Car advice

[killiepiemuncher]

Go to your local scrappies and get the buckle of a seat belt and plug it in like taxi drivers do.
No seatbelt warning alarm and no fannying about with the jammed seat belt.

And nothing to stop you flying through the windscreen in an accident.

[RandomGuy.]

10 hours ago, Left Back said:

He's phoned back and said the pads are worn and split and that's why its dangerous.  He also said the brake pads don't get checked during an MoT.

Either the MoT people have fucked it or the dealer is at it.

Potentially neither are in the wrong.

The MOT tester checks the pads for wear visually, without removing them, by looking through the wheel at them with a torch. The service mechanic checks them by removing them completely and putting them on a bench. Its more than possible for a cracked pad to pass an MOT, as its performance won't be affected and the cracked part won't be visible, but also be deemed dangerous due to the risk of it completely breaking apart and failing.

MOT tests aren't flawless.

[welshbairn]

5 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

MOT tests aren't flawless.

Yeah, I was grateful to a tester once who passed a van I was thinking about buying, but left a comment saying that he couldn't examine the rust on the sill that it had previously had advisories for because it had been covered up with gaffer tape and paint. 

[Left Back]

17 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Potentially neither are in the wrong.

The MOT tester checks the pads for wear visually, without removing them, by looking through the wheel at them with a torch. The service mechanic checks them by removing them completely and putting them on a bench. Its more than possible for a cracked pad to pass an MOT, as its performance won't be affected and the cracked part won't be visible, but also be deemed dangerous due to the risk of it completely breaking apart and failing.

MOT tests aren't flawless.

That seems a fair point and I’ll take your word for it.  Would that make the car unroadworthy though?

Still not adding up to me that the brakes can be so bad after so little driving in the last two years.

They confirmed they replaced the rear stuff 4000 miles ago and it now needs replaced again.

they said they didn’t touch the front brakes two years ago even though they “failed” the pads and I told them to crack on and do what needed to be done.  I can’t remember the details of that conversation, all I have to go on is the paperwork I’ve found from the service.  I may have some more kicking about detailing the work they actually did but I haven’t found it yet.  I know I’ll have it somewhere though.

[RandomGuy.]

7 hours ago, Left Back said:

That seems a fair point and I’ll take your word for it.  Would that make the car unroadworthy though?

If the pads strength is reduced and a mechanic spots that, then they have to advise you to change them incase they fail.

Dealers are strict, they can't afford any comeback/lawsuits, so if they advise you to keep using the car with cracked pads, the brakes fail and you crash, it's them who are fucked. You'd likely find an Independent garage you're friendly with would be more likely to advise you that you can keep using it, but probably also would suggest you change them at some point in the next year or so.

I wouldn't overthink the mileage/length of time. It's not wear so it doesn't matter really. Pads can crack with something as simple as you driving through a puddle when they're red hot. I've seen someone need disks every year for their MOT and be furious about it, only to find they would hammer their car about to "clean it out", then wash it, before bringing it in. Spraying water on the red hot disk was warping them.

[Aladdin]

13 hours ago, Arthur daley said:

Have you tried taking any of the plastic trim off to get into see the mechanism and see if you can fire any grease or wd40 in it ,also if it was retracting a good clean of the whole seatbelt could help (and if it’s an older vehicle you can sometimes find the seat belts frayed on the edge ) as you would be surprised the amount of dirt that can come off one .

Had taken the first bit of the trim off to make sure there wasnt a bit of the belt I could see twisted but it all looks fine.  The car is only 5 years old and had relatively light use.

I'll try firing some WD40 into it, I just would expect if it was dirt etc that it would be unaffected by the temperature but who knows.  It was fine first thing this morning when the temperature had dropped.

Windows closed, air con on full blast was my first attempt at a solution which sadly did not work.

[101]

8 hours ago, killiepiemuncher said:

And nothing to stop you flying through the windscreen in an accident.

Worth it to save a couple of hundred quid. Who actually crashes anyway? And you have the air bag to soften your impact.

[Arthur daley]

14 minutes ago, Aladdin said:

Had taken the first bit of the trim off to make sure there wasnt a bit of the belt I could see twisted but it all looks fine.  The car is only 5 years old and had relatively light use.

I'll try firing some WD40 into it, I just would expect if it was dirt etc that it would be unaffected by the temperature but who knows.  It was fine first thing this morning when the temperature had dropped.

Windows closed, air con on full blast was my first attempt at a solution which sadly did not work.

If your going to need to replace it anyway I would pull the belt out and give it a spray  with a needle extension can’t hurt ,had only seen them sticking abit in old motors and vans with mega miles on it and the seat belt is usually dirty as,but problay not in ur case with light use and five year old,although it has been said in jest about putting a spare clip in the seatbelt to stop the warning light and alert the easier way is to clip the seatbelt in when ur out the car if it’s working just now  ,and just slip the  chest strap over u so it looks like your wearing a belt to passing police until you get it fixed ,obviously still dangerous but will stop getting a pull off the police then having to explain your car does not have a working seatbelt lol . 

[Sergeant Wilson]

10 hours ago, killiepiemuncher said:

And nothing to stop you flying through the windscreen in an accident.

Never thought of that.

[killiepiemuncher]

Never thought of that.

There you go I’ve just saved your life.

[Sergeant Wilson]

2 minutes ago, killiepiemuncher said:

There you go I’ve just saved your life.

Do you have a pamphlet you could send me?

[killiepiemuncher]

1 hour ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Do you have a pamphlet you could send me?

Here’s a ad if your still not sure. 
 

 

[Sergeant Wilson]

Just now, killiepiemuncher said:

Here’s a ad if your still not sure. 
 

 

Going through the windscreen of Sir Jimmy's car might not be the worst thing that could happen to you.

[TxRover]

5 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Going through the windscreen of Sir Jimmy's car might not be the worst thing that could happen to you.

Except for the position that going partially through the windshield is liable to leave you in…with Sir Jimmy sitting there…

[welshbairn]

9 hours ago, Aladdin said:

Had taken the first bit of the trim off to make sure there wasnt a bit of the belt I could see twisted but it all looks fine.  The car is only 5 years old and had relatively light use.

I'll try firing some WD40 into it, I just would expect if it was dirt etc that it would be unaffected by the temperature but who knows.  It was fine first thing this morning when the temperature had dropped.

Windows closed, air con on full blast was my first attempt at a solution which sadly did not work.

No idea what the fuss is here, just steal the number plates off a pre 1966 Bentley, replace them with yours and nobody will be any the wiser.

[invergowrie arab]

12 hours ago, 101 said:

Worth it to save a couple of hundred quid. Who actually crashes anyway? And you have the air bag to soften your impact.

Cars should be like burger King. You can pick and choose what you want.

Why should I waste money on passenger seats, indicators, more than one fog light setting and second gear ?

[strichener]

11 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Cars should be like burger King. You can pick and choose what you want.

Why should I waste money on passenger seats, indicators, more than one fog light setting and second gear ?

Tbf, that's what BMW used to do with the stereo being an optional extra.  They are now included but at the expense of indicators.

[supermik]

1 hour ago, strichener said:

Tbf, that's what BMW used to do with the stereo being an optional extra.  They are now included but at the expense of indicators.

Cost me £700 for mats in my 355.

[Guest]

Cost me £700 for mats in my 355.

You paid £700 for mats....

[killiepiemuncher]

Cost me £700 for mats in my 355.

Is that a Ferrari 355 your on about? Kudos.