NCT Question

Delusional

I have a 2000 car that is coming up for it's NCT. Just wondering should i get the lights aligned before the test or leave the car go through the test and do them if it fails.

If it does fail on lights do you have to repay to do the test again?

catho_monster

i just got my nct today,
definately, definately, definatly get your lights alighned before you go in. it wont cost that much and it something that youll get failed on

i thought i was gonna fail coz my car is a bit hit & miss (if you'll excuse the expression), it makes strange sounds and is moodier than any woman i know, but i still got my lights aligned b4 i went in... luckily i passed. i would be kicking myself if id only failed on something so small as alignment of lights.

the only reason you dont have to pay for a retest is if they dont need to put the car through the garage, ie its a visual thing... your indicators dont work, stuff like that that they can check quickly.

im no expert, however - hope my experience helps tho.

Delusional

Thanks for that. I was thinking along the lines of getting them done first as it is only E20 to get them aligned. If i failed i was thinking i would have to pay more than that for a retest anyway. My brothers were telling me to leave it through without doing them but was wondering what others though. Thanks Appreciate it and congrats on passing You give me hope.

I will get them aligned tomorrow.

catho_monster

oh, another thing.. my mechanic advised me to wait until near to the test to get the lights alighned coz apparantly if you go over pot holes or speed ramps too fast etc. you could knock them out again and undo the good work!

i dunno, maybe that was coz my mechanic knows what a lunatic driver i am, but its just something you should bear in mind.

hope it all goes well for you

Delusional

Heh. Too true. I was told that as well.

My test is Monday.

Thanks. Hopefully it will pass because i haven't two cents to scratch together to fix anything ;-)

Genghis

What equipment do you need to align lights?

I have been told that you can do it by parking the car a certain distance from a wall and turning the lights on. Your dipped lights should below a certain height and your full above it. Apparently it is then a case of minutely adjusting the bulbs until you achieve this.

I don't know how true this i, but I do know the mechanic I used would not have access to any fancy equipment (part-time, back yard garage operation) and yet he aligned mine for me as part of a service and it passed the NCT no probs.

I have often heard from a number of people about the pot-holes, etc - might be somehting of an Urban Legend, though - mechanics can use this sort of thing to either excuse poor workmanship and / or convince you to get the thing done before a test regardless of when you last got it done.

kdevitt

I passed the NCT a fortnight ago in a 92 CRX - I didn;t bother getting the lights aligned, as I thought the car would fail on a rake of other things...

Anyhoo - passed no problems!! (Although the exhaust dropped off on the M50 on Tuesday) Some of the guys doing the headlight alignment are fiddling around with your lights and just making matters worse. If the headlights haven't been removed from the car previously I'd be tempted to try the NCT without having them adjusted.

You can adjust them yourself easily enough - park on a level surface, 25ft from a wall - the beams from the headlights on the wall should be at the same level as the headlights themselves, and the beams should be the same distance apart on the wall as the headlights themselves. Did this on my last car myself and it passed

Victor

Don't spend money on pre-NCT tests that find faults that don't exist. Spend it on regular repairts and maintenance.

ando

its a chance you take when you go into the test without aligning your lights but I'd recommend you get them done. I did and passed last week, although I took my headlights off the car, opened them, painted them and stuck them back together again :rolleyes: so I had no option, I had to get them aligned

TommyK

I didn't get mine checked and it failed for exactly that reason - one of them was a wee bit too high!

A local garage alligned them for free (it took about 2 minutes) but I did have to pay for a retest.

Definately get them checked!