10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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Legal advice needed please!10mpg
@10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member 204
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Mar 22, 2012 17:55:04 GMT
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Of course bonnets need to be opened for the MOT, they check clutch and brake master cylinder, steering column/box/rack/UJ's,/shaft bearings, brake pipes, battery security, underbonnet wiring (from 1st april) power steering system (for leaks) and engine/cooling system as a whole for leaks, I'm amazed that a car forum could not know this, do none of you pay attention when you MOT your cars?
The catch must have failed, the whole point of a safety catch is just that, if the bonnet is dropped and not pushed down to lock it, it should still engage the safety catch under it's own weight, if it wasn't doing this (and you seem to have known about this from your previous experience) then you knew a component was faulty and therefore imho the responsibility is all yours.
For what it's worth Focuses (Foci?) only unlock (catch and saftey, left then right iirc) from the key under the badge, you don't need to touch it to lock it, they should engage the safety latch under gravity and the latch on a push, like almost any other car. They often get sticky and faulty due to their location if not cleaned up and lubricated every so often, same as Transits and Mondeos with the same system, i've fixed loads of them over the years.
Sorry for saying thins i think it's entirely your resposibility, esp given the history.
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The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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Mar 22, 2012 18:41:56 GMT
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I have spoken to the owner of the garage who has reluctantly agreed to replace the screen only. I can do the bonnet myself again no problem. That sounds like a brilliant result under these circumstances. One more point: how many people check that their bonnet is closed properly before EVERY trip? Come on, be honest. I don't think this is the point, you've already said on the internet that this has happened before. In your position I'd be checking the damn thing before, and probably after, every trip.
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Mar 22, 2012 19:16:44 GMT
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I think some posters may be guilty of speed reading and making assumptions about what they think I've said.
The bonnet catch is not "iffy", faulty, damaged, broken or otherwise not working. When the bonnet is closed properly it works fine. What I have said is that the bonnet has not been closed properly on this and the previous occasion when this happened.
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Mar 22, 2012 19:25:20 GMT
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What I have said is that the bonnet has not been closed properly on this and the previous occasion when this happened. If there's a special knack to closing the bonnet, other than just dropping it from a couple of inches above the closed position, then it might be iffy. If there's no safety catch to act as a backup to the main lock behind the Ford badge, then it might be iffy.
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10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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Legal advice needed please!10mpg
@10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member 204
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Mar 22, 2012 20:29:24 GMT
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I think some posters may be guilty of speed reading and making assumptions about what they think I've said. The bonnet catch is not "iffy", faulty, damaged, broken or otherwise not working. When the bonnet is closed properly it works fine. What I have said is that the bonnet has not been closed properly on this and the previous occasion when this happened. Maybe some posters aren't reading what's put in front of them, if your bonnet is able to open at speed the YOUR CATCH IS IFFY/BROKEN straight fact, I've worked on many many Focuses several times a year just as every other car they have a safety catch which if working correctly will prevent the bonnet coming up. IT IS DESIGNED TO CATCH UNDER IT'S OWN WEIGHT ALONE! That's the entire point of a safety catch, if you had to push to lock it, it wouldn't be a saftey catch now, would it? It'd just be a 'catch'.. if your bonnet has flown up then the safety catch IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, like I said I have repaired loads of these they just need a damn good clean and scrub and greasing 99% of the time, i think in ten years as a mechanic i've only replaced maybe five bonnet catches and most of them on Transits, frankly if you're right and I'm wrong then there would be Foucuses all over the UK with bonnets embedded in their windscreens, and almost certainly a factory recall. For crying out loud this the second time it's happened to you, as if you needed more of hint that somethings 'not right'! Frankly i'm amazed the garage has done anything for you, they sound like a very decent place that are just doing the work on 'good faith' as a gesture of goodwill I'm sure if you told them that it's happened before they wouldn't be quite as happy to help!
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Last Edit: Mar 22, 2012 20:31:20 GMT by 10mpg
The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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^ this Sorry to say - we had a similar problem (I opened the bonnet - didn't slam it - SHMBO took the car out and didn't notice bonnet wasn't down tight - until it blew open and bent itself back onto the top of the windscreen ) Lessons leaned : We now know the safety catch wasn't working 100% ( sometimes it worked, sometimes it stuck "off" and didn't work) SHMBO is always right ( we already knew this but I got a reminder ) It was all my fault Safety catches on my cars now get oiled and free'd off if I have any doubts about them
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2012 0:57:19 GMT by nomad
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As an MOT testers assistant I always double check the security of the bonnet catch before the car leaves the premises, Iv,e even freed up a couple that haven,t caught properly just so the customer does not have a nasty surprise on the motorway,Iv,e had to free a fair few and they aren,t all Ford products. Just before I started at the garage they had an identical situation occur with a car and because nobody would own up to checking the bonnet was closed after some work and the owner would neither confirm or deny whether he had opened the bonnet after the car had left the garage the owner of said garage forked out over £700 to fix all the broken and bent bits as a "goodwill" gesture.
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If I had two brains I,d still be a halfwit 1969 Morris Minor Traveller
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Mar 23, 2012 11:04:12 GMT
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Ed, to be fair, I expect the MOT tester to know what he's looking for under the bonnet. I present the car in as good as general order as I can and hope for the best. I've given up trying to follow changes in MOT regs (actual or rumoured!). "everything works, nothing leaks and there are no holes in anything important" is my approach. I usually get a pass on this basis.
I don't need to check my bonnet is latched every journey, if its not then it sits up proud. Certainly it will be lifting up noticeably before the car gets any speed up. I've left bonnets unlatched before and I just stop and shut them again. Lubing the latches and catches should be part of your service routine on the car. I do mine every time I do a service. Takes moments to do.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Mar 23, 2012 11:30:48 GMT
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I would say thats a fair result.
Regarding lubing up catches, if you keep oiling a bit that's at the front of the car, exposed to all the curse word that's in the air being thrust at it at 30mph plus every day, all the curse word sticks to the oil and grease and creates a perfect seizing compound that can comprehensively jam a bonnet catch. New shape mondeo's are especially prone. It would be better to clean the catch first before giving it a light coat of oil and making sure it works. Just my 2 pennies - not suggesting anyone is doing a bad job.
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Mar 23, 2012 11:38:41 GMT
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I give sticky seeming ones a blast of brake cleaner (or carb cleaner or anything thats handy) the Trans Am one was well gummed up, its a common problem on them.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Mar 23, 2012 12:00:47 GMT
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That's a good result getting the windscreen done, it's the most expensive bit as bonnets are easy to find and fit second hand.
I'm glad my Fiesta opens from the rear when you see things like this. But I've always found it interesting how many cars are quick to tell you on the dashboard when doors or bootlids aint shut properly, but not the bonnet.
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10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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Legal advice needed please!10mpg
@10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member 204
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Mar 23, 2012 14:52:10 GMT
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Ed, to be fair, I expect the MOT tester to know what he's looking for under the bonnet. I present the car in as good as general order as I can and hope for the best. I've given up trying to follow changes in MOT regs (actual or rumoured!). "everything works, nothing leaks and there are no holes in anything important" is my approach. I usually get a pass on this basis. I don't need to check my bonnet is latched every journey, if its not then it sits up proud. Certainly it will be lifting up noticeably before the car gets any speed up. I've left bonnets unlatched before and I just stop and shut them again. Lubing the latches and catches should be part of your service routine on the car. I do mine every time I do a service. Takes moments to do. Akku, I wasnt directing anything specifically at you, I was making a far more general point that a huge dollop of misinformation showed up and no-one bothered to correct it, quite the opposite in fact, of course many people wont know the ins and outs of the MOT test, I wouldnt expect them to, but I would have though somone would have pulled it up before I did on the second page! ( I know there's at least three or four active posters on here who are MOT testers!) I probably take 4 or 5 cars for MOT most weeks so I get very familliar with the process as it changes, but I would have thought that most 'petrol heads' at least sit in the viewing area whilst their pride and joy goes through the rigours? Regarding the bonnet catch, I know, I don't check mine every week either (who does?)however I do check every year at the service that it's all free and working correctly and give them a lube up, as much as anything i've had to free of so many siezed shut ones over the years I don't want to be locked out as much as anything! Reagrding the OP if my bonnet had already come up once and I hadnt fixed the problem I would be making sure it was locked before every journey, in fact I probably wouldnt drive it untill I fixed it, something like that could end in a lot worse than bruised pride, imagine it coming up at the end of a fast sliproad onto a busy motorway, doesnt bear thinking about! Regarding Focuses in particular I look after several of these and know the sytem intimatly as it irritates the curse word out of me, as if you just want to put the bonnet down to back a car out of the workshop (then put the bonnet straight back up again) you can't just put it on the saftey catch as you would any other car, then move the car, then open it up again, you have to take the key out of the ignition every time just to get it off the saftey catch (which as standard are extremely sensitive) even if you lay the bonnet down really gently they ALWAYS lock on, I usually just leave a bit of wood or a jack pad on the slam panel to hold it up to save me flattening peoples batteries...
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2012 14:56:25 GMT by 10mpg
The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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Mar 23, 2012 19:31:36 GMT
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One more point: how many people check that their bonnet is closed properly before EVERY trip? Come on, be honest. *raises hand* Not commenting on your not doing so by any means - as it's only a habit applied to cars I've a reason to suspect might play up, but yeah, it's part of the "hello my old curse word car, you're going to behave aren't you" greeting (approach car carefully from the front so as not to spook it, pat it on the bonnet - checking it's secure - and talk nicely to it before turning the key). Reason why? A 1970 Mk 1 Capri with Cologne wide-arch kit, a mate fixing the suspension, and a forgotten set of bonnet pins. Result, one very dead Capri and one ex-mate (still alive. Just excommunicated for wiping out my Capri). Both the SLK and Voyager have sticky bonnet releases, so I do have a good reason for this habit.
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Mar 23, 2012 19:35:43 GMT
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I'm glad my Fiesta opens from the rear when you see things like this. But I've always found it interesting how many cars are quick to tell you on the dashboard when doors or bootlids aint shut properly, but not the bonnet. Can't remember if the SLK whines about it, but if I lock the Voyager and the bonnet hasn't latched (it's currently using 200-250ml coolant/500 miles, so I'm often poking about under there to make sure it's not getting worse before I can fix the leak) it won't lock, and makes a beep noise. I know the SLK has a bonnet open sensor. I am fairly sure my 114 Cabrio's alarm went off when the bonnet wasn't closed correctly, too.
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