More Bureaucratic bunkum to make our lives a misery.

[chapeau]

Think I'll stick with my old Carlton. Basic, uncomplicated engineering. Hasn't even got rear seat belts.

I'll leave it to everyone else to tear their hair out, chasing electrical faults on ridiculously complex cars. Much money will be spent and time wasted on cars that will end up as uneconomically repairable long before their time.

Modern cars are far more reliable than the old cable driven bangers. You get far better fuel consumption with the whiz bang electronics calculating and metering the mixture every stroke. And if you want to know what's gone wrong with one of the new fangled bits you plug your laptop in and the car tells you what it is.

 

[AronSearle]

I'm not sure I can see an issue with most of those items.

But we have the safest roads in Europe (bar Sweden).

Remind me, the EU was about free trade and stopping Germany from attacking France again, what has this got to do with that?

 

[onecog]

Modern cars are far more reliable than the old cable driven bangers. You get far better fuel consumption with the whiz bang electronics calculating and metering the mixture every stroke. And if you want to know what's gone wrong with one of the new fangled bits you plug your laptop in and the car tells you what it is.

I don't agree with the above.I have an old vw camper that is uncomplicated and when a fault occurs it is easy to diagnose and easy to repair.
I also have a modern car and when the ABS light came on the garage diagnosed brake censors and £180 later i still had the ABS light on.IT was then decided that the ABS pump was at fault and so another £650 was paid to fix it ...Give me an old uncomplicated car any day.

 

[andyandy2]

And if you want to know what's gone wrong with one of the new fangled bits you plug your laptop in and the car tells you what it is.

If only it was that easy, you wouldn't believe (unless you are in the motor trade) the amount of head scratching and guesswork that goes on trying to diagnose faults.

Looking at the list of items it seems the dashboard warning lights are the safety related ones, airbag etc, not the engine management light.

 

[bhm1712]

And if you want to know what's gone wrong with one of the new fangled bits you plug your laptop in and the car tells you what it is.

If only it was that easy, you wouldn't believe (unless you are in the motor trade) the amount of head scratching and guesswork that goes on trying to diagnose faults.

Looking at the list of items it seems the dashboard warning lights are the safety related ones, airbag etc, not the engine management light.

I have to disagree on that point. The only reason places struggle to find faults when diagnosing a fault code is lack of knowledge of the management system and associated components. If garages had full wiring diagrams and proper test gear a fault code leads you to the relevant circuits and components. Then it's only a matter of testing to find out which one or combination of components is faulty.changing parts willy nilly until you stumble on the right one is due to not knowing what to do. Customers should not be charged for misdiagnosis but usually they are because nobody questions it.

 

[pred]

FFS! We are following in the footsteps of the goose stepping krauts again! Why do people think their system is better than ours? If you think theirs is a better lifestyle what are you sitting here for.

I went to Germany in 74 and returned to England 7yrs later, they have a 2yr MOT system, it is carried out by trained monkies, not mechanics! They failed my Laverda 3cl as it differed to what there manual said, things like the chain guard was to small, i kid you not, their were about 50 problems by which time i had had enough, i got out of there fast, very fast the problem with my bike was that i bought it in England, it was bog standard!!

The krauts don't like competition, they want to sell their BMW motorbikes, they don't have chain guards, when Jaguar launched its XJS they tried to ban it as the post on the rear window were to sharp and might be dangerous in an accident, then it was pointed out that the VW Passat was very similar so they had to back down.

The sooner we are out of the EU the better!!

 

[Big Tone]

The best way around these things is not to have them in the first place. As someone said earlier, the more techno-crap you got the more there is to go wrong. I drive a 22 year old Micra. No PAS, no ABS, no Airbag, indicators with a proper feel & action instead of a PIC, no dumb warning lights telling my passenger to put their belt on when in fact I’ve just got my laptop on the seat. KISSFFS!

Oh and as for modern fuel consumption? That’s been in the news a lot lately, with false claims galore! I think Ford are the latest to be sued over it but if you Google something like ‘car fuel consumption false claims’ it’s all out there. With a mixture of commuting and motorway driving, in a recent test I got 42 mpg driving carefully. And that aint bad IMO.

The biggest problem I had on the last MOT was the emissions, but you can get around that with a little something in the tank

 

[jeds]

all of the items that are to be added, should have been added years ago.

If the engine management light is on, it means something is wrong with the engine or its associated ancilliaries. Just because the car still works doesnt mean its safe and roadworthy.

If you read what is actually being added, then you soon realise its necessary and just! The guy from UKIP saying it will send serviceable cars to the scrap yard is talking rubbish. The MOT test is very out-dated. If your happy to run around with a car that is showing a fault, or the airbag light is on, or the electronic handbrake actuator is not working then id say more fool you.

Got no problem with most if it myself. Except; my kids' last car was a Corsa. An engine warning light kept coming on. Took it to Vauxhall and they said just ignore it. The sensor is one of many and could cost a fortune to track down. He said they don't really do anything. Vauxhall used to fit loads on these cars but they don't any more because they don't really add anything and they're more trouble than they're worth.

 

[JBR]

Bring back steam cars.

Very simple to maintain; no electronics whatsoever.
They burn almost anything and don't emit all that nasty carbon monoxide that people are always complaining about.

OK, there's a bit of smoke, but no-one bothers about that - or at least they never used to.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Think I'll stick with my old Carlton. Basic, uncomplicated engineering. Hasn't even got rear seat belts.

Must be a C or early D plate or earlier then?

Cars from 1987 onwards had to have rear belts fitted.

My Skoda, what has sat on the drive for 12 months, is going to be checked over on Friday to see how much it will take to make it road-worthy once more...

Cross all your digits for me guys!!!

It's a D. Last of the old shape, before it they went more rounded. Luckily, mine has managed to escape the rust. Missed the rear belts by a year. Yes, there's an even older MK1 in the background of photo. Anorak!

Untitled

• Whitespirit66
• 19 May 2008
• 3

Ancient or modern Skoda? Good luck with MOT.

 

[peterperfection]

MOT for me on Monday- My Transit 2.5dI 14 years old --with 'fly by cable' antiquated system. EGR blocked off- and NO dash light to show .
NO abs or other such things .
Was top of the range when I bought it (ex demo with 3 k miles on). (full 'at that time' electric pack') 13.5 years ago.
Only done 3k miles since last MOT. Total mileage 71k now .

Best Transit they ever made --but it's my baby.

I EXPECT it to pass on everything--but - a little bit of rust underneath may mean it has to go into Van Hossy for a day or so.

 

[JBR]

Mine's a 2003 Skoda Fabia diesel.

I took it for MoT yesterday and it passed without any problems. A couple of 'advisories', that's all, including the exhaust corroding. It's been corroding for two or three years now, but still holding together.

It's the best car I've ever had; not only economical to run but really very nippy for a diesel. Much better than a BMW!

 

[peterperfection]

Mine's a 2003 Skoda Fabia diesel.

I took it for MoT yesterday and it passed without any problems. A couple of 'advisories', that's all, including the exhaust corroding. It's been corroding for two or three years now, but still holding together.

It's the best car I've ever had; not only economical to run but really very nippy for a diesel. Much better than a BMW!

Well- it's a car that YOU know . That's always good.

Tell me something -- does the rear window 'push start' hand warmer '' still work ??.

 

[^woody^]

The issue is, how many accidents or injuries have been caused by these extra checks, and how many will be prevented by them?

The MOT test was supposed to be a check of significant main mechanical components, not random things which might not work at some or other indeterminate future time.

 

[peterperfection]

The issue is, how many accidents or injuries have been caused by these extra checks, and how many will be prevented by them?

The MOT test was supposed to be a check of significant main mechanical components, not random things which might not work at some or other indeterminate future time.

It's just another 'money making' thing Woody .
Keeps testers in work and provides repair work for mechanics/spanner spaniels