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Dropped the P6 for an MOT today. Apparently it went really well, until it overheated in the bay and managed to scald the bloke doing the test It now won't restart (presume the starter has got too hot to engage) and they can't complete the test. Ho hom. The only other issue was a faulty light otherwise would have passed....
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Well that's a bummer! Maybe it was getting a bit low on coolant and didn't take well to being asked to idle for half an hour or something like that? At least it should be an easy pass when it's going again, on the bright side I assume they meant it spat out some coolant, as opposed to him just grabbing an exhaust manifold ;D
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Last Edit: Jul 8, 2010 11:50:12 GMT by Lewis
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VIP
South East
Posts: 8,293
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I assume they meant it spat out some coolant, as opposed to him just grabbing an exhaust manifold ;D I don't think it's possible to scald yourself on a solid...
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Well been down to have a looksie as they said it wouldn't start. No starter.
Seems it was running for best part of 45min in a warmish workshop and on the headlight check it cut out. They checked the gauge and it was very warm but not hot (how accurate the gauge is I don't know) and noted some coolant loss on floor, so the guy went to remove the rad cap to the vent position and it came straight off and shot hot water over most of workshop.
Based on previous experience the www write ups I shall assume it got so hot it was vaporising the fuel and eventually vapour locked the engine. They can't remember if choke was fully in buy this point so that may not have helped.
Will have to look into rad cap. They let me play a little in the workshop and the light is now OK, and after leaving the bonnet up to cool I sucked some more fuel through (mmm Texaco) which took a long time confirming it was mostly vapour (rebuilt the fuel pump last night and seems to be flowing very well now). The starter was then cool enough to engage and it purred into life.
Have left it there as they've said if they get a no show today or tomorrow they'll retest.
Anyone know of a good cream for scalded arm for the bloke? Feel a little guilty that it attacked him? Also is it appropriate to give him a few quid for a drink as a way of saying sorry or could this be seen as a bribe and get me and him and the testing station in the sh1t?
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Brigsy
Part of things
Posts: 617
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Any half decent mechanic/mot tester should have known better to remove the rad cap on a hot engine without letting it cool down?! id have little sympathy myself.
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Last Edit: Jul 8, 2010 12:41:19 GMT by Brigsy
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same he should have know better, not only that but why would they need to keep it idling for over 45mins? common sense would be to turn it off when it wasnt needed to be running, spesh on a older motor.
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same he should have know better, not only that but why would they need to keep it idling for over 45mins? common sense would be to turn it off when it wasnt needed to be running, spesh on a older motor. +1 My mate's a garage owner/MOT tester and he does this. Really gets my goat! Fortunately, because I'm there I hurry him along and turn it off when he doesn't need it on. He wouldn't have a clue about P6's/classic cars either . . .
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jonw
Part of things
Can open a Mouse with a File
Posts: 768
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I have to sat that that is pretty fundemental what ever the age of the car.... most cars have the warning on the rad cap.
As to leaving it running for 45 mins.... I'd bill them for the fuel!!!
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Suzuki SV650R The good Triumph T20 The Bad BMW G650GS The Ugly Matchless G12CSR The Smokey Toyota Hybrid One pint or Two?
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OK maybe I'm just too nice. The mechanic was a decent bloke and lent me a couple of tools to help fix.
Mind you the guy on reception did say they sometimes have new cars that overheat on the first MOT so maybe they do need to be a little more mindful of running cars.
Will need to bring forward the fan install.
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Here you get to be with the guy doing the test, i remember when i mot'd the old 190 i had to turn it off twice to keep it from overheating ;D
And if he removes the rad cap without a big towel or something on a hot car i seriously doubt his skills as a mechanic.
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Lawsy
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,615
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mine went for the MOT locally and they switched off the engine at every possible chance (this was on the modern daily) to aid fumes in the building and the excess heat produced, plus there was no need to have it running
as said above, no sympathy, touching rad cap and leaving idling for 45 mins is wrong, I'd be tempted to take elsewhere rather than wait 2-3 days for them to squeeze it in.. had they not left it running, it wouldnt have overheated and fuel wouldnt have vapourised and you coudl have been burbling around in it now...
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Here you get to be with the guy doing the test, I remember when I mot'd the old 190 I had to turn it off twice to keep it from overheating ;D And if he removes the rad cap without a big towel or something on a hot car I seriously doubt his skills as a mechanic. I love the idea of being with them and watching it get done! Must move to finland. Previously the garage has been great, MOTd the MGB after 4 years standing and also the Porsche 924 I cobbled together for a charity run. They seem understanding on what they should be looking for (eg old cars have curse word headlights, if they come on and point in correct direction with same intensity as a candle then they're Ok). Hmm, may take MG elsewhere..... Oh and yes I would like to be burbling around in it!!
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yeah pretty much what everyone else said. When my saff had a little issue with cooling fan switches and temp senders i bridged one of the fans before sending it for MOT, just incase.
I really have this thing for turning stuff off, i leave the wagon ticking over all the time but i hate a car ticking over for no reason.
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the flip side is that with an old car you don't know how good the chargng system is, starting the car 3 or 4 times could flatten the battery easily, best cure the overheating problems i reckon.
A car shouldn't overheat while ticking over, Its still his own fault for getting burnt though.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Last MOT I went in for they asked if I wanted to hang around and watch. (I would have, but I had to get to work.) I'd have thought most decent/small garages wouldn't have any issues with you waiting and watching it get done.
I agree that it shouldn't have been left running, but isn't there a fairly long fast idle test as part of the MOT? My friend had a saxo that kept failing as it'd overheat during the MOT due to having a VTS engine, but only a VTR fan and rad.
Touching the rad cap was a bit of a silly move, although to be fair I do it to let it vent on the Scirocco, and other cars with a modern-style top on a plastic header tank, as they have a fairly fine thread it's pretty safe that you can get it to vent without it getting anywhere near popping off. I'd never try it on anything with the older type caps that only need a quarter turn or so though!
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Last Edit: Jul 8, 2010 14:14:59 GMT by RobinJI
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Lawsy
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,615
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Last MOT I went in for they asked if I wanted to hang around and watch. (I would have, but I had to get to work.) I'd have thought most decent/small garages wouldn't have any issues with you waiting and watching it get done. I may be wrong so please don't shoot me if i am Every MOT i have ever taken for I have watched them, I thought that by LAW (mot law) they had to have a MOT viewing area so you could watch them MOT, normally through a windo in a waiting room, sometimes ona chair by the pit.. last one i took one, had a proper church pew behind a railing, 2 signs above - 1 was MOT viewing area and other was Take a pew while u wait.. Most no longer advertise their viewing space, but I'm pretty sure you have a right to veiw the test, but due to H&S its now behind a screen or some barrier advantages of this are, most will ask you stuff when doing the test and sometimes that bulb that works if tapped etc, can be sorted...
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the flip side is that with an old car you don't know how good the chargng system is, starting the car 3 or 4 times could flatten the battery easily, best cure the overheating problems I reckon. A car shouldn't overheat while ticking over, Its still his own fault for getting burnt though. i see the point, but goes the same for the cooling system and which is easier? connecting a jump pack if it did go flat or telling the customer that his head gasket has gone due to been left running and left to overheat. tbh id have a serious issue if a garage let my car over heat while in their care.
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tofufi
South West
Posts: 1,458
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I always go in and watch my MOT man do the test on my cars. This helped with my P6 3500 as it meant he wasn't messing around for ages playing with all the controls working out what each thing did...
My MOT man always leaves modern cars idling through most of the test, and then does the emissions last. I think. I think that's with the aim of making sure the engine is hot before the emissions are checked.
With my cars, he typically asks me to turn the engine off when it's not needed. Especially when I had the overly loud exhaust on the Beetle... I couldn't hear a word he said otherwise:D
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we have the same problem with the DS... the mot testers know nothing... so i make a point of switching the electric rad fan on before the test so if it gets left to idle for the whole test (it does) then it stays nice n cool....
Its easily do able ... just bridge the connectors if it only works when the ignitions on... or wire it off an ignition live.... don't trust the testers to : A - be nice and turn it off . and B - remember to even if you ask them.
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burns
Part of things
Posts: 373
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I thought it specified in the MOT manual at what point the engine should be started and when it should be stopped. Any MOT testers that can confirm/correct that?
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