Hopefully all will be well soon (just spent an antagonising 2 hours driving around leeds trying to find somewhere called exhaust discounts but couldn't find it, argh), just had it 3 months and it's my first car.

Failed on

Brake pipe corrosion. Park brake lever no reserve travel (it was ok before the test so I am guessing the tester disturbed the cable somehow ending up slackening it). Centre exhaust system major leak exhaust gases. Rear exhaust clamp loose. And most worryingly for me - exhaust emissions lambda reading after second fast idle outside specified limits. Although the tester believed that the exhaust "blowing" could be causing this problem.

There is also an advisory notice about an oil leak. I cannot tell where this is coming from although I will ask when I go for a retest. Could it be as simple as the sump nut & washer or sump gasket needing replacing? If so how easy would this be to do myself (during an oil and filter change). Bearing in mind I have little experience of fiddling with cars.

Ouch. Oh well, suppose that's what you get with free cars with 108k miles on the clock Seems like a brilliant car aside from this, apart from the noise and rattles.

The jobs you describe should be well within the scope of a competent DIY mechanic with the right tools to hand. A brake pipe flaring tool is the most specialised piece of kit you're likely to need if you're going to DIY.

Unfortunately relatively minor MOT fails like yours can lead to quite expensive labour bills if it goes into a commercial garage for repairs.

A few months ago I picked up a rear exhaust section from Andrew Page in Morley for

Forgot to mention. Exhaust Discounts are just off the Armley Gyratory. You'll need to approach Armley Gyratory from the Yorkshire Post building and Exhaust Discounts are on the left just before the Gyratory.

Exhaust Discounts ~ Home Page

Hope that helps

Simon H

Got a quote of

Agh! It looks like you're one step ahead of me! That's the same map I used to get their location... I've never actually been there! The picture on their website doesn't help much does it? However, there looks to be red brick 'tower block' on the extreme left of the pic and a railway banking on the right. Having had a look at the aerial photos on Google Earth I'd guess that they are exactly halfway between Garingers Way and Gotts road. Theres a long narrow building with a small forecourt which fronts onto Wellington Road. Looking from the Gyratory theres the round building (old railway engine shed IIRC), then a semi-circular building, then the long narrow building. Seems to be about the right location to have the 1A Wellington Road address.

Good luck, anyway!

Simon H

Dare i say have you tried your local Skoda dealer for exhausts ??? You might be better off getting the genuine item as the prices you have been quoted seem very similar to the genuine items and you have the piece of mind knowing they will fit correctly unlike non-genuine parts.

Thanks for the tip skudupnorth. I'll give DM Keith in Leeds a buzz in the morning. I noticed an OE part only is listed as

DM Keith quoted about

Can't help with anything else, but I'd start checking for an oil leak by checking the tightness of the oil filter and cam/rocker cover bolts (any oil leak I've ever had other than from a porous sump came from one of those 2 sources).