Wednesday 28th March 2012

New MOT regs - Do you need to panic?

A closer look at the changes to the MOT test for 2012 - and what it means for track cars

---

Should track car owners be worried?

The venerable MOT test has had a few tweaks for this year. To abide by a new European Commission Directive, a host of new test requirements have been added and any vehicle that doesn't meet them could be faced with the dreaded 'F' word. There have also been fears that these new rules could lead to roadgoing track-prepped cars getting a big, fat fail. But do you need to worry?

Strictly speaking, the changes have been in place since 1 January, but haven't yet come into full effect. That was expected to happen next month, but the latest word from VOSA is that there's no definite implementation date available.

Most of the new rules have been introduced to keep up with the number of electronic safety systems on new cars. If there's a warning light you've been trying to ignore for a while, you might want to take a second look at it. Under the new rules, any illuminated malfunction indicator lights for electronic power steering, air bags, seat belt pre-tensioners and the like could mean a failed test.

Other new checks include driver's seat adjustment and defective stability control systems. If a vehicle left the showroom with airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners fitted as standard, they still need to be present and correct if it's going to pass its test.

This has been a bit of a worry for drivers with cars modified for track use. If you've swapped your airbag-equipped steering wheel for a tasty racing one, fixed your bucket seat in a permanent position and replaced the original seatbelts with a set of harnesses, does that mean a failed MOT?

Probably not, fortunately. A VOSA spokesman has told us that, when the new updates do come in, the inspection manual will include a more thorough definition of modified vehicles in that it will state:

"Where a car has been extensively modified or converted, certain Reasons for Rejection such as 'components missing where fitted as standard' should not be applied, for example:

• A car converted for rally use (i.e. rear seats removed and fitted with a roll cage and full harness seatbelts etc) may have been converted so as not to require a brake servo, power steering or airbags.

VOSA says it is expected that modifications to cars converted for track or rally use will be permanent and readily identifiable, and wouldn't include those where an airbag has been disconnected for "occasional" off-road use, for instance.

We're also told fixed drivers' seats are acceptable in any vehicle provided the adjusting mechanism has been removed and the seat is now clearly a fixed seat in one position. Simply removing the adjuster lever or locking it in one position won't be acceptable for an MOT.

So the upshot seems to be that, as long as mods have been carried out thoroughly, safely and obviously, this doesn't spell the end for road-legal track cars.

Here's a summary of some of the main additions to the test:

Steering
If your car has a steering lock mechanism fitted as standard, it needs to be present and operational.

Split or missing steering and suspension ball joint dust covers are now included in the test checklist. Ditto oil leaks from the steering box.

An illuminated power steering malfunction indicator light now means a failed test.

Brakes
Electronic parking brakes, ABS and ESC components have been added to the test criteria.

Headlights
Headlamp checks now include HID lamp cleaning and leveling systems. Any products that reduce a light's intensity or change its colour are not allowed.

Electrics
An insecure or leaking battery is grounds for failure, likewise visible wiring which is damaged or insecure.

13 pin trailer or caravan sockets must pass a full connectivity check.

Safety sytems
Airbags fitted as original equipment should not be missing or defective. Same goes for seatbelt load-limiters and pre-tensioners, which must not have obviously deployed.

A missing, defective or illuminated SRS malfunction light is also grounds for failure.

Seats
The driver's seat must be able to be secured fore and aft in two or three different positions. Electric motor-driven seats need to move fore and aft.

Doors
It must be possible to open a vehicle's rear doors from the outside using the relevant control.

[mattsrallye]

Interesting, my 106 currently has a factory fitted airbag, but this was an optional extra rather than standard fitment - where would that leave me if I removed it? I can't see them knowing it was specced with an airbag originally!