Pre ITV check

[Wicksey]

We look after an old diesel car for a friend and usually we take it to our garage man who checks it over and takes it for its ITV for around 80€ all in, and it always passes. I can't get hold of him, and I have tried various other local garages but the one in the pueblo wanted 180€ and it seems they want to carry out a full service as well (it had one last April and has only been used once since then). Other places want 40€ to take it and 30€ for the pre-check plus the cost of the ITV. I'm not actually sure how much our original garage man actually did for their pre ITV check.

We have taken our own car but then it is a very low mileage newish petrol car. I'm not very confident about taking our friend's car ourselves as we want it to pass first time, although it is low mileage possibly around 50k kms for a 22 year old car but I can't remember the last time the tyres were changed for instance.

Does anybody in the Nerja/Torrox/Torre del Mar area use someone to do this service? Otherwise do we try to do it ourselves now that we've done it before and hope it passes

[gerryh]

Personally, I think the pre-ITV tests are a waste of money.
Most garages don't have the equipment for an emissions test, or a brake test or the test where the ITV testing station shakes the steering, axle joins etc to see if there is any play.
My vehicles have only ever failed on one of the above tests.

Cheers
Gerry

[Wicksey]

I did suspect, Gerry, that they only kicked the tyres and made sure that the lights and wipers work! We can do that

[Wicksey]

I've booked it in for us to take it, so we'll see how that goes!

[gerryh]

One thing to be aware of, particularly with an old, little used, diesel car is the need to give it a quick tune up.
This just involves driving at highish revs in a lowish gear to clear the muck out. Probably see a lot of black smoke coming out of the exhaust.
Don't know wether it is still there but used to be a notice at the Algoroba test station to run the engine a high revs before driving into the test lane.
Cheers
Gerry

[Wicksey]

Yes we were going to give it a blast down the motorway. It's not been out since last May, although it did at least have a service then as well, so the engine oil should be reasonable.

[Enrique]

Hi Wicksey,

" although it is low mileage possibly around 50k kms for a 22 year old car but I can't remember the last time the tyres were changed for instance."

At least check the tyres over for age cracking on sidewalls and the base of the tyre valves.

Google........ how to read tyre markings ............... this will give you the week and year the tyre was manufactured.

From Continental site..........

"All tyres (including spare tyres) more than ten years old should be removed from service and replaced with new tyres."

have a read.............

https://www.merityre.co.uk/tyres/introd ... e-markings

Have in a past life worked for this company...........

[costakid]

Yes we were going to give it a blast down the motorway. It's not been out since last May, although it did at least have a service then as well, so the engine oil should be reasonable.

perished/ cracked tyres are very common on cars that are low mileage or have done a lot of standing around. Very easy to spot side wall perishing.

[Wicksey]

Thank you Enrique and Costakid. We are aware of the age of tyres having been sold a second hand car from a large local dealer who said he'd put 'new' tyres on it. When it had its first service the tyres were found to be about 14 years old. They'd been put on with the writing on the inside so you couldn't easily check. At least our friend's car is kept in a garage and out of the baking sun.

[Lyric]

Strange innit, I thought about tyre perishing and date in the night.

[Wicksey]

Whatever made you think of that Lyric?

[Lyric]

Dunno was a busy brain night last night and it was one of the things that came up. I was going to mention it but was beaten to it.

[costakid]

Strange innit, I thought about tyre perishing and date in the night.

All EU tyres are date stamped with the week and year of manufacture. it looks 22/23 which would be 22nd week of 2023

[qe2ex]

Personally, I think the pre-ITV tests are a waste of money.
Most garages don't have the equipment for an emissions test, or a brake test or the test where the ITV testing station shakes the steering, axle joins etc to see if there is any play.
My vehicles have only ever failed on one of the above tests.

Cheers
Gerry

I'm not sure about most, but the garage I use do emission test. Last year he (one-man shop) informed me my catalytic converter was no longer working well and I should come back the day before ITV and they'd put in <whatever it was, my Spanish is not good> to help it pass the emission test, but on that day they found out that didn't help enough, so said I would have to replace the converter before passing ITV. He also checks the steering, axle joints, etc. for play. Brake test? No, I don't think so, but he does check the pads and rotors.

As always, some do a good job, others, not so much.

[Wicksey]

Our friends' car passed OK when we took it ourselves, without any pre check apart from my OH kicking the tyres. I think the rear ones were very old but no problems at the test centre. Each test seems to be slightly different although that may be because the first car we took was a newish petrol and the second an ancient diesel. It's over 20 years old but has done less than 60k kms