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Hi I wonder if any one in this forum can give me a bit of advice. I have had my fiat punto now for 7 years and it has only 15500 miles as I only use it for shopping and local journeys. I took it for its MOT last week and it was failed on a front spring (something to do with the suspension) Anyway I told the garage to go ahead with the work and was duly charged £140 including the MOT charge and V.A.T. however I was not given any receipt. I was just told the receipt would be in the post. How can I tell if this work has been done. He did give me my M.O.T. certificate. Thanks to all who reply.
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How can I tell if this work has been done. He did give me my M.O.T. certificate.
It's not very scientific, but if you take a torch and shine it inside the wheelarch at the top of the wheel, you should be able to see the suspension spring heading upwards just behind the wheel (it is literally a big metal spring, you can't miss it). After a week, a new spring should still look visibly shinier and "newer" than the old one on the other side, or the components around it.
Also you could check the MOT database on this website
www.motinfo.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-His...p
It will tell you if they failed the first test and what they failed it on. Strictly speaking, testers are supposed to "log in", start a test, pass the car or document why they failed it, and log out again. So you should have an MOT fail logged against the car with the suspension spring marked as the fail point.
Seems very odd not to give you a receipt there and then. Is this a garage you have used before?
Edited by DP on 25/01/2010 at 16:55
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Thank you so much for taking the time to post a reply , you have clarified things for me and I will check for new spring. I have used this garage before and didn't have any problems. Thanks again Alese
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Look in the gap between the front tyre and wing, and you will see the coiled suspension spring. One side will be shiny and new, the other grubby and old.
Edit: Beaten to it by DP...
Edited by RichardW on 25/01/2010 at 16:55
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thanks Richard for your help Alese
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Look in the gap between the front tyre and wing and you will see the coiled suspension spring. One side will be shiny and new the other grubby and old.
Chances are if one spring has failed, the other one will fail too quite soon. I'd always prefer to replace as a pair.
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I wouldn't worry too much. A spring or track control arm is a large, visible item. They will look brand new for a while. I would imagine no MOT garage would risk their business by issuing a new certificate without doing the work, if it was needed. It costs thousands of pounds to set up an MOT station...the last thing they want is their facility closing down by VOSA.
I don't know the reasons for no reciept........maybe they have run out.
It might put your mind at ease if you were to go back and ask, out of interest, what they replaced and get them to show you it on the car. Old parts will have a patina of rust and road dirt.
Ted
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MY mums ford KA had a rear spring go last year, she only covers about 4,000 per year
on her 03 reg car.
cost was about £110.
seems to be pretty common.
Paul.
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>>seems to be pretty common.
Thanks to speed bumps?
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And potholes. My late C3 broke a front one at 14.000.
Potentially dangerous fault, spring ended rubbing on the wheel/tyre.
Fortunately, SWBO doing a U turn at about 1mph outside th3e house.
Spring was about £30...did it myself then got rid of car.
Ted
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i had a car with a broken spring today
how did i know?
it was leaking......
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Shock was leaking? Or is it a joke I have missed?
As a lot of people on here know, my Corsa has needed no less than four brand new springs in the last year. Ted very kindly fitted my rear ones for me :)
You will know if you have new springs the handeling should be tighter although it does depend on where it snapped. Spring failures seem to be common on cars made from 2000 onwards.
My dads are all original 85k and 13 years old, they are dirty but no rust or anything on them. Modern cars seem to have thiner springs which are made in eastern Europe but of course we have more pot holes too now. Its often rust too that gets these springs.
This is one of mine which had snapped quite badly
i167.photobucket.com/albums/u141/amazingtrade/bads...g
It was nine years old at the time so just a little older than your Punto. That had just passed the MOT three weeks before too!
Edited by Rattle on 26/01/2010 at 21:15
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