Can I drive to the garage?

[anjo]

Hi

I have a car and the MOT and TAX have expired. I have been rebuilding the engine (snapped cam belt) since the summer and it now runs. It was SORNed for this period, but I now need to get it back on the road.

The problem is that the windscreen wipers don't work on the slow speed although they are fine on medium and fast. The first question is would this pass an MOT or does all functionality as supplied when new have to be available?

If it won't pass an MOT, I need to get it to the garage to get this fixed prior to the MOT, but I don't want the MOT done at the main dealer as it is more expensive. The car is insured, but can I drive it directly to the garage for booked work if it does not include a scheduled MOT?

Cheers

[S13_Alan]

Yeah that will pass.. long as they work and don't park in the wrong place.

[AJS-]

I think you'd need to have an MoT booked and drive straight to the testing station. Can't they repair it? In fact can't you? If you're upto rebuilding an engine, then replacing a relay or a switch should be a doddle. Fiddly though.

[eltax91]

AJS- said:

I think you'd need to have an MoT booked and drive straight to the testing station. Can't they repair it? In fact can't you? If you're upto rebuilding an engine, then replacing a relay or a switch should be a doddle. Fiddly though.

You are entitled to drive the car to a garage for pre-arranged repairs to a vehicle that does not have an MOT or Tax, all that is required is insurance. You may then (on the same day or a different day) take the car for a Pre-Booked MOT without any tax or MOT.

[AJS-]

Oooh
For once I thought the law was even stricter than it actually is!

[anjo]

Thanks for the responses.

The wipers only park in the correct position if they are turned off at the right time. I seem to remember some of my first cars used to work like this by default.

I could repair it as the problem is most likely the parking function within the wiper motor, but at £200 it's a pretty big gamble given I can't return the new on if it turns out to be something else.

I didn't know you could take a car with no MOT or TAX to a garage for pre-scheduled works (I thought it was only for an MOT within a set time and distance from home. I think I should be okay now that I have been set straight.

Thanks again

[john_r]

Need to check your insurance though... In some cases the small print states that if the vehicle is not 'legally' road worthy, i.e. taxed, then the insurance is void.

[iaha]

eltax91 said:

AJS- said:

I think you'd need to have an MoT booked and drive straight to the testing station. Can't they repair it? In fact can't you? If you're upto rebuilding an engine, then replacing a relay or a switch should be a doddle. Fiddly though.

You are entitled to drive the car to a garage for pre-arranged repairs to a vehicle that does not have an MOT or Tax, all that is required is insurance. You may then (on the same day or a different day) take the car for a Pre-Booked MOT without any tax or MOT.

You can only take it for prearranged repairs under it's own steam if it has already failed an MOT, and the repairs are specifically to make good the defects highlighted in the previous failure.

[S13_Alan]

anjo said:

Thanks for the responses.

The wipers only park in the correct position if they are turned off at the right time. I seem to remember some of my first cars used to work like this by default.

I could repair it as the problem is most likely the parking function within the wiper motor, but at £200 it's a pretty big gamble given I can't return the new on if it turns out to be something else.

I didn't know you could take a car with no MOT or TAX to a garage for pre-scheduled works (I thought it was only for an MOT within a set time and distance from home. I think I should be okay now that I have been set straight.

Thanks again

Yeah I had a 200sx pass an mot with the exact same problem, the only way it would be a issue is had they automatically stopped in the wrong place. I just told the guy before hand so he knew.

Edited by S13_Alan on Monday 22 October 12:59

[Mr2Mike]

john_r said:

Need to check your insurance though... In some cases the small print states that if the vehicle is not 'legally' road worthy, i.e. taxed, then the insurance is void.

Expired road duty will never invalidate an a motor insurance policy. Apparently a (very) few policies require a vehicle to have an MOT, though personaly I've never had one that does. AFAIK all of them require the vehicle to be roadworthy i.e. safe to drive on the road.

[mrmr96]

S13_Alan said:

anjo said:

Thanks for the responses.

The wipers only park in the correct position if they are turned off at the right time. I seem to remember some of my first cars used to work like this by default.

I could repair it as the problem is most likely the parking function within the wiper motor, but at £200 it's a pretty big gamble given I can't return the new on if it turns out to be something else.

I didn't know you could take a car with no MOT or TAX to a garage for pre-scheduled works (I thought it was only for an MOT within a set time and distance from home. I think I should be okay now that I have been set straight.

Thanks again

Yeah I had a 200sx pass an mot with the exact same problem, the only way it would be a issue is had they automatically stopped in the wrong place. I just told the guy before hand so he knew.

Edited by S13_Alan on Monday 22 October 12:59

Secconded.

My Rover 220d has the _exact_ same 2 issues with wipers:
i) Doesn't work on intermittent setting.
ii) Doesn't park unless timing is perfect.
It passed MOT a couple of months ago and that was not a problem. (I didn't tell the tester about it, so it must not be part of the test.)

Regards,

[Hooli]

the wipers on my old mg didnt park & it passed about 6 mots while i owned it.

[Chrisgr31]

Mr2Mike said:

john_r said:

Need to check your insurance though... In some cases the small print states that if the vehicle is not 'legally' road worthy, i.e. taxed, then the insurance is void.

Expired road duty will never invalidate an a motor insurance policy. Apparently a (very) few policies require a vehicle to have an MOT, though personaly I've never had one that does. AFAIK all of them require the vehicle to be roadworthy i.e. safe to drive on the road.

Interesting as thats not what Clampit says in this thread http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Clampit said:

Unfortunately, the law makes it the responsibility of the keeper to ensure the vehicle is taxed. The law is the same for everyone regardless of their status or which vehicle they drive. Remember, an untaxed vehicle may invalidate any insurance policy held on the vehicle. In the case of the postal strikes, extra time was given to allow for any delays in letters getting through. In addition, the DVLA do not clamp or impound vehicles unless the tax has elapsed by at least 28 days.As you can tax your vehicles up to 2 weeks prior to the current disc elapsing, this effectively means her car was untaxed for at least a month before it was impounded. I don't make the rules, I'm just advising on what they are. See Section 29 of the Vehicle and Excise and Registration Act 1994 (Unlicensed keeping of a vehicle on the public road)