Irish Taxi Forum

Public Area => Taxi Talk => Topic started by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 10:30:41 am

Title: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 10:30:41 am
On heading to NCT this morning more sure of sucessfully passing then ever before, I Failed fer 3 reasons.

Reason 1;
Hood bonnet not opening properly.

Which it has never done since the day I bought it 4 years ago, it opens but you need to stick your finger in to the crack to lift it before opening it fully, and it has passed 4 NCT tests since 2020 in the same condition.

The NCT inspector advised me that it just needs a spray of WD40 to sort it.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: John m on June 09, 2024, 10:33:56 am
what wrre the other 2 Ken ?
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Horse on June 09, 2024, 10:35:28 am
Didn't even know they opened on a Sunday.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 10:47:35 am
Reason 2;
One Rear License plate bulb under 50% illumination.

Reason 3;
The rubber/plastic Cover over the clutch pedal was worn,
as in that's were your foot touches the clutch pedal.

Well 'Pissed off' I headed fer my local mechanic who told me that it would be next week before they can order the rubber/plastic Cover fer a cluth pedal, but advised me to try the main Toyota dealer.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Horse on June 09, 2024, 10:49:20 am
Wrap a bit of black duct tape around it Ken.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 11:03:04 am
Wrap a bit of black duct tape around it Ken.
That might work, but anyways I headed to Lehanes Toyota at 9.30am on Sat morning and they seemingly only open at 10am on Saturdays but they looked after me.
The same fella that screwed me fer 5K fer the DPF issue was there and he got all 3 problems sorted in 15 minutes.
I think he took pity on me and only charged me a Tenner fer all 3 repairs
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 11:10:14 am
From there I headed back to the NCT an hour later fer a Free 'Visual' of all 3 and thankfully passed.

But 'Be Warned' Taxi drivers, NCT are all over us these days.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: John m on June 09, 2024, 11:13:34 am
Reason 2;
One Rear License plate bulb under 50% illumination.

Reason 3;
The rubber/plastic Cover over the clutch pedal was worn,
as in that's were your foot touches the clutch pedal.

Well 'Pissed off' I headed fer my local mechanic who told me that it would be next week before they can order the rubber/plastic Cover fer a cluth pedal, but advised me to try the main Toyota dealer.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: mercenary for hire on June 09, 2024, 12:09:58 pm
Ken yer driving a ball of shite compared to all the new EVs.They're gonna be nit picking as very few of us are gonna be failing NCTs for a while so no retest fees.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 09, 2024, 12:55:54 pm
Ken yer driving a ball of shite compared to all the new EVs.They're gonna be nit picking as very few of us are gonna be failing NCTs for a while so no retest fees.
Maybe so MFH but I'm just warning real drivers of the NCT hazards.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Rat Catcher on June 09, 2024, 01:27:29 pm
Mrs Catcher's MKII Octy failed this year on stuff that's never bothered them before:

i) rust on the sill near the PS rear wheel arch
ii) tape covering a steel brake pipe where it goes into the caliper connecting hose (rear PS)
iii) windscreen wiper blades and two rear bulbs (auxiliary ones that I haven't changed since I bought the car in 2014 and they've never cared about before)

The tape has been there and passed for 4 years and on removal proved to be a perfectly adequate repair i.e. it prevented any rust where the original coating cracked on removing the caliper for overhaul.

New wiper blades, a flexible brake hose (at €7 seemed sensible to fit with the copper pipe as it's directly connected to the same) and the bulbs cost 19 from Euro Car Parts, Santry. I replaced the brake pipe with an easy to flare copper alloy one at a cost of €58 (including flaring tool) from Irish Garage Equipment and a neighbour welded a new bit of metal onto the sill which I painted after it passed at a cost of €47 (stone chip primer. colour coat and clear coat from Vinny Byrne). Add in €28 for the retest and it cost me €152 plus a bottle of whiskey for me neighbour that I haven't bought yet, must do that today. Pricey enough but given that it had 4 brand new tyres at a cost of €300 about 6 months back seemed worthwhile.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: C5 on June 09, 2024, 02:39:40 pm
@belker, I think he took pity on ya because ya couldn't do them yourself. Sticking a new bulb in and ABIT of rubber around a pedal.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: silverbullet on June 09, 2024, 03:06:53 pm
Didn't even know they opened on a Sunday.
They do if you spray them with WD-40. You're welcome! 8)
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: taxi1990 on June 09, 2024, 05:26:38 pm
Why do you think they are targeting taxi drivers and not all drivers? id say its just all drivers. The NCT gets stricter and stricter every year.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 06:13:43 pm
During the chinese flu an after even ....they cudny cope cause they'd no mechanics ....the standards to pass  wud of dropped  intentionally cause the the poor cnuts workin ther wud o bean told to get rid of he backlog an loosin ther initiative wen condemnin faults " politicians " an owlones 
wer on Joe Duffy  givin out fuk bout the waitin list .....
Now that theve got every grease monkey from Barcelona an Bangladesh an the wages part of the business has skyrocketed an the backlog is gone ....sort o ting  ::sleep
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: taxi1990 on June 09, 2024, 06:58:15 pm
@ octavia I have actually never seen a foreign NCT inspector.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 07:29:17 pm
@ octavia I have actually never seen a foreign NCT inspector.

Most of the new ones are from Spain....they can earn 4 times as much here as they can in Spain....I visited me old garage last year and they wer all Spanish...hardly a word of inglish ....they wer given free tools and accommodation as incentive
....I'm not sure if the accommodation was temporary but probly was ...
The nct centers also recruited mainly from Spain....thers now a big shortage of mechanics in Spain... as a result
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 07:36:27 pm
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40981295.html (https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40981295.html)
According to this from the Philippines aswell but

...I'm jus makin the point that if ther fully staffed now ....and ther is no more backlog ....standards increase to probly wer they shud be ...an consequently  failure rates will increase
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 07:41:49 pm
Another reason for the shortage of mechanics in Ireland  dublin in particular was that intel started offering huge salaries to motor mechanics to become factory  operatives ......I think they expanded the place 3 or 4 yers ago ....
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 07:42:49 pm
Anyway I'm gone off on one ....time for a nap



 ::sleep
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Shallow Hal on June 09, 2024, 08:16:29 pm
A few Filipinos in Drog NCT...my neighbour recently left Applus,was based in Drog,not a particularly great place to work apparently.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Octavia1 on June 09, 2024, 08:35:58 pm
A few Filipinos in Drog NCT...my neighbour recently left Applus,was based in Drog,not a particularly great place to work apparently.

Repetitive work doesn't suit most hal ...dealing wit brain dead cnuts given out fuk to ya cause yu failed them for havin no brakes ....probly wudnt help ....
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: silverbullet on June 10, 2024, 12:11:03 am
A few Filipinos in Drog NCT...my neighbour recently left Applus,was based in Drog,not a particularly great place to work apparently.
MABUHAY!! :2cheers
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Belker on June 10, 2024, 07:07:39 am
@belker, I think he took pity on ya because ya couldn't do them yourself. Sticking a new bulb in and ABIT of rubber around a pedal.
I could have managed the license plate bulb and the spray of WD40 myself but it needed a NEW cover on the clutch pedal.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Rat Catcher on June 10, 2024, 11:19:03 am
It was a Loud native that failed Mrs. Catcher's motor in Drogheda, Hal. Told me he had one of them himself so knew them pretty well which would explain how he spotted the auxiliary bulbs. He did helpfully explain why the sills rot where they do though, pointing to water ingress behind the wheel arch liner. With that in mind I filled the repaired sill end with some X8 (similar to Tec7) I had in the shed so it shouldn't recur.
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: watty on June 10, 2024, 11:35:37 am
I have a vague memory that the suitability/LRA guys are on a work to rule for more money and are being tough on taxis as a result.  Maybe their comrades in the NCT are looking for more money too and engaging in a work to rule also?

Or to start a conspiracy theory, maybe the NTA have told the NCT crowd to 'encourage' the old taxis off the road by failing them for silly things like brakes and lights?
Title: Re: NCT getting tough on Taxi drivers.
Post by: Rat Catcher on June 10, 2024, 12:10:41 pm
Mrs. Catcher's motor isn't a taxi anymore so that theory doesn't apply there unless they're working on the assumption that she'll want my current taxi so I'll have to buy a new(er) yoke! Personally, I think, in Mrs. Catcher's case we just ran into an inspector with specific make/model expertise on one of his more diligent days.