Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen

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Tue 9 Sep 2008 21:10
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - stunorthants26
My dad had a moment today in his '93 Astra. The track rod broke off while he was driving and his NSF wheel steadily turned kerbside.
Turns out that the two nuts holding it had both rusted through their thread - one has been loose for a while ( I told him the steering was very vague but its hardly used so hardly noted ) and today the second one broke off and within 5 miles he could no longer drive the car and limped into a garage. It was almost at a critical point.

The other side was in the same rusty condition and could have gone at any moment.
Apparently caused by not needing tracking done for many years ( Astras apparently dont often ).

Highlights the need for coating such components against corrosion. Could have been a real horror story at 80mph. Never mentioned at MOT in January either - I thought corrosion of safety related parts was examined and would have atleast been advised?
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 21:27
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - nick
IMHO it highlights the need to take action when you feel the steering has gone vague! Looks like the MOT man should have spotted it though. A lucky escape. It shows the value of a good look round when it's serviced.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 21:40
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - jase1
IMHO it highlights the need to take action when you feel the steering has gone
vague!


Indeed.

I get funny looks from others when I notice minor issues on my car sometimes -- but better that than not noticing and having the car fail dangerously like this.

MOT != safe car.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 21:49
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - Another John H
Front suspension struts collapse on Skoda Felicias at about 10 years/100K, and the lower end of the spring has a go at the sidewall of the tyre.

All very exciting/lethal.

The trusty MOT man flagged up the rear shock absorbers a couple of years ago, but missed the fronts last year.

The MOT testers are human, and can't dig at suspect bits these days, AFAIK.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 22:01
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - gordonbennet
Can't blame the MOT tester, he's checking the car for specific things, not servicing and inspecting the thing, if he checked all such possible faults the annual test would be full days job and cost hundreds.
Isn't that what they do in Japan by the way.

It sounds like your Dad needs a new mechanic Stu, stuff like this should really have been spotted during a service, glad no one was hurt, bet it shook him up a little though.

Think Waxoyl....
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 22:18
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - stunorthants26
My dads car only has a basic service each year, he is just eeking it to the end of iits life doing 1500 miles a year, so the car literally just has an oil/filter and an MOT check rather than full schedule. He assumed that the MOT tester would do a full check on safety related items, obviously thats not the case. Shame really but my dad will know next time and ive urged him to get the car in teh garage for a through look over to avoid such a thing again.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 22:24
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - jase1
Problem is, they still rust no matter how few miles you do.

This is why when I hear people bang on about low-mileage cars I have to laugh. Low mileage = older for the same money = probably more rust-related issues = potentially unsafe car.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 22:27
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - Lud
No need to exaggerate jase. But they do get rustier if they aren't used. Nothing like a bit of oil leaking out and dripping down all over everything.
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Tue 9 Sep 2008 22:32
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - stunorthants26
Its not ultra low mileage or anything, its just turned 104k, but in recent years it prob only goes a few miles a week. Rust at the rear may well consign it to ebay in January anyway, hence my dad was considering replacement a while back but he is waiting to see if the car market dives further yet, hence he is stretching the cars life a bit longer.
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Wed 10 Sep 2008 08:16
Old car fun and games - accident waiting to happen - Cliff Pope
I don't really get the picture how this happened. Track rod ends have whopping great nuts about an inch across on a track rod about half an inch. I've had them seize solid, but something that size should take a hundred years to rust through. I can image a well-greased one that hadn't been tightened properly slowly unwinding - or is this case a different kind of design?
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