NCT Fail due to blown bulb on optional light

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Eithneangela

Registered User
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My car failed the NCT yesterday because the middle brake light at the back did not work. The bulb housing has no visible screws - it looks like a whole panel may have to be removed to get at the bulb. The car's an ML Merc. Does anybody know how I might get at the bulb, please? :(
 
Would you not be accessing the bulds from the inside of the car and not the exterior like most modern cars?

Check the cars handbook.
 
Yes, it has to be from the inside but there are no screws holding the light fixture in position. Don't have manual. There is plastic moulding around the light fitting which in turn is in a massive moulding which is the back of the boot door. Help!
 
Personally I think its disgraceful that a car can fail an NCT on a light bulb. It also happened to me. I had a full car service the evening before with bulbs replaced where needed. It was sheer unfortunate that one bulb went that morning. Don't get me wrong, I think its vital that all cars ensure light bulbs are working but I can leave an nct test having passed and two miles down the road a bulb goes. I'm sure we can come up with a better system than this. Its just another way of getting money from the public. I don't believe it has anything to do with safety. As far as our Government is concerned "money" comes far before "safety".
 
Tessi said:
Personally I think its disgraceful that a car can fail an NCT on a light bulb. It also happened to me. I had a full car service the evening before with bulbs replaced where needed. It was sheer unfortunate that one bulb went that morning. Don't get me wrong, I think its vital that all cars ensure light bulbs are working but I can leave an nct test having passed and two miles down the road a bulb goes. I'm sure we can come up with a better system than this. Its just another way of getting money from the public. I don't believe it has anything to do with safety. As far as our Government is concerned "money" comes far before "safety".
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Well it's a free retest if none of the testing equipment is required, so I don't know why you think failing on a blown bulb is a revenue generator.

They have to draw the line somewhere, and the simple fact is that the car had a blown bulb at the time it was tested. Bad luck for you but these things happen, get the bulb changed, back to the centre for a quick visual check and you're done.

IMHO I think the NCT system has been a major contributor to ridding Ireland's roads of some of the heaps you used to have to navigate your way around. What better system do you suggest?

OP - I think these tailgate panels have to be prised off and you need to know where the lugs are. I'd take it to a mechanic TBH. I dread the centre brake light bulb on my A4 going.

SSE
 
Can I end this post by saying that after all my concerns, I was lucky enough to be doing the NCT test in Deans Grange (grandkids had a great time discovering the wonders of the local graveyard - for example, 'do the dead people escape through those holes in the graves'). Anyway, there's a garage right across the laneway from the NCT testing centre (coincidence!) and a wonderful immigrant from eastern Europe opened up the boot door, somehow magically easily took off the plastic housing from the rear middle brake light, took out the bulb effortlessly (I'd read that you almost need asbestos hands to do same!), looked at it, said he thought he had similar, happened to have it, replaced it, Bob's your uncle, magic, it worked. Strolled across to the NCT test centre, grapped one of the 'inspectors', showed him the light working, and hey presto, I now have an NCT Cert.
 
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