NCT Failure - Wheel Caps not removed

V Eight

My wife's 2009 Ibiza failed the NCT tonight just because she left the alloy wheel caps on! - they can't test the wheel nuts if they can't see them!- test result stated 'This vehicle is Unsafe and should not be driven'
Anyway she did drive home wondering what they meant and luckily the wheels remained on the car.

How many people walk out of the NCT test centres every day feeling humiliated, abused, robbed and angry.............arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!:mad::(:mad::(:mad:

acer911

Clearly states on the website and any documentation that you get from the NCT that before the test you should ensure:


"4. 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."

No sympathy from me, sorry.

MagicMarker

Your own fault, sorry.

dgt

No sympathy either. How long does it take to remove the caps? It even says it in the booking letter!!!

It's a visual so won't cost

biko

Silly really but there you go...

sky6

Friend of mine failed a Month ago because his oil level was too low despite being between the marks.

highly1111

This is unfair. This happened to me and they told me to just come back with them off so they could check the necessary.

I went out to the car park and rang my husband. He told me what to do and I did it (another silly woman here!) and they guy came out and had a look and then gave me the cert to pass me.

I think that was decent enough.

Gary ITR

My oh left them on too but the guy took them off and put them in the boot. She must be prettier than your missus so :pac:

CiniO

Whoo whoo.

While I agree with most posters that information how to prepare car for a test is widely available, and not removing wheel cups is OP wife's own fault, but looks like they did "fail dangerous", which shouldn't have happened just for not taken off hubcaps.

bazz26

It's stated in the NCT manual on their site that wheel centre caps that hide the wheel nuts should be removed prior to the test. Hardly the fault of the NCT centre if some people haven't read the manual.

Supergurrier

Maybe the OP couldn't afford 4 new cable ties

Quit bein such meanies you guyz

CiniO

bazz26 wrote: »

It's stated in the NCT manual on their site that wheel centre caps that hide the wheel nuts should be removed prior to the test. Hardly the fault of the NCT centre if some people haven't read the manual.

It's different thing to fail a car for negligance of the owner, and different to prohibit someone to drive off his own car, just because they couldn't take a look at nuts.

bazz26

CiniO wrote: »

It's different thing to fail a car for negligance of the owner, and different to prohibit someone to drive off his own car, just because they couldn't take a look at nuts.

I find it very difficult to believe that they would deem a car unsafe to drive because the lock nuts were not visible. To me it sounds like some of the facts to this story are missing/omitted.

thalia_13

I failed for similar. Brought my sisters car into nct, it had alloys. So did my own car. Never had to remove wheelcaps off my alloys due to design. Sisters car has wheelcaps on her alloys but it never entered my head to check.
Day of nct I got the grumpiest tester ever, he devoured me for not removing them ( only reason for fail).
I apologized, went out took them off but they could not do visual on the day (time constraints).

Friend used work in nct centre for a few yrs he said that unless you get a centre thats busy or a tester thats a bit grumpy, normally they let you take them off. I bet ye wont forget next time!! Since I discovered this in December I told everyone. Alot of people seem to forget simple things like this as they are more worried about emissions or brakes etc!

Wheelnut

CiniO wrote: »

It's different thing to fail a car for negligance of the owner, and different to prohibit someone to drive off his own car, just because they couldn't take a look at nuts.

You're assuming there is nothing else wrong with the car. Poor old V Eight might have missed something else because he's " feeling humiliated, abused, robbed and angry."

Matt Simis

Gary ITR wrote: »

My oh left them on too but the guy took them off and put them in the boot. She must be prettier than your missus so :pac:

Really, cos he wants to see his missus again while he ensured yours went packing? :pac:

thalia_13

bazz26 wrote: »

I find it very difficult to believe that they would deem a car unsafe to drive because the lock nuts were not visible. To me it sounds like some of the facts to this story are missing/omitted.

It was marked fail refusal in cert on my sisters car. No more than a pair of worn wipers would be fail refusal. If a car is unroadworthy they have a different message printed. They apparently ate meant to advise you not to drive car if this is the case.

CiniO

bazz26 wrote: »

I find it very difficult to believe that they would deem a car unsafe to drive because the lock nuts were not visible. To me it sounds like some of the facts to this story are missing/omitted.

Wheelnut wrote: »

You're assuming there is nothing else wrong with the car. Poor old V Eight might have missed something else because he's " feeling humiliated, abused, robbed and angry."

COuld be.
I just go in line with what was written

My wife's 2009 Ibiza failed the NCT tonight just because she left the alloy wheel caps on!

It doesn't really matter for me if that's true or not.

Cosmo K

V Eight wrote: »

'This vehicle is Unsafe and should not be driven'
Anyway she did drive home wondering what they meant and luckily the wheels remained on the car.

I somehow doubt, the car failed dangerous, just because the wheel caps were not removed. Any chance you could post a picture of the report?

Andre Salmon

I took the caps off the car wheels for the nct test in 2011 and noticed the other day that they are still in the boot.

jca

Andre Salmon wrote: »

I took the caps off the car wheels for the nct test in 2011 and noticed the other day that they are still in the boot.

Ha ha, sure leave them off because its due for testing again this year:D:D

nct tester

took the wheel caps off a car lately , put them in the boot, then got accused of robbing them, ffs.

Supergurrier

nct tester wrote: »

took the wheel caps off a car lately , put them in the boot, then got accused of robbing them, ffs.

Haha pure gold

nct tester

I'd take off most hubcaps that don't require a special tool , example Renault, but I never put them back on as its easy enough break them . But I don't have to take them off, and if the car is failing on anything else I wouldn't take them off at all. no point.

If its a car that needs a special key to take them off and the car is not failing on anything else I just drive the car out, go in and tell the customer to take them off before I finalise the report. No need to officially fail them if they can take them off in the yard and no need to print a fail and then a pass report within 5 minutes of each other.

jca

nct tester wrote: »

I'd take off most hubcaps that don't require a special tool , example Renault, but I never put them back on as its easy enough break them . But I don't have to take them off, and if the car is failing on anything else I wouldn't take them off at all. no point.

If its a car that needs a special key to take them off and the car is not failing on anything else I just drive the car out, go in and tell the customer to take them off before I finalise the report. No need to officially fail them if they can take them off in the yard and no need to print a fail and then a pass report within 5 minutes of each other.

Fair play at least you're showing some common sense.

Failed Dangerous sounds a bit extreme for non removal of hub caps in fairness. I'd wonder if that's what the cert actually said?

BHP

If "Wheel Caps not removed" was the only defect then the overall result would be just a Visual Fail and not Fail Dangerous.

The re-test fee would be zero.

Can you examine the report again? You may have been looking at the legend at the bottom of the page rather than the Test Results.

coylemj

nct tester wrote: »

....... else I just drive the car out, go in and tell the customer to take them off before I finalise the report. No need to officially fail them if they can take them off in the yard and no need to print a fail and then a pass report within 5 minutes of each other.

That's what happened me in Deansgrange a few years ago with a Golf, the tester drove the car out, said it was a technical failure because of the nuts not being visible but before he did the paperwork I could whip off the hubcaps and he'd come out in a few minutes to check them so I did and he did and I was sorted.

ProudDUB

Same thing happened to me. In my own defence, I got a cancellation date which was the day after I called to schedule the test. So there wasn't time for my paperwork to come in the post, telling me what I had to do to prep my car. So in I went, totally innocent as to what I was supposed to do to prep my car for the test.

I failed too, as the wheel caps couldn't be taken off. They were attached with plastic wheel ties also. What pissed me off was that the guy told me he didn't have the correct tool to remove them with. A scissors? You mean to say that in the ENTIRE testing center, not one person had a feckin' scissors? That is all it takes to cute the ties off. WTF? :mad:

If he said that he just wasn't allowed take the wheel caps off, fair enough. But the "I don't have the correct tool" was just stupid beyond belief. Anyway, I left, went to a nearby car dealership. They took them off for me, and gave me 4 wheel ties to put back on when I was done with the NCT. Back I went to the NCT Center. They did the visual in 5 mins and I passed no problem. I put the wheel caps back on, and attached the plastic ties in their car park. Got home, and was missing a wheel cap. Boy was I pissed !!! So off I went to Halfords to buy a new set of 4, as its not possible to buy them individually. Waste of feckin money !

Decided to have the pros at my local garage put them on for me, as clearly I did something wrong along the way. They told me I put the wheel caps on wrong and put the ties on backwards, so they didn't click on properly & they all fell off. :eek: They offered me a freebie old Ford wheel cap that they had in the back that was similar to my missing one, at no charge. Sure, sez I. So they put it on for me, and showed me how to attache the plastic ties properly. Then they fixed a minor problem I had been having with my wipers. Then they sent me on my merry way without charging me a penny for anything. Next day, I returned the set of 4 wheel caps to Halfords as I didn't need them after all.

Talk about excellent customer service. So thank you Atlas Motors in Baldoyle. You have a loyal new customer now. Next time, I have some thing really wrong with my car, you are who I will go to.

(Hope it's ok to tell that rather long winded story here, as I think that praising good customer service when you get it, is a very good thing. )

Skatedude

Why does this post even exist? It says to have them removed for an nct, so have them removed for the nct.

It's not rocket science.

its their job to test the car, It's your job to have the car ready for testing.

elvis jones

Just close your eyes and imagine the OP on Liveline with Joe Duffy.

Joe - How did it make you feel when you heard the car had failed.

OP - Jaysus Joe, i felt humiliated, abused, robbed and angry.

tossy

elvis jones wrote: »

Just close your eyes and imagine the OP on Liveline with Joe Duffy.

Joe - How did it make you feel when you heard the car had failed.

OP - Jaysus Joe, i felt humiliated, abused, robbed and angry.

Ya ya sure sure sure...:D

kingtut

I'm a bloke and the first time I went to the NCT I didn't remove mine, the tester did it for me.

Have my NCT retest later (failed on emissions) and I don't intend on removing them either

corktina

surely it isn't a visual, don't the NCT have to check the nuts are on correctly and tight rather than just physically there?

Gary ITR

corktina wrote: »

surely it isn't a visual, don't the NCT have to check the nuts are on correctly and tight rather than just physically there?

They just check they're physically there, no tools are put near the car during the test

Matt Simis wrote: »

Really, cos he wants to see his missus again while he ensured yours went packing? :pac:

Bastard! lol

corktina

Gary ITR wrote: »

They just check they're physically there, no tools are put near the car during the test

whats the point of that! They are just as dangerous loose as missing!
(phones Joe)

nct tester

corktina wrote: »

surely it isn't a visual, don't the NCT have to check the nuts are on correctly and tight rather than just physically there?

can you imagine the uproar if it was a paid retest for hubcaps not removed. we'd be lynched in fairness there are some things that you just have to use your own discretion on/give benefit of the doubt when it comes to visuals. hubcaps is one of them. hubcaps can cover a lot of things, ie, split pin missing on a cv joint or worn outer brake pad.
tyres are a visual so if you test a car and one of the tyres has a big slit on the inner wall, its impossible to check that out in the yard as a visual. nothing can stop someone changing the tyre to the other side or other axle. doubt anyone would drive around with a tyre that's already been failed though :cool:

kingtut

nct tester wrote: »

doubt anyone would drive around with a tyre that's already been failed though :cool:

Lol you would be surprised
I once saw a woman driving on two flat tyres, not a bother on her. Took a lot of beeping / flashing to get her to pull in !!

Wheelnut

kingtut wrote: »

.... Took a lot of beeping / flashing to get her to pull in !!

I wouldn't have bothered, she's probably going to blame the NCT for not telling her she was going to get punctures.

nct tester

kingtut wrote: »

Lol you would be surprised
I once saw a woman driving on two flat tyres, not a bother on her. Took a lot of beeping / flashing to get her to pull in !!

last ditch resort eh :eek::D

Montgolfier

I know its an old thread but I'm bumping it, need to vent.

Failed my NCT for my Lefthand drive as Reflectors on the headlights were on the wrong position.
My defense I haven't moved them since the last time the car passed a year ago, they're glued on!

Failed for back tyres being under 1.6mm I measured them from the indicator to the top myself with a digital calipers got avg.2.6mm.

Should have been an advisory only IMO. Are they supposed to remove the spikey bits from the indicator?

Failed For not removing the hub caps of my alloys. My own silly fault granted, I booked a cancellation and the reminder went off on my phone minutes before the test. The guy walked all around the car with me and said nothing, also shouldn't they have this on a Sign in the test center? or on paperwork you sign before you hand over your car. Simple solution to a money making racket for the NCT.

Going back tomorrow to complain.

Stheno

Montgolfier wrote: »

Failed For not removing the hub caps of my alloys. My own silly fault granted, I booked a cancellation and the reminder went off on my phone minutes before the test. The guy walked all around the car with me and said nothing, also shouldn't they have this on a Sign in the test center? or on paperwork you sign before you hand over your car. Simple solution to a money making racket for the NCT.

Going back tomorrow to complain.

Did you not think to check the website beforehand to see what you need to do to prepare?

GTE

bazz26 wrote: »

I find it very difficult to believe that they would deem a car unsafe to drive because the lock nuts were not visible. To me it sounds like some of the facts to this story are missing/omitted.

I would suppose, pedantically and by the bookly, if they can't see the wheel nuts, they can't see if they are in a fit state. Arse covering and all that.

AlfaZen

I got a fail for fuel cap seal. Failed because the tester could find the fuel cap release on the dashboard. Only a visual recheck but still shouldn't be my problem that the tester doesn't know where the button is.

Stheno

AlfaZen wrote: »

I got a fail for fuel cap seal. Failed because the tester could find the fuel cap release on the dashboard. Only a visual recheck but still shouldn't be my problem that the tester doesn't know where the button is.

I once had a tester come out and tell me he couldn't figure out how to open the boot of my car

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Cant be as bad as the time a woman read the thing on the paper about the wheel nuts being visible.

So up to the test center to be booked in, as she hands over the VLC and driving licence she also dumps about 16 - 20 wheels nuts on the counter.


she had driven from home with them in a bag to the test center.

wheels mustve been welded to the fecking car.... probably the only time the NCT interfered with a car putting the nuts on and explaining to her what they meant and the dangers !


or the other lady who failed because she didnt bring her car, just the documents and the keys. she thought they would go get it for her.

goz83

Make sure they can see your nuts and you'll pass. I don't understand how people can misunderstand this. :rolleyes:

Montgolfier

Stheno wrote: »

Did you not think to check the website beforehand to see what you need to do to prepare?

No got a cancelation stuck it in my calendar on my phone and forgot about it. Alarm went off an hour before.

Is there something wrong with putting up a sign in the center, or just being told at the booth? Not everyone is regimental.

No Pants

Montgolfier wrote: »

My own silly fault

Going back tomorrow to complain.

If it's in writing, any chance you could post your complaint up here? Should be a good laugh.

SteM

Montgolfier wrote: »

...shouldn't they have this on a Sign in the test center? or on paperwork you sign before you hand over your car. Simple solution to a money making racket for the NCT....

I'd agree with this. From the sounds of it it's a common problem. I did the same on my first NCT last week - I won't make the same mistake again. A notice on the sign in desk reminding people would be good, it sounds like it would make things easier for the testers too as they wouldn't have to worry about having to do a visual check.

No Pants

Montgolfier wrote: »

No got a cancelation stuck it in my calendar on my phone and forgot about it. Alarm went off an hour before.

Is there something wrong with putting up a sign in the center, or just being told at the booth? Not everyone is regimental.

Regimental? It's called reading. And since you didn't read the letter, why would you be any better at reading a sign?