MOT question, just to prove a point

[deveng]

so having a discussion with some friends and one of them says how his ABS light is on, I say he best get it sorted before his MOT since its a failure.

He then says it was MOTd a few weeks ago and passed.

I used to run an MOT centre and know for a fact that its a failure, as it indicates a dangerous fault with the ABS. He doesn't believe me and says its pass and advice.

So can an MOT tester please tell me if my MOT tester is dodgy, or his tester is dodgy.

[WhoseGeneration]

I'm not a tester but do know this is a fail.
Hmm, charts on MOT station walls giving ABS information for vehicles.

[xr287]

Used to work in an MOT bay and I'm 99.9% sure the rule is if the vehicle has ABS fitted the system must be in working order i.e. light on = fail.

Not tested though so if for instance you were to have a simultaneous ABS and ABS warning bulb failure it would pass

[DaveL485]

Light on = MOT fail. Absolutely positively.

[Proxy]

Definitely an MOT failure if the light is on.

[Emeye]

So take ABS warning bulb out = pass?

[WhoseGeneration]

Emeye said:

So take ABS warning bulb out = pass?

Nope.

[gareth.e]

Abs is a fail but things like airbags aren't

[cambiker71]

ABS lamp on is a fail, also a fail if it doesn't follow the correct sequence when the ignition is switched on, so the lamp not coming on at all will fail too.

[47p2]

ABS light staying on is a fail, taking the bulb out will be noticed by the tester, charts on the testers wall explain the amount of time the ABS light should be illuminated for each vehicle.

Airbag light on is not a fail yet!!! but will be next year when the new rules apply, also other dash lights will be included. These new rules could cause a lot of cars to be scrapped as repairing the faults would cost more than the vehicle is worth.

[DickSkruttock]

47p2 said:

ABS light staying on is a fail, taking the bulb out will be noticed by the tester, charts on the testers wall explain the amount of time the ABS light should be illuminated for each vehicle.

This is correct.

[Fish981]

The official MOT book:-

http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/doitonline/b...

And 3.4

Reason for Rejection

1. The warning lamp

a. is missing
b. does not illuminate
c. does not follow the correct sequence of operation
d. indicates an ABS fault


And has been said, Airbag and Traction Control lights next year.

[Rich_W]

As above, but conversely a ESP or Engine Management light on is a pass.

[DaveL485]

cambiker71 said:

ABS lamp on is a fail, also a fail if it doesn't follow the correct sequence when the ignition is switched on, so the lamp not coming on at all will fail too.

This.

[DaveL485]

gareth.e said:

Abs is a fail but things like airbags aren't

YET. But it will soon.

[Shuvi Tupya]

These rules are really going to hurt those on a budget.

Time for the poor to go back to basics and get cars that don't have ABS/Airbags/traction control etc

[deveng]

Shuvi Tupya said:

These rules are really going to hurt those on a budget.

Time for the poor to go back to basics and get cars that don't have ABS/Airbags/traction control etc

TVR?

"honest darling, we need to buy a TVR, its going to save us a fortune at MOT time!"

[Shuvi Tupya]

deveng said:

TVR?

"honest darling, we need to buy a TVR, its going to save us a fortune at MOT time!"

I was actually thinking it might be time to start importing used Trabants to the UK

[geeteeaye]

Presumably I've got this wrong as first I've heard of it, but this document seems to suggest the MOT would only be done after 4 years and then every two years, or is this for elsewhere in Europe?

Annex 1 (page 9)

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?...

[bmthnick1981]

DickSkruttock said:

47p2 said:

ABS light staying on is a fail, taking the bulb out will be noticed by the tester, charts on the testers wall explain the amount of time the ABS light should be illuminated for each vehicle.

This is correct.

This is definitely correct but do MOT testers really check the sequence of bulbs coming on / going off when they turn the ignition on? I know someone who had an ABS fault on an old 3 series and the bulb was on, he just took the abs fuse out so the bulb went out and it passed an MOT. Satisfied all the required braking tests etc. I'm not condoning that approach just providing an example of when an MOT tester didn't check the correct bulbs came on / went off with the ignition.