MOT Advisories

[Tunku]

My car passed it's MOT today, always a relief when they do that! It has a few advisories like play in inner track rod ends (which I knew about), discoloured front indicators and coil spring corroded at rear, all easy fixes at my leisure. The one that did have me stumped was an advisory for winter tyres fitted.
What is that about? To be pedantic, the Kleber Quadraxers are All-Season tyres. Why the advisory for type of tyre fitted???

[Smanks]

Perhaps incase the owner has recently bought the car without realising that winter tyres are fitted, to remind them to take them off when it warms up?

[Tunku]

Smanks said:

Perhaps incase the owner has recently bought the car without realising that winter tyres are fitted, to remind them to take them off when it warms up?

But the tyres could be changed at any time, and anyway, I don't have winter tyres!

[Prof Prolapse]

I think you may be in danger of over thinking this.

For example, one of my car's advisories reads, "large piece of damage to side of car".

Said "piece of damage" is a dent encompassing the entire OSR of the car from lights to door. Not really necessary to advise anybody who can see.

A lot of what the MOT inspector writes is subjective.

[Tunku]

Prof Prolapse said:

I think you may be in danger of over thinking this.

For example, one of my car's advisories reads, "large piece of damage to side of car".

Said "piece of damage" is a dent encompassing the entire OSR of the car from lights to door. Not really necessary to advise anybody who can see.

A lot of what the MOT inspector writes is subjective.

You may have a point considering a dent seems to me to be outwith an Mot remit.

[Matt UK]

Passat had an MOT this week.

I'm lucky, I've bought one of those healing cars - last years pointless advisories are no longer listed.

It'll start breeding next.

[big_boz]

My Mum's "new" beetle (53 plate IIRC) failed its first MOT for one of the wheels not being round. There had been no damage and it didn't have lots of weights on it, so it must always have not been round in the 60k miles it did in its first 3 years, made me chuckle.

The wife's old 70's beetle failed its MOT a few weeks back for "petrol cap not sealing properly" not sure how they tested this but i thought it was quite pedantic, the tester didn't notice that both the rear bump stops were missing though.

[zcacogp]

Matt UK said:

I'm lucky, I've bought one of those healing cars - last years pointless advisories are no longer listed.

Nice to know my 944 isn't the only one! Shock absorbers that were "In need of changing, but I'll let you off with an advisory" one year were "Excellent - it must be much better to drive now you have replaced them" a year (and 20k miles) later!


Oli.

[Tunku]

zcacogp said:

Matt UK said:

I'm lucky, I've bought one of those healing cars - last years pointless advisories are no longer listed.

Nice to know my 944 isn't the only one! Shock absorbers that were "In need of changing, but I'll let you off with an advisory" one year were "Excellent - it must be much better to drive now you have replaced them" a year (and 20k miles) later!


Oli.

You chaps don't call your cars Christine, do you?

[simoid]

zcacogp said:

Nice to know my 944 isn't the only one! Shock absorbers that were "In need of changing, but I'll let you off with an advisory" one year were "Excellent - it must be much better to drive now you have replaced them" a year (and 20k miles) later!


Oli.

Did you tell the tester?!

[ging84]

I had MOT advisories for non run flat tyres, i knew this, i had them put on, this didn't bother me at the time although i thought it was a bit pointless and not a valid advisory i don't believe, although it did come on runflats from the factory. Just an excuse for them to try and sell me some over priced tyres to ruin my cars ride.
I was tempted to appeal it but i'm not even sure if you can appeal advisories

[big_boz]

ging84 said:

I had MOT advisories for non run flat tyres, i knew this, i had them put on, this didn't bother me at the time although i thought it was a bit pointless and not a valid advisory i don't believe, although it did come on runflats from the factory. Just an excuse for them to try and sell me some over priced tyres to ruin my cars ride.
I was tempted to appeal it but i'm not even sure if you can appeal advisories

For the last 10 or so years, I only ever gone to DOT testing stations, so the test station does MOT tests and nothing else. That way there is no benefit to them failing you for the purpose of obtaining your business to carry out any remedial work. At least if it fails I can be sure its valid.

I believe you can report a Test station to trading standards, no idea what the appeals process for MOT failures or advisories is though.

[dave_s13]

I had one for the last MOT we had done on the old V70.

I knew the front tyres were at the wear markers so I got some decent tyres and stuck them in the boot. I then put a big note on the drivers seat saying - Tyres are bald - new ones in boot.

I STILL got an advisory for low tyres??

I assume, maybe wrongly, that MOT testers are expected to generate a certain percentage of advisories over a given time?

[zcacogp]

simoid said:

zcacogp said:

Nice to know my 944 isn't the only one! Shock absorbers that were "In need of changing, but I'll let you off with an advisory" one year were "Excellent - it must be much better to drive now you have replaced them" a year (and 20k miles) later!

Did you tell the tester?!

No; from recollection I smiled a little awkwardly and said that drove very nicely indeed. It still does, another 50k miles later!


Oli.

[kambites]

What's the speed rating on the tyres?

It's legal to run winters (not sure about all seasons?) on a speed rating that's not suitable for the top speed of the car; they might be picking up on that.

[Dracoro]

dave_s13 said:

I knew the front tyres were at the wear markers so I got some decent tyres and stuck them in the boot. I then put a big note on the drivers seat saying - Tyres are bald - new ones in boot.

I STILL got an advisory for low tyres??

Of course, the MOT is to check the tyres that are fitted, not that happen to be in the boot (unless you had prior agreement with the garage, NOT the MOT chap, that they fit the tyres before the test).

[K321]

dave_s13 said:

I had one for the last MOT we had done on the old V70.

I knew the front tyres were at the wear markers so I got some decent tyres and stuck them in the boot. I then put a big note on the drivers seat saying - Tyres are bald - new ones in boot.

I STILL got an advisory for low tyres??

I assume, maybe wrongly, that MOT testers are expected to generate a certain percentage of advisories over a given time?

how about next MOT you just put a new exhaust,suspension parts, and new brake pads and put them in the seat with a huge note on the windscreen stating 'i know the car has a knackered exhaust, faulty suspension and it cant brake properly- new parts are all in the boot.

[simoid]

Why bother putting the parts in the car?

Just tell them you've got spares in the garage.

They'll be happy, it allows them to hit their advisories quota!

[Dog Star]

I think the point the OP is making is that they are saying "winter tyres fitted" - the Klebers aren't; they are clever things with the mountain and snowflake symbol and rock in snow, but they are all-season. Therefore no need to mention them at all.

[Prof Prolapse]

K321 said:

how about next MOT you just put a new exhaust,suspension parts, and new brake pads and put them in the seat with a huge note on the windscreen stating 'i know the car has a knackered exhaust, faulty suspension and it cant brake properly- new parts are all in the boot.

Surely he should write that they're on the seat?

I mean he's playing with fire anyway without playing hide and seek with the MOT tester...