DVSA Spot Check

[untakenname]

I was under the impression that they only targeted commercial vehicles?

Walking past a spot check yesterday on the way to the station (every month or so they set one up) and further down the road they were putting a ropey looking 04 Volvo estate onto a lowloader.

[Moist_Van_Lipwig]

A couple of years ago, I was stopped at a checkpount outside Manchester Piccadilli Railway Station.

IIRC, they tested the emissions on the car, and checked the tank for red diesel, whist a very bored looking PC made small talk with the Mrs.

[rigga]

Do it quite often on the car park adjacent to work, pull cars off the main road, dip tanks check tyres and details etc.

[Second Best]

I live near Heathrow and my commute sees, without fail, a DVSA vehicle parked in a hidden layby on a nearby motorway. They seem to relay info to the Police, who have stopping points also along my commute. 90% of the time they pull over commercial vehicles, but the other 10% is usually Uber or Addison Lee drivers.

I've even got stopped once myself, for straight-lining the mousetrap roundabout at 40mph (the speed limit) during the early hours of the morning whilst in a noisy Impreza. When the plod realised I was just going to work, being on call, they apologised and let me on my way. No spot checks, no complaints, just a "sorry sir, you were a little quick over that roundabout but no big deal. Drive safe".

[Retroman]

Moist_Van_Lipwig said:

A couple of years ago, I was stopped at a checkpount outside Manchester Piccadilli Railway Station.

IIRC, they tested the emissions on the car, and checked the tank for red diesel, whist a very bored looking PC made small talk with the Mrs.

I wonder what happens at the roadside test if you refuse to allow them to perform an emissions test, or if they do it and they damage the vehicle in some way.

When they do the emissions test on your car for it's MOT, if it's a diesel they need to ask / check if it's serviced as it's bringing the engine to it's max RPM for a moment before shutting off, several times

Engines have blown, timing belts have came off or snapped and sometimes the garage is liable if they never asked / checked it's serviced.
So just wondering if you tell DVSA it's due a timing belt / turbo soon and it fails during the test due to the abnormal load.

[Skellum]

Never been asked if my diesel has been serviced before an MOT.
Are you a Tester?

[ElectricPics]

Retroman said:

Moist_Van_Lipwig said:

A couple of years ago, I was stopped at a checkpount outside Manchester Piccadilli Railway Station.

IIRC, they tested the emissions on the car, and checked the tank for red diesel, whist a very bored looking PC made small talk with the Mrs.

I wonder what happens at the roadside test if you refuse to allow them to perform an emissions test, or if they do it and they damage the vehicle in some way.

When they do the emissions test on your car for it's MOT, if it's a diesel they need to ask / check if it's serviced as it's bringing the engine to it's max RPM for a moment before shutting off, several times

Engines have blown, timing belts have came off or snapped and sometimes the garage is liable if they never asked / checked it's serviced.
So just wondering if you tell DVSA it's due a timing belt / turbo soon and it fails during the test due to the abnormal load.

I'm pretty sure the roadside emissions test doesn't involve taking an engine to max revs like an MOT test. I don't think the testers even get in vehicles - they just use an exhaust probe and the equipment also tests for red diesel where appropriate.

[Bigends]

Skellum said:

Never been asked if my diesel has been serviced before an MOT.
Are you a Tester?

Testing station I use has notices for diesel owners to read when bringing vehicles in for the test to ensure the engine and belts are in good order before the test

[Retroman]

ElectricPics said:

I'm pretty sure the roadside emissions test doesn't involve taking an engine to max revs like an MOT test. I don't think the testers even get in vehicles - they just use an exhaust probe and the equipment also tests for red diesel where appropriate.

I was told previously, sometimes they perform the emissions tests at the side of the road but it being to make sure the car meets the same standards as it does in an MOT (i.e the same test)

[Pericoloso]

Roadside checks I've seen,they pull over likely minicabs and older vehicles looking a bit ropey.

[wack]

I wish the DVLA would do giffer testing , another victim of an 80 year old in Kettering last week , pedestrianised area , guy reversing out of a disabled space takes the car and a poor guy passing through a shop window on the other side of the road

Life changing injuries to his legs , randomly stopping elderly drivers and giving them eye tests as a minimum should be happening

[vonhosen]

wack said:

I wish the DVLA would do giffer testing , another victim of an 80 year old in Kettering last week , pedestrianised area , guy reversing out of a disabled space takes the car and a poor guy passing through a shop window on the other side of the road

Life changing injuries to his legs , randomly stopping elderly drivers and giving them eye tests as a minimum should be happening

Down to eyesight?

[anonymous-user]

they should be doing more to catch the dpf/cat delete knobheads.

[rallycross]

Thesprucegoose said:

they should be doing more to catch the dpf/cat delete knobheads.

I’d rather they targeted the morons driving around with silly amounts of tyre stretch and dangerous levels of camber/badly set up suspension more of a risk to other road users than someone having a decat fitted.

[the tribester]

Retroman said:

When they do the emissions test on your car for it's MOT, if it's a diesel they need to ask / check if it's serviced as it's bringing the engine to it's max RPM for a moment before shutting off, several times.
So just wondering if you tell DVSA it's due a timing belt / turbo soon and it fails during the test due to the abnormal load.

From the MOT manual 8.2.2.2

Test procedure – vehicles manufactured before 1980
Vehicles manufactured before 1980 only need to be visually inspected for emitted smoke at both idle and during free acceleration.
How to test:
Make sure the engine is at its normal operating temperature – use the temperature gauge, cooling fan cut in or hot coolant hoses to check this.
Make sure any oil temperature probe has been removed.
Increase the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed – use whichever speed is lower.
Keep the engine at this speed for 30 seconds – this should fully purge the inlet and exhaust system.
Allow the engine to return to idle.
Assess the smoke emitted from the tailpipe.
Quickly increase the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed – use whichever speed is lower and assess the smoke emitted from the tailpipe.
Test procedure – vehicles manufactured in or after 1980
Vehicles manufactured in or after 1980 must be tested for exhaust smoke using an approved diesel smoke meter. Make sure you follow the smoke meter manufacturer's instructions.

When testing automatic transmission, you might want to check the vehicle manufacturer's instructions so that you do not overheat the transmission system. Avoid unnecessary engine acceleration or prolonged high revving of the engine.

[sospan]

I think the emissions test may be part of red diesel checks. When people learned how to remove the red dye I am sure red diesel was “doped” with an agent as a replacement.
The doping agent would then be found in the exhaust gases.
Anyone been checked and asked for details of DVSA results?

[Retroman]

the tribester said:

From the MOT manual 8.2.2.2

Test procedure – vehicles manufactured before 1980
Vehicles manufactured before 1980 only need to be visually inspected for emitted smoke at both idle and during free acceleration.
How to test:
Make sure the engine is at its normal operating temperature – use the temperature gauge, cooling fan cut in or hot coolant hoses to check this.
Make sure any oil temperature probe has been removed.
Increase the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed – use whichever speed is lower.
Keep the engine at this speed for 30 seconds – this should fully purge the inlet and exhaust system.
Allow the engine to return to idle.
Assess the smoke emitted from the tailpipe.
Quickly increase the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed – use whichever speed is lower and assess the smoke emitted from the tailpipe.
Test procedure – vehicles manufactured in or after 1980
Vehicles manufactured in or after 1980 must be tested for exhaust smoke using an approved diesel smoke meter. Make sure you follow the smoke meter manufacturer's instructions.

When testing automatic transmission, you might want to check the vehicle manufacturer's instructions so that you do not overheat the transmission system. Avoid unnecessary engine acceleration or prolonged high revving of the engine.

You quoted the bit for testing diesel vehicles made before 1980.
How many people do you know that drive a pre 1980 diesel?

This is the relevant parts you missed for testing modern diesel engines...

MOT manual said:

there is insufficient oil in the engine
the engine oil pressure is too low
there is abnormal engine noise
the governor has been tampered with
the camshaft belt is in an unsatisfactory condition

MOT manual said:

Make sure the engine checks are satisfactory.
Make sure the engine temperature is above 80 degrees centigrade or at its normal operating temperature whichever is lower.
Make sure you've removed any oil temperature probes.
Increase the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed – use whichever speed is lower.
Keep the engine at this speed for 30 seconds – this should fully purge the inlet and exhaust system.
Increase the engine speed slowly to maximum engine revolutions (revs) to check that the governor is working properly
Once the engine speed has stabilized or it becomes clear that the governor is not working, release the pedal and allow the engine to return to idle.
Stop the engine and prompt the meter to do a zero check.
Insert the meter fully and securely in line with the gas flow.
Restart the engine.
Following the meter prompts, press down the accelerator pedal quickly and continuously so that the engine reaches full fuel position in less than one second.
Hold the engine at full fuel position until a release prompt is given and immediately release the accelerator pedal.
Allow the engine and any turbochargers to return to idle.
After the first acceleration read the smoke level displayed on the meter.
If the smoke level is above the limit for the vehicle, carry out 2 further accelerations.
If the mean smoke level is still above the limit for the vehicle, carry out further accelerations up to a maximum of 6 in total and read the smoke level display on the meter after each acceleration.
The vehicle has passed the opacity test if any of the following happens:

So again, if they want to do a roadside check on a modern diesel to check the emissions. You tell them, the timing belt needs done, or oil service etc is overdue and they still rev it to it's max rpm a few times, who's fault is it if the engine dies?
And what can they do, if you refuse to let them carry out the emissions test due to concerns about the diesel engine's ability to hit max rpm (not real world conditions) in it's current state without damage.

Edited by Retroman on Sunday 18th August 21:37

Edited by Retroman on Sunday 18th August 21:37

[rscott]

Retroman said:

So again, if they want to do a roadside check on a modern diesel to check the emissions. You tell them, the timing belt needs done, or oil service etc is overdue and they still rev it to it's max rpm a few times, who's fault is it if the engine dies?
And what can they do, if you refuse to let them carry out the emissions test due to concerns about the diesel engine's ability to hit max rpm (not real world conditions) in it's current state without damage.

In other words, you tell them that you don't think the vehicle could pass an MOT in it's current condition?

[Roofless Toothless]

wack said:

I wish the DVLA would do giffer testing , another victim of an 80 year old in Kettering last week , pedestrianised area , guy reversing out of a disabled space takes the car and a poor guy passing through a shop window on the other side of the road

Life changing injuries to his legs , randomly stopping elderly drivers and giving them eye tests as a minimum should be happening

I'm a 'giffer', as you describe it.

My car was run into by a lad in his early twenties reversing out of a parking bay as I passed. Do you think his eyesight should be tested too?

[echazfraz]

As far as I'm aware/ can remember to do this they would have police support to stop non-commercial vehicles as they don't have powers to stop non-commercial vehicles.

And if there's red diesel checks being done then that would be by HMRC and not DVSA.

It has however been a few years since I was there so happy to be corrected on the above.