Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

[madra]

i took my 2,8TDI into my usual garage for its MOT last month and found that my usual guy was not on duty.  instead there was a different bloke in charge of doing the MOTs.  now the previous bloke was what i would consider 'firm but fair'.  he wouldnae pass my motors if there was anything dangerous wrong with them, but was the kind of person who would take into account that a 15 - 20 year old car was not going to be in showroom condition, so if  [for example] a windscreen wiper was a bit iffy or and indicator lens had paint on it or was cracked, he'd issue the MOT but say "you'll need to get that fixed for next time"

anyway, in spite of my misgivings, i left my old trooper with the new bloke and went off to twiddle my thumbs.  when i came back to pick up the car, the new guy's assistant told me it had 'done really badly' [note: new bloke himself never even acknowledged my presence with so much as a nod of the head or a glance in my direction,  the entire time i was in the garage - miserable oul' scrote!]

i retrieved my MOT failure checklist and couldnae believe the list of things he'd failed it on. it was as long as yer arm:

* brake efficiency 30%
* brake pads less than 1mm remaining
* windscreen wiper not cleaning windscreen adequately
* rear reflector not 'reflecting' enough [WTF?!!!   ]
* rear shock absorbers not dampening enough
* corrosion within 30cm of seatbelt anchor
* brake servo taking too long to achieve vacuum

i hadnae expected anything anywhere near this bad.  i know my old banger's not the prettiest or cleanest motor on the road, but i look after it and keep it in [what i consider] to be a roadworthy condition.  i was especially gobsmacked at the alleged 30% braking efficiency and 'less than 1mm' remaining on the brake pads, as i'd only overhauled the brakes and put a new set of pads in about 9 months earlier.  i didnae believe the new pads would have worn that quickly and i was certain the brakes were  working at way more than the alleged 30% efficiency.  as we know, no 4x4 exactly stops on a sixpence, but i've driven loads of them in my time and my trooper's brakes are as good, if not better, than anything i've previously owned.  i should have probably argued the toss there and then, before taking the motor away, but you know how it is when you fail an MOT really badly , you're so shellshocked you just want to crawl out of the place and skulk away home.

anyway, the next weekend i went off and scored myself a new set of brakepads and set to work to do the brakes.  a couple of hours later and  - surprise! surprise! - i get the old pads off to find that they've got at least 4mm of 'tread' left on them.  so the dishonest *beep* had completely lied about that part of the MOT failure.  as regards the other things he failed it on, there were a few niggles at the back of my mind regarding a couple of those as well:

* corrosion within 30 cm of seatbelt anchors
as with a lot of old troopers, i've got a fair bit of rusting along the bottom of the door sills.  now, technically speaking that rust is within 30cm of a seatbelt anchor, if you measure in a straight line with a piece of string, but [correct me if i'm wrong!] the state of the doorsills disnae effect the security of the seatbelt anchorings, which are on the door pillar, which is a completely different part of the chassis and is fine and rust free on my trooper.

* brake servo taking too long to achieve vacuum
when i start my trooper from cold, the brake warning light usually takes about 30secs to a minute to go off - especially in the winter.  i'm presuming this is when the servo vacuum is geting up to [or rather 'down' to] the correct level as, during this time the brakes work but without servo assistance.  however, it's a moot point anyway as, by the time i've opened my front gate, got in the car and got my seatbelt on the brake light has gone off and the brakes are working fine and on subsequent stops and starts of the engine the brakelight goes out straight away. so i'm not sure what he's driving at here, as regards this being a failure item.  surely your engine is allowed a few seconds to 'get the juices flowing' and get everything rotating at the correct speed, before measuring things like that?

as regards the other things he failed it on, such as 'rear shocks not dampening enough' i'll have to take his word for that, as i've no way of measuring that myself.

sorry.  i've gone off on a bit of a longwinded waffle [as usual!] but i think i needed a bit of a rant, coz i'm really pissed off about this *beeb* lying about the state of my brake pads [and god knows what else] and failing my motor on at least one dubious ground,  to try and swindle some money out of me.  the only consolation i got in the whole business was seeing the look of dismay on his face when the assistant said "so do you want to book it in for the work then?" and i replied "of course not.  i never get the work done at the same garage that's doing the MOT"  

so, to finally cut to the chase, i'm not going back to that place again, hence i need recommendations from any of you in the greater manchester area as to an MOT centre that'll give an old trooper a fair crack of the whip.  just in case it's not clear, i'm *not* after a bent MOT or a dodgy 'slip me fifty quid and i'll pass it' place.  neither am i averse to sticking my hand in my pocket if there's anything on the car that genuinely needs replacing or fixing.  but times being what they are - recession looming and all that - i cannae afford to  be spending money on new parts [like that set of brakepads!] when there's nothing actually wrong with the old ones. so, i just want to find a garage like my local one *used* to be - where they'll deal with a bloke honestly, tell it like it is and not be expecting  a 20 year old motor to behave like it's just come off the production line.

any suggestions folks?


[BTW ironically enough, on the one thing mr. dodgy couldnae fiddle - the smoke emissions printout - my trooper passed with flying colours, registering only  0,3 - 0,5 out of a permitted 3,0]
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[Google]

[Philp]

TBH they all sound like legitimate fail items, whilst I agree that the corrosion laws take a car to be a modern monocoque not a vehicle with a proper chassis the rest are safety related and I'd expect any MoT garage to fail them.  I don't have a problem with small stuff being passed over, last time my chevy was MoT'd the rear fog (cheapy aftermarket item) was intermittant and the tester just said "you look like an enthusiast, I trust you to get it fixed"  but brakes and shocks are critical to safe handling and stopping.  Wiper blades you should be aware of before you take it in with all the rain we've been having and a new pair of blades and bending the arm to get a good contact is a few quid and five minutes work.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

[madra]

[markymoan]

I agree with some of the fails like the brake vaccum, my light goes out instantly and I can pump the brakes like an idiot and it does not come back on.
Decent MOT place, I use a small garage in Farnworth that take it for me, they know the tester and will pass it as long as its SAFE to drive, the problem you have now is the fail will be on the database and the new garage will have that info.
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[gary820]

Not defending them but, the pads, you can only asses what you can see, looking through the wheel or from underneath it may of looked like they were low, the minimum amount of pad material is 1.5mm if they looked that low to the tester it's a fail.
Brake efficiency could have a sticking caliper or something like that, the brake servo is a fail, it doesn't matter if it's upto full assitance on your drive opening gates etc, it's the time of test that counts.
the corrosion on a vehicle with a seperate chassis.... i wouldn't like to comment without seeing it, it's all about prescribed areas.
The shocks... bounce test on each corner, push down each corner and let go, wants to be back to rest postion 2 to 3 bounces.
Wipers  
reflector... is it dull? could possibly clean it up maybe dirt inside the lamp, can always go halfords or somewhere buy some stick on ones and well stick them on over the old reflectors!
As already stated it's on the system no matter where it goes they can see what it's failed on.
Without seeing the vehicle it does sound like valid fails, pads.. again i didn't test it so don't know what looked like through the wheels!
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landcruiser 80 series  4.5, 35's/33's for road, 2inch lift, discreet winch, sliders/armour, factory lockers, stainless side exit +++++

[jonnie]

i dont know where in mcr you are ?

i use park garage
knowl street stalybridge
0161338 3127
ask for tom
he sends them out  for mot ,he does work for me & a good price.
is prices are fair tell him john sent you .
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love my trooper.

 

[irishtommy]

victoria motors in salford   01617371117 ask for mike
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1993 3.1td lwb big red one  now sold
1994 gold 3.2v6 monster now replaced
1993 lwb 3.1 in blue

[fintius maximus]

I always use local authority testing stations - run by councils primarily to maintain works vehicles but they do testing for private cars.  They don't do any repair work and are likely to be less stringent on minor things.  Obviously bits that could cause safety issues are done to the book, as they should be.

[mutlley]

i thought that once you'ed took your car to one MOT place, you could no longer take it else where because its been registered on the computer database.  

and what its failed on.

[irishtommy]

yes it allways stays on data base...example   i bought wife a punto it failed on everything i thought it was abit over the top took it to were i go he looked over it said one or two things listed on failure were right but most was nit picking we done the two most important bits he passed it and giv me an advise sheet to do the other little bits when i want to do them ,thats what i mean its a fair garage he dosnt just fail everything looking for the work repairing them which is what most of them do
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1993 3.1td lwb big red one  now sold
1994 gold 3.2v6 monster now replaced
1993 lwb 3.1 in blue

[beanhead]

[jonnie]

small world i work in the bridge , ive used most garages there & most are a ripp off .

i got mot done one at garage next too morrisons , not bad but bit picky on bushes ect .

its passed with swearing tom for the past 2 years .

he is good just doesnt like work lol
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love my trooper.

 

[beanhead]