Decent Roadworthy Testers in Werribee/Hoppers Crossing VIC?

[RK5TAR]

I have been given until 7th October to provide a roadworthy certificate for my car or my rego will be suspended from that date. Im almost there after doing lots of work and spending a lot of money on this car to get it up to scratch. But there are still 3 things I need to do on the car that will take me pastthat date due to time taken to do the work and of course finances. Vicroads has stated they will not give an extension to that date, which is fair enough. Im cool with that, but if I thought I would ask before the day instead of afterwards. They also have said that once it is suspended I will have to have the car towed to the roadworthy tester etc and that I cant buy a permit to drive it to get tested. The permits are for unregistered vehicles only, not suspended registrations.

Basically Im looking for a good tester close by and for a reasonable price and not someone who is going to be a twit about it. Have been stung by one many years ago who was getting kickbacks by saying people needed such and such done(when it didnt) and sending it to a place to be fixed that they had a deal with.

If any of you can help I would be very grateful. Ive put a lot of time and money into getting this car up to scratch and would like to finally get that peice of paper to say she is fit.

[Jonno]

vic roads has gotton really strict on everyone, so its not easy mate, what is wrong with the car that needs to be fixed

[RK5TAR]

The car has just been neglected. Ive replaced the radiator and heater tap and hoses,the steering rack and pump, replaced the engine mounts, replaced the front brakes (entirely) put new tyres on and seatbelts. Replaced front headlight and replaced all the non working globes.
I have the back brakes to replace (will be done Monday) I have to clean the engine as the rocker gasket is leaking. (have replacement gaskets to go in but the lgp setup is in the way, so going to try a tighten and clean for now). The front bumper is an after market clubby fibreglass one that is loose and beat up. Ive ordered another one that will be here next week, then have to figure out how to fit it and then paint it. This is what is going to take up the time and money. I had toyed with removing the kit and putting stock bumpers on it, but the car is kermit green and would look even more hideous being that colour with a stock set up and then I would still have to paint it up anyway.
Plus the school bus driver dinged my front guard, so have to fix that damage too, as the roadworhty guidelines are saying there is to be no visible damage.
The castor rod bushes need doing too, but the mechanic thought this wouldnt be needed before roadworthy testing. Although going by some posts in these forums I might need to get it done anyway as others have had it picked at roadworthy.


These are all the things that were identified by the mechanic as being needed to be fixed to get past rwc. But I could still go in and they might pick other things anyway. Im not going to know until I get it in and tested.
Ive already spent over $2k getting the car to this stage, so hoping this is it for a while.

[petergl67]

$200 for a roady. Won't pass unless it's 100%. The tester has to take photos of the car and file them for 7 years so if anything happens it can get back tracked. So any thing the tester passes get recorded. No one is risking passing cars that even have a minor defect as I know a few.

[Drewie]

$200 for a roady. Won't pass unless it's 100%. The tester has to take photos of the car and file them for 7 years so if anything happens it can get back tracked. So any thing the tester passes get recorded. No one is risking passing cars that even have a minor defect as I know a few.

I have a friend who is a mechanic, his own workshop and he told me a lot of the testers in his area are going to hand back their RWC licenses as it is going to be too much stuffing around and time consuming due to the new rules imposed on them.

[monkeys437]

$200 for a roady. Won't pass unless it's 100%. The tester has to take photos of the car and file them for 7 years so if anything happens it can get back tracked. So any thing the tester passes get recorded. No one is risking passing cars that even have a minor defect as I know a few.

Yet somehow car yards can get away with selling used cars with RWC which are deathtraps. My sister in law brought a VTSS a few months back with metal on metal brakes, oil and coolant leaks, a dead LSD which made the car near undriveable, LPG leaks and basically every suspension bush completely shagged (over $5k to get fixed).

It seems the rules only apply the little guy....

[RK5TAR]

$200 for a roady. Won't pass unless it's 100%. The tester has to take photos of the car and file them for 7 years so if anything happens it can get back tracked. So any thing the tester passes get recorded. No one is risking passing cars that even have a minor defect as I know a few.

This is what the mechanic said the other day. He was going to send me to his guy who only charged $85, but then got told it's $200 because they had to get new equipment etc to comply with the new rules.

I too wonder how car yards get away with it. My last car came with the wrong tyres for the rims and the springs were the wrong ones for the car and one wasnt even seated in the mount thing properly and was clunking and carrying on everytime I went over a bump.

I dont have a problem with the tighter rules so that the cars are safer etc. But if you are going to impose tighter testing, then relax something further up the line such as in my case the date set to have the roadworthy supplied. Seems reasonable with new tighter requirements to maybe offer a mild time extension if it can be proven that the car has been having work done on it towards getting the roadworthy attained? It's not like I've sat and done nothing until the last 2 days then expect everything to go my way. Not that it's really a relevant argument int he scheme of things lol.

[MingeyMatt]

Complete near the Tigers club are very good.
(03) 9748 4080 ‎

[RK5TAR]

Thanks Matt!

Rang up and the car is booked in today. The price goes up from 1st October so if I get it in today it's cheaper. There's stillt he couple of things I have left to do, but I only have one week until the rego is suspended if I dont get a rwc into vicroads. But at least this way I get the roadworthy done and will get a report back on exactly what is left to do and have a week to get it done and take it back. If i got the other couple of things done then waited until next fridays payday, then I leave myself no time if it needs other things I havent thought of.

[RK5TAR]

So roadworthy checked and as I expected it was rejected. But at least now I know whats what. Some things werent on there that I was replacing that I thought should be, like seatbelts that dont retract properly. Other things like the booster seat for my daugther that I threw in the car just in case was picked because I havent tethered it yet as she is never in that car. Most things they picked were loose or missing bolts mainly around the tailshaft and diff area. Which explains the knocking back there. Oh and a new windscreen is in order. So off to the mechanic monday with the list to see what we can do to get it all done and back in for inspection by next friday when my week is up.

They didnt test drive the car though due to being classed as "unsafe" by them regarding the loose items. So fingers crossed they dont find anything wrong when driving it. The brakes are new, the steering rack is replaced etc and the tyres are new, so not thinking too much would be a problem there you think?

Thanks again guys for your feedback and recommendation of where to go. I can say the place recommended treated their customers very well and I would recommend them for anyone else to use.

[azkwazere]

What did you pay for the RWC and whats the price going up too?

aZk.

[Full Spectrum]

Did you say $200 ?. not a miss print.

[RK5TAR]

I paid $120 for a car with LPG. $110 for non LPG.
Tomorrow it goes up to $150 across the board at that particular place.

I was quoted $200 last week by another place which I obviously didnt end up going to.

[azkwazere]

Its all this new "tougher legislation" bullshit going round.. i remember when roadys cost $75 ####ing dollars.

aZk.

[Full Spectrum]

I paid $120 for a car with LPG. $110 for non LPG.
Tomorrow it goes up to $150 across the board at that particular place.
I was quoted $200 last week by another place which I obviously didnt end up going to.

Very expensive and now i can see why you need it done yesterday... I got to get a rwc for the proton soon. But my VT i'm sure was cheap as chips only 3ish years ago ?. I'll go get my paper work.

[RK5TAR]

Yeah is exxy. I've booked it in for it's reinspection Thursday. I had 17 items on the list rejected and the car is in being fixed for them all now. Costing another $400. But here's hoping once that's done and the RW place actually drives it that they don't find more wrong. Otherwise I will be up for nto only more repairs, but another rw inspection charge plus no rego after Friday because I will be out of time.

[azkwazere]

Yeah is exxy. I've booked it in for it's reinspection Thursday. I had 17 items on the list rejected and the car is in being fixed for them all now. Costing another $400. But here's hoping once that's done and the RW place actually drives it that they don't find more wrong. Otherwise I will be up for nto only more repairs, but another rw inspection charge plus no rego after Friday because I will be out of time.

How do they work with regards to the different inspections.. ie. is it $150 for initial inspection.. they find 'x' things wrong, you fix them and come back, is it another $150 for the RWC?

aZk.

[RK5TAR]

You pay for your initial inspection, then if they reject it you have 7 days to remedy it and have it reinspected free and if it passes you get your RWC. After the 7 days then you have to pay another inspection fee and they redo the entire inspection again.

[Blown V6 Hatch]

IMO, it's not expensive at all. If any of you guys saying it's expensive actually did roadworthys, you certainly wouldn't be saying that. With the amount of crap you have to do/go through these days to complete an RWC inspection (properly), the price is certainly justified.

[RK5TAR]

$200 out of a single income family, yes it's expensive for us, especially if for some reason I have to fork out with another inspection fee because for some reason it doesn't pass again within the measly 7 days given to rectify any rejected items. The amount of crap I have had to do and go through to get the car roadworthy is enough and Im not the one getting paid for it. . They're getting paid a pretty penny for something that is for the foreseeable future going to be an in demand service, and for which any tools/equipment etc they have to buy to comply can be claimed back on tax I think they don't have much to whinge about.

[vnkid]

It's a precarious position. On one hand it could be seen as a stimulus measure? People need it done and getting it done will generate work for the Mechanical industry. On the another hand, it would serve to make our roads safer from unroadworthy cars. But frankly i think more Mechanics will forgo the responsibility, people will not be able to afford the additional red tape and in effect just makes people more annoyed. Your pick.

[Blown V6 Hatch]

$200 out of a single income family, yes it's expensive for us, especially if for some reason I have to fork out with another inspection fee because for some reason it doesn't pass again within the measly 7 days given to rectify any rejected items. The amount of crap I have had to do and go through to get the car roadworthy is enough and Im not the one getting paid for it. . They're getting paid a pretty penny for something that is for the foreseeable future going to be an in demand service, and for which any tools/equipment etc they have to buy to comply can be claimed back on tax I think they don't have much to whinge about.

If you can't afford to maintain a car and keep it on the road, then don't have one. If you maintain the car regularly, it shouldn't need a whole list of things fixed to pass a roadworthy, therefore it shouldn't be a big deal.

[RK5TAR]

I just recently bought the car . Nothing about affording to maintain it at all, but thank you for reviving that old chestnut.

I see others thought the rates were expensive. I agree if it is more than a once off it is expensive. You disagree, ke sera sera.

I'm sure there is a separate thread you can start up if you wish to discuss what is involved in a RWC and clarify the work, equipment and costs involved in complying with the new rules.
I think it would be an insightful read.

[Full Spectrum]

Just found my paper work. $88 for my rwc. some funny items i seen were window water sprayers not straight. needed short shocks in the rear. auto gear stick not holding D. the pin fell out lol.

[RK5TAR]

That was one of mine. The circlip was missing from the linkage and the gear shift was at risk of popping out. Plus the gear shift moves when in gear. The mechanic spent ages on it and replaced the circlip. He keeps saying it wont get any firmer than it is now he's fixed it. Even with a brand new linkage he said there is some slack in it?
I had 17 items rejected. One was a drop of brake flluid on my front caliper where my brakes were replaced a week ago. (A wipe with a cloth would have clarified it wasnt a leak, just a leftover smudge fromt he work already done). But they listed it anyway. The other was the child booster seat not tethered into the car. (Its a spare "just in case") So Ive removed it from the car as its not "part" of the car. The rest was warranted I think and it has made the car so much better to drive since its been fixed. So all in all I dont mind having to go and have the car checked for roadworthy, as now I know that I have everything up to scratch (shall know for sure this week). I know I wouldnt have known about the circlip and potential for the gearshift to pop out without it. How screwed would I have been if that happened?
The cost aside I just wish there was more of an open book thing with regard to what to look for to get a car roadworthy. Some things I wouldnt have thought of, and the info on vicroads is a bit vague. You check and change your seat belts, brakes, tyres and make sure nothing is hanging off or leaking, but some of the items you have no way of knowing. Especially if its a recent purchase youre not used to the feel of to know if somethings not right. Its almost as though its set up to make more work for the tester and the car owner. Whereas if there was a comprehensive checklist available online you could take that to the mechanic and have them go over it and know whats what. I'd already spent over $1500 by the time I got to roadworthy and thats just gone up by another $800 by today to hopefully finish the work and trying to get it done within the 7 days they give you to take it back before you have to pay for another full RW inspection.