NCT question - cracked/repaired stop light

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DrMoriarty

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Morning all,

I've done a search here (and on the NCTS site) but haven't found an answer yet. Car is due its first NCT soon and obviously I want it to pass first time if at all possible...

I drive a Seat Alhambra people-carrier and one of the (quite large) rear stop light lenses has a 2" x 1" hole punched in it by a bike handlebar. Rather than fork out €100+ for a replacement lens - I kid you not! [broken link removed] - I've repaired it with a neat 'patch' of that red lens-repair tape from a motor factors. The stop light itself, of course, is working fine, bone-dry inside and 'provides a red light which is clearly visible', as specified in the official [broken link removed], which lists these as reasons for failure (p. 36):
So - should I be OK? Thanks for any advice you can offer; I emailed the query to NCTS about a month ago, but I haven't heard anything back yet...
 
I don't know, I replaced a cracked rear light before I got my old car NCTd. Why don't you put it through and see what happens? If you failed and needed to get it replaced, there would be no fee for a retest as the testers wouldn't have to use any equipment?
 
That's true - thanks, CCOVICH. I'm going to have to replace tyres and get a service; just don't feel like handing over another hundred for a bit of feckin' plastic! It's impossible to get 'spurious' parts for these things, so everything has to be 'original Seat'... :mad:
 

Don't I know it. I rang every scrap yard/auto breakers in the East, Midlands and North West and not a rear tail light passenger side could I find for a 99 Almera. I'd definitely hold out and see what happens.
 
These guys saved me quite a lot when I'd to replace a motorised wing mirror unit last year - Stg£126 vs. €350-odd, IIRC, i.e. just about 50% of the price I was quoted by the local Seat dealers...

(They also posted it within three days; v. efficient)
 
I think I'd print off the manual before I went for the test and bring it with me. If you look like an awkward B who is prepared to argue the toss, and have the appropriate paperwork with you, and that you have done your research prior to the test, the tester may be more inclined to let it go. Life is too short.

Someone posted this crowd as being good for car parts as well. You cane also em them your request.

http://www.micksgarage.com/CarSpec.aspx?DeptID=99


Murt
 
If you were buying the car new and saw the lense in the condition its in would you describe it as broken or not? Tape patch or not its still broken, the tape may prevent water entering the light unit and allow light to exit but its not a "lense" and so doesn't provide the same function as an unbroken lense. I'd say its a safety issue and will almost certainly fail.

That said you're paying a NCT fee for them to tell you that so let them do it
 
Thanks again, guys. Take your point, DaveD, but I guess I'll try Murt10's suggestion, given the degree of arbitrariness that (reputedly) surrounds the NCT. I won't get too stroppy with them, 'though...!

Incidentally, I chased up NCTS by 'phone yesterday evening and got a great 'fudge' - from what I described, they said it 'should' be OK but that they couldn't give me any guarantee (fair enough, I suppose they weren't looking at the car...)
 

Not meaning to come accross as sexist etc, but any chance the wife could take the car aong to the test, maybe with a few screaming kids in tow? (if you can see what I'm getting at.............. )
 
Oh, I'd fully planned to do it that way, CCOVITCH...

Actually, Mrs M. is far better than me at obtaining satisfaction in these and other scenarios - with or without screaming kids in tow!
 
It should fail unfortunately.

A cracked light is enough to do it, repaired or otherwise. One with a hole in it, taped up and all, has no chance.

Tried sourcing a lens in the UK?
 
My lovely SeatLeon failed the Nct , because its mother forgot to take off the blinking hub caps.

No amount of blinking of eyelashes by its careful owner, had any effect on a very sexy Polish inspector, with drop dead gorgeous body work.......
He was not for turning.

Have to admit it was the best excuse ever to just to clap eyes on your man again.

Sad or what, Imeant the hub caps not moi.
 
In fairness, the hubcap issue is well flagged in advance. And costs nothing to do, i.e. you just take off the hubcaps beforehand. In fact, my mechanic did it anyway while putting my car through a pre-NCT service.
 
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