Mot help

[guggsy]

My girlfriends Nissan Micra (2003) has failed its MOT on:

Offside stop lamp not working
Registration plate lamp bulb not working
nearside track rod end ball joint has excessive play
offside track rod end ball joint has excessive play
offside front suspension arm has excessive play in ball joint nearside rear tyre tread depth below requirements

The mot centre was recommended to her as we are new to the area,we didnt realise they also do there own repairs so it seemed in there interests to fail the car.Can anyone help to break down each job and how much they reckon it should cost,the bulbs and tyres we can fix but the other jobs we aint got a clue.The garage quoted over £200 is this reasonable??or are we being ripped off,we have already had to pay the £48 for failing the mot.

Would appreciate any help

Thanks

 

[frank]

it depends how your man has interpreted "excessive play" really guggsy, (its a grey area fwn) but £200 is about the going rate for a garage to do that work

 

[Stani1029]

TRACK ROD ENDS

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NISSAN-MICRA-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4147eb6876

SUSPENSION ARM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NISSAN-MICRA-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c13e3b0f6

if that price includes a new tyre then id say the price is not too bad. the suspension arms could be seized on too so if you were to have a go its just a nightmare. (Y)

 

[guggsy]

Thanks guys.

Reckon the difficult jobs i will have to garage it just get weary what with the credit crunch that people are out to make a quick buck.
Having done the lights and am gonna get a new tyre not to sure how much the other jobs will amount to.

 

[porkpie700]

NO the garage is ripping you off matey. A pair of new track rods are £17 and the two wish bones (front suspention arm with the ball joint on it) are £35 each.
It took me two hours to change those parts on my friends micra. You're only looking at £50 - £60 in parts.
Always pick your own mot stations dude and keep changing them every year or two so they don't get cozy and try to screw you over. One other point NEVER GIVE THE REPAIR JOB TO THE STATION THAT FAILS YOUR CAR, it's just giving them more insentive to fail you every year so they can make money.

Oh yeah i almost forgot, just because the ball joint "moves a little" when the tester jams a crowbar in there and swings on it like a money... that does not count as "excessive play"!!!!!!!!

 

[r-reg-sr]

do the bits you can do yourself
buy the bits mentioned above(eboy)
ball joints suspention arm get done from another garrage(go to a few garages for quotes) one or two will be reasonable
do this quik then its within the seven days failiure notice =dont have to pay the mot fee again

 

[r-reg-sr]

NO the garage is ripping you off matey. A pair of new track rods are £17 and the two wish bones (front suspention arm with the ball joint on it) are £35 each.
It took me two hours to change those parts on my friends micra. You're only looking at £50 - £60 in parts.
Always pick your own mot stations dude and keep changing them every year or two so they don't get cozy and try to screw you over. One other point NEVER GIVE THE REPAIR JOB TO THE STATION THAT FAILS YOUR CAR, it's just giving them more insentive to fail you every year so they can make money.

ease that

 

[porkpie700]

ease that

Huh?
Anyway with the ebay thing, it's easier just to pop into your local autofactors and pick em up off the shelf, plus you don't have to pay postage and you don't have to wait for it to arrive so cool beans all round, but each to their own.

 

[r-reg-sr]

ease that (it is that)

 

[frank]

NO the garage is ripping you off matey. A pair of new track rods are £17 and the two wish bones (front suspention arm with the ball joint on it) are £35 each.
It took me two hours to change those parts on my friends micra. You're only looking at £50 - £60 in parts.
Always pick your own mot stations dude and keep changing them every year or two so they don't get cozy and try to screw you over. One other point NEVER GIVE THE REPAIR JOB TO THE STATION THAT FAILS YOUR CAR, it's just giving them more insentive to fail you every year so they can make money.

Oh yeah i almost forgot, just because the ball joint "moves a little" when the tester jams a crowbar in there and swings on it like a money... that does not count as "excessive play"!!!!!!!!

cheaper than formula 1 autocenter tho
http://www.micra.org.uk/archive/index.php/t-30044.html

 

[Stani1029]

i was just showing him a rough prices for the parts not telling him to buy these. as for the MOT dont you get 10 days??

 

[porkpie700]

cheaper than formula 1 autocenter tho
http://www.micra.org.uk/archive/index.php/t-30044.html

Woah
Were those guys just making up the numbers or something, i can do a full service on a k10 or a k11 for under £50. Which is just as well since i service mine every 2,500 miles, yeah my engines love me :laugh:

 

[Guy]

Interesting. My 2006 K12s due it's 7th official service. I'm broke at the mo and it's only a level 1 so I'm going to do oil and filter at the weeend - already reserved 4l of 5w/30 Magnatec at Halfords. I've decided to do the oil now and at every following 5,000 miles as it's got 86,000 on the clock and I need to keep it for a year or two at least :laugh:.

It really is a truism that an engine with good quality, clean, fresh oil will more or less last for ever. Was going to use Edge but at every 5,000 miles, it would be extravagant and unnecessary.

PS. IIRC, if you're prepared to change your oil every few hundred miles, isn't castor oil supposed to be the best for wear characteristics?

PPS. I've just remembered, the filter on the 1.6 is on the back of the block and is an absolute two-hat to get off if it's on too tight :doh:.

 

[guggsy]

My girlfriends Nissan Micra (2003) has failed its MOT on:

Offside stop lamp not working
Registration plate lamp bulb not working
nearside track rod end ball joint has excessive play
offside track rod end ball joint has excessive play
offside front suspension arm has excessive play in ball joint nearside rear tyre tread depth below requirements

The mot centre was recommended to her as we are new to the area,we didnt realise they also do there own repairs so it seemed in there interests to fail the car.Can anyone help to break down each job and how much they reckon it should cost,the bulbs and tyres we can fix but the other jobs we aint got a clue.The garage quoted over £200 is this reasonable??or are we being ripped off,we have already had to pay the £48 for failing the mot.

Would appreciate any help

Thanks

Did the tyres and lights ourselves and found an alternative garage to do the other repairs,he charged us £115 which included new parts and mot,glad we shopped around as the other 'reputable' garage had qutoed £225 plus VAT.
I have a K11 and usually get a service and mot but having relocated to a new area at least im wiser for my next mot in october.

 

[r-reg-sr]

a nice ending-begining