My 2000 HLX Punto had its MOT today and they've failed it on the records sheet at :-

General condition of vehicle - Air con pipe broken

Shock absorber - OSF leaking badly

I said that the aircon pipe was bust last MOT also they agreed to let the shock go on a second look as not as bad as they first though so I have my certificate!

Being a car novice what leaks out of a shock, how do I tell how bad it is, what will happen if I leave it? They said it will cost £150 inclusive of VAT & Labour to have both done by them, is that reasonable?

Another worry...surely I can't fail future MOTs on an aircon pipe being busted?

Thanks

well, you can get a punto front shock for around £60 new so really i suppose they are charging you correct... but you could fit it yourself if your good with a spanner!

HornetUK said:

Being a car novice what leaks out of a shock, how do I tell how bad it is, what will happen if I leave it? They said it will cost £150 inclusive of VAT & Labour to have both done by them, is that reasonable?

Another worry...surely I can't fail future MOTs on an aircon pipe being busted?

Thanks

Click to expand...

A shock absorber contains oil and acts like a slow action hydraulic spring/damper. It is there to stop the car bouncing about too much and to keep the tyres in contact with the road.

Shock absorbers affect the handling of the car on bumps, braking and cornering, if it gets too bad it can spin you out if you brake hard at high speed.

A quick test for dampers is to push down each corner of the car in turn and see how many times it 'bounces' before settling down. About one and a half bounces is ideal, 3 bounces and you have problems.

Aircon pipe could be environmental, leaking cfc's etc,..

Presume it can't leak cfcs as its been bust for 3 years! All the chemicals are long gone!

Sounds like the MOT station have done you no favours. They've acted irresponsibly and illegally. If your shockers leaking enough to consider writing "badly" it'll probably need replacing. All they have done is charged you for uncertainty and the possibility of driving with a defect that is potentially dangerous. If the police follow you with a defective shocker it's a great excuse to stop you and check the car out fully.
My advice, have your shockers checked by someone reliable, replace them as a pair if neccessary and give the MOT station the reputation they deserve.

Is the following possible, rang them up and asked why they have written badly leaking & changed it after a second check to not very bad at all.

They said on the second look by a more experieced mechanic it seemed to be water from where I filled up the screen wash, which I did 24 hours before? How would that still be there & surely water looks different. But they didn't know I'd topped up the screen wash and spilt some down the side!

I reckon as you say get someone else to check it out in case. But there are no signs of leak on the drive or wouldn't there be?

Cheers

The oil in the shocks is thick and will look like a dark wet patch, probably with some road dirt sticking to it below the bottom of the bright silver rod inside the coil spring. The leak won't be enough to run onto the drive. The screen wash wouldn't look at all like a leaking shocker being a wet area over a larger area. In any case in this heat it would be dry within 24 hours.

Sounds like an really incompetant mechanic/ MOT tester. Might be worth having someone have a general look round underneath just to check for safety.
There is a complaints procedure with the DOT if you want to take things further.

your tyre would also wear uneven if shock is gone an left like it,