quoting £290 just to take a look is ridiculous. They should start a gynaecology clinic.

Coolant level is weird though...





Edited by vtecyo on Thursday 24th July 17:19

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
The £290 was to replace the brake pads, investigate the slight oil leak and they said on the phone that the coolant was a bit cloudy and would need investigating and to weld the snapped bracket.

Does that sound right?

I was just going to get quotes elsewhere for the brakes (as I guessed they were the most important and should be sorted ASAP) and look to get the bracket sorted. Am I wrong in thinking that? And how much would be a good price?

tenpenceshort

32,880 posts

216 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
Summer1984 said:
The £290 was to replace the brake pads, investigate the slight oil leak and they said on the phone that the coolant was a bit cloudy and would need investigating and to weld the snapped bracket.

Does that sound right?

I was just going to get quotes elsewhere for the brakes (as I guessed they were the most important and should be sorted ASAP) and look to get the bracket sorted. Am I wrong in thinking that? And how much would be a good price?
I hate to be a harbinger of doom, but it sounds to me like they're lining you up to tell you the head gasket is fked.

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
1 - front (inner) brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened.

Brake discs can wear unevenly probably nothing to worry about. Just get it checked at the next service. If you need new discs in the future they are around £20-£30 each on the front , plus you would need new pads at around £25 for a full front axle set. So up to £85 in parts plus a max of an hours labour (but should be less). Those are Eurocarparts prices, garage will add a markup on.

2 - slight oil leak around engine

Ask them where exactly this is then just take a look at it every now and then. Keep an eye on the oil level (you should be doing this weekly anyway). If it gets worse then get it looked at. No way its going cost £290 just to investigate an oil leak. Most cars have little tiny oild seepage leaks here and there so just monitor the oil consumption

3 - Coolant level below minimum

Possibly more of a worry, where has it gone ? Did they find no sign of a coolant leak, its usually very easy to spot. Or perhaps the slight oil leak is actually a coolant leak ? I had a well respected expert garage swear blind that the coolant leak on my Golf was actually oil....
Make sure it is topped up to the max , then check weekly see if its dropping, then you can decide if it needs looking at. Make sure you top up with 50/50 coolant water not just plain water and use de-ionised water (buy it at halfords or motor factors very cheap). Also make sure you use the right coolant type, put the wrong one in will give you a whole new set of problems.

4 - Exhaust backbox bracket snapped

It happens. If the back box is in good nick you can probably get your local back street garage to weld it up for a few beer tokens.

This is just how I would do it, if you are at all unsure then dont follow my advice , go to another garage and get it checked. If you tell us where you are in the country I am sure a PH'er will be able to point you to a decent garage.

ETA: I am no mechanic so you might get some other (better) advice shortly !

Edited by Dodsy on Thursday 24th July 17:37

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
I pay monthly for their drive happy package which covers the head gasket (but nothing else on that list)

What would you say the best course of action is?

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
Dodsy, thank you that's really helpful. I'm in Liverpool.

I didn't even know what coolant was until today! Is the level not supposed to go down then? Haha - sorry for my ignorance!!

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
Just seen the last post, if your coolant is cloudy get to a proper garage for a sniffer test to check the Head Gasket is ok. When was the coolant last changed, this isnt something that is normally done during a service. If its still on the original coolant or someone has put the wrong type in and mixed it then you will get it looking cloudy.

I'd be getting that sniffer test pronto, then changing the coolant for all new fresh then see what happens next.

Keep an eye on the engine temp as well, if the Head gasket is borked it'll probably be all over the place.


Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
Which engine is it ? Size and fuel type.

ETA: if its a 1.4 8v then there is a known common fault of the headgasket failing whole thread on it here

http://www.pistonheads.com/GASSING/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by Dodsy on Thursday 24th July 17:41

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
How would I find out which it is? (god I feel stupid!!)

Who me ?

7,455 posts

211 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
I'd suspect the brake disk one is a money maker,as they can't actually measure it on the test. I've had this and I asked RAC to have a look.Usually it's the fact that the pads don't cover all the disc, so you get a build up on the outside. As said, I get a sniff test done ASAP. (Involves testing coolant ,fluid which keeps engine cool and the fluid in the tester tests for any exhaust gases in the engine cooling fluid). Keep an eye on the temperature gauge and if it drops, switch heater on hot - usually heater is first thing to suffer loss of water, so no heat. Then CAREFULLY check overflow bottle. Usually you can see it on the outside.DON'T try to top up if engine is hot. Let it cool down. Oil leak- keep an eye on the oil level and under the car when it's parked overnight. If in doubt, move car, then put some water on the oil, ON the ground. If it's oil -they'll be a multi coloured stain . Exhaust bracket -find a tyre/exhaust place to check . I'd suggest the MOT place has a kick in the rear end by an inspector and is only protecting it's back .

imagineifyeswill

1,224 posts

165 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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The engine size in CCs will be on the V5, although the vehicle is a 1.4 the actual CCs will probably say something like 1397cc.

curlie467

7,650 posts

200 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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On your registration documents it will say engine capacity. That will tell us the size of engine.

Of the list, the one thatgshould concern anyone is the low coolant level, you should not lose any, ever.

Take it to a garage and get it checked, they can check the discs and pads too.
Tell them you have noticed a slight loss in coolant. Do not tell them you are clueless or show them the advisories as they will know you are going from that, purely because I have seen many people get fleeced this way.

Jimmyarm

1,962 posts

177 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Magic919 said:
Wonder why coolant level would be an MoT advisory.
MOT testers can advise what they like.

If the coolant level was obviously low, why not advise it ?

andymc

7,334 posts

206 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Car Craft aren't famous for their honesty or in fact anything

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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Log book says 1360 CC? Really appreciate all of this advice - thank you.

Sir Bagalot

6,463 posts

180 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
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If you've had the car 13 months when was it last serviced?

Summer1984

Original Poster:

8 posts

116 months

Thursday 24th July 2014
quotequote all
It was serviced by carcraft under the drive happy package October 2013, the next one isn't due until October 2015.