MOT at main dealer - says broken rear springs

[clk208]

Hi folks,

Took my CLS for a 7+ value service plus MOT at the main dealer today. They just phoned to say the car failed it's MOT on rear springs which are apparently both broken and can supply/fit new parts for £409.

A dealer had previously "thought" they were broken a year or 2 ago but when I asked to see on ramp miraculously there were indeed fine. The car drives/sits fine.

Going to collect the car now - other than taking it for MOT elsewhere is there any easy way I can check the condition of the springs at home?

 

[whitenemesis]

It's normally the very bottom of the coil that's broken and can be very difficult to spot.

 

[Mike Walker]

Agree with that . Happened to me some time ago on the front of a C Class. It was only when my Indy showed me a new spring that the damage became clear.

 

[Stratman]

Mine had a rear spring break a while back (easy to tell, it would occasionally sound like someone hitting a tin bath with a hammer), but even with the car on axle stands and me underneath it was still very difficult to spot. They break right at the bottom, maybe the last inch or two of coil, down in the lower arm cup.

 

[brucemillar]

As above. They tend to break in the cup and the broken bit falls out, leaving little evidence of the breakage.

Not wishing to sound funny here? How do they know that they are broken?

They are a very common failure, so I am not at all surprised that they are broken, just curious how the garage can tell? It may be that it is an obvious break.

 

[whitenemesis]

A main dealer MoT tester would know exactly what to look for...

 

[PobodY]

A main dealer MoT tester would know exactly what to look for...

I shouldn't laugh, but it's the emphasis on exactly.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Not sure that I would be seeking a second opinion on something as important.

Surely the springs are on borrowed time by 7+ years anyway?

 

[clk208]

Thanks folks.

As you say whitenemesis the main dealer MOT tester will knoe EXACTLY what to look for. I only had them do it to try to save a bit of time. Get the feeling if I would have taken it to a normal MOT station this wouldn't have been picked up.

Anyway service manager said she could have a technician show me on the ramp tomorrow which is fair enough so we will see. No doubt will involve waiting around the showroom for 2 hours but can't have everything.

I don't mind having springs done if they need doing but pointless changing out good parts. Driving back the car corners very well, everything seems tight and no rattles or noises so I remain cynical until I see the evidence, especially as value service/MOT probably didn't even necessitate wheels off.

 

[BTB 500]

As mentioned it's not obvious as it's the very bottom part (which is thinner, and sits inside a cup) that goes. I drove our Vito with a single broken rear spring and couldn't see or feel any problem. I found the broken part on the drive though, which was a bit of a giveaway!

 

[clk208]

Just read some VOSA guidance which stated:
The most significant amendment states that if a spring is broken at an extreme end (where it locates on the spring mount) it will not necessarily fail the test. The spring should only be rejected if its function is impaired, or if the spring ends do not locate correctly, without assistance, when the vehicle is lowered into normal running position after being jacked.

So maybe they shouldn't have failed it if damage is as above?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Just read some VOSA guidance which stated:
The most significant amendment states that if a spring is broken at an extreme end (where it locates on the spring mount) it will not necessarily fail the test. The spring should only be rejected if its function is impaired, or if the spring ends do not locate correctly, without assistance, when the vehicle is lowered into normal running position after being jacked.

So maybe they shouldn't have failed it if damage is as above?

Just get them done mate, why would you want broken springs on your car?

We had one for longer than we should and the 'boinging' drove me mental every time I drove it.

 

[MisterMicawber]

Took my CLS for a 7+ value service plus MOT at the main dealer today. They just phoned to say the car failed it's MOT on rear springs which are apparently both broken and can supply/fit new parts for £409.

They're probably right as broken springs seem to be quite a common problem.

But as for getting an MOT at the main dealer, I gave that up years ago when they failed a tyre which was worn on the edge. I was pretty confident that wear on the edge while you've still got 4-5mm across the main tread of the tyre is not a fail. But I didn't have time to argue about it and needed to pick up the car so the tyre was replaced (unnecessarily).

Ever since, I've had MOTs done at the local Council MOT centre. They have no interest in failing cars for the sake of generating new business as they don't do repairs. I've been much more confident in their testing judgement. And they also later confirmed that the tyre wasn't a fail. The tester had even recently had an argument with the police who had claimed (wrongly as it turned out) that one of the council mini-buses had illegal tyres because the rim was worn.

 

[StMarks]

Fwiw I had my Vito fail it's MOT at the main dealer last year, for a broken rear spring.
I queried it with them & they put it up on the ramp & showed me. The little end bit was indeed missing, although it was very difficult to tell until you compared against an unbroken one..
I mentioned that to the technician, and he admitted that it wasn't immediately obvious, but as they were changing Vito springs "all the time" and "they usually failed there " so he knew exactly where to look.
I actually strongly suspect it was broken before I got the van, and that it had just not been noticed by the MOT tester I took it to the year before.

 

[Allan AMG]

I'm not sure on fitment but I have a full set of OEM C63 springs for sale.

https://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/cla...5895-w204-c63-coupe-64-plate-oem-springs.html

 

[clk208]

Popped back to the dealer and they showed me on the ramps.

As several of you said, a spring (drivers side) was broken off at the bottom. Passenger side was just corroded. So I have booked in to have them changed out.

Strange how the car still corners like it is on rails, does speed bumps perfectly and makes no noise with this issue present. I suspect if it were MOTd at A N Other garage and they hadn't picked this up I would have been fine to drive for another year as is.

 

[Ted]

My CLK failed on two broken springs at a small garage local to my work.
Like you, hadn't felt a thing previously, but didn't question it, as I have no reason to.

280 quid (inc VAT and MOT) and the car doesn't handle any better, but I do think it absorbs bumps a little better.

Ten years on them. I'm happy with that.

 

[clk208]

My CLK failed on two broken springs at a small garage local to my work. Like you, hadn't felt a thing previously, but didn't question it, as I have no reason to. 280 quid (inc VAT and MOT) and the car doesn't handle any better, but I do think it absorbs bumps a little better. Ten years on them. I'm happy with that.

That is fair enough. I'm planning on keeping mine for another 4-5 years so may as well have the benefit of new springs anyway.

Will report back on whether there are any improvements after the change if anyone still interested

 

[BTB 500]

MOT testers do vary. Our Vito has been through six MOTs without any problem, but last year they refused to test it because it has built-in caging (for the dogs). It's had this from new - the issue was that they (apparently) need to able to inspect the floor of the vehicle from the inside. That would actually be somewhat tricky as there's no floor metal visible anywhere - factory spec. has a bonded covering throughout the whole vehicle. And what would they do with a camper van conversion?!

Took it to another local test station and it passed straight away with no comments or advisories.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Buy some good quality after market springs. On my C32 it was much cheaper to buy better quality H&R springs from member blackc55 and fitted by member jaymanek than it was to get original springs from the main dealer.