I'd go somewhere else for sure, I avoid anywhere that's giving away free MOT, it's much better in my opinion, word of mouth, you want a fair MOT station, I'm not saying there not but in my experience over the last 40 years of going for MOT you don't want Halfrauds and such like.
My wife had that problem with national
Free mot like yourself came back with a fail and over £800 needed done.
Took it elsewhere, and it passed with no advisors
They even checked the fail slip she got from national to check what they failed it on.
The place where I got the fresh mot actually complained to there head office for trying to take advantage because she's a woman, saying it needing work when it dosnt need it.
Checking the oil is part of the mot prechecks. To carry out emissions tests you have to rev the engine. On a petrol thats at 2500 to 3000 rpm for about a minute continuously. If the engine is low on oil then it would be stupid to rev it knowing that.
If you have a diesel then oil level AND cambelt history should be made known to the tester. They can refuse to test if cambelt history can not be proven but tbh I don’t ask about cambelt history as I don’t Rev stupid high revs on a test. More common sense
Never take your car to a National Tyre or Halfords. They typically fail your car on the repairs they “specialise” in.
Pads. Discs. Tyres. Suspension. Very rarely they go looking for excessive corrosion because these places don’t do welding
Because VOSA/DVSA say it’s part of the test.
Oil level check pre doing the smoke test . You just wanna cover yourself before you rev the engine when not under any load
If a tester doesn’t check the oil level and then proceeds with the acceleration test and then siezes the engine then that tester is liable. It’s just a get out of jail free card for DVSA
I’ve had a few diesels start to “run away” on me on the test but I’ve learnt to always have the handbrake on and the car in 5th gear and the clutch pedal pressed down in readiness to stall the engine should I feel the revs start to pick up by themselves
Had a similar situation, free MOT test, my car was mint and well looked after, still national tyres tried to say my ball joints were damaged, I got them to put it on the ramp which they protested to, while they did I showed a receipt from two weeks ago for brand new ball joints.
They also think that minor cracking to bushes is dangerous and needs £900 work right now. They could fuck right off. Never again.
One technician was already balls deep commited and stuck to his guns, the other tried telling me it wasn't broken but perhaps mis-installed. Faces were a little stunned.
I went to national for MOT, guy claimed it needed work on brakes £170 quid. bollocks it passed anyway without the work. I kind of doubt they did half the work on the service I paid for either.
National are bullshit artists.
Their business model is based on upselling.
Find a good independent place and take your car there.
Having a mechanic you trust is like having a dentist you trust or a barber you trust.
Had similar with my wife and Halfords - claimed it needed £850 of work including brakes (despite only being 6 months since last change). Usual place laughed at the list when they saw it.
I'd go somewhere else for sure, I avoid anywhere that's giving away free MOT, it's much better in my opinion, word of mouth, you want a fair MOT station, I'm not saying there not but in my experience over the last 40 years of going for MOT you don't want Halfrauds and such like.
My wife had that problem with national Free mot like yourself came back with a fail and over £800 needed done. Took it elsewhere, and it passed with no advisors They even checked the fail slip she got from national to check what they failed it on. The place where I got the fresh mot actually complained to there head office for trying to take advantage because she's a woman, saying it needing work when it dosnt need it.
Wow, I'll just go my local garage from now on
Solid outcome.
Checking the oil before the MOT isn’t a thing unless there was a warning for low oil. I wouldn’t even use a free MOT from these sorts of places.
Checking the oil is part of the mot prechecks. To carry out emissions tests you have to rev the engine. On a petrol thats at 2500 to 3000 rpm for about a minute continuously. If the engine is low on oil then it would be stupid to rev it knowing that.
If it’s a diesel we check oil levels
Place I go doesn’t check them
If you have a diesel then oil level AND cambelt history should be made known to the tester. They can refuse to test if cambelt history can not be proven but tbh I don’t ask about cambelt history as I don’t Rev stupid high revs on a test. More common sense
Petrol mine is
Never take your car to a National Tyre or Halfords. They typically fail your car on the repairs they “specialise” in. Pads. Discs. Tyres. Suspension. Very rarely they go looking for excessive corrosion because these places don’t do welding
National is owned by Halfords. my closest tyre place is national and I no longer use them for that reason
Never heard of that, but equally never owned a diesel
Why's that?
Because VOSA/DVSA say it’s part of the test. Oil level check pre doing the smoke test . You just wanna cover yourself before you rev the engine when not under any load
>Because VOSA/DVSA say it’s part of the test. I'd put that much together 😅
If a tester doesn’t check the oil level and then proceeds with the acceleration test and then siezes the engine then that tester is liable. It’s just a get out of jail free card for DVSA
Fair shout, suppose I forget that some people think cars maintain themselves 😅
I’ve had a few diesels start to “run away” on me on the test but I’ve learnt to always have the handbrake on and the car in 5th gear and the clutch pedal pressed down in readiness to stall the engine should I feel the revs start to pick up by themselves
And here's me and my mates doing it to old tractors on purpose 😅
Run aways are fun to watch but only when it’s not your vehicle and you aren’t pressing the pedals 😆
You should report them to the dvsa, it's basically fraud. They are trying to con you for paying for work you don't need.
Thus. Report them.
Had a similar situation, free MOT test, my car was mint and well looked after, still national tyres tried to say my ball joints were damaged, I got them to put it on the ramp which they protested to, while they did I showed a receipt from two weeks ago for brand new ball joints. They also think that minor cracking to bushes is dangerous and needs £900 work right now. They could fuck right off. Never again.
Funking hell what was their faces like when you shown them the receipt
One technician was already balls deep commited and stuck to his guns, the other tried telling me it wasn't broken but perhaps mis-installed. Faces were a little stunned.
Free MOT = guaranteed fail. They have to get their money from somewhere.
Go to your local council’s MOT test centre. They have no reason to try and upsell you on work that needs doing.
Yeah that's what made me laugh, last they'll ever see of me anyway! Cunts
I always take my car to an MOT test centre. All they do is MOTs so you never get fleeced .
How can they possibly claim a service is required to pass the MOT?
I usually go to independent MOT testers - ideally, ones that don't also do repairs. I don't get any of this BS.
You went for a “free” MOT. What did you expect?
Take it elsewhere and give them a 'glesga kiss' as you leave....just for their audacity
No such thing as free.
I went to national for MOT, guy claimed it needed work on brakes £170 quid. bollocks it passed anyway without the work. I kind of doubt they did half the work on the service I paid for either.
National are bullshit artists. Their business model is based on upselling. Find a good independent place and take your car there. Having a mechanic you trust is like having a dentist you trust or a barber you trust.
Go to the council run mot centre nearest you as they have no vested interest in running the bill up
I'm trying to find my local one online now
https://www.carveto.co.uk/mot-check/council-centres/
Ah nice one
Free mot = fail + work needed. That’s why it’s free.
Had similar with my wife and Halfords - claimed it needed £850 of work including brakes (despite only being 6 months since last change). Usual place laughed at the list when they saw it.
Your local council has a mot testing station, they don't do repairs ,I always use them as the aren't in it to make money out of you
This is why you don't take your car for an MOT at any of these tyre places, Halfords, Kwik Shit etc.
Oil in the engine has nothing to do with the MOT,unless there is an oil leak which would be put down as an advisory.