MOT advice

R90 STL

R90 STL

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Hi. My car is booked in for its first mot on the 3rd of January and I think I may need new brake pads soon so not sure if it'll fail on that basis. My plan was to renew the brake pads before the car goes in for its mot although from what I can see on the Audi website is that if you pay the £49.99 or whatever it is for them to do the test and if it fails then you are covered for £750 worth of repairs so am I as well just getting Audi to do the work whilst it's there anyway or are there any pitfalls in this service as it seems a little too good to be true and therefore I'd just get them replaced beforehand. Any help at all on this matter would be helpful as this is the first time iv had any car go in for an mot so I don't know what to expect lol. Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just don't want to be surprised with a nasty bill which can be potentially avoided had it not been for my naivety. Cheers
 
If the brakes are working alright then it won't fail anyway.
The worst you'd get is an advisory saying the pads are low.
I'd wait and see if it passes and worry about changing the pads later.
 
^^^ as above, they wont fail them if they work, it will be an advisory at the max.

if however they don't perform like they should or there is a fluid leak or something... that would fail. But don't worry :)
 
audi upgrades
Thanks guys that's helpful to know. I'll just have it collected on the 3rd and see what happens. If they need replaced I don't necessarily need to get audi to do it as from what I gather it's a fairly straightforward job. As long as I have genuine audi pads I can get a mate to fit them unless I'm covered by that scheme with Audi
 
If you've had it regularly serviced according to their service schedule and requirements, and you apply for the mot protection insurance scheme three months prior to the mot, then you should be okay to get things repaired under their scheme. You can't just book it into Audi for an mot and expect them to replace the brake pads free of charge if they need doing, as under their service regime the pads (and discs) would have been replaced at the previous service and would not need doing for the mot. If your mot is due within three months of applying for the mot scheme, then the insurance will start at the mot the following year.

So, to summarise, you have to register your vehicle with Audi for the mot insurance scheme three months prior to the mot date. You have to have it serviced to Audis recommendations throughout the schemes length and all parts they say need replacing must be done. Any damage to or defect in the vehicle caused by poor or insufficient servicing will not be remedied under this Cover.

As with all things, if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's not gonna be a bowl of soup, is it.
 
I bought the car off a friend and he had all servicing done through Audi and it was serviced the day I bought the car. When I got it he had paid for some sort of Audi road side assistance too. Not sure if any of that means I am enrolled in their service/mot scheme I certainly haven't paid for it myself. Although Audi were the ones that contacted me to say I'm due an mot. I guess the best way to find out is to ask them myself haha.
 
Even if the brakes work ok, they can still fail if the pad thickness is 1.5 mm or less.
 
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First check that a retest is FOC, otherwise they could charge you another £50 if you fail
 
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Hiya, I paid for the MOT protection, but it doesn't cover wear and tear items. There's quite a bit of small print about what the £750 worth of cover will actually cover. Brakes and pads and discs were not covered for wear and tear. I had my MOT completed in October 2013, so fairly recently.
 
thanks for the replies everyone. I think what I will do then if it isn't covered and I probably don't have it anyway I will just try and get car booked in before it gets picked up for new brake pads
 
right so as i was preparing for the worst the worst has happened haha. I just got a call from Audi to say my rear pads are 90% worn and the fronts 65% although both front and rear discs are buckled. if i dont get the rear ones done they cannot pass the car. I am raging because the guy that was meant to fit my brakes yesterday messed me about and didnt manage to get them fitted. All in itll be around £700. Any suggestions?
 
£700??? Is that the gold discs option!!

Disc and pads all round from Euro carparts with OE spec Pagid discs and pads will be approximately £150 (I paid £20 recently for Pagid front pads for my 170) and £65 for rear discs and pads (all Pagid).

Dealers do love doing brakes though as they are a quick and easy job but they charge a disproportionate amount to do them. Look at the AUDI fixed price servicing, front discs and pads, and rear discs and pads are itemised on there (£269 and £259 respectively). It is cheaper than what you are saying but still way too much if you look at the cambelt price of £439 which almost seems reasonable in comparison.

Fixed-price servicing < Servicing with Audi < Owners area

Obviously a bit late, but I would never take my car to a dealer for an MOT, it is a government requirement not part of your AUDI service history as such, so any MOT station is all you need, a dealer especially will be looking for work. At 90% worn they should pass albeit with an advisory IMO. Even so I am willing to bet if you took a photo of your rear pads they would not be worn down that far.
 
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Get it done privately then go for a retest
 
apparently so. iv told them not to bother. they have charged me for original mot which is fair enough now they are saying they need to retest it before they drop it back off to me so would be charging me again?
 
Why do they need to retest it? They tested it and failed it, so why now are they retesting it when no further work was done?
 
If they fail it on the retest straight away, it stops you coming back for a free retest in a week.

Don't let them retest it without your authority.
 
seems that audi have been trying to take me for a ride. told them to give me my car back and now I am not getting the car retested. what an absolute joke I am honestly so angry
 
Yes, it looks like they're trying to spite you to the tune of another MOT payment, because you refused to give them all of your money for the probably non-existent brake repair.

P.S: If the brake discs were buckled, the chances are you'd feel something (i.e: pulsing) through the brake pedal.
 
Yeah he said they were "warped" iv had no issues with the brakes whatsoever other than I knew that the rear ones would need replaced soon which is certainly the case. After sales treatment is very dissatisfying indeed. I think it's simply been a case of them seeing the care I put into my car and knowing that I'm slightly younger that I'd naively agree to their every whim which is why I started this thread in the first place to get as much info as I could beforehand. It is all apart of a learning curve at the end of the day but boy oh boy has it left me p***ed off
 
R90 STL said:
Yeah he said they were "warped" iv had no issues with the brakes whatsoever other than I knew that the rear ones would need replaced soon which is certainly the case. After sales treatment is very dissatisfying indeed. I think it's simply been a case of them seeing the care I put into my car and knowing that I'm slightly younger that I'd naively agree to their every whim which is why I started this thread in the first place to get as much info as I could beforehand. It is all apart of a learning curve at the end of the day but boy oh boy has it left me p***ed off
Click to expand...

just ask them to put it in writing, take it to another garage and get their opinion.
 
A test drive is not part of the MOT so how would they know they are "buckled". Perhaps AUDI do this as part of an MOT but I doubt it. And it would be EXTREMELY unlikely for rear discs to warp and cause a perceptible judder. It cannot be diagnosed on the ramp.

Best thing is to do as you plan, ask peolpe you know where they take their cars for an MOT. The Eurocarparts stuff is all OE-spec and good and can be had cheap. If you use a general garage they should give you a much more competitive rate to do this stuff. Or find an good VAG independent to do it. OR just leave them and chances are they will pass it anyway!
 
Thanks for the help guys. Got car back and mot refusal certificate which has no mention of discs at all. Only the rear pads as expected so these are getting fitted tomorrow from the guy I had ordered them through who is convinced that there is nothing wrong with my discs but he will double check
 
Well if they've only failed it on the pads in the end, once you've had new ones fitted I'd be taking it back to Audi within the week for a free retest. Mot guidelines state a check that the remedial work has been done is suitable for it to then pass, no full retest required. Shouldn't cost you a penny but should at least be inconvenient for them. Once it's sorted never go back.
 
Just seen your thread mate.... I took my old 2.0tfsi to Audi for a MOT a few years ago and exact same scenario, they said I needed discs and pads all round! I took the car back and bought all discs and pads from eurocarparts, cant remember exactly how much, but i'm sure it was about £250... Then I got them fitted for £50 in Bishopbriggs mechanical services... But I would not recommend taking the car there as there was a squeel from the brakes and I had the car back to them, then they said they had fixed it but the squeel was still there!

So anyway, funnily enough you should write this thread cos I just booked my car in with Auditech in bishopbriggs today... They said they would give the car a free health check, but I told him I didnt want it... (Because I cant be ***** with phantom faults) the car is fine, so a MOT will do! Its not booked in for a week on Monday, so no doubt you'll have your car done by then, but its always an option and its fairly local for you
 
Cheers lads. Took my car to a more honest mechanic today who said I didn't need new discs at all and that I only really needed rear pads done. Checked the front ones and they didn't have much life left either so I got him to replace all 4 pads just to be on the safe side and so that it didn't need to take it back in a months time to get front ones done. So all in I was £150 supplied and fitted for OEM Audi pads so the car will go back to Audi next week for partial mot test so they can give me my certificate and I'll be on my merry way. Piece of nonsense that I could be doing without at the moment to be honest. Another life lesson learned I guess! Hope I don't get this drama when it goes in for a service!
 
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update regarding my mot service at Glasgow Audi. I had tweeted something demonstrating my disappointment with the services I received. Audi UK customer care replied with an email address in which to register a complaint. I thought I may as well go ahead with it. Anyway investigations were done blah blah blah the result was that the guy who quoted me £700 2 MOT charges and all the rest held his hands up and said that he was in the wrong. As compensation I have been offered a free MOT next year and a discount off my next service (which is a major service) for the hassle caused. Would you say this is adequate recomense? or have I been ripped off AGAIN haha??
 
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davc said:
What a bunch of cowboys. I would ask them for a free service.
Click to expand...

called back there to see what else I could squeeze out of them they are going to put it into writing for the MOT first of all and see what can be arranged with the service as the guy I spoke with would have to go through his boss.
 
That's exactly why I do not have MOT's by main dealer.. IMHO They are money making machines out to scare the innocent into paying for what does not really need doing.
Mind you on the other side of the coin, they do as little as possible to prep a car for sale.. As long as it's fit for the road that'll do.
Not such thing as good practise.
 
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MrLapou said:
That's exactly why I do not have MOT's by main dealer.. IMHO They are money making machines out to scare the innocent into paying for what does not really need doing.
Mind you on the other side of the coin, they do as little as possible to prep a car for sale.. As long as it's fit for the road that'll do.
Not such thing as good practise.
Click to expand...

boy do Audi know how to make a car but their service after sales aint up to much. I dont suppose other main dealerships are any better across the board
 
I think if you find a good dealer, you stick with them.

I can't praise Crewe Audi Service department highly enough. Very high standard of work, always had a courtesy car, and when my car was due its first MoT, the service advisor advised me to book it in 1 month before the MoT was due, before my 3 year warranty expired, for my service.

That way they would address any issues, they could do the MoT 1 month before its due date, and any expense would be covered by the warranty. And they did the MoT FOC.

Some dealerships appear to value customer satisfaction highly, some don't give a toss!
 
This thread is quite a read, I think I will have to be vigilant when it comes to any work I need doing.

A couple of years ago I took advantage of a groupon, a health check/service for £50 and if you booked an MOT at the same time it was £35. This was to be undertaken at a Seat garage. I knew my discs and pads probably needed doing but the deal included a free retest so I took my Focus there, when they had finished they wanted £800. They claimed I needed all discs and pads doing (as I expected) but they also said I needed 2 wheel bearings too! I managed to get all of the parts myself and fit them myself (with the aid of my mate) for £250ish. Took it back and had it passed.

I was more than just ****** off as they obviously thought they were on to a winner. I don't know why they do it as now they have got themselves a bad reputation in my book and I tell anyone who will listen. I am certain the wheel bearings didn't need doing but as they had failed on the MOT certificate I think I had to have them done regardless. I may be wrong there though, could I have taken it to another garage for another MOT and if that garage didn't agree the bearings needed doing could I have had a pass by just replacing discs and pads?
 
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I have taken cars that have failed MOT's to other premises and got them re MOT'd with no issues regarding previous failures. If you really believe there is no issue then you shouldn't have a problem. The amount of play in a bearing is subjective, a very small amount is usually present, If it's not noisy and otherwise OK how can it fail.
I only take my car to MOT places that do not do work. There are quite a few MOT centres that just specialise in MOT's.

Karl.
 
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