So, would a TCS inspection be necessary? He did not think so. How are TCS inspections different from MFKs?
Cheers.
Hello all. I have bought a used car from what I think is an honest dealer/mechanic. He knows that a couple of things need to be done on it before it has an MFK inspection. He says that their local MFK place is very thorough (it's located outside of Lucerne) and that they will look at everything important. He will have this done before I pick it up. A service was done on the car a few weeks ago when the previous owner traded it in (he knows the owner who lives in the village and has serviced the car before).
You're supposed to get the inspection before you buy the car, not after.
I'd say now is a waste of time.
But can you explain what the difference is? Do they really look at different things?
In UK terms, the TCS inspection is akin to having the AA come to inspect a used car. They look over the car and make a note of any defects -- from mechanical issues to cosmetic damage to whether all the accessories on the car work. Helpfully, they'll tell you that the brake discs will need to be replaced shortly, the tyres only have another season in them, etc.
The MFK is the mandatory safety check, akin to the UK MOT. They will only test safety items, and it will be strictly pass/fail. It goes without saying that you should not buy a car without an MFK unless you're mechanically-inclined and know exactly what you're getting into.
A TCS check can be useful when buying a nearly-new car where you'd expect everything to be in top condition. You can use the result to negotiate to have any minor defects fixed before sale.
For an older car, however, it will just turn up a laundry list of little things that frankly, you should expect for the age of the car. It's not worth spending on.
How about a link to the car you bought?
The bit I've highlighted isn't strictly true; if they fail the car they'll usually give you a list of things that need fixing... and so many days to get that done and for you to re-present the car for a second inspection.
If the car still isn't up to standard on those issues (and they'll only re-check the listed things) you have to start again from scratch.
IE; the car, when presented a third time, will be checked over as if it was a first control.
You should have negotiated to have this done before the sale was final. And the MFK too. You will pay much more later on if there are any problems with the car.
MFK check is very throughout - they will point out all important and not so important malfunctions that need to be fixed.
If you already have the car and need to do the MFK, the most cost efficient way is to go to the inspection yourself and if the car fails, you'll get a precise list of things to fix and a date for a re-test.
If you do a pre-MFK service, you'll end up paying for much more than needs to be done.
To get the official testing done, you need to be a TCS member, so I will compare prices as a TCS member,
Official testing, ie MFK equivalent, is SFR 40,-- and takes about 20 minutes
used car testing, evaluation and report SFR 120,--
valuing the used car SFR 20,--
so you can see the official safety test is much cheaper than a full test, (Example: extra testing of the brake fluid for the boiling point) and so I assume the full testing will cover much more than the simple official safety testing.
TCS prices for the Solothurn area, http://www.tcs.ch/de/der-club/meine-region/solothurn/tests-und-kontrollen.php
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Probably cheaper to just change the brake fluid, than go to the bother of measuring the boiling point, it's a 10 minute or less job!
I disagree with he previous poster who says the MFK is very through, whilst slightly anal at times I have got some crap cars to pass , I.e. tightening up handbrake to work when the brake shoes were down to metal, due to overheating the fiction material had fallen off.....coke can to fix an exhaust , washing engine 5 minutes before test to hide bad oil leak.
Just so that this doesn't get more confusing, it's worth clarifying a couple of things.
The MFK is an official government test, carried out at government-run testing centers. However, in certain cantons and subject to certain conditions, you can have your official MFK test conducted by the TCS. In Basel, you can only have the TCS conduct the MFK test before you receive the official invitation to have your car tested. If you receive the official invitation, you have no option but to take it to the government-run MFK center for inspection.
Many garages offer pre-MFK checks. These basically cover the same items as the MFK, but are only advisory -- you don't pass/fail them.
Finally, there is the TCS used-car inspection test, which is more thorough and has been discussed above.
Wouldn't work at my MFK center :-)
I had to exchange the exhaust holders due to some worn/aged rubber parts. They also revved the engine to detect any leaks.
It actually is not on their website as they had not put it on yet. But it looked in very good condition for the age - 2001 BMW 325xi with 98,000 km for 7,000 CHF.
The previous owner must have scrapped something on the right hand side as there is very slight grazing on the side (on the paint) as well as some slight gouges to the rim on the back right hand side. That is why I think the price was what it was - because it was not in 'perfect Swiss condition' and it seems to be under priced. But it is minor. Besides gentle wear and tear on the inside, that is all that I can see is wrong with it on a superficial level.
The mechanic seems incredibly thorough.
I don't have the car yet. The MFK will be done before I pick it up in a month's time. It has been noted in the contract, so I will not be doing it myself. The mechanic needs to replace the brakes and some valve in the engine before it goes to the MFK. If there are any issues, he will fix them before sending it back to the MFK - so no issues there.
You should be able to get a replacement wheel or a new set off Gratis-Inserate or Riccardo
If the car has a full service history then, pricec to sell rather than keep! , paid rather less for a 330xi recently but it had a higher mileage.
My coke can repair was not rusty & did not leak, which is why it passed!
Yes sir. All checked and all looked good. What year is your 330xi? I read some (fortunately not all) horrible reviews for the 3 series...about how everything seems to go wrong and sometimes at low mileage. But this car seems to have had very few problems. Some people seem to love them and have almost nothing go wrong.
Late 2001, never had any issues with the e36 328i, that I sold at 345,000km, still had 18 months MFK .
I've had loads of BMW's as has my wife. Maybe we've been fortunate, but they've all been great cars and not caused us any real issues. I currently have a 2003 330d Sport and it is a superb car. I fitted a set of winter wheels last year and it behaved very well in the UK snow (albeit that's less that in Switzerland!!)
its perfectly normal to have a new MFK performed when buying a car from a dealer, so not a waste of time at all.