240 General: failed MOT report...your opinions?

[honestjoe]

Hi everyone..well my 240dl failed on a few things this year...front brake pads..no problem!...the next couple of points sent a shiver down my spine!!...behind the rear wheels at the back of the wheel arch it has started to rust around the upper shock absorber mounting on both sides.not the mounting itself but the bodywork of the wheel arch..requires welding both sides.(not structural apparently)....the last issue is the front control arm/wishbone on one side has a hole in it about the size of two peas side by side...i wonder will they weld this hole or replace the control arm?... i was a bit suprised as i often inspect the motor underneath but all the problems were still coated in underseal...the mechanic said the car was not worth repairing ...he also noted that the back is sagging..blaming springs and bushes...so a dissapointing day for me...but being a rebel and an idiot with my money i"m going to have the work done.(pads and welding prep i"ll do myself)..if i scrap my beloved volvo and buy another runabout what problems will that throw up....what do you think boys and girls...what would you do in my situation?...thanks regards hj.

[caveman]

i think it depends on how much you like your car and how much money you have! if i had the money, id take it to a very good welder, have him check it out and if it was the same jobs the mot tester suggested id get it done. id ask him about scraping off any underseal and have it redone as well.
springs and bushes arent that bad and will certainly improve your cars ride and shouldnt need doing again for years!
regards
cavey

[Andrew (UK)]

Better the devil you know. I'd have the work done, no question about it. In fact I replaced both front wishbones and had welding done in that area a couple of years ago.

Andrew

[gloster_man]

Good for you - keep a good car going for longer and out of the hands of d----ed banger racers. But I think your tester was overly harsh, and he obviously has little understanding of or empathy with older cars. What of our cars do not show a little sagging in the rear, or would reveal little spots of rust here and there if someone took a severe poke around underneath?

If I were you I'd get it tested again, somewhere else - you may well get a totally different result (in passes and failures); there is often a great difference between what testers pick up on, as in their judgement - on the day - one man will easily pass what another will fail.

Good luck, Dan C.

[Alec Dawe]

If you want an unbiased MoT test, I've been told go to your local authority vehicle depot, where they do MoT testing, and will give you an unbiased report as they have no vested interest in finding things for repair as they don't do repairs.

[Clifford Pope]

They don't sound very serious faults. I'd certainly get the work done.
So he found the rear was sagging but didn't specifically say any particular bushes were worn? That suggests merely springs, at least as far as the MOT is concerned. They are very easy to replace.

In my experience it is a mistake to take the car to another tester. Better to do the work this one requires, then you know it will pass. Then think about finding a more sympathetic one for next time. If you go to another tester now he may well have other prejudices and fail it on something else. Also remember that with computerisation the new one will see the results of the recent failure, and would be mad not to look closely at the same items.

Get it through this MOT, then have a very careful look and scrape around and try to find any other potential weak spots in good time for the next MOT.

[honestjoe]

WOW!..i return to this site monday morning to all positive replies!!...thats cheered me right up!...all good advice..what a great bunch you are!..i started the prep work over the weekend though i still have more to do..its no secret amongst my friends that i"m unusually fond of my volvo ..enough is enough!!...stop giving me negatives and get get that welder warmed up!!..here are some pics of issues!!..i have a feeling that if i remove interior floor/wheel arch coverings from the back to the front seats i may be able to see the extent of rust from the inside?...i can also see yellow insulation foam and what looks like a wiring loom quite close to where the welding will take place..i will post pics hopefully..thanks again everyone..onwards and upwards!!

[honestjoe]

some pics in my gallery of issues,did try to upload here..no joy! ......enjoy or wince!!...regards hj.

[Mike_Brace]

The wheelarch corrosion looks fairly typical and is not a difficult repair. Make sure you kep the loom back out the way and it may be a good idea to remove the back seat to give easier access. The trim and foam sound proofing over the arch can be removed. Cut away all the rotten metal - make sure you protect the glass from sparks. When welding in this can all be done from inside but watch out for burning underseal. Do try and get the metal as clean as possible where you are welding.

Best of luck

Mike

[marcmarel]

The hole in the control arm looks more like a drilled hole to me, typically elongated to allow for a bit of adjustment. My 240 is out, so I can't check it on mine. Find a picture of a new clean arm with the same hole and show it to your tester. Or check the other side.