NCT Failure - Wheel Caps not removed

No Pants

OSI wrote: »

Maybe they should have a sign telling you to make sure the oil is topped up to. And a sign saying to make sure you have enough air in your tyres to. And a sign saying to make sure your windows work to. And a sign saying to make sure you have all your lights working to...... See where this going?

And once you've read all these signs, they should have another sign that says that you must read all the other signs. And then they ask you to sign a piece of paper to confirm that you've read all the signs. Then, there's one final step; everyone in the office gets together to sing karaoke. The song?

Only then will they accept your keys and test your car.

SteM

No Pants wrote: »

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

What letter? I booked over the phone, didn't receive any letter. Is it normal to get a letter? Got a text message on the phone, that's all.

No Pants

SteM wrote: »

What letter? I booked over the phone, didn't receive any letter. Is it normal to get a letter? Got a text message on the phone, that's all.

Email?

SteM

No Pants wrote: »

Email?

No, just a text message for both the test and retest confirming the date and time. They never asked for an email address when I booked over the phone.

Old diesel

thalia_13 wrote: »

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!

You shouldn't be apologising to some b:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:ks of a tester - I wouldn't have apologised - the idiot is still getting paid* to do your car - your still a customer.

*not the full 55 euros obviously or anything even remotely close to it - but he gets paid wages when hes on duty to test the cars

PS Not doing the visual on the day for the sake of 5 to 10 mins is pure ignorance on his part too - and to me just reinforces the fact that on the day your tester was going for most ignorant little buck of the year award.

Apologies for the rant

Yawns

Got the car tested yesterday and while there about other cars failed for stupid things like bulbs not working. If you can't spend a few mins checking the basics of your car before a test, then you can't complain about it failing imo.

I understand that some people just throw the car through and see what's wrong before fixing it, but even then surely they'd check the bulbs, wipers, wheel nuts, fluids, tyre pressure and seat belts etc. Some really basic common things. One lad was stunned to find he failed cos he had no back lights and only one headlight working along with the drivers window not operating. He of course thought it was a money making excuse.

wonski

I never understand how people find the NCT so difficult to pass. I drive an old car and find it ok to find things that you wouldn't think of.
Like everyone else I don't like spending money to fix things, but it has to be done. A bit of work done once a year is not an end of the world.

This year - tiny leak from fuel filter:eek: Even my mechanic said it was well spotted by them and definitely needed to be replaced.

I do have some experience with customer complaints, and the last thing the crowd wants to do is to remove the hubcaps on behalf of a customer. As soon as you break them - and some of those are easy to break, there will be a customer letter followed by a solicitors letter asking for a refund and a compensation for time lost to replace them;)

Montgolfier

Went down this morning had a chat and the guy rechecked the tyres and lights. Passed free of charge.
Thanks for all the comments however useless (you know who you are).
Savage eye should do a show "Why the Irish are so afraid to complain?"

micks_address

Question - so if you have hubcaps and you can see the wheelnuts you dont need to take them off for the NCT test?

jimgoose

micks_address wrote: »

Question - so if you have hubcaps and you can see the wheelnuts you dont need to take them off for the NCT test?

Correct. Our Xsara had plastic wheel-caps that were held on by the studs, and they were fine.

No Pants

Yawns wrote: »

Got the car tested yesterday and while there about other cars failed for stupid things like bulbs not working. If you can't spend a few mins checking the basics of your car before a test, then you can't complain about it failing imo.

I put mine through the NCT earlier this year. Had checked it out on Saturday evening as best as I possibly could. All lights were working, was clean inside and out. Boot was emptied of whatever side-of-the-road stuff I normally keep in there, seat belts fastened. Nothing needed to be removed for the wheels, the nuts are visible on my alloys.

Car didn't move on Sunday. Down to Ballymun first thing on Monday morning and it failed because the nearside sidelight bulb had gone. Fitted a spare, visual retest and away.

I live less than fifteen minutes from the test centre and I still had time for something to go wrong on the day.

djimi

Stheno wrote: »

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

I once had a tester inform me that "we don't test cars with Clifford alarms" because he was too stupid to realise that if you lock a car with the alarm button while the window is open, and then proceed to put your arm through said window, it is likely to set the alarm off :pac:

I think he was genuinely going to fail me as well, until I pointed out that it's just a normal alarm, no different to any other (it was in valet mode) and that it's not my problem if he can't get his head around not putting his arm through the open window of a locked alarmed car...

No Pants

Montgolfier wrote: »

Savage eye should do a show "Why the Irish are so afraid to complain?"

And what was the grounds for your complaint again?

Montgolfier

No Pants wrote: »

And what was the grounds for your complaint again?

I wasn't happy.

Yawns

No Pants wrote: »

I put mine through the NCT earlier this year. Had checked it out on Saturday evening as best as I possibly could. All lights were working, was clean inside and out. Boot was emptied of whatever side-of-the-road stuff I normally keep in there, seat belts fastened. Nothing needed to be removed for the wheels, the nuts are visible on my alloys.

Car didn't move on Sunday. Down to Ballymun first thing on Monday morning and it failed because the nearside sidelight bulb had gone. Fitted a spare, visual retest and away.

I live less than fifteen minutes from the test centre and I still had time for something to go wrong on the day.

That can happen but when I was there yesterday, the people that failed on lights had more than 1 gone. bad luck happens and 1 bulb can go but more is just stupidity in general.

No Pants

Montgolfier wrote: »

I wasn't happy.

Could you please be a wee bit more specific?

wotswattage

Montgolfier wrote: »

I wasn't happy.

That your car failed on blindingly obvious visual faults??
Would you have been happier if they ignored all the rules just for you?

tantipie

brought my car in to be tested today..it was perfect going in and came out with a fail and the engine light on..said it failed for emissions..I said it was only tested yesterday and it was fine..Spoke to my mechanic and he was quite surprised/Will I get any satisfaction if I give out to them about them fecking up my car??mechanic reckons they revved up my car so hard that it did something..I dunno what I'm not great with all the lingo:rolleyes:

Wheelnut

tantipie wrote: »

...??mechanic reckons they revved up my car so hard that it did something...

Well he would say that, wouldn't he? After all, if it's not their fault it's his. It would never be the fault of the customer or the car. :rolleyes:

tantipie

but surely it can't be coincidence. like I said my engine light wasn't on all day..only came on when I got back into my car:(

FuzzyWuzzyWazza

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.

Had a tester do this for me a couple of years ago, in fairness to him he tried to remove them himself but they were a bit stiff so as he didn't want to break or scratch them he just asked me to do it, then passed me. :cool:

Old diesel

tantipie wrote: »

but surely it can't be coincidence. like I said my engine light wasn't on all day..only came on when I got back into my car:(

Well the fault has to start somewhere - so is it just possible - seriously - that the car may have developed the fault during the test.

It would be no different to (for example) you driving along the road - on the way to the test centre and the engine checklight is on.

I can't see what the NCT man could do to the car that would make the engine light come on due to the NCT mans actions????

Just redlining alone won't do it I reckon - a lot of cars are redlined at times during their lives.

Redlining a car once or twice won't do the harm to a car that youd associate with redlining it imo - it would be doing ALL the time that would do it.

djimi

tantipie wrote: »

brought my car in to be tested today..it was perfect going in and came out with a fail and the engine light on..said it failed for emissions..I said it was only tested yesterday and it was fine..Spoke to my mechanic and he was quite surprised/Will I get any satisfaction if I give out to them about them fecking up my car??mechanic reckons they revved up my car so hard that it did something..I dunno what I'm not great with all the lingo:rolleyes:

Did you sign the waver that said that your car was mechanically sound and fit to be tested? Revving the car hard is part of the test; your mechanic should know this.

slimjimmc

Old diesel wrote: »

Well the fault has to start somewhere - so is it just possible - seriously - that the car may have developed the fault during the test.

It would be no different to (for example) you driving along the road - on the way to the test centre and the engine checklight is on.

I can't see what the NCT man could do to the car that would make the engine light come on due to the NCT mans actions????

Just redlining alone won't do it I reckon - a lot of cars are redlined at times during their lives.

Redlining a car once or twice won't do the harm to a car that youd associate with redlining it imo - it would be doing ALL the time that would do it.

+1
The NCT tests are specified to be done at about 2,500rpm on both petrol or diesel engines, so nothing particularly stressful.
However I would make sure the dip stick is fully inserted, some cars throw up a warning if it's even slightly out.

visual

slimjimmc wrote: »

+1
The NCT tests are specified to be done at about 2,500rpm on both petrol or diesel engines, so nothing particularly stressful.
However I would make sure the dip stick is fully inserted, some cars throw up a warning if it's even slightly out.

I thought they rev the diesels until limiter cut in

Wheelnut

tantipie wrote: »

but surely it can't be coincidence. like I said my engine light wasn't on all day..only came on when I got back into my car:(

Does that mean the light came on at other times and went off at other times?

As for what's wrong: you haven't even told us if it's diesel or petrol. You haven't told us what faults are logged in the ECU... I presume your mechanic has a scanner and has used it (or has he?).

I echo the views of others here because I can't think of anything they might do to cause a fault. Petrol engines are designed to be revved to 6k or 7k RPM, and diesels are designed to be revved to 4.5k or 5k RPM. Furthermore, you signed a disclaimer stating that the engine was fit to be tested.

I repeat my original comment: your mechanic is bound to blame the NCT because otherwise the fault is likely to be his.

slimjimmc

visual wrote: »

I thought they rev the diesels until limiter cut in

Sorry, you are correct. I mis-read the manual. For diesels the procedure is purge @ 2,500 for 20 sec (that's where I mistook) then it's foot to the floor.

Old diesel

slimjimmc wrote: »

Sorry, you are correct. I mis-read the manual. For diesels the procedure is purge @ 2,500 for 20 sec (that's where I mistook) then it's foot to the floor.

Even so - it shouldn't GENERALLY cause a fault - if it such a thing was likely - youd hear of FAR more people having this sort of issue.

Id also expect that if something was to go wrong by redlining the diesel - it would be something breaking rather then some random sensor or other issue setting off the engine check light

I would also take the view that if something WERE to break - it would be something that was going to break at some point anyway

Old diesel

In any case the test is very short - and certainly nothing like as hard on a car as some of the abuse people dish out to their cars every day of the week

beauf

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.

I wonder how many times they've found cars with missing nuts?

Lissavane

Montgolfier wrote: »

I wasn't happy.

Malcontents have that problem in every aspect of their lives.

Yesterday the NCT, tomorrow something else.

visual

beauf wrote: »

I wonder how many times they've found cars with missing nuts?

with cross wheel braces and people jumping on them I say there was a few studs broken. thankfully they are in decline as most people selling their cars don't keep the wheel brace and jack.

measurement

sky6 wrote: »

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

How do I know if I am looking at wheel nuts, or just hub cap cover nuts?