New MOT regs

[TheLurker]

Having just had a look at the new MOT regs, who is going to have problems getting their car through this year?

Things like airbag components being removed and the drivers seats not being movable forwads/back may be an issue for some.

[MrGman]

I'm a little worried, I no longer have any airbags or pretensioners, I have the airbag lights on, my seat won't adjust and i've got a few wires in the car.

I'm going to tidy the wires up using some flexi conduit tubing, the seat i think will pass as i read it as it will only fail if it has an adjuster and it no longer adjusts. Besides the seat is adjustable, it just takes a little longer than moving a lever and sliding it.

The new airbag/pretensioners regs i'm hoping to avoid by removing all signs of any airbag system in the hope that as it's not there it can't be tested, I'm hoping all these items are subject to the discretion of the tester.

[Classic Grad 98]

I was worried until I fixed my Mondeo's ABS the other day; my other car has very little to test- one seat with harnesses, no warning lights, no airbags, no doors etc etc...

[TheLurker]

So do you reckon that if there is no airbag system at all it may pass? I read it as if there was a system fitted from factory and parts were obviously removed, it would fail.

I hope this is not the case. It is rather easy to see what should have been in that rather large hole in the middle of the steering wheel...

I know the local MOT testers quite well, but don't think they will let something so obvious through as it is their livelihood after all.

As far as exposed wires, I don't think it is too much of a problem as long as it doesn't look like it will cause a short.

[andye30m3]

TheLurker said:

drivers seats not being movable forwads/back may be an issue for some.

mine is, it just takes a couple of hours to unbolt it and bolt it back on

Quite annoying as I'd deliberately made sure my e30 race car was road legal

[TheLurker]

andye30m3 said:

mine is, it just takes a couple of hours to unbolt it and bolt it back on

Quite annoying as I'd deliberately made sure my e30 race car was road legal

I suppose you could always pick up a standard seat from a breakers just for the test? Bit of a pain though.

[E36GUY]

This makes worrying reading. Our track car has no seatbelt pretensioners as it no longer has 3 point belts and, it no longer has an airbag steering wheel either.

Going to have to see how this could affect us.

[andye30m3]

I wonder how this effect things like rally cars which need to be used on public roads between stages?

[Rgm racer]

MrGman said:

I'm a little worried, I no longer have any airbags or pretensioners, I have the airbag lights on, my seat won't adjust and i've got a few wires in the car.

I'm going to tidy the wires up using some flexi conduit tubing, the seat i think will pass as i read it as it will only fail if it has an adjuster and it no longer adjusts. Besides the seat is adjustable, it just takes a little longer than moving a lever and sliding it.

The new airbag/pretensioners regs i'm hoping to avoid by removing all signs of any airbag system in the hope that as it's not there it can't be tested, I'm hoping all these items are subject to the discretion of the tester.

What an absolute pain in the backside,I'm basically in same situation,no airbags or pretensioners fitted [have harnesses,so unsure situation there?] and airbag light on.The worrying thing now is if the Vosa system has a way or ends up having a way of knowing what cars should have airbags etc.this will then mean an immediate fail situation if any not visible-absolute bo**ocks.
My car is heavily modified but road legal and insured accordingly with everything declared-the ba**ards have now moved the "goalposts" again.

Edited by Rgm racer on Thursday 5th January 21:14

[MrGman]

Isn't it just, i just hope it's not as 'black and white' as it reads.

From what i've read about harnesses, they will pass if they have a 'E' mark on them, apparently anything that is FIA approved won't have a 'E' mark though, not sure how true this is as i haven't looked on my harness yet.

[andye30m3]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that FIA harnesses were now being considered as acceptable in road cars where as in the past they shouldn't have been.

I believe it was down to the buckle not operating in a particular way

[s express]

spoke to my MOT tester and he showed me the list. It says that you will fail if its 'obvious' that the airbag is missing. He read that as - if you have a non air bag steering wheel and no warning light on dash - then its not obvious and you will pass.
hence why my AirBag light has now mysteriously dissapeared!

[TheLurker]

s express said:

spoke to my MOT tester and he showed me the list. It says that you will fail if its 'obvious' that the airbag is missing. He read that as - if you have a non air bag steering wheel and no warning light on dash - then its not obvious and you will pass.
hence why my AirBag light has now mysteriously dissapeared!

I like the sound of that! I guess this is a good excuse to get a racing wheel then...

[E36GUY]

andye30m3 said:

I'm sure I've read somewhere that FIA harnesses were now being considered as acceptable in road cars where as in the past they shouldn't have been.

I believe it was down to the buckle not operating in a particular way

The buckle had to be a push button job rather than a twist to unlock job but my car has never been pulled up on that in the last 3 years.

[Roadrunner78]

MrGman said:

I'm a little worried, I no longer have any airbags or pretensioners, I have the airbag lights on, my seat won't adjust and i've got a few wires in the car.

I'm going to tidy the wires up using some flexi conduit tubing, the seat i think will pass as i read it as it will only fail if it has an adjuster and it no longer adjusts. Besides the seat is adjustable, it just takes a little longer than moving a lever and sliding it.

The new airbag/pretensioners regs i'm hoping to avoid by removing all signs of any airbag system in the hope that as it's not there it can't be tested, I'm hoping all these items are subject to the discretion of the tester.

[V8mate]

TheLurker said:

s express said:

spoke to my MOT tester and he showed me the list. It says that you will fail if its 'obvious' that the airbag is missing. He read that as - if you have a non air bag steering wheel and no warning light on dash - then its not obvious and you will pass.
hence why my AirBag light has now mysteriously dissapeared!

I like the sound of that! I guess this is a good excuse to get a racing wheel then...

Just getting the wheel doesn't fix it.

I fitted a race wheel and then soldered a specific resistor across the airbag wires to fool the airbag ECU into thinking the bag is still there.

I think the ECU itself is likely to come out this year though.

[TheLurker]

V8mate said:

TheLurker said:

s express said:

spoke to my MOT tester and he showed me the list. It says that you will fail if its 'obvious' that the airbag is missing. He read that as - if you have a non air bag steering wheel and no warning light on dash - then its not obvious and you will pass.
hence why my AirBag light has now mysteriously dissapeared!

I like the sound of that! I guess this is a good excuse to get a racing wheel then...

Just getting the wheel doesn't fix it.

I fitted a race wheel and then soldered a specific resistor across the airbag wires to fool the airbag ECU into thinking the bag is still there.

I think the ECU itself is likely to come out this year though.

There is nothing left of the original airbag system, and I re-wired the car so there are no lights on which shouldn't be, but it is rather obvious there used to be an airbag in the steering wheel!

[e8_pack]

My track car is a '95 so none of that fangled safety rubbish. Looks like there will be demand for older cars to mod, which may reduce the number of factory standard models available in the future.

Now's a good time to buy a mint standard of what you fancy before it's too late.

[V8mate]

e8_pack said:

My track car is a '95 so none of that fangled safety rubbish. Looks like there will be demand for older cars to mod, which may reduce the number of factory standard models available in the future.

Now's a good time to buy a mint standard of what you fancy before it's too late.

My E36 is a 95 build and has (had!) a driver's airbag.

[s express]

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/MoT%20-%20Is...

probably also means that the cost of an MOT will go up AGAIN too!