MOT Advisory

[Gizmo]

I had an advisory that the front passenger suspension bush had perished. Just had a look now and this is the only thing I can see wrong.



Is that the bit that needs replacing? It's split. How hard is it to replace?

Any help greatly apreciated It's a mk2 BTW.

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

that's a CV joint boot. You can get a replacement from GSF. its quite awkward to replace though, the CV joint needs to be removed from the wheel hub (which may require you to separate the anti roll bar/track control arm from the suspension strut) Then the CV joint needs to be separated from the driveshaft so you can remove the old boot/fit the new one.

That's nothing like a 'front passenger suspension bush' though.

[Gizmo]

Thanks Gaz

That's what I thought. Where the heck is the suspension bush? I had a good look under the car with my torch but couldn't see anything obvious other than that.

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

there are several. One you can see at the bottom left of the pic where the anti roll bar goes through. there is one at the other end where the lower suspension arm bolts to the car. Id imagine it's one of them two.

[Gizmo]

Hmmm i'll have another look in the morning.

Just a quicky! Could that cv joint be the cause of a screeching noise I sometimes get when turning left?

[Gareth_GT_Hatch]

knackered cv joints tend to make more of a clicking noise when theyve had it - it does happen when turning/near full lock though.

[steveo3002]

get that boot done asap before it kills the joint ...water and grit will get in there

might as well do both bottom arm and arb bushes....job done then

[pitman]

I got the same advisory for our 22 years old Polo.

I really wonder if a worn bush in the upper suspension strut can be detected by only moving the wheels. Surely, the tester couldn't show me those bushes as the are hidden.

I only noticed that testing at this MOT station, where I'm since three years now with our three cars, has become a little bit awkward and bizarre this year since the computerisation of the MOT testing.

On one other car, the tester raised a non-existing fuel leak.
On the second other car, it was a non-existing hydraulic fluid leak and a non-working side repeater that worked before and after the MOT test.

Well, all things are easy to fix if you do it on your own.

But on the Polo he raised strange things like "worn suspension strut bushes" and a imbalanced handbrake.

I should only open one drum and make it going again.

As the drum brake shoes would last only a year or two, I decided to give everything, the bushes and the drum brakes, to my low cost garage (15 £ for one hour of labour).

So the garage put new bushes on the suspension struts and by the way new bushes on the wish bones, too.

All together did cost me 130 £ with all parts.

As I want to keep this car (and our others, too) as long as possible, so I don't mind really to replace anything on the car, but I got the impression that MOT testing has become more picky since the computerisation. People reading statistics from MOT stations might think that such old cars MUST have lots of faults.

[Gizmo]

Well I just checked the docs. I had put them away for safe keeping and then forgot where the safe place was... like you do.

Anyway the actual wording is:

Offside front bonded suspension damaged but can function as intended [2.4.F.3]

Any idea what that means anyone?

[omicron]

Best thing to do is ask the garage what it means and to demonstrate the fault at the time of test.

[pitman]

Here is something:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_240.htm

[omicron]

Strut top mounts are quite easy to detect as worn, as the plastic cup will sit slightly pround of the turret. That and it'll move when you take weight off it.

[pitman]

Thanks, that's really a valuable statement!

(For myself and my Polo, it's a little bit late, now. Hope the Polo will last another 20 years, then. )

[Gizmo]

Thanks for the help guys!

[wullvfr]

hello-

as was mentioned before,get the cv boot sorted before the cv joint dries up and becomes damaged.

what amazes me is the mot tester never spotted this.......this is a definate check that any mot tester should do and be able to spot!!!!

it is also(i think)a mot failure if there is any splits or cracks in the cv boot,or if the clips are loose or damaged....or even missing!!!!!!!

go elsewhere next time,better to be save than sorry......



william