Irish Mini Owners Club

My Dad had the 1980 Mini 1000 in for it's NCT yesterday (the blue one above)

First of all they called him in to open the bonnet because they couldn't figure out how to do it.
A while later they had it up on the lift with 5 of the inspectors inspecting the underside with torches.

In the end they failed it on:

1. They couldn't open the petrol cap to check the seal and wouldn't let him open it to show it was ok
2. The indicators flashed too slowly
3. Play in the steering column - up and down play when holding the steering wheel

1. Is easily sorted
2. He is going to swap the flasher unit tomorrow (we don't remember it ever being changed since I bought the car)
3. Not too sure about this one. Is this a case of tightening up the pinch bolt at the bottom of the column or are we looking at renewing bushes in the column, or something else?

wait a couple a months and its test exempt

It's not unfortunately. The rules have changed, if it is registered from 1 Jan 1980 on it needs an NCT

3. Replace the bush at the top (GSV1095) and bottom (GSV1127) of the steering column . They cost about £5 each.

Thanks TMG

Dave, how the hell can they fail him for a non working petrol cap? How Irish is that? lol

They must think it's running on hydrogen or something

The nct is an absolute joke!
I know because my cousin works there, they fail cars on the smllest things, sometimes even without checking them.

For example, a friend of mine brought a polo in for its nct, before that he change the bushings on the front (think it was on the tie rods or something) Inspector came out and sad to him they needed to be changed, of course he kicked up and said that he had only changed them the day before and demanded them to recheck them. They wouldn't do it, so he had to come back and pay another 20 odd euro for them to put it on the lift and say that it was ok.

Reason for them doing this is to make it seem like they're really busy to keep themselves in a job.
Had my girlfriends car in for a recheck a few weeks ago because they said the tail light had a crack in it and it could take water in or cause the light to not work. No joke there was at least 10 other people in for similar little things and when in the reception i didn't hear one person coming out saying they passed.

what happens if ur mini is nt on the nct system

And then you get stopped by the Guards and it could be up to 5 penalty points.

I believe that Deansgrange is the worst for failing cars for non faults.

Deadly Dave wrote:I believe that Deansgrange is the worst for failing cars for non faults.

there all the same, unless you know someone in the nct centre who's willing to take a brown envelope.

Deadly Dave wrote:I believe that Deansgrange is the worst for failing cars for non faults.

brilliant... my local station... *facepalm*

seanos wrote:there all the same, unless you know someone in the nct centre who's willing to take a brown envelope.

whoa... i feel your pain but *please* don't say that in the forum.

My RSP passed its last NCT first time.Before the test I got the emissions checked,lights aligned,changed brake flexi hoses,fixed a few oil leaks and changed some front suspension bushings.All in all this is run of the mill service stuff.

Just as an update, my Dad oiled the petrol cap so that it opens very freely, changed the flasher unit for a brand new one which flashes the indicators a small bit faster (swapping the battery for a higher powered one also helped), and sorted out the play in the steering column. He then took it back for a recheck and passed with flying colours

Deadly Dave wrote:I believe that Deansgrange is the worst for failing cars for non faults.

I wouldn't say that they passed my car with collapsed front cones, both engine steadies gone, fuel injection not working properly kept cutting during the test and idled at 1500rpm