Failed MOT test! it needs a lot of work and I need a lot of help!

A

angela_d

Hi

I need help to fix my Nissan Micra K11 02 reg!

It BADLY failed the MOT test and I was wonder if any one could help me? I just want to know what parts I need to get and how I could fix it without paying loads at a garage.

Below is the list of what's wrong. please help!

1 - (both mainfeeds) Brake pipe excessively corroded

2 - Nearside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak **dangerous**

3 - Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd idle excessive

4 - Exhaust emission lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits

5 - Nearside (hand brake) rear brake recording little or no effort

6 - Offside (hand brake) rear brake recording little or no effort

7 - Parking brake efficiency below requirements

8 - Front brakes imbalanced

I've already bought a new front near side shock absorber and I was guessing I need new brakes altogether?

please help me!
 
They're all relatively easy things to repair or replace to most of us on here. Have you got any car obsessed mates or even a friendly back street garage nearby :grinning: ?
 
Handbrake is most likely just a case of replacing the shoes (this happened with mine - replaced them, and all was well again (Y). Failing on emissions could be a knackered catalyst/backbox, as I also had this problem with mine when I still had a stock exhaust system. Do you have any engine/exhaust mods? Or still standard? Front brakes could mean the discs/pads are wearing unevenly, and need replacing. And as for the brake pipes and shock - just a case of replacing them. Not massively expensive or hard to get it through MOT, I've had to have a re-test with about 35 failures and 10 advisories - and it cost me less than £200. So yours should be a doddle (Y)
 
'1 - (both mainfeeds) Brake pipe excessively corroded'
Replace brake pipes as necessary. You can get the flaring tool and copper pipe to replace them yourself

'2 - Nearside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak **dangerous**'
New one = £40 ish from local factors, £22 second hand from us (inc delivery)

'3 - Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd idle excessive'
Service, fuel system cleaner and a blast up the motorway usually does the trick

'4 - Exhaust emission lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits'
As above

'5 - 7 (hand brake) rear brake recording little or no effort & Parking brake efficiency below requirements'
Are all for the same thing, would appear tester is either an idiot or smart @rse! Clean and adjust rear brakes.
Replacing the shoes would fix the problem but its overkill unless the shoes are actually worn to the metal.

'8 - Front brakes imbalanced'
Assuming the pads arent worn down to nothing its probably a sticking slide or pad stuck in the calliper.
Strup the front pads out, clean all the crap off the pads, slides and pad carrier springs. Reassemble with copper grease (applied sparingly).


If you dont feel up to doing it yourself, we would charge...
£80 for the service/fuel sys clean/roadtest (using genuine parts)
£60 to strip/clean/adjust the brakes
£80 to replace the brake pipes (assuming its the main front to rear ones, cheaper if its any other pipes)

£220 all in. That assumes the brake pads or shoes arent badly worn, although if they were the MOT tester should have picked up on it.
Small independant garages should be expected to charge between £200 and £300. Anything over that and they are taking the P.
 
I have some friends that are good with cars but a lot of them don't really have the time due to work or family :( but someone will be helping me fit everything...in time :)

I'm watching a catalyst/ backbox on ebay but its £150 and I was wondering if I could get it somewhere else cheaper?
I think the engine/exhaust is still standard.

I'm also buying brake discs and pads rear brake shoes from ebay but will this sort the brakes out or do I need to go to a garage to get them balanced? and will this fix the hand brake?

oh and the main problem I'm having is fixing the brake pipes. I thought I could buy the parts and fit them but a garage told me that a garage would have to make and fit them. Is that true? and how much will that cost?

sorry I'm a bit of a noob with cars so I'll have loads of questions :s
 
Whatever you do, don't get the MOT garage to do the work, as they will charge you an absolute fortune. I made this mistake with my Fiesta when it failed MOT (back when I was ignorant about the prices of car repairs and how easy they are to do yourself), which needed (in retrospect) about £200 worth of work doing to it, at the most. However, I made the mistake of getting the garage to do the work - and was landed with a bill for £900. The car was worth £400 at the most. So I told them they could keep the car, as it was worthless and the work was just too costly. That same garage has now closed down, incidentally.

And £150 for a backbox? Sounds a bit steep, a stock unit should set you back no more than £100. And fitting new handbrake shoes should solve that problem yes. However, sounds like the garage is talking ######## about the brake pipes - it can easily be done yourself, or with a mate if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. And as for a garage having to "make" the brake pipes? No. eBay, or Euro Car Parts will sell them for pennies. Sounds like the garage is just trying to take your money fwn
 
the brake pipes will need someone at least confident to play with...
backboxes are really cheap.
Catalytic converters are not cheap but that probably isn't gonna be your problem, most likely a service is needed like GT said above.

Please do not try and think chucking money into new parts is going to solve it because it won't...
 
From the things listed that it failed on...
It doesnt need a back box (otherwise it would fail on 'Escape of exhaust gasses caused by corrosion, rear section)
It doesnt need a cat (Not until you have tried a new set of spark plugs/air filter/good thrash)
It doesnt need brake shoes (otherwise it would have failed on the service brake efficiency too)
 
Like Shaun says, since they'll need bleeding. But it doesn't necessarily have to be done by a garage, just someone with good mechanical knowledge. And I hadn't thought about just a quick service for the emissions, as mine was just a knackered cat/backbox. So yeah, maybe just sparks and filters should be enough then
 
Adjusting the rear brakes has no effect on the front brakes as they are different systems at opposite ends of the car! :laugh:
Adjusting the rear brakes can give you less brake pedal travel.
 
I'm really shocked! the garage I went to quoted me £500 to £600 to get it fixed. I really feel like just because I'm a young girl with little knowledge of cars he's trying to rip me off. Thanks for your help guys :)

To getawaycar

Do I still need to get a catalyst/ backbox? and is that the price for you fitting /fixing with me buying the parts? :s
Right now I can't move my car to a garage because I have no MOT, insurance and tax...plus my brakes have seized up. so how could I get it to your garage or any garage?
 
As far as i am aware as long as your insured and have a booked appointment you can go to an MOT station... (if this is true)
My car failed on emmisions a little while back... was sorted with new spark plugs and a good thrashing....
People on here pass with only the 1st catalytic converter, (second one removed)
so don't think about the cat too much.
 
We have trade plates and comprehensive trade insurance.

You are very unlikely to need a cat or backbox.
The K11 has 2 cats. If one failed the other should still be enough to get thru the emissions.
If the back box was holed it would cause your car to fail the emissions test but its strange the tester would mention the same fault with your brakes 4 times but fail to mention a hole in your exhaust!
If it transpired you needed a back box we can supply and fit a new one for £60.

If you want us to do the work email us at [email protected]

As Daniel pointed out you dont need to have the MOT station do the work. As long as you take it back to them for the retest. You get 10 working days from when it failed to take the car back.
 
Shaun said:
As far as i am aware as long as your insured and have a booked appointment you can go to an MOT station... (if this is true)
My car failed on emmisions a little while back... was sorted with new spark plugs and a good thrashing....
People on here pass with only the 1st catalytic converter, (second one removed)
so don't think about the cat too much.
Click to expand...

yeh, when i had to take mine to the VIC test, the form said i did,nt need tax if it was booked in :) and coilpack/single cat eh
 
It states on the back of the failure sheet you dont need tax to take the car for its MOT (providing its prebooked) or to take it directly home/place of repair.
 

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