WOF should change to WTFF (what the fuck for?)

[avgas]

Ok I don't rant often, but I am pissed off.
I recently jumped through many hoops to get the ol' FZR through a wof at the testing station. I changes a brake light, I tightens up nuts, cleaned out crannies. Got told I should check this and that. She is a bucket of bolts, queen rat....but I loves her.
Yet today I go out to put my breast cancer valve caps on (get yours here) and fuck me - the bastards completely missed the 1mm crack all the way around the bead on me rear tyre.
But no my bike is perfectly safe. FFS
WTF was that test for? Bloody hell - how can a guy staring at my tyre not even see this?

Anyone else had the wof guys miss something obvious?

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Other half took old vtr to testing station and they missed the steering head bearing were fucked...

[Scuba_Steve]

yep WOF's are just another tax for owning a vehicle, and are more dangerous than helpful in my view as they provide people with a false sense of security.

My experiences are
I have to remove the seat-belts from my landrover every-time I go for a WOF.
apparently you need the "lock" to stop the handlebars hitting the tank on the bike, I spent 8 years & multiple inspectors before this was picked up.
I had a van pass a re-registration check only to completely fail its following WOF check 1 year later.
Had van fail on optional lights... My options remove them or make them work, if I am able to remove them why do they have to work for a WOF???

I would NOT get WOF's if they did make you have them to get "Reg"

[p.dath]

I think your expecting too much from your WOF test. They aren't saying the motorbike is in perfect condition - or event that it is safe - they are saying that it met a minimum standard as laid down by the Government.

You can always exceed that minimum standard ... whenever someone knowledgeable has to look at my bike for something I always ask them if they can see anything that needs doing.

[Taz]

The airs not coming out is it? No problem then. I'd ride with that.

[AllanB]

yep WOF's are just another tax for owning a vehicle,

I disagree with this - there would be some seriously unsafe vehicles on the road without them.

To the original poster. Yes, he probably should have picked this up, however YOU should have way before the WOF on a regular inspection and air pressure check.

[porky]

The airs not coming out is it? No problem then. I'd ride with that.

And if it does , a can of Selleys expanding foam should have it sorted!

Seriously i would not ride on a perished or damaged tyre and yes id be a little pissed, especially as they take money off you for the privilage of inspection.
I no longer do bikes thru VTNZ, a wiggle here and there, beep the horn and a blast down the road seems to be all you get.

[SMOKEU]

One of my old cars passed a WOF with a crack about 200mm long on the inside of one of the guards. The car was so unstable it was hard to keep on my side of the road at 50kmh.

[Cloggy]

We always take our car to a VTNZ testing station in the believe that the car gets tested to a certain standard. For example by putting it on a machine to test for worn suspension parts rather than relying on a "seat of pants" feeling from some random mechanic on a random piece of road.
About 2 years ago, they failed the car on supposedly worn rear shock absorbers. No problem, went out and bought new shocks, put them in and the car got it's WOF. The problem with the new shock was that they were noisy in operation. Went back to the place I bought them from, got a replacement set, fitted these, only to find they were also noisy. So returned them and got money back and fitted the supposedly worn rear shocks back into the car. I think the car has since passed 4 WOF checks at the same VTNZ testing station without failing on the shocks. So why did it fail 2 years ago
So much for testing to a standard.

[Conquiztador]

To me a WOF check is only a set 6 monthly cost. Nothing else. It is up to me to keep the bike/car roadworthy. A police can 5 min after you left a WOF station with a new sticker fail you and have you to re-do it if he/she sees the need for it.

[Max Preload]

I disagree with this - there would be some seriously unsafe vehicles on the road without them.

Are you saying that mechanically irresponsible people get WoFs now just because they're told to?

To me a WOF check is only a set 6 monthly cost. Nothing else.

It's not even that to me.

[Owl]

I haven't taken a bike to a testing station for years, as I no longer trust them.

WoF at a bike shop for me, in fact it's booked in at Anza again this morning. I actually want to know if something is wrong with my bike!

[steelestring]

Feel your pain dude.. Back in the day I had an 89 mitsi mirage cyborg that was a bit boy racer.. Testing station hit me up for slight headlight adjustment, handbrake adjustment... quickly had it fixed and came straight back ten minutes later...

Then told me about my illeagal exhaust system (that was fully legal as I had highlighted a photocopied section of the warrent book "exiting after the last passanger door of the vehicle") He was pissed off with me....

He then told me that this car did not come out with a turbo motor and I needed a certification....!!!???!!! I told him about the models and he told me to go and get a certification..!!!

After a signed letter from the only people who did this certing in the area, saying my car did not need a certification I went back again and the guy refused to see me and walked away.

Next day they were open was the Monday... rocked up early presented the letter and he continued to tell me my car was illeagal as I had fitted a turbo and had a aftermarket wastegate... I asked him to point at the wastegate that he was talking about and he pointed at an HKS Supersequential blow off valve........

I did get my warrent in the end.... they had no idea what the hell they were talking about....

The Front drivers seat was not attached to the floor when I went to wash it when I got home

Rant over

[davereid]

NZTA seem to slavishly follow everything the Ozzies do, and a WOF is not required there.

I too, have had some vehicles with defects slip through a WOF.

On the other hand, I consider myself pretty mechanically able, and yet I have found some scary defects at WOF time !

VTNZ seem better at finding worn wiper blades, incorrect petrol caps and blown numberplate lights. But they have failed brakes on perfectly adequate vehicles due to their dodgy brake machines.

My experience has been that VTNZ get the details right, but because they don't drive the vehicle, nor do they jack it right up, they miss the more serious faults.

[Mom]

We had a caravan failed at a testing station for brakes. We were required to replace brake lines and hoses and recondition the slave and master cylinders. So off to Pit Stop we went and they redo the entire braking system on the caravan. After a few hundred $$ spent, we took the caravan back through the testing station and the guy that did the recheck was going to fail it becasue he was not happy with how the brake lines were attached to the chassis. I even gave him the workshop job sheet from Pit Stop detailing everything that they had done. While he was still quibbling I pointed out to him that Pit Stop are also WOF issuers so surely they would not repair something to less than WOF standard.

I also gave him the look

I reckon that was why he issued the WOF in the end