MOT Fail ....... GRRRRRRR!!!

J

Jonnymito

Member
 Perth
Well at the end of my first year of ownership the time came to put the car in for it's MOT today. FAILED!!! :x

1. Both rear springs have fractured (New this was in the post going by the thread on here!)
2. Excessive corrosion on the front to rear brake lines, on both sides.

Now I'm not worried about doing the rear springs as I have a set there for when the time inevitably came.

The brake lines however are a different story. I've been told to expect a 3 - 4 hour labour bill? I'm pretty capable with most things mechanical and wondered how difficult the lines are to replace? I just hate parting with a couple of hundred pound if I can do it myself.

Does anyone have any experience of doing this? Most of the threads I have read are about getting someone else to do it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:
 
cant answer your question but from a personal point thats scary because your car musnt be too old being a coupe - what age/milage does she have? mine just turned 5years, coupe, 29k, through mot no problem. the car looks real clean underneath too, like new almost.
 
doofus4000 said:
cant answer your question but from a personal point thats scary because your car musnt be too old being a coupe - what age/milage does she have? mine just turned 5years, coupe, 29k, through mot no problem. the car looks real clean underneath too, like new almost.
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It's a 2007 with just under 40k on the clock so I was really surprised too. I know that last winter was really bad and most of the road salt will have just been lying on the top of the snow but for both sides to need replaced front to back was still a shock.
 
very suprising indeed. did you get down and look at the pipes yourself after the mot? i.e. did you get a tester who didnt like you lol? trying to eliminate some avenues just.
 
Mine passed fine at a similar mileage, but I'm not in Scotland so might not be exposed to the same weather conditions.

Just about due for this year's MOT too, so will see how they are with 54,000 miles on them - although they looked fine when I last had it on a lift (about 2 months ago).
 
by brake lines i assume you mean brake pipes?

that does not sound too good for a 4 year old car
 
At work just now so I'll get underneath it tonight. I need to change the springs anyway.

TAZ yes it's the pipes from front to back.
 
Dav the wheel nut said:
Try rubbing them down gently as it may be just light surface corrosion.
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I doubt it if it's failed the MOT. Slight corrosion would have been an advisory.

Harsh though to be failing on a 4 year old car
 
I had the same problem last summer with our 16 year old VW Corrado VR6. As the OEM pipes would cost a fortune even if they were available from VW, the local (non-franchise) repair garage made up copper replacements and fitted them with new nipples etc. Total charge £290. (£195 for the labour, the rest was parts £47 and tax!)

They just removed the corroded pipes and used them as the template to make new ones...... apparently easy if you know how!

As far as the Z4 springs are concerned mine had to be changed at 45k miles, 6 years old.

Good luck
 
I personally think they are on the con I highly doubt 4 year old brake pipes will be shot. Have a look yourself it's lots of labour and little in parts. Doesn't really ring true to me.
 
Thanks all , some good advice. I'm going to get under the car tonight and take a look anyway. I've never known of a car that is as young as this needing all the pipes replaced.

The garage I've gone to have always looked after my cars and look after all my family's cars too so I hope they wouldn't be stupid enough to try and con me out of a few quid when they already get so much work.

I'll have a look tonight and post up what I find. :thumbsup:
 
BMW must use the same supplier for Brake Pipes as they used for Windshield Rubber Moldings....Do you blokes in the UK that live in areas with snow and salt application to the roads not get your undercarriage sprayed with rustproofing protector?
 
Dav the wheel nut said:
Try rubbing them down gently as it may be just light surface corrosion.
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Once theyre rubbed down you can paint them with hammerite or other undercoat to prevent them rusting again.. I did this on my 19 year old Scirocco two years ago..
 
Mine passed it's MOT with no advisories at 50K miles / five years...in sunny old England though
 
My 2003 3.0 which lived outside all its life never had any comments on the brake lines.... Hmm.
 
Adam D said:
My 2003 3.0 which lived outside all its life never had any comments on the brake lines.... Hmm.
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Ironically a car that lives outside is likely to suffer less rust on sheltered underneath parts such as brake lines as they dry off fully every time the car parks up. A warmer garage is just a humid steam room to rust them.

Of course the downside of outsid parking is more chance of water ingress through windows, exposure of paint to the elements, etc.
 
im in the same boat sadly, my brake pipes need changed before my next MOT :( it seems to be a problem with the northen ZEDS, guessing due to constant rain and the amount of salt on the roads in the winter months.
 
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