The ask an MOT tester thread

[Fastpedeller]

Tell him it's an approaching drone!

[Athlon]

nipsips said:

I think I know the answer to this….

Fail or not. Company car so no issue with replacing other than time. MOT is booked in two weeks and I haven’t the time to get it done before typically!





Thanks in advance

Under current advice from them upstairs that is an advise.

It does not adversely effect your view of the road.

The other poster mentioned he hoped the tester was a midget! That makes no odds as we are specifically told not to judge the problem based on your height

[Somewhatfoolish]

nipsips said:

I think I know the answer to this….

Fail or not. Company car so no issue with replacing other than time. MOT is booked in two weeks and I haven’t the time to get it done before typically!





Thanks in advance

Unrelated but what car has a "backwards" rev counter?

[cuprabob]

Somewhatfoolish said:

nipsips said:

I think I know the answer to this….

Fail or not. Company car so no issue with replacing other than time. MOT is booked in two weeks and I haven’t the time to get it done before typically!





Thanks in advance

Unrelated but what car has a "backwards" rev counter?

Peugeot 308

[nipsips]

Yeah it’s a 308 - luckily I only really pay attention to the centre digital speedo not the dials lol

Thanks for the advice. It’s had to go to the dealer to be repaired so I’ve asked them to sort it out with the fleet provider which is a winner for me!

[ottermanuk]

Just cracked a spring, I've replaced it with a lowered one because the OEM ones are hens teeth, so nearside front is an eiback 50mm lowered, and offside front is normal OEM. Looking at the VOSA guidance, it doesn't look like it's a reason to fail - any one able to confirm?

Running quite close and very busy so if I can get away with leaving it for a bit then it helps! TIA

[Little Pete]

A customer wanted us to change the oil and filter whilst we tested her car. She wasn’t happy with the price quoted so said she would get her boyfriend to do it because “he knows a lot about cars”
I’d already advised the leak from the sump plug but when I checked the oil before doing the emissions this was the level. The light mark towards the bottom of the dipstick is the maximum mark!

[2HFL]

Is it possible to identify an MOT station from an old MOT record?

[stevemcs]

2HFL said:

Is it possible to identify an MOT station from an old MOT record?

Yes if your the owner and have the V5 document number

As for the oil, people seem to think an oil change is a service, mind you some think the MOT is a service. It can cost you £60 in oil and filters with some of the more modern oils, especially when they sell it in 4 litre bottles and you need 4.2 litlres ....

Did you refuse to test that based on oil level ?

[shed driver]

I've got a classic car so Mot exempt. One of the rear seat belts needs to be replaced as it's locked and won't retract. I've removed it and I'm looking to replace it with a new one although this might be a few weeks away as I want a specific colour of webbing to match the interior.

If there's only one rear belt in place will it pass? The car did not require rear belts when registered.

SD.

[greysquirrel]

If it’s exempt, why are you getting it tested?

[shed driver]

greysquirrel said:

If it’s exempt, why are you getting it tested?

I'd rather someone looked over it. Getting it up on a ramp and having someone check it over is reassuring. It also keeps the history file up to date and gives a record of the amount of usage if I ever decide to sell.

SD.

[Little Pete]

stevemcs said:

Yes if your the owner and have the V5 document number

As for the oil, people seem to think an oil change is a service, mind you some think the MOT is a service. It can cost you £60 in oil and filters with some of the more modern oils, especially when they sell it in 4 litre bottles and you need 4.2 litlres ....

Did you refuse to test that based on oil level ?

Yeah I refused the emissions test.

[kev b]

The number of people who think an MOT test is a service amazes me.

I know people who never lift the bonnet between each MOT, not even to fill the washer bottle!

[Truckosaurus]

One of my Xenon headlight builds has become intermittent.

I swapped it for an older bulb (when I got the car 6 years ago one of the bulbs was failing, so I swapped them both and kept the good one).

I notice that the new old bulb is a different brightness to the old new one (slightly yellower shade).

Does the MoT (due in August) insist both bulbs are identical or does the beam pattern for each side just have to be within the guidelines? (it is a borderline shed car, so I don't mind an advisory).

New bulbs are £40-50 for a known brand (£20 for random Chinese rubbish) so I can live with the mismatch at that price.

[A.J.M]

Why are hand brakes on Vw Polo’s utterly useless?

The OH has a 2016 Polo and the handbrake is hopeless.
It won’t hold on hills without the lever being pulled high and then if it’s left for a few days it sticks on..

[stevemcs]

A.J.M said:

Why are hand brakes on Vw Polo’s utterly useless?

The OH has a 2016 Polo and the handbrake is hopeless.
It won’t hold on hills without the lever being pulled high and then if it’s left for a few days it sticks on..

Haha, we are always failing them. Usually the cylinders are seized or leaking.

[A.J.M]

stevemcs said:

A.J.M said:

Why are hand brakes on Vw Polo’s utterly useless?

The OH has a 2016 Polo and the handbrake is hopeless.
It won’t hold on hills without the lever being pulled high and then if it’s left for a few days it sticks on..

Haha, we are always failing them. Usually the cylinders are seized or leaking.

Funnily enough…
It had both cylinders leak at 30k and 4 years old…
Covered under the vw approved used warranty?
No… £804 later it was still rubbish..

62k and both rear arches have rust starting so going to see if vw corrosion warranty is worth a damn.
Only ever serviced at vw so here’s hoping.
Can’t wait to get rid of it.

[mercedeslimos]

Truckosaurus said:

One of my Xenon headlight builds has become intermittent.

I swapped it for an older bulb (when I got the car 6 years ago one of the bulbs was failing, so I swapped them both and kept the good one).

I notice that the new old bulb is a different brightness to the old new one (slightly yellower shade).

Does the MoT (due in August) insist both bulbs are identical or does the beam pattern for each side just have to be within the guidelines? (it is a borderline shed car, so I don't mind an advisory).

New bulbs are £40-50 for a known brand (£20 for random Chinese rubbish) so I can live with the mismatch at that price.

They do start to change colour and lose brightness as they age. I fit new ones to my Mondeo (D1S) about every 12 months, they go back to bright white and brighter - AliExpress like 15 quid a pair for the Car Flashing brand ones.

Also depends how easy it is to change them, on the Mondeo it's 2 flathead screws and the lamp comes out, cover off and bulb twists out. On my Passat however, its bumper off to remove the lamp and everything is bolted up tights so that doesn't get the same treatment unless they are bad.

AFAIK it's only once them meet the beam pattern/height and the brightness test on the machine it's a pass - if you can live with the colour mismatch roll on (I couldn't!)

[stevemcs]

A.J.M said:

Funnily enough…
It had both cylinders leak at 30k and 4 years old…
Covered under the vw approved used warranty?
No… £804 later it was still rubbish..

62k and both rear arches have rust starting so going to see if vw corrosion warranty is worth a damn.
Only ever serviced at vw so here’s hoping.
Can’t wait to get rid of it.

£804 ? It’s about £175 for 2 cylinders, set of shoes fitted and adjusted.

I have no idea why people buy Polo’s the Up is a much better car.