pre-nct test: when does it make sense to do one (if at all)?

squiggers

Hi there,

I have a 96 Megane RT (1.4). About a year ago my mechanic said that he probably wouldn't bother fixing it up for the next NCT (which is now due in a couple of weeks). This was because he reckoned that the brake disks (or shoes, whichever is the more expensive part of the brakes) would probably have to be replaced for the car to get through the test (although they were still ok at the time). Now, even if I drive in the city with its many traffic lights, I'm not a particularly heavy braker and as much as possible use the gears to help slowing the car down.

A second worry are my emmissions. I had huge problems with them at the last NCT and had to go back for 3 retests - during the course of that I got a new cat, a new lambda sensor, the oil changed, the filter changed, the temperature gauge looked at and I can't remember what else checked(interestingly, the emmissions read fine at the garage on the very morning of the last re-test but were high again at the test centre). Eventually, the guy at the NCT-centre let me get away with it when I told him how many times I've been at the garage and what I got done. Even now, the revs like to go high or fluctuate when the car is standing at traffic lights, although not always.

Also, the car is making a very annoying screeching sound after starting from cold, which stays there for a couple of minutes. It's been doing this since I got it about two years ago (i.e even before I put it through the NCT last time). My flatmate reckons this is nothing to worry about as old cars just do this; however, other people have said this is the time-belt.

Another thing that I know I will have to get fixed is the electrics at my passenger front seat window - the window doesn't open and I'll fail the NCT for that anyway.

So, I now wonder, should i go for a pre-NCT test and does anyone know a place that is reasonable (and won't rip off girls, haha!) and will look at EVERYTHING that gets checked in the NCT?

Any comments/suggestions are much appreciated!

bazz26

Pre-NCTs are a waste of money, you could end up spending a fortune on things that they think might fail and then end up failing for something else.

Send the car through the NCT and let them tell you what needs fixing. Bring the list of fails to your mechanic, get a rough price from him on how much it will cost to put them right and decide if it is viable to get it done.

mickdw

Dont do a pre test. Run it through NCT, get a list of fail items and then when fixed, run it through retest for €27. All this is costing you extra is €27 and you know then that anything you actually got fixed needed doing. Compare this to a garage pre check, if they see something borderline, they will tell you it needs doing. There are 2 reasons for this, more money for them & you wont be coming back saying they did a sh!t job cause it failed on some borderline item.
If It was my car, I would just check all bulbs and anything obvious like a badly worn tyre then send it through.

blossom180

bazz26 wrote: »

Pre-NCTs are a waste of money, you could end up spending a fortune on things that they think might fail and then end up failing for something else.

Send the car through the NCT and let them tell you what needs fixing. Bring the list of fails to your mechanic, get a rough price from him on how much it will cost to put them right and decide if it is viable to get it done.

totally agree,let them tell you whats wrong.

extra-ordinary_

mickdw wrote: »

Dont do a pre test. Run it through NCT, get a list of fail items and then when fixed, run it through retest for €27. All this is costing you extra is €27 and you know then that anything you actually got fixed needed doing. Compare this to a garage pre check, if they see something borderline, they will tell you it needs doing. There are 2 reasons for this, more money for them & you wont be coming back saying they did a sh!t job cause it failed on some borderline item.
If It was my car, I would just check all bulbs and anything obvious like a badly worn tyre then send it through.

I wouldn't bother with a pre-test. That's what the NCT is there for - to tell you what's wrong with your car! The screeching is the fan belt as opposed to the timng belt IMHO.

tmdsurvey

fordprefect wrote: »

All cars need to be maintained but one of the best ways of ensuring you don't get headaches is by not buying a Renault.

have to agree, you are havin a lot of problems with that car. Is it worth fixing all these problems for the sake of the NCT? Get a quote and see how much it will set you back, after you get the defect list from the NCT. You might be better off buying a more up-to-date car from a reputable garage with NCT. Obviously it would cost more to update your car but in the long term it should be worth it...

squiggers

tmdsurvey wrote: »

have to agree, you are havin a lot of problems with that car. Is it worth fixing all these problems for the sake of the NCT? Get a quote and see how much it will set you back, after you get the defect list from the NCT. QUOTE]


Looks like this seems to be the best way to go forward.

Thanks again!

squiggers

hi fordperfect,

I got the air filter changed and new spark plugs last time round too. As for the air and fuel going in, I'm not sure, but the mechanic (Fast Fit Tallaght) couldn't think what else could be done.
As regards the time-belt, that was my mistake, i should have said fan-belt. the mechanic (another one in Rathmines) did say that the timing belt was ok - that was about a year ago).