# NCT Farce



## sambuca1 (12 Jan 2009)

I had my first NCT on a 2005 Ford Mondeo 2.0L Diesel this morning and was told it fail because the engine was too noisy?? The mechanic said he couldnt test the emissions as the engine was too noisy......I questioned him about it and he wouldnt elaborate further. 

This is got to be a money racket as my car was serviced 5 months ago and the engine sounds like a normal diesel engine.

Has anyone had the same experience?


----------



## Mumha (12 Jan 2009)

It's a complete racket. 

I got mine tested and they found 3 issues that only needed to visually inspected. Unfortunately, I was away and I had left it to a relation just to bring it along to get the check done....needless to say they forgot to do it before the deadline, so I had to re-nct it and despite not having driven the car, it failed on 8 issues, which required a re-test !!! I got everything done and had the lights checked on the morning of the re-test only for it to fail on a bulb which had mysteriously blown in the space of two hours. I had to get it fixed at this mechanic (conveniently hmmmm) next to the NCT centre and pay yet another €27.50


----------



## sambuca1 (12 Jan 2009)

I would love to see the books and how much revenue these NCT centres bring in.....I am going to appeal my noisy engine failure with them as it is ridiculous.


----------



## FredBloggs (12 Jan 2009)

Mumha said:


> I got everything done and had the lights checked on the morning of the re-test only for it to fail on a bulb which had mysteriously blown in the space of two hours. I had to get it fixed at this mechanic (conveniently hmmmm) next to the NCT centre and pay yet another €27.50


 
Very strange you should say that.  I brought my wife's car out for the NCT and was failed on a bulb that had strangely blown on the way to the test centre.   I thought it very very strange that the bulb should blow at that particular time but put it down to coincidence (I'd checked the bulbs before leaving for the NCT centre) but now I'm not so sure it was a coincidence....


----------



## woodbine (12 Jan 2009)

i heard a discussion about this on a local radio station today. A mechanic who fits exhaust systems complained that it was up to the individual NCT tester to decide if a system was "too noisy".

apparently some new regulations will be brought in and the noise level will be in line with eu legislation but no-one could tell him the actual decibel level allowed.

found this nct manual on their website, but not much info really.sorry.

 [broken link removed]


----------



## KerryG (12 Jan 2009)

Is the NCT privately run or paid for by taxpayer?   I notice they are working Sundays in Tralee, I hope we are not paying that overtime as there surely cant be a necessity to have 4 working on Sunday.


----------



## Mercantilist (12 Jan 2009)

The NCT tester will also fail your car if the boot is not empty or the hub caps have not been removed, or if one of the lights is brighter than the corresponding light on the other side of the car. 

The rules are exccessively fussy and designed to ensure a certain percentage have to pay a second fee to redo the test. Obviously, it was designed by some of our 300,000 public sector workers with their fat salaries, pensions and jobs for life.

Just more undemocratic and onerous laws with no way for citizens to get provide input on how they arent working.


----------



## mathepac (12 Jan 2009)

NCTS is run by SGS Ireland  see here - [broken link removed]

SGS Ireland also do other stuff for AIB, FÁS, Roadstone and other private, semi-state and government agencies.


----------



## Graham_07 (12 Jan 2009)

FredBloggs said:


> I brought my wife's car out for the NCT and was failed on a bulb that had strangely blown on the way to the test centre. I thought it very very strange that the bulb should blow at that particular time but put it down to coincidence


 
I have heard several similar tales from friends/neighbours where this happened to them. A lot of bulbs seem to give up the ghost on the way to the NCT.  



Mercantilist said:


> or if one of the lights is brighter than the corresponding light on the other side of the car.


 
Maybe some NCT testers are also brighter than others


----------



## adox (12 Jan 2009)

Got mine tested today for the first time. Everything was fine except I hadnt removed the plastic covers that cover the centre of the wheel where the nuts etc can be inspected.

The inspector pointed this out and said they needed to be removed with a screw driver which they dont keep on site, so technically the car hadnt passed.

However, he told me I could go off and remove them and call back when it suited me and they could then be inspected and if all was ok the car would pass.

I came back about an hour later,the wheels were inspected and I got my cert, no extra charge.

They arent all bad.


----------



## Mercantilist (12 Jan 2009)

adox said:


> However, he told me I could go off and remove them and call back when it suited me and they could then be inspected and if all was ok the car would pass.
> 
> I came back about an hour later,the wheels were inspected and I got my cert, no extra charge.
> 
> They arent all bad.


Theyre being flexible to get people used to the rules. Eventually they will be applied very strictly and you will have to pay a second fee to have the car retested, after a minor fail.

This is being run as a profit centre. Hence the involvment of a private company. Its only a matter of time before we see annual above inflation increases in the testing fee.

If you dont fight back you will be taxed into poverty.


----------



## putsch (12 Jan 2009)

I had the same problem regarding a light - just had them checked beforehand and then NCT told me one was gone and would have to retest. Its not even the money its the time and inconvenience - is there anything that can be done about this?


----------



## Bank Manager (12 Jan 2009)

Couple of years ago I had a technical fail - one of my rear indicators was deemed 'duller' than the other one.

Attempted to buy a brighter buld - to no avail - though the guy at the motor-factor told me he had come across this before and advised me to just bring it back as it was and chances were it would pass (he and I both concluded there was no difference in the one's I had).

Took his advice - said very little, other than the fact that I was told to bring the car back for a re-check.  The tester put on the hazard warning lights and then proceeded to tell me what an improvement he could see (as he was the one that checked the car first time around).

I said nothing - got my cert - and thought ... 'well at least I don't have to go through that again for a couple of years"!


----------



## colin79ie (13 Jan 2009)

There should be provision for the owner of the car to be present when the visual checks are done, eg, lights etc.


----------



## truthseeker (13 Jan 2009)

FredBloggs said:


> Very strange you should say that. I brought my wife's car out for the NCT and was failed on a bulb that had strangely blown on the way to the test centre. I thought it very very strange that the bulb should blow at that particular time but put it down to coincidence (I'd checked the bulbs before leaving for the NCT centre) but now I'm not so sure it was a coincidence....


 
Interesting, girl in work just got NCTd last week and bulb mysteriously blew on way to NCT centre - she was advised to go round corner to get new bulb.....


----------



## PGD1 (13 Jan 2009)

how, pray tell, are the testers breaking the bulb filament without breaking the bulb and taking the bulb out of the car? bearing in mind all the testers can be seen working through the viewing windows.


----------



## sandrat (13 Jan 2009)

Graham_07 said:


> A lot of bulbs seem to give up the ghost on the way to the NCT.


 
Funny how they manage to make it driving tests ok. 

I had my car's NCT when I was 8 and a half months pregnant god help them if they had failed me I was in no mood for bad news!


----------



## iggy (13 Jan 2009)

truthseeker said:


> Interesting, girl in work just got NCTd last week and bulb mysteriously blew on way to NCT centre - she was advised to go round corner to get new bulb.....


 
 Now I`ve heard it all....NCT`ing the girl in work? What next ?


----------



## sandrat (13 Jan 2009)

thats what the kids are calling it these days


----------



## FredBloggs (13 Jan 2009)

PGD1 said:


> how, pray tell, are the testers breaking the bulb filament without breaking the bulb and taking the bulb out of the car? bearing in mind all the testers can be seen working through the viewing windows.


 
Good question ... and it is why I had thought of it as strange but a coincidence before I read of similar incidents here.   I had checked the bulb before going to the test centre ( adrive of 20 mins max) and it was 100% working.  I have no idea how or why the bulb wasn't working when the car was tested and was absolutely flabbergasted when they told me.


----------



## Celtwytch (13 Jan 2009)

Mercantilist said:


> Obviously, it was designed by some of our 300,000 public sector workers with their fat salaries, pensions and jobs for life.


Can we please have just a few threads on here that don't bash public sector workers?


----------



## dereko1969 (13 Jan 2009)

yet the same poster whilst bashing public servants then rants about an outsourced private sector company! cake and eating it spring to mind.


----------



## jmrc (13 Jan 2009)

I wonder is all this NCT failing due to the loss of revenue from cars that have not been NCT'ed? I've noticed an increasing amount in carparks arount our great island without the up-to-date cert? 

Also, I wonder is there different fail rates for different parts of the country?


----------



## TarfHead (13 Jan 2009)

Mumha said:


> .. fail on a bulb which had mysteriously blown in the space of two hours. I had to get it fixed at this mechanic (conveniently hmmmm) next to the NCT centre and pay yet another €27.50


 
Are you serious ? I haven't a rashers about things electrical or mechanical but even I can manage to buy a bulb and fit it myself.


----------



## truthseeker (13 Jan 2009)

TarfHead said:


> Are you serious ? I haven't a rashers about things electrical or mechanical but even I can manage to buy a bulb and fit it myself.


 
Depends on the car, my last car I could do them but the current car requires moving a part of the engine to get to headlight so I always have to get a mechanic to do it.


----------



## mathepac (13 Jan 2009)

There seems to be a glitch in the system of testing.

One of our cars was 4 in July 2008, but the NCT form didn't arrive until Christmas week, with a test appointment for the end of January 2009.

I have experienced the "blown-bulb" phenomenon with a high-level brake light (not LED, TG) on a Toyota. It was working before the test, I checked, and it was working when the tester drove the car into the centre, I watched him drive it in and use the brakes at the lift.

When the car came out, the bulb was blown. I had to drive to a motor factors, fit a bulb and drive back. As I parked up outside the test centre, the tester gave me a big "thumbs up" sign through the window, and when I went in issued me with a clean cert.

Weird.


----------



## Caveat (13 Jan 2009)

truthseeker said:


> ...  but the current car requires moving a part of the engine to get to headlight so I always have to get a mechanic to do it.


 
Do you seriously mean literally 'part of the engine'?

I'd be very surprised.


----------



## truthseeker (13 Jan 2009)

Caveat said:


> Do you seriously mean literally 'part of the engine'?
> 
> I'd be very surprised.


 
I do. I dont know what it is (I think its only on the one side that it blocks), but there is a large piece of 'engine' totally blocking access by hand to the back of the headlight. Its connected to other things so I dont like the idea of moving it myself.

A guy in work who is car savvy tried to replace a headlight bulb for me last time and even he said 'take it to a mechanic', you need tools to move that bit (he may have named it, Ive forgotten).

Just to clarify - I call anything under the bonnet 'part of the engine' - Im quite sure the bit that blocks my headlight access has no moving parts but as far as Im concerned its part of the engine.


----------



## Leo (13 Jan 2009)

Mercantilist said:


> Theyre being flexible to get people used to the rules.


 
They're giving us a lot of time so, the provision for removing hub caps has been there since day one...more than 8 years ago!!!


----------



## Caveat (13 Jan 2009)

truthseeker said:


> I do. I dont know what it is (I think its only on the one side that it blocks), but there is a large piece of 'engine' totally blocking access by hand to the back of the headlight. Its connected to other things so I dont like the idea of moving it myself.


 
Hang on - was this a c. 96-01 _Fiesta _by any chance?

If so, I know what you mean - ridiculous design for a layman to change a bulb. I think it's maybe the air inlet blocking the light on the passenger side.


----------



## truthseeker (13 Jan 2009)

Caveat said:


> Hang on - was this a c. 96-01 _Fiesta _by any chance?
> 
> If so, I know what you mean - ridiculous design for a layman to change a bulb. I think it's maybe the air inlet blocking the light on the passenger side.


 
wow!!! youre good!
98 Fiesta 

Its a crazy design isnt it? I used to do all the minor stuff on my last car (bulbs, oil, water etc.....) but on this one I just cringe when the passenger side headlight goes cos it means going to a mechanic.


----------



## dereko1969 (13 Jan 2009)

mathepac said:


> There seems to be a glitch in the system of testing.
> 
> One of our cars was 4 in July 2008, but the NCT form didn't arrive until Christmas week, with a test appointment for the end of January 2009.


you don't need to wait for the NCT to send out an appointment to you, you should notice that your NCT is going to be up soon and make an appointment. if not you could leave yourself open to fines and or confiscation of the vehicle.


----------



## jmrc (13 Jan 2009)

Just had one of our reps ask me to change the bulb in a 05 citroen C5 and I abliged, You have to remove the car Battery and the head lamp to get at the bulb..! What a joke. You wouldn't want to be in a hurry that morning.


----------



## peelaaa (13 Jan 2009)

sambuca1 said:


> I had my first NCT on a 2005 Ford Mondeo 2.0L Diesel this morning and was told it fail because the engine was too noisy?? The mechanic said he couldnt test the emissions as the engine was too noisy......I questioned him about it and he wouldnt elaborate further.
> 
> This is got to be a money racket as my car was serviced 5 months ago and the engine sounds like a normal diesel engine.
> 
> Has anyone had the same experience?


 
My renault megane diesel sounds like a tractor and it passed ok, your nct centre sounds a bit dodgy imho.


----------



## peelaaa (13 Jan 2009)

dereko1969 said:


> you don't need to wait for the NCT to send out an appointment to you, you should notice that your NCT is going to be up soon and make an appointment. if not you could leave yourself open to fines and or confiscation of the vehicle.


 
Its interesting that we all receive reminders for car tax, insurance etc but not for NCT.
Is it because the NCT doesn't bring in much revenue and what the hell, whats the cost of a few deaths caused by a dangerous car anyway.


----------



## steph1 (14 Jan 2009)

So this is the reason why so many people are driving around at night especially, with only one light working.  They cant access it themselves and haven't time to go to the mechanic.


----------



## Romulan (14 Jan 2009)

I thought I was the only one who noticed all the cars with a single headlight.  Beginning to think it was some energy saving measure.  

Not to mention all those with badly aligned headlights that give you a nice beam to the face as they pass by on the other side of the road.


----------



## werner (14 Jan 2009)

Caveat said:


> Do you seriously mean literally 'part of the engine'?
> 
> I'd be very surprised.


 
Watched an amusing item on the TV show Fifth Gear, presenter swapped a headlamp bulb on a VW Golf in a minute or two whilst a RAC or AA man to access the headlamp socket on a Renault megane had to remove the front wheel and open a  panel in the wheel arch, it took him about half an hour! They mentioned if you had a different type of headlamp in the megane, a high power something or other that had a different headlight housing, believe it or not the front bumper had to be removed for access!


----------



## Leo (14 Jan 2009)

Inaccessible headlights seem to be a common design 'feature' on a lot of French models. If I was cynical I might suggest it was a means of increasing main dealer revenue...


----------



## gillarosa (14 Jan 2009)

FredBloggs said:


> Very strange you should say that. I brought my wife's car out for the NCT and was failed on a bulb that had strangely blown on the way to the test centre. I thought it very very strange that the bulb should blow at that particular time but put it down to coincidence (I'd checked the bulbs before leaving for the NCT centre) but now I'm not so sure it was a coincidence....


 
It's not beyond the realm of possibilities though, I know a Driving Instructor who always keeps a stock of bulbs in his car because he 
was twice caught on the hop during a Clients Driving Test when the lights just went prior to the Testers visual inspection.


----------



## Caveat (14 Jan 2009)

gillarosa said:


> It's not beyond the realm of possibilities though, I know a Driving Instructor who always keeps a stock of bulbs in his car because he
> was twice caught on the hop during a Clients Driving Test when the lights just went prior to the Testers visual inspection.


 
It happened to me just before my test!


----------



## Pique318 (14 Jan 2009)

werner said:


> to access the headlamp socket on a Renault megane had to remove the front wheel and open a  panel in the wheel arch,



Our 05 Honda Accord has the same 'feature'...ridiculous....


----------



## gabsdot (14 Jan 2009)

Can your car really be seized if it doesn't have a current NTC cert?


----------



## Markjbloggs (14 Jan 2009)

Do I get a prize for the most ridiculous NCT failure issue?

How about failing for having no fada over the i in Cill Dara????  Happened to my missus (who is English) and was not able to argue the fact with the tester.


----------



## jmrc (14 Jan 2009)

Thats a good one Markj, my Dad's car failed as he had a garage name on his number plate. It was a sticker...! 
How would that make a car un-safe...!


----------



## Scotsgirl (14 Jan 2009)

Markjbloggs,

That is crazy!   Could you appeal that in any way?  I would be furious if my car failed over something as small as that.

Scotsgirl


----------



## teddyk (15 Jan 2009)

Markjbloggs,

I don't think there should be a fada over the "i" in Cill Dara.
Can someone with a "KE" reg check/verify?


----------



## bond-007 (15 Jan 2009)

gabsdot said:


> Can your car really be seized if it doesn't have a current NTC cert?


No. It is an urban myth made up by the high moral horse brigade.


Markjbloggs said:


> Do I get a prize for the most ridiculous NCT failure issue?
> 
> How about failing for having no fada over the i in Cill Dara????  Happened to my missus (who is English) and was not able to argue the fact with the tester.


There is no fada in Cill Dara.


----------



## jhegarty (15 Jan 2009)

gabsdot said:


> Can your car really be seized if it doesn't have a current NTC cert?



Many people will post yes, not one will be to link to a law or example where it happened.


----------



## harveylumpy (15 Jan 2009)

I wonder if it is the very severe shaking they give the car when testing suspension that blows the bulbs.


----------



## bond-007 (15 Jan 2009)

You could be onto something there.


----------



## brazen_dude (16 Jan 2009)

mine is a funny story... my car passed nct two years back... drove very less mileage in two years... nothing changed.. not even serviced... went for nct after two years... it failed nct for the reason that two rear tyres/wheels are to be swapped... swapped the tyres from left to right and right to left in the nct center car park and they passed it after the swap... same tyres passed the test two years back... nothing changed in the car...


----------



## Cligereen (16 Jan 2009)

I drive a Citroen 2CV which failed its NCT because the chassis didn't have the chassis number die stamped onto it. Trouble is 2CVs were not manufactured with the die stamp, it only has a plate above the engine (and yes a 2CV does have an engine!) Took me about 2 weeks to get that clarified through Citroen Ireland to the satisfaction of NCT. They originally told me to go and get the number stamped onto the chassis myself! - that would be a really useful security feature ;-)


----------



## bond-007 (16 Jan 2009)

Surely the 2CV would be exempt that this stage. There can't be too many that are under 30 years old.


----------



## Cligereen (16 Jan 2009)

My car is an 83, so 26 years old. 2 more NCTs to endure yet I'm afraid.


----------



## seanoconnor (14 Apr 2009)

there is no fada on the i in cill dara ! sean


----------

