MOT - Audi fudged my car

redmanphil

redmanphil

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Evening all,

Had the A3 booked into Cheshire Oaks Audi for its free MOT today. It failed as when you put dipped lights on, the engine cuts out. It also reports that brakes are low and the engine coolant sensor has gone. They want £65 to diagnose it. Even though it was fine last night when I drove it. I seem to think theyve done something to it when testing the bulbs for MOT.

Got it back home (still have 2 weeks left on current MOT) and took the left had dipped out, works a treat. Put back in, and issue is back. Ive read elsewhere that a dodgy earth will cause gremlins on the dash. I have even tried a new bulb, same issue. Also when it does come on, its very dim, along with the left hand foglight.

Does anybody have any advice for me. I need all the support I can get before I call up and complain (I think they've done something during examination)

Cheers
Phil
 
So the engine never cut out before you took it to them?
 
It sounds like an Earth fault somewhere, but i cannot see how anything they have done for an MOT would have affected it. The method of testing items isn't that invasive IMO
 
I drove it last night with lights on. They test it and now get this.
Don't they check the lights, alignment etc....

Only had the car 3 weeks, and really depressing. I got rid of my LCR due to numerous issues. Oh well, the joys of car ownership I suppose.
 
So let me get this straight...

You've only had the car for 3 weeks, so it's pretty new to you.

They turned on the lights to verify operation, and shone them into one of those lensing boxes to verify the correct aim and pattern, and in doing this you conclude that they messed it up somehow?

Doesn't sound very likely to me.

Certainly, it'd be hard to significantly wear brakes just by doing an MOT. -I too am interested to know if it's ever 'cut out' on you before?

Bad grounds on ANY pin-sharing arrangement of incandescent light bulbs will mean that current going through one bulb will seek a path to ground back through the OTHER bulbs, via their common positive connection, and then through their paired bulb to ground. This serial chain of filaments means that less current then flows, and so the 'bulb-out' detector (which just looks for the approximately correct amount of current, and throws a flag if it sees anything out-of-range) is tripped.

Check your grounds. Then replace the brake pads.

These 'free inspections' are a wonderful way to generate maintenance work. I used to work next door to an MOT inspection facility (We had an arrangement... -I did the electronic repairs for them and they did the mechanical work on my small fleet of -five- VWs for me!), and they used to not make a PENNY on the MOT testing. -They offered the cheapest MOT testing in the city, and -considering their costs- actually made a very slight LOSS on performing MOT tests.

Where they made their money however, was performing the repairs when little-old-lady bring in her Austin/Rover Maestro and discovers that she won't be able to drive it any more without the sills being re-welded. -Who's she going to POSSIBLY ask to do the work? -SHE doesn't know anybody who can weld! -so they used to be almost guaranteed to do the work on about 50% of the MOT failures that came through... even if they charged £100 more than anyone else to do it.

-So the lesson of this tale is... It doesn't matter if they lose £40 on not charging for the test. -It generates more profit than it ever loses. -Motorists will line up at the door thinking that they're going to end up ahead of the game by getting something for free. -And some of them will. -But those others who tell the garage to 'fix what needs fixing' will more than cover the costs of the 'free' MOTs.

Keith
 
Yep, nothing in this world is free especially from Audi. there are so many elements of the MOT that are vague and could either pass or fail depending where you take it there's plenty of scope for additional work to get it through. So what are you gonna do, collect the car, get the work done somewhere else or DIY it and then have to take it back again, all in 48 hours? I don't think so. At least if you're paying the going rate there's less chance they'll fail it on something trivial.
 
has anyones car ever passed their MOT with the free MOT thing from Audi 1st time ? :S

I just pay the £35 at my MOT station and at least i know im not going to be conned for more money...
 
Yup.

People HATE the MOT. -And most of what they discover is 'news' to them. (alright, occasionally there's the CV joint that they already knew, but they had no idea that the rear left handbrake efficiency was below limits on just that one wheel... or that their hydrocarbon/nox emissions readings were fractionally outside permitted range)

And while 25% were going to take it away and do the work themselves, 50% NEVER shop around... they ask 'can you fix it?' and then they pay whatever the price is.

The cost of that 'free' MOT is soon recovered.

But headlight checking consists of operation and aim. Operation is verified by a bloke standing in front of the car and just looking at which lights turn on, checking for any that DON'T light up when they're supposed to. -The AIM is only checked for dipped and main beam, and is checked by sliding a height-adjustable optic box in front of each light along a pair of trammel lines, adjusting the height until all of the light falls squarely in through the opening, and then looking down at the beam through the fresnel lens at the 'screen' to check that the pattern falls within the hatched guide markings.

Picture of headlight aim tester:
headlight_tester.jpg


...and another:
news_1039.JPG


...and in operation:
headlight_tester04.jpg


No invasive checking is performed. -Headlight aim adjustment has to satisfy that box, so if your aim is off, it's a guaranteed money-maker for them. It takes 10 seconds to dial it in, but you wouldn't expect anyone to do it for free now... -would you? -I mean, those boxes cost money!!!

:faint:

So ...back on topic... I really don't see how they could have messed up the lights just by checking the beam. -Either it's a coincidence (and I suspect that the car's sufficiently new to you for it to have possibly been a possible pre-existing intermittent condition) or they really DID deliberately (and unforgivably!) mess up your lights.

-I'm not a gambling man, but if I had to put money on one ting or the other, I know which one I'd go for.

Keith
 
Last edited:
VWAddict said:
So let me get this straight...

Certainly, it'd be hard to significantly wear brakes just by doing an MOT. -I too am interested to know if it's ever 'cut out' on you before?

Check your grounds. Then replace the brake pads.
Click to expand...

The pads are fine they passed, its just when the bulb is and turned on, the car reports brake issues, they are brand new. It looks like gremlins in the ECU caused by a bad earth or something.

What I was trying to get across is (not too well i think). The lights worked fine before the MOT test. And im curious if they have touched anything under the bonnet near the front NS dipped light to cause such gremlins within the electrics.
I am not that clued with mechanics etc... or even what happens during an MOT test.

PS How can I check the grounds myself? Cheers
 
Mine has been on their free Mot thing twice and passed with no issues.
 
I too used the free AUDI MOT and passed first time, car was 4 yrs old, no issues, also got free Audi MOT insurance for next year worth up to I believe £750.

Seen numerous people on here and other forums who also passed without issue.
 
Side lights causing brake light issue? I'd check the right bulbs are fitted for the brake lights. I've seen the wrong ones jammed in before - single when it should be twin filliment & vise versa. This could sent power front light circuits to the brake circuit.
 
All sorted.

The clowns had trapped the wire on the plastic cover on rear of lights. Pinched it. Apparently they where checking them as they are known to blow..........Well erm, its easy to check, just see if it comes on through the lens. :blink: Had a proper go at service manger. New wire/loom thingy installed and bobs your uncle, fannys your aunt. All sorted. It seems it was shorting the electrics out when I tried the dipped beam. The dash was lit like Blackpool illuminations, prob do to surges/dips in power to sensors through out car.
They are picking the car up from work Monday to re-test, for free. Offered me 20% of next interim service......which I wont be taking. Don't trust them.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Great forum.
Phil

PS Any decent dealers in Cheshire guys?
 
I think maybe some people owe you a slight apology for doubting your words, lol.
 
For an MOT the car should be tested as presented. The tester is not pemitted to take apart anything that requires tools. Technically you should fail it if a bulb is faulty but most people are happy for you to replace it for them (not always!!!) and do a PRS.
 
I wont argue with K, considering he pretty much runs an mot unit then he should know.
 
Had Audi do the free test on mine - no issues, passed, job done.

If they had found faults I would certainly not asked "Can you fix it..." more like.... "Thanks for the info, can I have my keys please, I'll be back for my free retest in a week..."

Took g/f's Fiesta in for a service a couple of year's back - 20K on the clock, 4 years old.... they advised of £700 worth of faults :ohmy: - including worn HT leads (water damaged??? WTF??) and a broken seal on the steering rack assemebly - meaning it all had to be replaced (as it's a sealed unit). Told them to f*** right off, took it home, checked it all over, amongst all other items, HT leads were fine and steering fluid level has not fallen at all in 2 years.... car still steers perfectly. Unbelievable!:motz:

I reckon (like some places do) they must have thought I didn't have a clue...and would just tell them to go ahead and sort it.... still makes me fume to this day....
 
NHN said:
I wont argue with K, considering he pretty much runs an mot unit then he should know.
Click to expand...

Cheers N, on the other side of things we get "My car was in for an MOT last week & now the stereo doesn't work...", "It passed like that last year","It was working before you MOT'd it" etc etc etc :keule:
 
Definitely.

Why were they removing the covers? -I know there's no tools required, but they're not even supposed to do anything as simple as refill the windshield washer fluid, instead they're SUPPOSED to fail the car for not being able to demonstrate a working windshield washer as presented for testing.

Keith
 
Rafkoo said:
Had Audi do the free test on mine - no issues, passed, job done.

If they had found faults I would certainly not asked "Can you fix it..." more like.... "Thanks for the info, can I have my keys please, I'll be back for my free retest in a week..."

Took g/f's Fiesta in for a service a couple of year's back - 20K on the clock, 4 years old.... they advised of £700 worth of faults :ohmy: - including worn HT leads (water damaged??? WTF??) and a broken seal on the steering rack assemebly - meaning it all had to be replaced (as it's a sealed unit). Told them to f*** right off, took it home, checked it all over, amongst all other items, HT leads were fine and steering fluid level has not fallen at all in 2 years.... car still steers perfectly. Unbelievable!:motz:

I reckon (like some places do) they must have thought I didn't have a clue...and would just tell them to go ahead and sort it.... still makes me fume to this day....
Click to expand...


Places like that really annoy me. Ends up tarring all garages to the point people come in expecting to be ripped off and are already in an offensive mood!
 
I would have to agree with VWAddicts thoughts here. However altruistic the 'free MOT' garages are, they are not charitable institutes. They have to make their money somehow and spending the week working for nothing isn't going to pay the lease....
This is not to say that a car that's clearly perfect won't get through, but the clear intention has to be to find work to do otherwise they will soon all be selling The Big Issue.....
 
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