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Hi all,

I am not looking forward to this at all. I don't normally keep cars long enough to have to worry about MOT's but the LS has me hooked.

My car is going in for it's MOT on 04th October and I'm already starting to panic.

It's only done about 7,000 miles since the last one (before I owned it) and the only advisory was one of the headlamp sensors at the back was broken (still not repaired).

Anyway, wish me luck!!!

Mike

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Good luck with that. Whats the deal with the headlight sensor? What are they?

Thanks for that.

It's just a bar that joins one of the rear suspension arms to a sensor that senses how low the car is sitting at the back and adjusts the beam accordingly.

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, the car failed on:

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits

Advisories were

Offside front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint

Nearside (inner) suspension has slight movement at a wishbone pin or bush

Offside inner) suspension has slight movement at a wishbone pin or bush

Parking brake has just met efficiency required (the previous owner spent £404 on handbrake last year, so I'm sure that's just out of adjustment)

How do you all think that was?

Mike

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OK, the car failed on:

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idel outside specified limits

Advisories were

Offside front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint

Nearside (inner) suspension has slight movement at a wishbone pin or bush

Offside inner) suspension has slight movement at a wishbone pin or bush

Parking brake has just met efficiency required (the previous owner spent £404 on handbrake last year, so I'm sure that's just out of adjustment)

How do you all think that was?

Mike

Guess this MOT station Tester has taken a lot more care than the last ! I find it hard to believe a " fail " on those points after just 7000 miles ............. without a prior Advisory.

What mileage has the car done now ?

All the suspension stuff should last a good 150,000 miles before needing replacement. And as for the handbrake stuff at £400+, blimey, what did they do ?

And the fate of the headlamps ?

Do you think the MOT station has been a bit " over the top " with your car ? If so you can always have it verified by the Authorities BUT I think it costs though.

Malc

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I think it's the same as most jobs, people get a bee in their bonnet about something and that's what they look for.

I think this guy had a thing about suspension stuff.

The handbrake repair last year was new shoes, handbrake cable and MOT for £404.

The car has done 213,000 miles but drives like a car with 20k on it, that's why I love it so much.

I think I'm gonna get an MOT on it and then chip away at the advisories to make it, almost, perfect.

Mike

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Discretion is the keyword with MOT testers,mine has done just over 70,000 now and on it's 2nd MOT after import (1st under my ownership) I got advisories on front flexible brake hoses perished and scored front discs,these have never been mentioned on the last 4 after even though they stay on the system and have not been replaced.

No advisories since then including last year but this year it did fail on excessive play in both front lower ball joints so I guess the potholed winter and road humps they went from good to bad over 7000 miles.

Problem now days is it's all computerised, when it wasn't, and I have done this in the past, you could take it to another test station if the fail list looked excessive and get either another set of defects or in my case a pass without doing anything to the car.

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Steve,

I know what you mean, it did cross my mind to take it elsewhere, but now it's computerised, this is not an option.

The garage I use for servicing etc, did a check over first and said that to make the car pass, would cost me another £150.

I don't think that's too bad for a 213k car, to pass the MOT for £200.

I'm going to book it in Monday to have the work done so let's hope all goes well.

Mike

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Steve,

I know what you mean, it did cross my mind to take it elsewhere, but now it's computerised, this is not an option.

The garage I use for servicing etc, did a check over first and said that to make the car pass, would cost me another £150.

I don't think that's too bad for a 213k car, to pass the MOT for £200.

I'm going to book it in Monday to have the work done so let's hope all goes well.

Mike

Just go4it then ....... 200 squid isn't at all bad for a car with 213k miles.

And I can well believe it feels like it's only done 20k .......... these really are timeless machines !

Malc

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Ok, it's back in on Monday.

Mechanic said it's £90 for the balljoint. I didn't think you could buy the balljoint indepenently of the upper arm? (rear)

If not, I see that "cheaptoyotaparts" do the upper arm for £165, so I'll go down that route.

Hopefully we'll get a pass this time :)

Mike

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Ok, it's back in on Monday.

Mechanic said it's £90 for the balljoint. I didn't think you could buy the balljoint indepenently of the upper arm? (rear)

If not, I see that "cheaptoyotaparts" do the upper arm for £165, so I'll go down that route.

Hopefully we'll get a pass this time :)

Mike

Not too bad then, mine cost £160.00 this time for MOT and 2 genuine front lower ball joints (DIY fitted). Not bad lasted 16 years and 70,000 miles!

There has been some discussion recently on the rear upper ball joints as to whether the ball joint can be separately replaced, according to Lexus it has to be the whole arm but please post if it is separate.

Also enquire at Lexus for the part the price may surprise you!

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Ok, it's back in on Monday.Mechanic said it's £90 for the balljoint. I didn't think you could buy the balljoint indepenently of the upper arm? (rear)If not, I see that "cheaptoyotaparts" do the upper arm for £165, so I'll go down that route.Hopefully we'll get a pass this time :)Mike

It looks like you can't buy the balljoint alone, the garage turned up with a lower balljoint. I have now been left with the task of getting a rear upper arm for my car. "Cheaptoyotaparts" quoted me £173.99 delivered and Lexus Reading quoted me £185.46inc vat. I went with Lexus purely because they said it would be here for 9am, and ctp said it would be 11am. Good service from both though I think.

Tomorrow, once Lexus call me (at 9am, hopefully) I will pop out of work, collect the arm and take it and the car to the garage for fitting and then the MOT..again.

The saga continues. I'll update you tomorrow night when hopefully I will have 12 1/2 months MOT.

Mike

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The saga continues. I'll update you tomorrow night when hopefully I will have 12 1/2 months MOT.

Mike

I do hope you get your 12½ month Peace Of Mind ticket.

Funny thing occurred to me reading these recent posts for MOTs on our LS400s. It is in some ways more of a worry now that these cars are worth so little, for if a large sum of money were needed to pass, it may be more than the car is worth and so one has the dilemma of whether to scrap or carry on. This is not a debate if you run a 430 or even a 460!

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OK, today I collected the upper arm from Lexus Reading, dropped the car at the garage to fit the arm and re do the MOT.

When I called him at 4pm (after work) he said "sorry, I've not had time to get to it today, bring it down tomorrow and I'll do it then. So now we have another day before I can hopefully get my MOT.

I have never known so much hassle getting an MOT on a car. It's just one thing after another. It's not even like I'm trying to do it on the cheap.

I'll update you tomorrow (again) when hopefully I'll have my ticket.

Mike

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OK, I'm sure you are all fed up with reading about this now, but my car passed the MOT today...

What a relief!

Mike

Congratulations - another year of happy motoring! Yes, do know the worrying feeling till it's passed.

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OK, I'm sure you are all fed up with reading about this now, but my car passed the MOT today...

What a relief!

Mike

Excellent news ..... no more worries then for a 12 month and then, it will just sail thru' the next MOT !!! :D ;) :P :hehe:

Malc

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