Pre-NCT service then failed!

P

pink27

Guest
Hi I recently had my car serviced in preparation for NCT. I requested a couple of other jobs be done at the same time, timing belt, my passenger door handle had become 'unhooked' and my wipers timing was a little out. Halfway through the day I called to ask if the car was ready, I was told my brake discs and pads needed to be replaced. I was concerned about cost and was told at this stage I was at the €1,000 mark. I asked if everything would be done for this I was told it would so I agreed to having the brakes done.
When I collected my car I was told that the wipers needed a new motor which would cost €200 approx plus 2 hours labour and the door handle would be done when I brought the car in for that!
A friend fixed the door handle for me and I replaced the wiper motor myself from a breakers yard.
The car failed the NCT on headlight alignment. Needless to say I am annoyed, I am now being told that the headlight alignment in the garage cannot be guaranteed to be the same as the NCT centre!!!
I really think they should remedy the problem and pay for my re test however they are saying that they will re align the lights but can't guarantee they'll pass??? What's the point? Incidentally my brakes are now squeaking!
This is a main Opel dealer and my car is a Tigra.
Anyone any idea where I should go with this?
Pink.
 
Re: Pre-NCT service then failed!!

I failed on this recently as well as another issue, a friend failed on this only, both after full services including NCT 'pre tests'.

When my friend asked the mechanic about it, he said that the alignment easily gets misaligned, e.g. by going over speed bumps (even slowly), and that it must have happened between the service and the test. Funny though, that the last time I did an NCT I had it serviced something like 3 months before, so there should have been plenty of time for the misalignment to have occured.
 
Re: Pre-NCT service then failed!!

Oh How frustrating!
I think I'm just feeling so hard done by having spent so much money and not on what I originally asked for. Oh well, guess I'll just have to risk their realignment machine! Bah humbug!
 
Re: Pre-NCT service then failed!!

Pre NCT tests are a waste of time and money. Just take the car in let them tell you what needs doing and get that done.
 
Re: Pre-NCT service then failed!!

nearly anyone i know who failed NCT had headlight alignment as one of the fails.

Its very annoying and blinding when you're driving at night and the person behind you or coming towards you lights are pointing so far up that it's like they have their beams on.
 
Re: Pre-NCT service then failed!!

Pre NCT tests are a waste of time and money. Just take the car in let them tell you what needs doing and get that done

I really did need to get the timing belt done so thought I'd kill two birds with one stone! But previously I had done just that, NCT first then service.
 
NTC first.....then leave it into your garage and show them from the report exactly what needs replaceing........nearly always the cheapest in the long run.
 
As per everyone else, a pre NCT is a waste of money. Just fix anything that is an obvious fail. Do the test and if the car fails use the results as a guide. As for light alignment, this is seen as a black art. I was talking to one garage owner who spent over 20k getting the same equipment as the NCT and his floor dugout and leveled, and still the cars failed. BTW, when you get the lights aligned make sure you fill your petrol tank (to the top) first and the same again when you do the NCT test. It goes without saying that if you have a headlight dip control, it should be set to 0 for the alignment and test. Even correctly aligned lights will fail if this is not set to 0 and it is NOT up to the tester to make this adjustment.
 
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