To service before NCT or not?

S

shesells

Registered User
Messages
2,207
My car is due its NCT in March (00 Punto). I know there are a few issues with it that would need to be sorted for it to pass, among them - I need to replace a cracked rear light cover, there's a chunk gone out of it at the side, light not affected but moisture can get in.

Am I better off to NCT and find out exactly what's wrong and then getting it sorted - or service first and hope the mechanic spots any issues.
 
Depends-if you are happy to pay the re-test fee and go back out to the test centre, then by all means see if it fails (especially in the case of older cars).
 
The initial test fee of €49 is a sunk cost as it has to be paid regardless so the only issue is whether of not you can avoid the €28 retest fee (and I guess the hassle of a retest).

I have always adopted the following approach: have the car serviced at the recommended service intervals, do fix any obvious fault(s) that will mean a failed test, but do not get a pre-nct test done. Afterall where else in this country will you get a mechanic (with no vested interest in finding faults) to do a test of your car for €28!
 
Get the obvious definite fail stuff sorted any lights tyres brakes etc.

Do get the headlights lined up it is only 25 euro at the likes of kwik fits.

Other than that I would let it go and see what they say
 
I don't believe in pre-testing repairs, think it's a swizz for garages to make some extra money without guaranteeing the car will pass.

My car is a humble 1994 honda (sub 100k mileage so it's not worked too hard) and I put it through the NCT without it being serviced, find out what the fail points are and get them sorted and get a service and then have it re-tested. It's €28 or so for retest but if I had to bring it twice to the garage (once for pre-test and maybe again if it failed) that's just as much hassle.

By the way, the car runs like a dream!
 
My mother has a car that's 20 years old - an opel corsa - which she hadn't driven in about a year and pretty infrequently for a few years before that as her mobility decreased due to onset of an illness. My father has insisted on keeping the car for her so that she will at least feel its there and she's not totally isiolated. when the NCT was due last year he brought it to the guy who normally services his car and he quoted him telephone numbers to bring it up to NCT standard. My father declined and decided to put it through the test and just correct what thy said needed to be done and then get a retest done........ however the car passed the NCT first time. Go figure!
 
Lots of chancers in the auto trade. I do the obvious stuff, myself. I'd never get a car serviced prior to a NCT. They could find something and its cheaper and less hassle to get everything done in one go.
 
Just one thing on this (I'm leaning towards NCT first, service later). If I don't get the light cover fixed will they test everything else anyway or will they just see the light and say it's failed automatically?

Thanks
 
shesells said:
Just one thing on this (I'm leaning towards NCT first, service later). If I don't get the light cover fixed will they test everything else anyway or will they just see the light and say it's failed automatically?

Thanks
Click to expand...

They will run the full test.

Another point is that you can never determine the small things that they might fault it on even after a pre-test. Have heard of people being failed on wear/tear on pedal cover which cost approx. €10.

I would get advice from main dealers/scrap yards about the light cover. Can't imagine it being that hard to replace yourself before the test.
 
sueellen said:
Have heard of people being failed on wear/tear on pedal cover which cost approx. €10.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up-one of my pedal covers is torn and comes off every so often, so I just left it off altogether. Never realised it was a 'fail'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top