480ES Strange MOT Failures

Hi,

My 1989 480 ES has just failed the MOT. It failed with two front lower control arm bushes being worn to excess, and also ALL the seatbelt buckles being too difficult to dissengage in the case of the vehicle being upside down on its roof!!

The garage say that the bushes are only part of the whole control arm and not supplied separately - is this true?

Has anyone else had problems with the seatbelt buckles?

Just one other thing. Every time the weather gets really wet, the indicators will intermittently stop working with the relay clicking very fast (the lamps do not flash at all on the outside of the car). I have changed the electronic contol box and checked the bulbs and bulb holders - still no different, any ideas??

Tivoli Pete.

Indicator wise sounds like a short somewhere which the wet weather is causing (e.g. plastic insulator worn away and water from road shorting cable to body?) id check all your looms out!

[Peter Milnes]

How do they know that the buckles won't release when the car is upside down? Did they turn it over to test? This is not in the remit of an MOT test and they should stop bamboozling customers into accepting a failure without cause. A good scam no doubt till they get a complaint routed through Office of Fair Trading or the local Trading Standards Office. I would take it elsewhere and when it passes take your grievance through official channels.

All the best, Peter

[Chesh740R]

If by lower control arm you mean lower wishbone bushes then i think they can be bought separately but it is often cheaper to buy the complete arm, because after you have paid to have the old bushes pressed out and then pressed in it can works out to be the same or even more.

I change a lot of wishbone arms on Fiesta's. Its a common MOT failure for the wishbone bushes to go.
You can buy the bushes for around £15 or buy a complete new wishbone with bushes for about £25. Its by far the easiest option.

Don't know which side is gone on yours but i've got a Brand New Right Hand side Wishbone arm for sale.

See this link for pictures http://www.btinternet.com/~peter.che...rtsforsale.htm

[Chesh740R]

Just looked up on volvo parts database, and you can buy the bushes seperatley.

Had the same problem on my 440 td le. Arms are really expensive and the cheapest qoute came from volvo. The bushes are about £50 from volvo. I have never heard of seat belts being failed for that reason and you should have this checked by the office of fair trading.

Well I have to admit that I have had the work done, and the car is now driving better and seems more stable over rough ground. The seatbelts are 100% better than before too, they were actually defective, or badly worn. It all cost me £468 but it has made a difference - so often it is the way that a huge bill paid on a car repair, gives you no noticeable benefit.

Cheers for all your comments and help.

Pete.