Bangernomics MOT time,

[Condi]

Wish me luck, the old girl has been sat for 6 months, and while it started ok off the jump leads last night im somewhat nervous about what could be found by the tester.

Also, if its there it has to work, but if its not there they cant fail it, right? right...?

[Tonberry]

Mine is also in for MOT as we speak. Only issue I can think of is a dodgy brake light switch, which has a mind of its own.

Really should get round to getting it replaced....

[Eggman]

Condi said:

Also, if its there it has to work, but if its not there they cant fail it, right? right...?

Depends entirely what 'it' is.

I once binned a Range Rover's rear seats so that it wouldn't fail on corrosion within 30cm of the seatbelt mounting points, but this method wouldn't wash with a brake caliper. Can you be more specific?

[EDLT]

Is it still bangernomics if you don't actually use the car?

[Condi]

EDLT said:

Is it still bangernomics if you don't actually use the car?

Um, well its my only car when Im here, but spend a bit of time abroad each year. No point having something expensive sat on the drive while Im away.

Anyway, it failed. Miserably.

Main things were brake pipes corroded, split in one tyre from where it had been stood, one headlight beam giving a 'obviously incorrect' pattern and other odds and sods. Most I can fix myself, but the brake pipes are going to have to be a garage job. Pain in the arse, I wanted the thing for this weekend, luckily its not terminal or going to cost serious money to fix. Lots of small things.

[Condi]

Got the thing fixed, then on the way home from finally passing the MOT it throws up a ECU code.

Down to the shop to get me a code reader and then go from there. I know I was going to run it until it died, but hadnt planned on it dieing quite so soon...

[aw51 121565]

What did the code reader show?

I have 2 "Bangernomics plus" cars - the "plus" bit is a personal mission but it means with regard to the MoT or any repairs I'll probably still pay out what's needed and then enjoy 10 or 11 months "finance-free " at worst if it fails...

One is a left hand drive MG Maestro 1600 which passed its MoT last week with an advisory for corrosion adjacent to a NSF suspension mounting area ; the other is a 309SR that failed its last MoT because of front brake imbalance (my first MoT fail in 4 years ) and no advisories.

If your car costs £300 for the latest repair and you have paid for the car, then the next 11 months less the cost of the MoT and repairs are free . Ditto a £600 repair bill and you have 10 months without any finance payments but still had to pay the cost of the MoT and repairs ... Or a £900 bill and 9 months finance-free but had to pay for the MoT and repairs...

It starts getting unpalatable at this point, but the grim reality of buying new cars versus "Bangernomics plus" makes much sense still despite the Frightening Figures - it's so much cheaper than the cost of finance repayments every month on something that's not much newer and can fail an MoT or throw up a 'wobbly' on a code reader just as easily! "Better the devil you know" and all that...

People pay £300/month - and more, for multiples of 12 months - on a New Car and convince themselves they got Value For Money. You WILL get better value from the pounds in your pocket than this, if you follow the "Bangernomics plus" route - a possible trichotomy of this website ?

Your problem might even be a corroded contact on an ECU - price to check and fix would be a few minutes of your time and otherwise free...

[Jayfish]

I don't like giving up my bangernomics cars but apparently the suspension turrets need to attached by more than just rust, gutting because the E-Class rust machine pulls like a train and is otherwise viable, that 13 line MOt failiure almost feels like curing, but the number 1 rule in bangernomics is don't get attached.

[Condi]

aw51 121565 said:

What did the code reader show?

Throttle position sensor error/Switch B circuit malfunction.


Thing still runs ok, and throttle response seems normal; so in true Bangernomic style Im going to run it until something interesting happens. To change the TPS is a 5 min job and some parts from a scrapyard, could just do without throwing money at it while I dont have a job.


As for being cheaper, yes, certainly is. Car only cost £450, plus another £150 to get through its MOT this year! Shes actually quite a nice car, so spending 'just enough' to keep it going seems to be the right thing to do.

[Condi]

Jayfish said:

I don't like giving up my bangernomics cars but apparently the suspension turrets need to attached by more than just rust, gutting because the E-Class rust machine pulls like a train and is otherwise viable, that 13 line MOt failiure almost feels like curing, but the number 1 rule in bangernomics is don't get attached.

13 lines? Mine was 7, but 5 were stupid small 2 min jobs. Your sounds a bit more serious. A weekend with a welder, some friends and beer, p'haps?

Still worth £200 from a scrappy if all else fails.

[SuperHangOn]

It takes a pretty drastic fault for me to give up on a car which I otherwise like (I'm thinking autobox rebuilds, serious rot etc). I don't mind spending OTT on maintenance to avoid breakdowns and swapping cars. Bangernomics doesn't take into account the risk in buying the next car (even good ones need money spent) and cost/hassle travelling to find the next one.

Edited by SuperHangOn on Tuesday 13th March 11:23