for some reason the electrics have decided to play up just weeks before i go for a blue slip. the horn is the main problem, it now doesnt work at all, was working only days ago. it just suddenly stopped...?????

any ideas?

also....

is a blue slip really strict. like will a crack in the front blinker stop me getting a blue......what else can stop me from getting the bue,,,, the little things....

cheers

_________________

somebody help this poor boy
because i cant !

_________________

You will probly want to try to connect the horn to a battery to see if it works off the car, that will tell you if it`s the horn itself or a wiring problem in the car at least

& yeah , some safety inspectors will knock you for a cracked lens & some won`t,,,if it`s got a piece missing out of it then definately will knock you back

& yeah little things can become a pain

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

DO NOT connect the horn directly to the battery if its an air horn (one that has a separate compressor and two or more separate trumphets) its likely to fry the said compressor. Obviously not a problem with the original electric horn.

And they will knock you back on the small things if the whole package is crap. Ie if its a rust bucket that barely runs and just scrapes on all the tests then they are likely to knock you back on the small things too as they dont want the responsibility of letting you on the road. But if its a tidy car that starts on the key and drives well then they will be less stringent as they are no more eager to see you again than you are to see them.
For my last blue s. I had a blown bulb in the number plate light so the inspector just replaced it with me and didnt deduct points. He didnt even test the horn and asked me to read him the chassis number off the car without checking it himself.

Normally it's that pesky horn button on the stalk that goes.
See if you are getting power at the horn when you press the button.

_________________
Too many cars, and too little time.

Generally the easiest way to find electrical faults (after checking fuses), is to look at your wiring diagram, and work out which wire should have power at what point. Then get your light tester and see if it does have power when it should, if not there is your problem.

If you don't have one of those light testers, you can get them for about $3 at kmart, or any repco, etc.. They just look like a pen with a sharp end and a wire with an aligator clip coming out the end of it.. earth the aligator clip, and stab the wire you want to test with the sharp end.

rito will give the horn ago with the test light........

the car is in good nick.. no rust and has a fresh batch of paint over it, interior is a+ and tyres and all in good nik.


the blinker just has a crack in it. its still all together and not hanging off or anything...

what about oil leaks... will they check for them and knock you back for that.?

cheers

_________________

Oil leaks can be a favourite for them to reject it , go to the mechanic's/tester via a car wash and pressure clean the motor on the way so there's no obvious leaks showing trails of oil .

_________________

The blue slip inspectors vary enormously in the quality of their inspections - some can be very pendantic, some fairly slack but the majority are reasonable. Like all things the outcome is usually based on the first impressions. If the car looks good then it probably is - but regardless they will check for basic safety and roadworthiness.

In any case - if it fails on any points go home and fix it and take it back - you will get it passed eventually..

i am aiming to have the car on the road for the cruise on the coast so im hoping to pass.... it has a pretty bad oil leak and i will get it fixed when i am getting an engine rebuild later......

if smoke comes out the xhaust will they tell you to forget about the blue slip... ??

sorry bout all the questions but i have never got a blue slip before....

_________________

No - no-one will say forget about a blue slip. The inspectors can only advise you what is required, by them, for them to pass your car.

Someone suggested that you beg boorrow or steal a karcher and give your motor a good clean so you dont attract attention to oil leaks - if if drop a couple of drops the probably wont worry. If it leaves a pool of oil under it then its a different story. As for the smoke, inspectors are motor mechanics, they know. If it puff just a litle then its a forty year old car, if it puffs heaps then its a stuffed polluting engine.

Bottom line is - present them with a clean tidy honest car and they will inspect it honestly. If it has significant faults then they will will tell what is required to get it passed.

But seriously getting it passed is not nearly as hard as some people would lead you to believe. there's that myth that minis are being knocked back at the tests all the time but I reckon its because some people try to get near death traps passed (like how often do you read guys here asking ""my brakes/steering/wheel bearings seem stuffed but I dont have the time\money\energy to fix them so I'm just driving carefuly, is this a problem?").

If its a reasonably tidy car and you go to cooperative tester its easy peasy.