MOT Advisories (sills corroded & "nearside drag link end ball joint"!)

For those who don't know, you can look up your vehicle's MOT history here:

Motoring : Directgov - MOT history request

I just did this and learned that my vehicle's last MOT (before I owned it) was a PASS (of course), with two advisories...

O/s and n/s sills slightly corroded

Presumably, "slightly corroded" means nothing needs doing yet, but will do in future. Given that this was done in May 2010, I suspect they haven't got too much worse yet.

Can I stop having to deal with this by fitting rock sliders or will they still need welding up some day regardless?

Also, if rock sliders will remove the need to weld the sills, presumably that's a more cost effective thing to do anyway, right? I imagine the cost of a pair of rock sliders is roughly the same as the cost of welding them up... maybe...

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

What on earth does this mean? I've never heard of a "drag link end ball joint". Does it sound like a big job??

The drag link joins the steering arm to the wheel, it has ball joints on the ends, similar to the track-rod which joins both front wheels together but much shorter.

I had an advisory this year, first time ever, and just for the "slight play in n/s track rod ball joint" the ball joint was a genuine part and only a year old, I replaced it as the shroud had split just before the MOT the previous year... I will have a look myself next spring.

Thanks for the replies, people, but still a few questions...

fishsponge said:

O/s and n/s sills slightly corroded

Can I stop having to deal with this by fitting rock sliders or will they still need welding up some day regardless?

Also, if rock sliders will remove the need to weld the sills, presumably that's a more cost effective thing to do anyway, right? I imagine the cost of a pair of rock sliders is roughly the same as the cost of welding them up... maybe...

Nearside Drag link end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Does it sound like a big job??

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If your sills need welding you will have to do them have`n rock sliders or running boards fitted makes no odds holes in sills is an mot fail

My MOT was due yesterday :doh: It will have to wait until payday know which is next Thursday. So I'll be driving the other car till then. The only thing that it is likely to fail on is the nearside sill, I had the offside done last year and the nearside was dodgy but he let it go. The guy that does the MOTs for me is a mate, I do most of the mechanics and he does my welding.

It sounds like the MOT tester was just covering his arse.
Tester are always picking up on the play in the drag link which Land Rover always seem to have.
The sill's only have to look rusty for the tester to make an advisory note.

so presumably, if the sills are actually still in a good state, if i clean *all* the rust off and cover them with something to stop the rust, presumably that *might* be good enough... and if so, how do the plastic covers come off? they seem to be held on with what look like plastic rivets from the surface!

fishsponge said:

so presumably, if the sills are actually still in a good state, if i clean *all* the rust off and cover them with something to stop the rust, presumably that *might* be good enough... and if so, how do the plastic covers come off? they seem to be held on with what look like plastic rivets from the surface!

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Most testers will prod around with a screwdriver on rusty sills, if they can make holes you fail, however I'm pretty sure you'll be ok if the rot isn't within 6" of a body mount (don't quote me on that) The plastic covers come off by popping out the plastic rivets as you mentioned, you can get replacements off ebay.

Prevention is better than cure get cleaning then get the waxoil out

puppysandwich said:

Most testers will prod around with a screwdriver on rusty sills, if they can make holes you fail, however I'm pretty sure you'll be ok if the rot isn't within 6" of a body mount (don't quote me on that) The plastic covers come off by popping out the plastic rivets as you mentioned, you can get replacements off ebay.

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Oy we testers arn't allowed to use screw drivers and i don't think there is a part on a disco sill that will pass an MOT if its got a hole init, remember 30cm from a body mount,seat belt mount and seat mount doesn't leave much room for rusty holes

Twelve inch's of a structure point.
The tester has to us his special corrosion assessment tool,which looks thick a toffee hammer.
They are not allowed to remove any thing that's covering the area ,like carpets or plastic sill covers.
The corrosion must have be on a part of the sill that's visible.
If you can not push a wide blunt ended screw driver through with moderate pressure or make a hole by taping the sill with the screw driver handle then it's a pass.

spencer1885 said:

Twelve inch's of a structure point.
The tester has to us his special corrosion assessment tool,which looks thick a toffee hammer.
They are not allowed to remove any thing that's covering the area ,like carpets or plastic sill covers.
The corrosion must have be on a part of the sill that's visible.
If you can not push a wide blunt ended screw driver through with moderate pressure or make a hole by taping the sill with the screw driver handle then it's a pass.

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You can't use a screw driver at all, the special tool and finger/thumb preasure only

oldskool said:

You can't use a screw driver at all, the special tool and finger/thumb preasure only

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That's right but the owner can check this own car to get an idea of its condition.
The tester has to use his corrosion assessment tool and this hand.

and what can the tester do with his corrosion assessment tool? does he wield it like a toffee hammer? i.e.hitting the corrosion or just try to push the nasty vicious spikey end through my pride and joy?
how much does the thing weigh its gotta do more damage than a thumb surely...

nick2303 said:

and what can the tester do with his corrosion assessment tool? does he wield it like a toffee hammer? i.e.hitting the corrosion or just try to push the nasty vicious spikey end through my pride and joy?
how much does the thing weigh its gotta do more damage than a thumb surely...

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It weighs fook all and the bit you use for hitting is made out of plastic, youd have trouble knocking a hole through tin foil with it and the metal part is only to be used for light scrapping not prodding or poking

nick2303 said:

and what can the tester do with his corrosion assessment tool? does he wield it like a toffee hammer? i.e.hitting the corrosion or just try to push the nasty vicious spikey end through my pride and joy?
how much does the thing weigh its gotta do more damage than a thumb surely...

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He can tap the area with the hammer end using the weight of the toffee hammer only.
The handle end looks like a blunt screw driver with he pushes on to the area using only moderate pressure.
The head of the hammer is made of plastic and the handle is alloy, so it light.
If the area is solid it will have no affect, but if its badly rusted the it will make a hole.

well the nice man destroyed my sills wiv his little hammer and they were easily as thick as two sheets of tin foil!!! lol

spencer1885 said:

He can tap the area with the hammer end using the weight of the toffee hammer only.
The handle end looks like a blunt screw driver with he pushes on to the area using only moderate pressure.
The head of the hammer is made of plastic and the handle is alloy, so it light.
If the area is solid it will have no affect, but if its badly rusted the it will make a hole.

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Are you a tester??

oldskool said:

Are you a tester??

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tester?

S'ok, just wanted to know how that showed up on LZ live.