45 minutes of stress and worry....😐

But she passed the mot and is I get to have fun in my Golf for another year 😎!
A few advisories this time but should be easy to sort!

Congrats! Always a stressful time.

Did you get slight play in rear wheel bearing as an advisory?
I get those quite often as I don't like over doing the hub nut.  

Thanks Chris. I hate getting new cars mot'd and it's worse with the Golf.
Mark, yes it was play in the rear wheel bearings. I have always been the same as you with the hub nut and the tester told me to tighten it by and and then get a spanner on it and turn it by one flat of the nut and then back it off a bit and the wheel should spin freely and you may have a bit of play. It did what he said and it seems to have done the trick! I also had an advisory on the rear brakes being just about adequate. I've gone through things and I'm at a loss now, possibly master cylinder or load proportioning valve but not sure!

Rear brakes is more than likely the auto adjuster, it never seems to work very well, I take the wheel off and if you look through the bolt hole in the drum you can turn it so you can see the end of the adjustment wedge, if you get some to press the brake pedal hard and you get a screw driver and poke it in little hole in the wedge and lever it downwards it will adjust up the rear brakes.
Once done check the drum spins freely, if not you need to push the wedge up a little and that will free up the adjuster, don't worry if there's a just a little bit of the shoes just touching the drums as it will free up over time but make sure it's not to much or the drums will get hot when driving.

I do this every year and you can notice the difference in the feel of the pedal when driving.

If your brake fuild is more than 3 years old change it as that can also affect the way the brakes work.

Easiest way to adjust the rears (if worn) is to pull the parking brake handle up, then stomp the brakes, this allows the adjuster wedge a wee bit of room to move.

Other than that if the brakes are worn, then replace them.

When I replace the brakes on a new to me car, I replace the wheel cylinders, shoes, and bearings, this way I can button it up and not worry for a few years.

I use the method on new or old bearings fully tighten the bearings after re-packing with Grease, to seat them, the drum won't turn…them back the nut off till the drum rotates freely…then move it so the cotter pin fits.  NEVER re-use a cotter pin, they are cheap and a life saver.

To bleed the brakes I made a home made bleeder out of the Garden Sprayer and a brake cylinder res Cap.  Works really well, and with my 1 quart catch jar, I can see color change in the fluid really easy…

Besides I don't need a second person to press-n-hold…The wife doesn't like being disturbed.
Google Home Made power Brake Bleeder….


I used to sweat bullets ever year at emissions time, Every year I would have to replace the Cat on my rides.....
Until I got the brilliant Idea to Buy one new hang it on the car, have it tested, then swap the new over to the next pass emissions, then hang it on a shelf... Now I don't worry as the car is over 25 years old and it isn't required any more.... MOT over hear is clean air in big cities, they don't care if your car can't stop, or that the lights or belts work...

 

mark1gls said

Rear brakes is more than likely the auto adjuster, it never seems to work very well, I take the wheel off and if you look through the bolt hole in the drum you can turn it so you can see the end of the adjustment wedge, if you get some to press the brake pedal hard and you get a screw driver and poke it in little hole in the wedge and lever it downwards it will adjust up the rear brakes.
Once done check the drum spins freely, if not you need to push the wedge up a little and that will free up the adjuster, don't worry if there's a just a little bit of the shoes just touching the drums as it will free up over time but make sure it's not to much or the drums will get hot when driving.

I do this every year and you can notice the difference in the feel of the pedal when driving.

If your brake fuild is more than 3 years old change it as that can also affect the way the brakes work.

Do this but don't take the wheel off. Just remove one bolt, its quicker and when the car falls off the jack it won't crush you…..

Thanks for the hints and tips. I have done as suggested and my brakes are hugely better, brake fluid was replaced early this year so didn't need to do that although I did get a tiny bit of air out when I gave them a quick bleed.

Good to hear you noticed the improvement, I expect there is less pedal travel before the brakes start to bite?

I now a lot of people say Mk1 golfs hardly use the rear brakes but I think rear brakes are used more than they think…..