stuffed

[didds]

Son has a BMW 1 series.

Run flat tyres. No spare wheel etc.

Tyre shredded.

Call out mobile tyre fitting service. They arrive. No locking wheel nut renmover in car (son never had to try and find it before of course ). Mobile tyre chappy tries the kits he has available to him - no joy.

Car needs to go to depot.

Son calls breakdown service. They won't come out because on the govt database thing it says he does not have a MOT.

Except of course - he does. Its just not on the system.

* sigh *

Why does this sh1t3 always happen to my son, and thus in effect me?

</rant>

didds

[swill453]

Son calls breakdown service. They won't come out because on the govt database thing it says he does not have a MOT.

Except of course - he does. Its just not on the system.

I don't understand that. The MOT is the system.

i.e. there's no such thing as an MOT certificate these days really, it's just a printout of what's on the database.

What do you see if you look it up on https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history ?

Scott.

[didds]

it says its not MOTed.

But he took it in for the MOT and it passed. whatever that means these days as you say. He certaoinly wasn;t told its failed jkate - here are your list of things to get fixed etc.

We don't understand it either.

its just boring. More rubbish to have to sort out because some system or other isn't working or hasn;t been followed, or a mistake has been made by the MOT station or whatever



didds

[bungeejumper]

Call out mobile tyre fitting service. They arrive. No locking wheel nut renmover in car (son never had to try and find it before of course ). Mobile tyre chappy tries the kits he has available to him - no joy.

Ouch. Old heads, young shoulders. Shoulda seen that one coming (the remover would have been needed any time he wanted to change a tyre), but hey, you don't always manage to think of everything when you're young and inexperienced.

Yes, tyre dealers do have very expensive wheel nut removers - they cost a couple of grand each, I believe? - and it's a bit unexpected that they didn't work on this car. It'll probably cost him £75-odd to have all wheels released, and then £30-40 or so for a new set of 4/5 locking nuts that do have a key.

However, the MOT situation is a bigger bother, because the DVLA database very rarely gets it wrong. Did he buy the car privately? And who from?

Commiserations again!

BJ

[Watis]

it says its not MOTed.

But he took it in for the MOT and it passed. whatever that means these days as you say. He certaoinly wasn;t told its failed jkate - here are your list of things to get fixed etc.

We don't understand it either.

its just boring. More rubbish to have to sort out because some system or other isn't working or hasn;t been followed, or a mistake has been made by the MOT station or whatever



didds

My car passed its MOT last month and I got a printed copy of the MOT certificate together with the emissions report. I would have thought that MOT centres are required to provide these, by law?

Hopefully MonsterMork will see this and be able to provide the full skinny.

Watis

[didds]

However, the MOT situation is a bigger bother, because the DVLA database very rarely gets it wrong. Did he buy the car privately? And who from?



BJ

the MOT has been since he bought it, it wasn't bought with the "current" (non) MOT etc. He has owned it over a year etc.

just ... *sigh*

I can see it just being easier to go and get the bloody thing MOTed again!

didds

[swill453]

I can see it just being easier to go and get the bloody thing MOTed again!

If it's caught on the road by an ANPR camera without an MOT there'll be even more bother. Presumably there's some sort of paperwork from the garage that did it? Receipt, invoice or something.

Scott.

[didds]

absolutely Scott!

So he's got the car to the tyre place and has left it with them to just MOT it and get the hassle over and done with!


didds

[Slarti]

I can see it just being easier to go and get the bloody thing MOTed again!

didds

Speak to the MOT centre, they should be able to sort out what happened.

Wasn't there some sort of IT glitch with MOTs a month or so back?

Also, if you have the printout, check that the details on it match your son's car.

Slarti

[DrFfybes]

Speak to the MOT centre, they should be able to sort out what happened.

Wasn't there some sort of IT glitch with MOTs a month or so back?

Slarti

One of many - when I went for an MOT in May (I checked the online database for the date, and to make sure it was on!) the system was down and he had to do the MOTs and got a slot later that day to enter his day's tests. He said it wasn't an uncommon occurrence (actually not his exact words!).

I never got any paperwork as it can't be printed until after the test is entered on the system.

Paul

[88V8]

Belatedly... one of our cars was MOTd during a system-not-working day this summer, the garage gave me a temporary bit of paper, a printed form. Evidently not unusual.

I would never buy a car with no spare wheel. Ridiculous. If buyers refused, manufacturers would not be able to get away with it.

And, tyre changing should be part of the driving test. That would reduce the number of women drivers clogging up the roads :}

Humph.

V8

[bungeejumper]

And, tyre changing should be part of the driving test. That would reduce the number of women drivers clogging up the roads :}

Good luck with that one. What's your blood group? It never hurts to know.

I have twice called out the AA to change a tyre, and both times they were fine about it. The first time was at 1.00am in rain on the M4 hard shoulder, and the second time I was wearing my best suit and didn't intend to get filthy. Agree, though, that everyone should at least know how it's done.

BJ

[88V8]

Not entirely joking about the tyre changing. To be stuck for inability to do something fairly basic is rather silly, and given that an hour or more of response time is quite usual for a Breakdown service one is potentially left in an unnecessarily bad situation, depends where and when of course.

When we bought our latest car I got the wife to change a wheel, on the drive, so she knows how. That was a few years ago, and should probably be refreshed.

Often when cars had been to the garage, I used to find that the wheel nuts had been overtightened, so I got in the habit of checking. This seems less of a problem nowadays, but still.... I also bought one of those extendable wrenches. And I have a tyre pump and a gauge in each car. And a pair of gloves and an old shirt.
Boring old-fart notions...........

V8

[Itsallaguess]

I got the wife to change a wheel, on the drive, so she knows how.

That was a few years ago, and should probably be refreshed.

Steady!

What if the new one can't change a tyre either?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[Slarti]

Belatedly... one of our cars was MOTd during a system-not-working day this summer, the garage gave me a temporary bit of paper, a printed form. Evidently not unusual.

I would never buy a car with no spare wheel. Ridiculous. If buyers refused, manufacturers would not be able to get away with it.

And, tyre changing should be part of the driving test. That would reduce the number of women drivers clogging up the roads :}

Humph.

V8

I've never changed a tyre in my life, though I have changed wheels.

But I very much doubt if I could do so these days, with wheel nuts being applied by airgun and the wheel brace in the car being so small. Not enough leverage.

Slarti

[sg31]

Belatedly... one of our cars was MOTd during a system-not-working day this summer, the garage gave me a temporary bit of paper, a printed form. Evidently not unusual.

I would never buy a car with no spare wheel. Ridiculous. If buyers refused, manufacturers would not be able to get away with it.

And, tyre changing should be part of the driving test. That would reduce the number of women drivers clogging up the roads :}

Humph.

V8

I've never changed a tyre in my life, though I have changed wheels.

But I very much doubt if I could do so these days, with wheel nuts being applied by airgun and the wheel brace in the car being so small. Not enough leverage.

Slarti

Many years ago I carried a couple of foot of scaffolding tube in the boot to slip over the end of the wheel brace for stubborn nuts. I haven't had to change a wheel ..................Whoa, that would be tempting fate, forget I said it.

[kiloran]

Many years ago I carried a couple of foot of scaffolding tube in the boot to slip over the end of the wheel brace for stubborn nuts. I haven't had to change a wheel ..................Whoa, that would be tempting fate, forget I said it.

If you were stopped by the police, would they consider it as a replacement for a baseball bat?

--kiloran

[sg31]

Many years ago I carried a couple of foot of scaffolding tube in the boot to slip over the end of the wheel brace for stubborn nuts. I haven't had to change a wheel ..................Whoa, that would be tempting fate, forget I said it.

If you were stopped by the police, would they consider it as a replacement for a baseball bat?

--kiloran

Fortunately the situation never arose.

To be honest the thought never crossed my mind, the scaffolding tube was a common work around back then and I suppose they were simpler times. I'd barely heard of baseball bats, the nearest thing would be a rounders bat and they weren't nearly as dangerous.