Well, She Failed...

[jmurray01]

Anybody who read my thread regarding a worn tyre (which was replaced this morning, for the record) will know the MOT on our 2000 Focus 1.8 is up very soon and I decided not to wait until it expires (on the 5th) and just to get it into National Tyres & Autocare today.

Well, it failed - which is no big surprise, and it is repairable but not great nonetheless.

It came back with the following refusals:

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.2)

Offside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Rear center Seat belt locking mechanism does not secure or release (5.2.5a)

Nearside Rear passengers seat cannot be secured in the upright position. (6.2.A.2)

And the following advisories:

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nail in offside rear tyre

oil leak

Apparently the rather vague refusal for the front brake was a binding O/S/F calliper which is strange as the car was in the very same garage less than a month ago for rear brakes and he admitted himself it was not binding then (however he did say the O/S/R wheel bearing was getting rough but this didn't appear on the advisories - very odd!).

Anyway, the long and the short of it is that regarding the rear seat and seatbelt issues (which are true and I knew about them, just not that they would necessarily fail) they couldn't do that as it would likely require some replacement second hand parts and maybe some welding.

One good thing is that because they physically could not do the work required to pass it, he said that if I paid the £27 test fee it can be brought back in within 10 days and passed without any further charges.

From National Tyres & Autocare we took the Focus to a smaller garage which also does welding and he said that he would do the front brake callipers and resolve the seat & seatbelt issues for £200. That is a good price if you ask me (National Tyres & Autocare were going to charge £160 just for the brake callipers) so it has now been booked in there this coming Wednesday.

That only leaves the headlamp issue outstanding which I could have National Tyres & Autocare resolve (for a charge, of course) but I wanted to ask you lot if it is likely I could easily fix it myself.

The mechanic said that it likely failed on that because the bulb had been incorrectly fitted and, as luck would have it, I fitted that bulb! Thing is though, when I was fitting that bulb I noticed that the entire internal housing of the headlamp was moving around freely and as such putting the alignment out. Therefore, if he had said the alignment was incorrect I would have understood, but I'm not too sure about the fail it got - unless that is a roundabout way of saying the alignment is bad. Who knows.

On a lighter note, I was rather amused that he mentioned the oil leak. What he means by that (I can only assume) is the slight leak from the power steering pump which isn't causing a "drip drip" leak (the reservoir level slowly decreased from the MAX mark to halfway over the space of 4-5 months). I suppose they just look for everything these days.

Anyway, I have rambled on and the majority of it has absolutely no meaning other than to document today's events regarding the Focus, however I would like to know your thoughts on the headlamp issue.

[STEADS]

Wow 200 quid to do a caliper and a seat belt buckle that you could get of eBay for a mere fraction of the price ouch the light might well be an incorrect bulb fitment ie not sitting in the holder correctly and if it does need aligning easily enough to do your self against a wall whee hits a bit darker see if the lens had come off the buckle joint might just well need popping back on .

[jmurray01]

Wow 200 quid to do a caliper and a seat belt buckle that you could get of eBay for a mere fraction of the price ouch the light might well be an incorrect bulb fitment ie not sitting in the holder correctly and if it does need aligning easily enough to do your self against a wall whee hits a bit darker see if the lens had come off the buckle joint might just well need popping back on .

Yes I could do it cheaper myself, but I work 9-5 and besides that don't really have the skill nor the time to learn how to do those jobs myself. Could be worse - I could have went to Kwik-Fit who would have added an extra naught onto that figure! :D

l'll have another look at that headlamp bulb when I get a chance and see if maybe I just didn't clip it back in right.

[SeanW]

Aren't National Tyres and Autocentres owned by Halfords?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Ford OC mobile app

[jmurray01]

Aren't National Tyres and Autocentres owned by Halfords?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Ford OC mobile app

I don't know what's wrong with me today, I meant to type Kwik-Fit!

[STEADS]

Now that would of been interesting four new shocks rad sir oh an your exhaust will need renewing oh an all four tyres apart from that your cars ok sir

[theduke]

and only an advisory for nail in the tyre

[wase16ll]

headlight is just as likely to be the 'internal housing' causing the incorrect beam

if you google headlight beam pattern..should see plenty of examples to what you should see if you shone your dipped headlights against a flat surface (such as a wall/garage door)

misalignment is a different fault...basicly the beam is correct but aimed too high/low/left or right

incorrectly fitted bulb, water inside headlight glass or insecure reflector or bulb holder are all main causes of incorrect beam.