kashurst wrote:
it gets better, gone through all the suspension joints with a lever to look for free play. Drivers side front wishbone ball joint totally knackered. The car has done less than 3K miles in 3 years - so 3 MOTs, makes you wonder the quality of some MOT testers.
Nothing that surprising TBH! My old Stag had had a pass and no advisories for 5 years (including a Peugeot dealer) until I got it. OK, my mechanical know how could be better but it failed on things that have not been touched for years including:
Test date 5 October 2011 Test Result Fail Odometer reading 33,998 miles MOT test number 3055 5857 1412 Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.
- Sealed beams over normal lightsOffside Headlamp aim too low (1.
- Sealed beams over normal lightsWindscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3) - One way valve completely missing, and the bottle was shot when I got the car
Nearside Inner Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2) - I ended up changing an outrigger part of the floor and inner sill (part of) on both sides of the car
Offside Inner Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)
Rear Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a) - Clamp was missing and appeared to have been for years
Upper Steering column universal joint has excessive play (2.1.5) - It wasn't this (but the new unit did feel tighter despite the old one having no play) but the steering did have loads of play - you'd have thought it had a steering box!
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
Advisory notice item(s)
Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)
odd brake hoses fitted - I only fitted two braided hoses at the time ; the brakes between the last MOT and this one required a new wheel cylinder, brake hoses (they had collapsed, hence why I only changed two for diagnosis purposes), servo was leaking badly and the master cylinder was shot ; Yup, the car had practically no brakes when I bought it, but it passed every MOT before then for about 4 years.
I shouldn't speak ill of the dead but the car was owned by a well known owners' club member. So much for buying within the club...
To be fair, the tester may have thought the play was down to the bearing being a taper bearing. I know my tester was saying that taper bearings must have an amount of play (not much though) in order to operate and last ; I tightened mine on the 944 a little too much (but still able to move the spacer, just) so that there was near enough no play present).