Front Outer CV Boot & Rear Wheel Bearing Bushes - Replacing

[ainarssems]

Originally Posted by sarg

Want me to book you in at our local MOT station, I guess you can legitimately drive here to a pre-booked appointment?

I suppose you can legitimately return back from the appointment if it failed as well? Unless it's dangerous.

[steamship]

In theory I could drive the car to the MOT station, but the MOT had already expired on the 20th, and what if they wanted proof of where I was taking it?

Anyway, couldn't post last night, but after staring at that list and refreshing it for a good part of an hour, a slot for the 28th May popped up. Selected it and the time was around 3:00pm. Selected it and clicked next, only to be greeted with 'that appointment is not available'. Clicked to go back a page and there's another slot at the same location around 4:00pm. Went through the same process, with the same result, but on the third time around, about 5-6 slots appeared. Quickly selected the 2:40pm slot and confirmed it. Only issue is that of the 17 locations in NI, there are only two other locations further away than this one.

So, after a 70 mile road test, it flew threw the MOT with no advisories. The tester commented that I looked after the underside of it well. I would say so, considering what I've replaced. Then had another 70 mile road test at a more leisurely rate, but want to get another longer one done before the meet.

The reason for the sudden burst of available appointments is that they've started issuing some TECs (Temporary Exemption Certificates) for newer vehicles, although their logic defies the imagination. Vehicles registered between 01/06/2019-31/05/2020 & 01/06/2017-31/05/2018 will get an additional 12 months added to their current expiry date.

Now I need some good weather to clean the car.

[The_Laird]

Great news on the MOT Sean. Sounds like your perseverance eventually beat the system!

[tonupkid]

PHEW!

Great result for your persistent efforts Sean. Looking forward to seeing you in Warwickshire

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by steamship

So, after a 70 mile road test, it flew threw the MOT with no advisories.

Well done Sean, but what a ridiculous system and what extraordinary effort was required.
Looking forward to seeing you a week Friday.

[steamship]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

Well done Sean, but what a ridiculous system and what extraordinary effort was required.

It certainly is, and my opinion of them still stands. On those screenshots I posted before, there is one site greyed out, Hydebank. The reason for that is it still hasn't opened, 2 years after it was supposed to! If that isn't enough to rankle the drivers in NI, they still have issues with the lifts. 52 of the original 55 were replaced back in 2020/21, and they were replaced with the exact same spec from the same manufacturer. I did some maths and worked out that their entire life cycle (something like 20k-25k operations) would be exhausted in about 18 months. Some of the old ones had over 100k operations, which explains the fatigue fractures they had

[steamship]

Originally Posted by steamship

It certainly is, and my opinion of them still stands. On those screenshots I posted before, there is one site greyed out, Hydebank.

Sunday morning rant - Posted this comment back in May about the state of the MOT system here in NI. Was chatting to my brother the other night, and he told me there were more issues with Hydebank. After some searching, it turns out that the DVA, who 'run' (and I use that term very loosely) the MOT centres, are trying to terminate the contract with the suppliers of the testing equipment and software because of numerous issues. It appears this is now the second time they've tried to do this, the first back in 2022, which the supplier successfully got overturned in court. The DVA have now put out a new tender which will take 3-4 months, and with another court case looming, it will extend the eventual opening ever further down the line.

If that isn't bad enough, the mainstream media still believe that MOT appointments are only around 60 days from booking them. If you look at my previous screenshots from the end of May, the appointments were between 5 and 6 'months'. My brother's car MOT expired back in April. His booking is for December. The whole thing is a mockery, and just shows how useless government agencies are at running things. NI has 15 test locations, whereas the rest of GB has over 23,000!

[steamship]

Originally Posted by steamship

So, after a 70 mile road test, it flew threw the MOT with no advisories. The tester commented that I looked after the underside of it well. I would say so, considering what I've replaced. Then had another 70 mile road test at a more leisurely rate, but want to get another longer one done before the meet.

Managed to get out today for a 170 mile run, with several stops along the way. The car was faultless. I on the other hand am a wreck with my neck. Might have to stock up on painkillers.