WOF Agents

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BTR

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#145335 15-May-2014 11:50

Does anyone else have difficulty finding a WOF agent thats consistent. I have found with most warrant shops that they are happy to pass things one visit and the next time they flag it and when you mention that it was passed last time they shrug and say oh well its not passing this time.

I have used 3 warrant shops in the last couple of year and have come across this every time. I understand if something is unsafe then it should be failed but trivial stuff is just a waste of my time.

Example of what I have been failed on in the past.

* I have a 7 seater 4wd and I removed the very rear seats to have more boot space. Next time I went for a warrant it failed as there was seat belts but no seats. Who in their right mind is going to sit on the floor with a seatbelt around them?

* VTNZ failed WOF as the underside of my 4wd "was to dirty" for them to inspect.....

* Mechanic tried to fail my because my factory mud flaps weren't long enough, I explained they were factory and he was welcome to take the issue up with Nissan.

* Last one is mechanic noted that when the vehicle was put on the hoist the handbrake cable was tight and he couldn't spin the wheels by hand, I am guessing he left the handbrake on as I had it adjusted 4 years ago. Surely if it was on all of the time within 4 years of driving I would have noticed very hot rear brakes and if I hadn't surely the pads would have worn out by now.

This has become a joke and I bet there are more people who have had similar experiences. I think its about time the industry is held more accountable.

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Vocus

#1045438 15-May-2014 11:54

Yeah I have seen some silly things fail. And most of your examples are right up there...

However the dirty underside - that's reasonable. There's a whole lot of stuff under the car they need to visually inspect / poke / prod about and if it's covered in muck it's simply not possible.

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#1045454 15-May-2014 12:00

I've found VTNZ's to be generally consistent.

Lias

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#1045491 15-May-2014 12:24

Sidestep: I've found VTNZ's to be generally consistent.

I haven't..

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#1045493 15-May-2014 12:29

had to laugh at one VTNZ experience I had years ago....

"Hi, car WOF thanks, and yes, I know I'll fail as Im missing my front bumper but want to see what else might need doing anyway" (Minor accident few days before)
"OK, sure thing, we'll be done in 10mins"
(Car comes out 10mins later)
"Uh yeah... well, we have to fail you.... you dont have a bumper"

Not the brightest lot... ;) They also failed me on something else that at least 4 different WOF places never had an issue with. Really depends on who you get and what sort of day theyre having :)

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Coil

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#1045494 15-May-2014 12:29

Lias:
Sidestep: I've found VTNZ's to be generally consistent.

I haven't..

Wouldnt ever go near them with any of my cars or money. SFO material down tat those testing stations.

I take my cars to the workshop of its manufacture. My BWM gets services at Jerry Clayton or the local BMW enthusiast mechanic at Cause Way Motors on Barrys Point Road. They will always pass it as long as its to spec. If you want a HONEST kiwi mechanic that doesnt rip people off go to Cause Way Motors on Barrys Point road.

scuwp

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#1045502 15-May-2014 12:40

All WoF stations have to comply with the same vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual.

http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

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#1045535 15-May-2014 13:17

Yes but some of it isn't as black and white as you would think and there for open to interpretation.

Sidestep

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#1045536 15-May-2014 13:18

scuwp: All WoF stations have to comply with the same vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual.

http://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof

Yes – it's their differing interpretation of the rules that's the issue.
I've been caught by much crazier random interpretations than the OP at times..

I should have put my last comment in context: I've found VTNZ's to be generally consistent compared to a selection of other places...

I've been importing a few vehicles each year into NZ.
They need to be entry certified & complied, VINned, registered and safety inspected before they can be used on the roads here.

Entry Certifiers generally do their job well & know what they're doing.
Sometimes the safety inspection (WOF or COF) is the final hurdle that trips everything up.

Finding places that understand the applicable Vehicle Standards and then apply them consistently can be hard.
In this situation VINZ or VTNZ have worked for me. VINZ has been better though...

kingjj

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#1045545 15-May-2014 13:29

Have been failed by VTNZ in the past on different occasions for:

Dirty windscreen (...... it as windy and dusty that day, car had been through car wash the day prior)
No Windscreen fluid (2 minute fix down at the local Shell, 45 minute wait to get it passed on re-check)
Dirty headlights (must be 'cut and polished'... quick hand wash with warm water only, same agent complimented me on my good job)
Hole in exhaust (fixed immediately around the corner, returned to VTNZ, agent put hand over exhaust until the repair blew out and failed it again... muffler people repaired again free of charge and escorted me to VTNZ to make sure the numpty [who admitted it was his mistake] didn't do it again).

After the last incident I started going to a local drive through place near by who were simply awesome (blown light? we'll put in a new one free; no windscreen fluid? we'll fill it up for ya no worries). Sadly they got too busy and now only take bookings so I've started going to the AA who have been consistent and friendly.

I'm all for WOF agents failing unsafe vehicles, what I'm not all for is failing on minor things that have little safety implication. Any 'suggestions' in WOF sheets are always carried out straight away.

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#1045559 15-May-2014 14:05

To save a few hours in a lineup I once took a new, freshly imported vehicle to a central Auckland garage for a WOF.

It failed on the emergency brake cable.

2 piece cable – not allowed, said the mechanic.

I pointed out the vehcle was newly built, and complied with FMVSS (US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) – a standard recognised in NZ, and his rule book didn't specify a one piece cable. He wouldn't listen.

So I had a rough replacement cable manufactured down the road, installed it and he passed the (now much less safe) vehicle..

Coil

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#1045563 15-May-2014 14:25

kingjj: After the last incident I started going to a local drive through place near by who were simply awesome (blown light? we'll put in a new one free; no windscreen fluid? we'll fill it up for ya no worries). Sadly they got too busy and now only take bookings so I've started going to the AA who have been consistent and friendly.

Sounds like those savages that do driving tests. A friend failed his test before starting the car as he had 1 of LED's in the high tail light blown.

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Vocus

#1045564 15-May-2014 14:25

Sidestep: To save a few hours in a lineup I once took a new, freshly imported vehicle to a central Auckland garage for a WOF.

It failed on the emergency brake cable.

2 piece cable – not allowed, said the mechanic.

I pointed out the vehcle was newly built, and complied with FMVSS (US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) – a standard recognised in NZ, and his rule book didn't specify a one piece cable. He wouldn't listen.

So I had a rough replacement cable manufactured down the road, installed it and he passed the (now much less safe) vehicle..

Why not just take it someplace else?

geoffwnz

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#1045581 15-May-2014 14:48

Mileage does seem to vary. As has been mentioned, there is some room for interpretation in some of the requirements.
I can understand most of the OP's ones though. If you have either seats or belts you must have the other as well. Yes *you* might not be silly enough to sit where a seat isn't, but some people will. Like most things, the rules cater for the lowest common denominator. Unfortunately that bar is set incredibly low.

I had one particular VTNZ outlet that I used exclusively for quite a few years until I moved area. They were consistent and reasonable and managed to have no issues with a road legal race car. The only things they ever failed it on were genuine fails that did need attention.

MotorDrive Rallying

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#1045647 15-May-2014 16:34

ubergeeknz:
Sidestep: To save a few hours in a lineup I once took a new, freshly imported vehicle to a central Auckland garage for a WOF.

It failed on the emergency brake cable.

2 piece cable – not allowed, said the mechanic.

I pointed out the vehcle was newly built, and complied with FMVSS (US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) – a standard recognised in NZ, and his rule book didn't specify a one piece cable. He wouldn't listen.

So I had a rough replacement cable manufactured down the road, installed it and he passed the (now much less safe) vehicle..

Why not just take it someplace else?

It was already entered in the system as a fail. And the vehicle would have had to be towed. It was more time efficient to crimp up a cable (and remove it again afterwards)...

Geese

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#1045679 15-May-2014 17:12

My most pedantic fail - rego label holder (was older double sized one one half label, other half AA information.

Stupidest thing wrong resulting in pass - brand new motorcycle with speedo/tacho cables transposed... would have been reading 30-50kmh idling!

Most dangerous thing resulting in pass - another brand new motorcycle, again assembled wrong, front wheel spacers transposed, caused disc to be hard up metal to metal along full length of caliper. Was told its an easy mistake to make (and also to miss in WOF test!), so now I got a 2014 bike with nasty disc/pads and caliper with 2 different colours.

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