getting nervous

[kemp2368]

hi all,its that mot time in a few days, its been 1 year since buying my 1st merc and i must say its been trouble free (touch wood)all ive needed was 2 new front tyres
i fitted new electric ariel with new cd player when first got her and all is well.
the reason for posting is that on the old mot was a advisory saying the nearside&offside front lower suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement
ive only done around 4 k this year,does anyone have any advice about changing these if needed or is it a garage job?? i use a very good local mechanic who has never let me down or ripped me off in 20 years, he charges about £35 p/hour and comes to my work place to pick car up
how long should it take him etc
thanks in advance

 

[kemp2368]

good news,passed mot but with a couple of advisorys,slight weep from shock,slight leak from diff and it took a couple of goes to pass emisions
overall not to bad
he says the suspension bushes are fine,and both leaks are miniture and normal for a car 14 years old
as for the emissions he reckons it might need new lambda next year,or might be as i only drive it 3 miles a day

 

[Cole@MBS]

As you righty say, not bad for a 14 year old car!!

 

[television]

With an Italian tune up the day of the next test it will fly through

 

[Alex M Grieve]

With an Italian tune up the day of the next test it will fly through

Spot on Malcolm! I first learned about this many years ago when I was overtaken by the car I had just put in for servicing, being driven faster than I thought it could go, by the apprentice at the dealership!

Subsequent enquiry revealed that many of their customers were older people who drove conservatively, so "it was their practise" to allow the junior staff to let off a bit of testosterone by "cleaning the plugs". I am sure they billed the elderly for a much more elaborate process, with the cost of many parts which they never fitted.

They certainly never saw me again.

Now that I am in my dottage, I can still enjoy doing my own Italian Tune Ups, and save a bit of money as well. My cars seem never to exceed 10% of the emissions levels prescribed in the rules, so the technique certainly works.

 

[television]

In Sweden Alex the MOT testers do it for you

 

[Alex M Grieve]

In Sweden Alex the MOT testers do it for you

Did you catch her name .......?

 

[television]

Did you catch her name .......?

And yes the Swedish state owned stations do have some very nice females, the stations are fully automated even down to shock absorber testing where this device grabs a wheel and oscillates it up and down, "just like that"

 

[kemp2368]

so its a swedish/ Italian Tune Up then,i`d pay money to see that

 

[television]

so its a swedish/ Italian Tune Up then,i`d pay money to see that

You do pay for the test, but half of the UK price, big problem is you cannot pick who is going to test the car, you have a "Kund number" and drive in when your number is up