DODGY WOF inspectors

Sorry but nope I don't see reason to be angry 3 weeks after your wof fail.
An inspector either made a mistake OR erred on the side of caution. Frankly I would much rather have the minor annoyance of having to return the pads than running out of brakes. Just go tell them the pads are well less than half worn so need your WOF even if they have to remove the calipers to see for themselves.

Well you provide a measurement which IS AFAILURE.

And.

We await your NEXT thread.
LOL

! Just keeps on Giving this one!

You have said go to a testing station for their opinion. What will that achieve as the OP wont return to the garage. Still aint getting a wof unless he pays another IO.

Well you seem to have all the answers Where would you go then for another opinion? A testing Station will give an unbiased opinion as set out in the law and regulations .

Do me a favour and piss off as you are as much use as tits on a bull! In my next thread you are welcome to piss off as well!

Brake pad wear should be based on brake test pass or fail and if pad is low noted on form that they will need replacing excerpt if they are completely stripped of lining.

Sorry dude but what is the point of a second opinion?
OP has paid for a wof INSPECTION. (cant do underlining so caps has to do) Failed on worn brakes. So given the OP has measured pad and shoe thickness the inspector has made a mistake. A second or third opinion isn't going to get the OP a WOF.What IS will be going back to the garage and explaining the pads were well inside the thickness range.Either they take the OP's word OR they pop caliper off and take a proper look themselves. The pads/shoes if still in original packaging undisturbed can be returned for a full credit .

Err. um. Tui add?

That's weird, "Almost no wear" would mean they are brand new pads all around & have not even bedded in across 100% of their surface area.

If they have bedded in across 100% of their surface area, then they have 'worn in' & are 'worn,'.
My car passed its WOF this week & they mentioned in the notes that all pads are 'Wearing', so, quite worn. I did 4408 kms in the last 12 months on flat roads only, so it's not a end of the earth situation.

Once had a diesel ute fail.
The fan belt was getting buggered ?
Reason was it drove the alternator and vacuum pump for the brakes.
Even if the engine stops you still have brakes.
I know he was doing his job but thought it was over the top.

Once that vacuum assistance is depleted it takes significantly more effort to stop, add an unbraked trailer on the back and you could be in real trouble. The rule is there for a reason, drive belts are a maintenance item and should be changed when they're worn out at service time.

Adding to that, 90% of drivers today, have NEVER driven a vehicle without boosted brakes of some sort.
It takes more leg pressure to stop a car when the booster fails, then it did cars with non boosted brakes

kazbanz wrote:

Sorry dude but what is the point of a second opinion?
OP has paid for a wof INSPECTION. (cant do underlining so caps has to do) Failed on worn brakes. So given the OP has measured pad and shoe thickness the inspector has made a mistake. A second or third opinion isn't going to get the OP a WOF.What IS will be going back to the garage and explaining the pads were well inside the thickness range.Either they take the OP's word OR they pop caliper off and take a proper look themselves. The pads/shoes if still in original packaging undisturbed can be returned for a full credit .[/quote Well at the moment the guy is (presumably)driving in an unwarranted vehicle and he has stated he will NOT go back to the garage that rejected his vehicle so his choices are limited to either going back to that garage and arguing or going somewhere else.

Very much so. Its really only those that have been driving a vehicle with a dead engine that is being rope towed on the road that will understand.

Well i,m obviously older than you.I can remember when very few cars had power steering and your only choice was to inflate the front tyres to. but I know where you,re coming from.The advantages of the much maligned 2nd hand Jap imports were power steering/electric windows/air con plus not leaking oil on your drive and stopping when it rained and they all had Heaters. Sorry for straying off the subject.!

Just a few words from someone who has had over 25 years experience now in the motor trade as an A grade tech and WoF inspector. Many years ago, I devised an amazingly effective strategy for easily getting through WoF checks it's called getting to know your car and paying attention to its habits, maintaining it by schedule and replacing things you know are broken as they happen, and having awareness of what inspectors are looking for and will commonly fail by studying that all important and very transparent document known as the VIRM issued by NZTA. I'll expand further.

1/ Getting to know your car and its habits. Drive on a variety of roads as well as the usual ones where you drive, any clunks or bangs or grinding when going over bumps, steering or braking? Pulling to one side? Go over a judder bar a bit quicker than what you would normally. If theres noise or vibration when doing any of these things, something is wearing out, get it checked and repaired. Let your car 'speak' to you, and listen to it!

2/ Maintaining by schedule. This begins with at least fortnightly checks of tyres, tyre pressure's, lights and all the under bonnet fluid levels. Are the coolant and oil levels dropping? If so, why? Any fluid stains around the engine, its pipework or on garage floor that should not be there? Even tyre wear? Get them checked out if it doubt. Most vehicles need at least an annual service or every 10-15k which ever occurs first. If you've not ever read the book supplied with your car, and many people havent due to decades of used JDM imports, study a manufacturers guide like those for cars sold in Australia where in some states periodic safety inspections are not mandatory, most things you will see there are also on our WoF checksheets. There is also useful recommendations there for use in extreme operating conditions, such as in snowy or outback areas, short running etc. If it's not included in what your garage does as a basic service, get them to do a wheels off inspection and note all the brake lining thicknesses, do a park brake adjustment and rotate the tyres if needed and note their depths and get a copy of this info with your invoice. Wiper blades are normally off the pace after 12 months use and should be done that often unless your car spends most of it's time in a dark garage and is not used in rain very often. You may choose to get your WoF check at this time at the same place but if you dont you will have the info you need should you be failed for alleged brake wear by being able to produce documented evidence from its recent service =>the scenario in this thread can be avoided completely! The other benefit to this is the WoF check itself will likely be cheaper than a stand alone check at a testing station, as amazingly enough, much of it will have been checked during the service.

3/ Replacing things as they break. Got water inside your lights, a hole in a fog light? Seatbelt fraying? Windscreen chip right in front of you? Drivers seat bolts working loose? Door that wont open? ABS light now on all the time? Sort it out ASAP, it's going to mean a fail anyway. Common sense.

4/ Familiarise yourself with the eVIRM. Self explanatory and in addition to the above, it's just as important as the Road Code in my view, even if you don't understand some of the jargon, even reading the Reasons for Rejection only will help you decide what could be failed and you can act accordingly BEFORE darkening the doors of the IO you use. Much higher chance of passing 1st tim

They may not have had power steering but they did have big steering wheels that took a lot of turns lock to lock.

Had a little Laser, cheap car to replace the Astra (not my choice but the ex's) that shite itself. Anyway the first time the ex drove the Laser he commented that there was something wrong with the power steering. What power steering? It is that old it doesn't have any I reply. Was not a happy chappy. Not my fault it was a good idea to buy the Astra.

They also had skinny tyres.

Back to brakes. What a WoF inspection cannot see is the state of the pads and linings if the brakes have been overheated and could therefore be cracked.

I also cannot see how they can inspect the linings accurately, by looking through the grommet hole - if there is one.

Its or rayther it used to be called "Preventative Maintenance"

Correct, that's all it is. Something that's gone out the window, or is considered "optional". Trouble is you can't convince people to take that approach, instead it's far more fashionable to moan on internet forums about the cost of motoring, big bills to pass WoF that have to be sorted in a month, and ripoffs. Presenting something that is already to the best of your knowledge already compliant can save so much time, pre COF checks are commonplace in the heavy transport industry for exactly that reason.

Son took vehicle back in passed! Same shoes! WTF. If that is not dodgy nothing is! I refused to replace shoes with little wear and it just goes to show! Well guess what he will never see me or get a recommendation from me. Frame that $50 you will never get another from me or anyone I know!

Honestly --what planet are you on?
Seriously. First you worry about your wasted money. Now you think the WOF issued is "dodgy". Either the vehicle is or it isn't safe to be on the road. Based on YOUR description it IS safe to be on the road.

I think you need to chill out a bit. I say that kindly.

First you say:
"there is almost NO WEAR on the old ones!"

then:
"Just taken off the back drums and shoes have minimal wear 2-4mm wear"

There is a significant difference between those statements. Agreed?

4mm wear on brake shoes on a car is SUBSTANTIAL!

Next, consider, the guy is trying to do his job most probably. And under trying circumstances, Those little holes on the back plate afford very little sight but where fitted he is duty bound to check in there. NZ regs being what they are he would get roasted massively if he passed something he shouldn't. Consider too he did NOT have the luxury of taking the drums off. Did you try looking through the wee hole in the back plate?
You are totally over reacting! Step back and take a look! You are set on ruining his reputation by what you have said in your last post. Have you informed him of this? It sounds as though you need to make an apology.

Realty IS AVIC'S (Qualified warrant of fitness issuers extension AFTER Trade Cert and YEARS on apprentice wages are actually able to be charged with manslaughter should they pass AND it is proven they should have failed.)
You NEED to move to California were it IS ILLEGAL for all but a mechanic to work on brakes.

After all brakes safety You Jest

Post Script 3 AVICS have posted here guess which 3 ?