NCT prep

ionapaul

Hi all,

Getting my first NCT test done next week - what should I do this weekend to prepare? The car (in my possession for about a month) was serviced in February, has water and oil, tyres are new and seem properly inflated. I wonder about the lights alignment - this can be modified from the dash, but I have NO idea what is the right setting! Any help?

Eoin

The control on the dash presumably moves the lights up and down - when cars fail the NCT on light alignment it is usually because they are out of line to either side - this can't be controlled by the dash in most cars. It seems to be a failing point for loads of cars, so if you are getting a mechanic to look over it then make sure to ask that the lights are aligned. If you are not, then just cross your fingers.

lilulila

Prob best to get a pre nct done on the car. Most garages will do it for you. I did one on my old car and it was lucky I did as a boot seal was gone on my right drive and it would have failed on that if i didnt get it done

Dilbert75

IMO, yer better off putting it through - if you fail on anything, get it fixed and pay the €28 for a retest. If you give a garage carte blanche to fix whatever they find to be wrong, you'll get ripped off.

dawballz

Dilbert75 wrote:

IMO, yer better off putting it through - if you fail on anything, get it fixed and pay the €28 for a retest. If you give a garage carte blanche to fix whatever they find to be wrong, you'll get ripped off.

The retest is free if they don't have to use eny equipment to test it again..
My GF is getting her NCT next week too and I would like some advice also..
Just a small point but:
Take baby seats out of the car because they could fail you if they're not fitted right.

And a question:
There is an extra grip thing around the steering wheel(I don't know what they're called)...I'm presuming it would bejust safer to take it off yeah?
The wiper blades arent the best either(even though they're new, must be just poor quality).. would they fail you for having blades that leave slight traces?
Any other advice?

byte

I put my car through with the steering wheel cover on. I had intended to remove it but forgot until it was being tested! Luckily, she passed! I did however go to the expense and effort to get emissions and headlights checked and sorted (which alone cost €74)!

RicardoSmith

Dilbert75 wrote:

IMO, yer better off putting it through - if you fail on anything, get it fixed and pay the €28 for a retest. If you give a garage carte blanche to fix whatever they find to be wrong, you'll get ripped off.

Thats what I'd do too. Otherwise you could be paying for work that you don't need to get done.

tonky

Dawballz, the tester just looks at the wiper blades to check condition.
I've put quite a few cars through, it's been lights alignment and brake/parking brake imbalance mostly where there was a failure. best bet is put the car in and get the hit list priced at a couple of places if it fails.

shurl

Dilbert75 wrote:

IMO, yer better off putting it through - if you fail on anything, get it fixed and pay the €28 for a retest. If you give a garage carte blanche to fix whatever they find to be wrong, you'll get ripped off.

Yup, Mines due this month and this is exactly what I'm doing.
Its the best way, besides not getting ripped off, if anything fails you can tell the garage what to specifically fix.

Did a few things myself that I noticed over the weekend.
Replaced dead bulbs etc.
Think I have a slow puncture in my back tire so i'll be fixing that before the test.

S.

causal

dawballz wrote:

My GF is getting her NCT next week too and I would like some advice also..
Just a small point but:
Take baby seats out of the car because they could fail you if they're not fitted right.

Wouldn't you want to know if the babyseat is not fitted right? :eek:

causal

RicardoSmith

causal wrote:

Wouldn't you want to know if the babyseat is not fitted right? :eek:

causal

I've had to fit about 4 different baby seats. Each one fitted completely differently and took about 10-20mins each time to fit the first time till I figure out how they were meant to work.

How does a mechanic know how they fit? Do they get training on the 100 or so models that are out there?

causal

I presume they do get training on how a child seat should be fitted, the same as I presume they get training on how all the other things they test should be.
There are standards (e.g. ECE R44.03 ) to which child restraints must conform, it's not a black art.

Also it's pretty easy to see if a child restraint is fitted correctly.
I've installed over 10 child seats - and they all operate on the exact same principle, with the exception of the ISOFix type which is by far superior.

What the NCT doesn't check is whether a given child is appropriately restrained within the car seat. i.e. are the shoulder straps at the correct height, and fastened at the right tension; is the child the right size/mass for the seat etc.

causal

RicardoSmith

Well since some of them can't check the basic mechanics of a car. I seriously doubt that they'll know the BSA standards for a child seat. I could fit a car seat 50 ways into a car. But only one or two of them is the right way as per the manual.

10 seats that all fit the same way, and in my immediate family we have about four that are completely different. What are the odds of that?

causal

RicardoSmith wrote:

Well since some of them can't check the basic mechanics of a car. I seriously doubt that they'll know the BSA standards for a child seat. I could fit a car seat 50 ways into a car. But only one or two of them is the right way as per the manual.

Do you really think the NCT mechanics are that bad?
Is there a "My NTC Nightmare" story behind this - come on you can tell us.

10 seats that all fit the same way, and in my immediate family we have about four that are completely different. What are the odds of that?

Very slim, but you misunderstood what I said. What I said was that "I've installed over 10 child seats - and they all operate on the exact same principle, with the exception of the ISOFix type which is by far superior."

The principle is that you use the seatbelt to strap the childseat in as though the childseat were a person, as follows:
Forward facing: The seatbelt is typically routed through the rear frame of the childseat.
Rearward facing: The lapbelt is routed through guides on either side of the seat where the childs pelvis/upper legs are; the diagonal belt is routed behind the seat where there is a guide.

All of the belted childseats I've used are installed like this. There are slight variations as to the style and exact location of the guides - but the routing was the same on them all (Graco, Britax etc.) After all, there are only 2 parts to a seatbelt: a diagonal part and a lap part.

But Isofix works on a completely different principle - using anchor points mounted to the cars frame, much simpler to use, much harder to get wrong, and supremely rigid.

causal

RicardoSmith

That you know there are stories says it all. Some are good. but there a lot of fools doing it. The stuff they miss is criminal, and yet they'll fail you for nothing at all. If they can't get the basics right (I know a car they passed with 4 bald tyres) I have no faith in them checking something as "difficult" as a baby seat. The idea of the NCT is great, but the practise is woeful.

Yes the principle of those belted seats are all the same, but yet they are all different. I've one in a car that 3 different people (mothers) have fitted incorrectly 3 or 4 times. I've had to go refit it each time. One of them even owns the same car seat herself!

causal

It's a pity the Isofix seats are so expensive (€300), because they remove the awkwardness/danger associated with the seatbelted childseats.
The isofix seats click into two catches and a green bar becomes visible to let you know it's in correct. Finished, rock solid.
No more asking myself "is that in properly, or why the hell do they make seatbelts so short?"

causal