Anxiety Day approaching..........

[StuBeeDoo]

It's nearly here again. That time of year when I leave my car at the garage and walk away, asking myself "Is he going to find something I've missed?"

Still another week to go, but already the question is randomly coming to me.

To be fair, I found myself agreeing with a couple of YouTubers who run classics that are MOT-exempt who said that they still have their cars tested annually, even though they do very small mileages, ".....because you never know what you might have not seen."

[gmc15]

Just had mine MOT'd today. Dropped car off at 09:30 and started checking Gov website at 10:15 to see if all was OK. Passed with flying colours, no advisories so I can relax for another year

[StuBeeDoo]

Just had mine MOT'd today. Dropped car off at 09:30 and started checking Gov website at 10:15 to see if all was OK. Passed with flying colours, no advisories so I can relax for another year

Great stuff!
It's very rare mine doesn't end-up like that. But with each passing year, everything is a little bit older, there's more likelyhood of wear and tear. I'm only doing c.7000 miles a year now, but that doesn't stop rubber deteriorating for instance.

[X5Sport]

Mine is next week. I hate it too just in case there is as you say, something that I missed.

[Leslie]

My old b6 passat failed most of the last 10 mots before I got it on one thing or another and its still going with 255,000 miles on it though its been on the back of a flatbed once this year already for a blown turbo at 252k (original and been smoking on startup only for about 100k before that) and had the AA out a second time for electric handbrake locked on This is about the first year it passed first time Its pretty well worn by now to be fair as you would expect .

[StuBeeDoo]

Sitting, waiting for the call telling me the test is done, I've been pondering............

The car is 12 years old next month. I think, early next year, I'm going to poly-bush the front suspension and replace the bushes on the rear with Meyle HD ones. 12-y-o rubber bushes are going to be well past their best, aren't they?

[X5Sport]

Our E46 has 19 year old ones and only the front lower wishbones ever needed doing (so far) and that was two years ago. No idea what state things might be in now though. Car hasn’t been started or driven for 18 months (in storage at present).

[StuBeeDoo]

"Is he going to find something I've missed?"

It failed. ......And it's something I couldn't have seen - a rear spring.
I've now ordered a pair, and I will get the garage to fit them and re-test it. Once the springs arrive, I'll get it booked-in.

[X5Sport]

HRH’s E46 has broken two rear springs in its life and like you, we didn’t see the first one. The second was obvious as it made a lot of noise. Unbelievably, the local main BMW Dealer blamed failures on recycled steel! Ermm, right.

[Alan Gunn]

Mine is 22 and gets everything it wants.
My m8 of 45 years has a garage and any noise or anything i hear gets looked at asap.
But at test time i still panic and deep down i know it will pass i was a tester myself for a long time and check my cars all the time.

[Leslie]

Broken springs probably one of the most common fails these days after tyres..

[sapphireblack]

I'm not susceptible to too much anxiety at test time, believing that i do right by the car via main dealer maintenance, albeit that comes at a price. It also still hasn't reached 40k miles yet on a 2009 vehicle.

I do recall a previous tester noted some issues with front brake backing plates. However two tests since and its never been mentioned again

[StuBeeDoo]

........ And, to add insult to injury, my dashcam ran-up the white flag yesterday evening.

[Leslie]

They were añways unplugging mine in tbe mot even when it wad only the mount and I hsd the camera taken off

[Leslie]

I

I do recall a previous tester noted some issues with front brake backing plates. However two tests since and its never been mentioned again

There are what look like ittle inspection plates riveted on ,one each side must be for 4 wheel air suspension option that shake loose and rub , removed one of mine year ago ,makes no difference.