MOT - No Windscreen Wipers

[stevebroad]

On reading the MOT testers manual I think that I can get away with just one wiper.

However, I then wondered if I could do away with both. I say this because:

MOT Manual
3.4 Windscreen wipers.

You don't need to inspect windscreen wipers on vehicles with:

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view through the windscreen to the front, left and right.

Can anyone define 'adequate view' ?

[Saleen836]

stevebroad said:

On reading the MOT testers manual I think that I can get away with just one wiper.

However, I then wondered if I could do away with both. I say this because:

MOT Manual
3.4 Windscreen wipers.

You don't need to inspect windscreen wipers on vehicles with:

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view through the windscreen to the front, left and right.

Can anyone define 'adequate view' ?

Guesing that will be something like a kit car type vehicle where they just have a small screen type affair that you can see over or where you would wear a crash helmet

[jondude]

I think the rule is if the vehicle originally came with wipers, then it must have wipers. Seem to remember this coming up when I was going to MOT a bike without turn signals as yes, you do not have to use them it is perfectly fine to give hand signals alone.

But was then told the above.....I think, was quite a while ago!

[TooMany2cvs]

stevebroad said:

On reading the MOT testers manual I think that I can get away with just one wiper.

However, I then wondered if I could do away with both. I say this because:

MOT Manual
3.4 Windscreen wipers.

You don't need to inspect windscreen wipers on vehicles with:

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view through the windscreen to the front, left and right.

Can anyone define 'adequate view' ?

Can the driver see the road well enough to drive, if it's pissing down?

In short, can you open or remove the windscreen, or can the driver look over it? If so, no wipers needed. If not, wipers needed.

No wipers needed:


No wipers needed:


Wipers needed:

[stevebroad]

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view THROUGH the windscreen to the front, left and right.

Opening and no windscreen is covered elsewhere in the manual.

Car is a Lotus Elan with a full windscreen.

Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 13th October 13:45

[Riley Blue]

stevebroad said:

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view THROUGH the windscreen to the front, left and right.

Opening and no windscreen is covered elsewhere in the manual.

Car is a Lotus Elan with a full windscreen.

Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 13th October 13:45

The 'some other means' would need to be checked during the MOT inspection, wouldn't it? Provided it can and is shown to be effective I imagine it would pass. What did you have in mind?

[CoolHands]

Probably. Eg a futuristic car could have air blowers.

[stevebroad]

Riley Blue said:

The 'some other means' would need to be checked during the MOT inspection, wouldn't it? Provided it can and is shown to be effective I imagine it would pass. What did you have in mind?

The only thing I can think of at the moment is Rain-X. I spoke to my local MOT station owner today and he couldn't think of anything, not a question he has been asked before :-) He reckons that he would have to fail the car, even with Rain-X as it would be difficult to prove that it had been applied and no way of proving that it works.

Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 13th October 14:37

[stevebroad]

Riley Blue said:

The 'some other means' would need to be checked during the MOT inspection, wouldn't it? Provided it can and is shown to be effective I imagine it would pass. What did you have in mind?

The only thing I can think of at the moment is Rain-X. I spoke to my local MOT station owner today and he couldn't think of anything, not a question he has been asked before :-) He reckons that he would have to fail the car, even with Rain-X as it would be difficult to prove that it had been applied and no way of proving that it works.

Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 13th October 22:40

[stevebroad]

CoolHands said:

Probably. Eg a futuristic car could have air blowers.

Would work but probably heavier than a single wiper :-)

[AlexiusG55]

CoolHands said:

Probably. Eg a futuristic car could have air blowers.

Ships' bridge windows sonetimes have rapidly rotating glass discs instead of wipers.

According to the wiki article they were originally developed for cars by Edgar de Normanville (as in Laycock-de Normanville overdrive). Though I don't know if they were ever actually fitted to a road vehicle, and even if they had been it would almost certainly now be old enough not to need an MOT.

[Cold]

Why not have them functioning as intended for the MOT?

[InitialDave]

stevebroad said:

Some other means of giving the driver an adequate view through the windscreen to the front, left and right.

[TooMany2cvs]

Cold said:

Why not have them functioning as intended for the MOT?

Steady, tiger...

[Riley Blue]

stevebroad said:

Riley Blue said:

The 'some other means' would need to be checked during the MOT inspection, wouldn't it? Provided it can and is shown to be effective I imagine it would pass. What did you have in mind?

The only thing I can think of at the moment is Rain-X. I spoke to my local MOT station owner today and he couldn't think of anything, not a question he has been asked before :-) He reckons that he would have to fail the car, even with Rain-X as it would be difficult to prove that it had been applied and no way of proving that it works.

Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 13th October 14:37

I almost added 'Rain-X or similar?' as it was all I could think of though I couldn't figure a way for it to be tested in a MOT test environment. I use it on my Riley but as the screen is almost vertical it's not as effective as on my Audi with its sloping screen.

[Cold]

TooMany2cvs said:

Cold said:

Why not have them functioning as intended for the MOT?

Steady, tiger...

Was just the simplest solution I could think of. Afterwards, if the OP then wants to remove or modify them there's nothing to worry about for another 12 months - apart from not being able to see when it rains, of course.

[stevebroad]

Cold said:

Was just the simplest solution I could think of. Afterwards, if the OP then wants to remove or modify them there's nothing to worry about for another 12 months - apart from not being able to see when it rains, of course.

I won't be using it in the rain. As it isn't exactly runofthemill I am likely to get pulled so it needs to be squeaky clean legalwise.

[BertBert]

stevebroad said:

I won't be using it in the rain. As it isn't exactly runofthemill I am likely to get pulled so it needs to be squeaky clean legalwise.

Why not stick with windscreen wpiers? Genuine question.
Bert

[Somewhatfoolish]

Didn't McLaren develop (or nick from the Tornado or Typhoon or something) at least experimentally something that used sonic waves to clear water from your windscreen?

[guindilias]

Screen out for the MOT, and wipers taken off?
My old Jeep GC passed with limo black front windows (not a tint film, it was coloured glass from the factory) - I wound them right down and took the fuse out.
He can't fail you on what he can't see... and this is in super-strict N.Ireland, where the DVA do the test - not an independent garage.