The ask an MOT tester thread

The ask an MOT tester thread

Author
Discussion

KTF

9,805 posts

150 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
I got the MOT reminder today so wen out to check the car before booking it in.

I noticed this on one of the tyres. There are no cords showing.

Would it be a fail as I looked at the mot manual online and not sure if it would or not.




Rod200SX

8,087 posts

176 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
I realise this would likely be more vehicle dependant than anything else but worth an ask.

Aftermarket exhausts, specifically cats. My old Lexus needs the centre section replaced and I can get a new mild steel replacement off eBay for £500 odd quid, including 2 cats. Not expecting miracles in terms of longetivity but are these fairly reliable for a while on emissions testing? Assuming the car is in otherwise good health.

Just had to spend a few hundred on the back boxes, now this, it's been keyed (along with several other vehicles on the surrounding streets, bds) so it's costing me a heap on what is realistically a £3500 car. second hand OEM replacements are at least £750 and I'm skint hehe

Little Pete

1,533 posts

94 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
KTF said:
I got the MOT reminder today so wen out to check the car before booking it in.

I noticed this on one of the tyres. There are no cords showing.

Would it be a fail as I looked at the mot manual online and not sure if it would or not.



If no cords are visible and you can’t peel any rubber back to see or feel cords, that will be fine.

KTF

9,805 posts

150 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Great, thanks.

You can’t peel it and there are no cuts. Just 2 chunks missing.

Little Pete

1,533 posts

94 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Rod200SX said:
I realise this would likely be more vehicle dependant than anything else but worth an ask.

Aftermarket exhausts, specifically cats. My old Lexus needs the centre section replaced and I can get a new mild steel replacement off eBay for £500 odd quid, including 2 cats. Not expecting miracles in terms of longetivity but are these fairly reliable for a while on emissions testing? Assuming the car is in otherwise good health.

Just had to spend a few hundred on the back boxes, now this, it's been keyed (along with several other vehicles on the surrounding streets, bds) so it's costing me a heap on what is realistically a £3500 car. second hand OEM replacements are at least £750 and I'm skint hehe
Impossible to say really. Sometimes a poor quality cat will still pass the emissions test but will trigger a downstream lambda sensor fault which will put the EML on. If the car was first used before 1st July 2003 this won’t be a fail.

CSLM3CSL

321 posts

143 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Do you think that many of the repairs you see are short term fixes just to get the car through the MOT and they will reoccur the following year?

I look at mot history and see things like failure for handbrake travel happening year after year.

stevemcs

8,664 posts

93 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
Handbrakes are usually on automatics where people don’t use them, other than that Kia/Hyundai and Volkswagen polos always suffer from handbrake issues.

kev b

2,715 posts

166 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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Rod200sx,

not sure where you live but if the cats themselves are in good condition then a firm near me could build your existing cats into a new stainless centre section for a very reasonable price.

Little Pete

1,533 posts

94 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
CSLM3CSL said:
Do you think that many of the repairs you see are short term fixes just to get the car through the MOT and they will reoccur the following year?

I look at mot history and see things like failure for handbrake travel happening year after year.
Definitely. Some people only want the bare minimum doing to get the vehicle through the MOT.

Maxdecel

1,219 posts

33 months

Tuesday 11th April 2023
quotequote all
Little Pete said:
CSLM3CSL said:
Do you think that many of the repairs you see are short term fixes just to get the car through the MOT and they will reoccur the following year?

I look at mot history and see things like failure for handbrake travel happening year after year.
Definitely. Some people only want the bare minimum doing to get the vehicle through the MOT.
MOT Tester mate told me he's had two cases of "Superglue repairs" to cuts in tyres last couple of weeks yikes Sign of the times, must be a nightmare looking for bodge ups like that.

Randy Winkman

16,130 posts

189 months

Sunday 7th May 2023
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Do cars ever fail an MOT because the plastic headlight covers are cloudy/oxidized? Or do "modern" cars have good enough headlights that they can always emit enough light to pass the test? I tried a (well reviewed) DIY kit on mine but it didn't help. Cheers.

spikeyhead

17,314 posts

197 months

Sunday 7th May 2023
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I had a Saab fail with foggy lights.

The Autoglym kit cured it

Athlon

Original Poster:

5,016 posts

206 months

Sunday 7th May 2023
quotequote all
Randy Winkman said:
Do cars ever fail an MOT because the plastic headlight covers are cloudy/oxidized? Or do "modern" cars have good enough headlights that they can always emit enough light to pass the test? I tried a (well reviewed) DIY kit on mine but it didn't help. Cheers.
Not on brightness but on pattern. Hazy lenses really affect the beam and that is what causes the fail

stevemcs

8,664 posts

93 months

Sunday 7th May 2023
quotequote all
Yes, regularly usually Clio’s, and BMW’s

Little Pete

1,533 posts

94 months

Friday 12th May 2023
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Just what you want to see after lunch.
This was behind the drivers seat. It was pasta at one time, it’s now pasta it’s use by date getmecoat

The rest of the car was the same

eltawater

3,114 posts

179 months

Friday 12th May 2023
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Bit of chillisos and get that over to the Dirty Takeaways thread yum

anonymous-user

54 months

Friday 12th May 2023
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Could you not refuse to MOT that on account of it being a health hazard?

I literally cannot believe someone would present their car for an MOT in that state and think it was acceptable?

If I was an MOT tester I would think if that is the state of the car then the owner would not be concerned with maintenance either and already have a bad impression of the car.

Don't know if it makes any difference, but mine are immaculate inside and out when I take them for MOT.

Richard-390a0

2,256 posts

91 months

Friday 12th May 2023
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That would be a straight refuse to test for me lol.

Trustmeimadoctor

12,601 posts

155 months

Friday 12th May 2023
quotequote all
I'm sure if British MOT testers watched just rolled in on yt they would have a fit

https://youtu.be/0R3IQwjI50A

Xcore

1,345 posts

90 months

Friday 12th May 2023
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Will a fixed bucket seat on the passenger side of a 3 door car fail? Drivers seat tilts and slides like oem.