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

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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!

[Stew2000]

I like how you saved the best line for last: "It must be possible to open a vehicle's rear doors from the outside using the relevant control."

[sanctum]

"The driver's seat must be able to be secured fore and aft in two or three different positions"

I think mine can be secured in more than three positions... does that make it a fail? ...

Good to see the MOT is starting to lean less on the letter of the law and more on the intent.

[johnpeat]

This is still going to hurt people's wallets in a number of ways.

Firstly, I can see a lot of people who make track mods to their car not being seen as 'having gone far enough'? I've seen cars which have a full interior except for driver's seats being fixed/harnessed - will that be ok or do you need to go further and strip the interior??

I thought that airbags were already in the test? I'm pretty sure you can't get an MOT for a car with one missing at least!

Then there are a LOT of cars out there with dodgy traction control/ESP which people are just ignoring because, frankly, the car doesn't need it. This isn't just smoky old barges either, my other half's grandad drives a 57 plate Suzuki which has it's ESP light on - Suzuki reckon it needs a £1500 part (on a car which was less than £7500 new - that one part could be worth a fifth of that value is astonishing) which he's understandably unwilling to shell-out for when the car drives perfectly otherwise but he'll have to come next year!?

[johnpeat]

mattsrallye said:

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!

You'd be surprised - they can already tell where ABS was optional when new (or specific to certain models/model years etc.)

[Output Flange]

article said:

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.

So for a pass does it need to be able to be secured in two or three different positions?

[C15]

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.

What does this mean for TVR's? They have HID lamps, but no levelling or cleaning systems.. Except me getting out now and then with a cloth...

Strictly speaking they should have...

[jains15]

Why 'components missing where fitted as standard' ?

Because Race Car.

[Twincam16]

What if you've not got a 'track car' as such, but you've still swapped a big, ugly, chunky airbagged wheel for a more tactile sports item? Will that now be a big fat fail too?

[Huw Pugh]

C15 said:

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.

What does this mean for TVR's? They have HID lamps, but no levelling or cleaning systems.. Except me getting out now and then with a cloth...

Strictly speaking they should have...

I'm pretty sure the regs say this applies where such parts are fitted. So if theyre fitted, they have to work, if theyre not, it wont fail.

[shawn 968cs]

No Mention about tyres!
What about all the confusion about Toyo R888's and the E markings.

[RTH]

When the MOT tester logs on before the test starts the system provides him with a list of test items that were fitted at the factory which must be operational as well as advisory items from the previous test

[drewcole81]

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.



This one will catch out many people, for all those who have fitted HID's that can't be adjusted or have wash systems will in theory fail and for those who have tinted rear lights will also fail.

But as ever that will depend on the garage you take it too.

[Morba]

So will my seatbelt / airbag light being on mean a failure or not, is this from the start date (yet undecided) or now in operation?

[Cotty]

mattsrallye said:

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!

Just what I was thinking, how are they going to know what was and what was not an option on each and every car out there.

[P-Jay]

Twincam16 said:

What if you've not got a 'track car' as such, but you've still swapped a big, ugly, chunky airbagged wheel for a more tactile sports item? Will that now be a big fat fail too?

Seems so.

[pSyCoSiS]

So, does this mean my E30 325i SOTW from last week won't pass?

It has two racing seats, and a 4 point racing harness..... Surely they could claim that it was made with rear seat belts, and they are missing??

[Bluescore]

What it doesn't mention is if the MOT covers checking the bulb for the airbag/esp/abs warning light
Few minutes ( or hours depending on the car) behind the dash and it'll sail through that part of the test.

[BigTom85]

Bluescore said:

What it doesn't mention is if the MOT covers checking the bulb for the airbag/esp/abs warning light
Few minutes ( or hours depending on the car) behind the dash and it'll sail through that part of the test.

Its covered in the test. Check x/y/z system and warning light for usual operation, or similar.

[AlexKing]

Ah well, seems I'll have to reconnect the passenger airbag before the next MOT, and then disconnect it again on the garage forecourt so that I can safely drive my daughter home in the MX-5. Tsch!