Will my car pass an MOT with a dodgy fog light switch?
Will my car pass an MOT with a dodgy fog light switch?
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Discussion

montyjohn

Original Poster:

219 posts

116 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
I've been trying to figure out why my rear fog lights don't work on my Lexus RX400H.
If I bridge the relay, the lights come one. The relay works fine and has been tested.
In order for the trigger wire to be live, the stalk switch has to tell the ECU to turn them on via CAN, and if the ECU agrees, it will switch the relay on. It checks that the dipped light are on for example. For some reason, this isn't happening.

I've ordered a replacement second hand stalk to see if that fixes the issue, but I've got the MOT coming up very quick.

If I run a high amp switch to the relay port for now and just leave the switch dangling somewhere convenient for now, so the light can at least be operated, would this pass an MOT?

I know it's dodgy, but it's only temporary.
Can't afford for the car to be off the road.

cuprabob

19,763 posts

244 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
There is a very useful thread for questions such as this
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

paintman

7,860 posts

220 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-priv...
Section 4.5.3.

and Section 4.9 which deals with mandatory 'tell tales' for these lights.

If your arrangement doesn't have a tell tale as described it's a Major & fail.

Edited by paintman on Monday 9th January 11:53

Mave

8,217 posts

245 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
Maybe use a switch with an integral light (and drill a hole somewhere to mount it securely..)

littlebasher

3,967 posts

201 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
Funny, i did this a couple of years ago

Just ran an illuminated toggle switch direct to the relay and told the MOT tester that the foglight switch was the dodgy looking one dangling from the steering column.

He passed the car, so was at least acceptable to him !

montyjohn

Original Poster:

219 posts

116 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
Excellent, thanks all.

Draxindustries1

1,657 posts

53 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
littlebasher said:
Funny, i did this a couple of years ago

Just ran an illuminated toggle switch direct to the relay and told the MOT tester that the foglight switch was the dodgy looking one dangling from the steering column.

He passed the car, so was at least acceptable to him !
^
This
As long as the lights work it doesn't matter if the switch is temporary/dangling.
There's absolutely no reason any mot tester would fail it..

Little Pete

1,915 posts

124 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
Draxindustries1 said:
littlebasher said:
Funny, i did this a couple of years ago

Just ran an illuminated toggle switch direct to the relay and told the MOT tester that the foglight switch was the dodgy looking one dangling from the steering column.

He passed the car, so was at least acceptable to him !
^
This
As long as the lights work it doesn't matter if the switch is temporary/dangling.
There's absolutely no reason any mot tester would fail it..
It should fail for not being secure.

montyjohn

Original Poster:

219 posts

116 months

Monday 16th January 2023
quotequote all
it passed with my dodgy switch.
I used quite thick cables going to the relay, and just trapped them in some plastic panelling near the steering wheel.
Apparently that was secure enough.