The ask an MOT tester thread
Discussion
HasToBeV8 said:
Great thread! Surprised this one hasn't been asked already, so here goes:
In reality how do you enforce the "exhaust silencing must be similar to the standard or similar car" rule? Seems very subjective!
Is the reality is it as long as it doesn't take the p!$$ it's not an issue or is there more to it?
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Testers have to use their judgment to decide if the exhaust is too loud. I test classics, track cars and race/rally cars and I don’t think I’ve ever failed an exhaust on noise. In reality how do you enforce the "exhaust silencing must be similar to the standard or similar car" rule? Seems very subjective!
Is the reality is it as long as it doesn't take the p!$$ it's not an issue or is there more to it?
Edited by HasToBeV8 on Monday 9th September 21:53
Grahamdub said:
Do you always check the battery is secured ? On a Defender it is under the passenger seat, so needs the seat base unclipping and a metal cover removing. Would you go to that extent to check ?
We don't remove covers so that limits us for checking some things. We do the best we can within the rules laid down.Athlon said:
Grahamdub said:
Do you always check the battery is secured ? On a Defender it is under the passenger seat, so needs the seat base unclipping and a metal cover removing. Would you go to that extent to check ?
We don't remove covers so that limits us for checking some things. We do the best we can within the rules laid down.Little Pete said:
Athlon said:
Blanco92 said:
Genuine question (for mother’s car, a Passat CC). The bootlid will not open, neither the remote fob nor the exterior handle. Reason being is the boot wiring loom has failed (common problem). The boot can be opened from inside, but that involves rear seats being folded down and clambering into the boot front first to pull the manual release from inside. Once opened, the bootlid latches fine when closed from the outside.
Pass or fail?
I will fix it for her ASAP, but it won’t be before MOT (due to work schedules being incompatible and the small matter of me being 250miles away).
Hmm, I don't know how the others will view it but to me it would be a reason to refuse to test really as we don't have time to mess about like that and we need to see inside the boot to check for corrosion etc. Sorry Pass or fail?
I will fix it for her ASAP, but it won’t be before MOT (due to work schedules being incompatible and the small matter of me being 250miles away).
The boot opens and closes just fine, but just won't hold itself in the air.
wazztie16 said:
If I can jump in with a boot query, my boot won't hold open ( think it's the struts gone), is that a fail or anything? Only asking as it's due mot this month, will be booking it in for Monday.
The boot opens and closes just fine, but just won't hold itself in the air.
Of no interest to us but it would be nice to be told so we know about it before it tries to eat us!The boot opens and closes just fine, but just won't hold itself in the air.
If it opens and closes we are good to go
Athlon said:
wazztie16 said:
If I can jump in with a boot query, my boot won't hold open ( think it's the struts gone), is that a fail or anything? Only asking as it's due mot this month, will be booking it in for Monday.
The boot opens and closes just fine, but just won't hold itself in the air.
Of no interest to us but it would be nice to be told so we know about it before it tries to eat us!The boot opens and closes just fine, but just won't hold itself in the air.
If it opens and closes we are good to go
I most likely will though, or need it for something and wish I had earlier.
wazztie16 said:
Thanks, I'll be telling the garage, that's not an issue. I don't really use the boot, and if I do, I usually have someone with me who can hold it, or I hold it, so not sure if there's even any point in me getting it fixed.
I most likely will though, or need it for something and wish I had earlier.
Good place for replacement struts I most likely will though, or need it for something and wish I had earlier.
. https://www.sgs-engineering.comLittle Pete said:
borcy said:
Little Pete said:
You do get people trying to talk them through though.
Trying to put you off and hope you don't spot something or just interested in the whole process?Or hoping that you’ll pass it and trust them to carry out the repair when they get it back to their workshop!
This year my E90 got tested at the same place but by a different (sensible) tester and passed with no advisory, even though the rear pads have 11K miles left going by the OBC.
I always understood the MOT was an assessment of how the car performed on the day it was tested - or did I miss something?
Mr Tidy said:
Well sometimes, but the tester of my BMW E91 last year wanted to fail it for worn rear brake pads even though the OBC showed 22K miles left in them - so I managed to talk him into an advisory. What an a*se!
This year my E90 got tested at the same place but by a different (sensible) tester and passed with no advisory, even though the rear pads have 11K miles left going by the OBC.
I always understood the MOT was an assessment of how the car performed on the day it was tested - or did I miss something?
Your 'OBC' has no idea how much is left on the pads, it knows how far it has travelled since the last time it was told it had new ones and for how long but that's it. The tester has eyes that can actually see the pads and make a decision from that. Pads on the rear will go a long way on very little wear but if they are less that 3mm or so thick they will get advised. This year my E90 got tested at the same place but by a different (sensible) tester and passed with no advisory, even though the rear pads have 11K miles left going by the OBC.
I always understood the MOT was an assessment of how the car performed on the day it was tested - or did I miss something?
There are fixed fails along with an advise for it, if the advise has a number sequence after it you can look up exactly what the description is in the manual.
Advises are there to let you know there is a potential problem in the future, they are there to help you.
Mr Tidy said:
Well sometimes, but the tester of my BMW E91 last year wanted to fail it for worn rear brake pads even though the OBC showed 22K miles left in them - so I managed to talk him into an advisory. What an a*se!
How did that work?Were you at his side while he was carrying out the test? When he sucked his teeth an shook his head, you said "Hang on, old thing, there is still 22,000 miles of wear left on the rear brake pads?"
When my cars(s) go in in for an MOT, they phone me up at the cafe where I am having a full English and say "All done, Mr Monk". (I have told them umpteen times the correct mode of address is 'Father'.)
How do you do it?
Oilchange said:
mikal83 said:
Oilchange said:
mikal83 said:
My old MGB failed its MOT as there wasnt sufficient water in the bladder to squirt onto the widscreen. Petty or what. That garage has never seen any of my 3 cars since.
So, why didn't you then top it up with a bottle of water/squash/coke/urine and it the tester would likely have passed it immediately ...So therefor you could top it up with something and he would then pass it. Bit like having a bulb out.
I wasn't trying to be a smart arse, just pointing out your failure to rectify it on the day and get it passed.
Immediately before each test I take each for a 10 mile fast drive to warm it up and clear the exhaust; a good thing yesterday as the household shopping car is a Fiesta diesel that rarely goes above 30mph and seldom leaves town. As I floored it on a dual carriageway clouds of soot blew out, something I'd rather didn't happen at the test station. Ten minutes later, when it was tested, it passed with not so much as an advisory.
I've always done this and never yet had a failure on something I check myself beforehand.
Apologies if this raises a few eyebrows. I have an aftermarket HID set of headlights. I'm not particularly that fussed on modifying cars but anyone that's driven an insignia or zafira tourer will know how appalling the original headlights are, honestly you can drive around with high beams on and not get flashed. I'm fortunate that my MOT tester is a friend of mine and is only bothered about headlamp aim. The light housing are projectors rather than reflectors as well so it doesn't scatter the brighter light. Anyway how would most MOT testers view them? Fail, Pass or even know they're fitted without opening the bonnet? I fitted mine in a way that I could put original bulbs back in quickly if I had to anyway.
The Mad Monk said:
How did that work?
Were you at his side while he was carrying out the test? When he sucked his teeth an shook his head, you said "Hang on, old thing, there is still 22,000 miles of wear left on the rear brake pads?"
When my cars(s) go in in for an MOT, they phone me up at the cafe where I am having a full English and say "All done, Mr Monk". (I have told them umpteen times the correct mode of address is 'Father'.)
How do you do it?
Not Harry?Were you at his side while he was carrying out the test? When he sucked his teeth an shook his head, you said "Hang on, old thing, there is still 22,000 miles of wear left on the rear brake pads?"
When my cars(s) go in in for an MOT, they phone me up at the cafe where I am having a full English and say "All done, Mr Monk". (I have told them umpteen times the correct mode of address is 'Father'.)
How do you do it?
Hashtaggggg said:
The Mad Monk said:
How did that work?
Were you at his side while he was carrying out the test? When he sucked his teeth an shook his head, you said "Hang on, old thing, there is still 22,000 miles of wear left on the rear brake pads?"
When my cars(s) go in in for an MOT, they phone me up at the cafe where I am having a full English and say "All done, Mr Monk". (I have told them umpteen times the correct mode of address is 'Father'.)
How do you do it?
Not Harry?Were you at his side while he was carrying out the test? When he sucked his teeth an shook his head, you said "Hang on, old thing, there is still 22,000 miles of wear left on the rear brake pads?"
When my cars(s) go in in for an MOT, they phone me up at the cafe where I am having a full English and say "All done, Mr Monk". (I have told them umpteen times the correct mode of address is 'Father'.)
How do you do it?
MECHENG84 said:
Apologies if this raises a few eyebrows. I have an aftermarket HID set of headlights. I'm not particularly that fussed on modifying cars but anyone that's driven an insignia or zafira tourer will know how appalling the original headlights are, honestly you can drive around with high beams on and not get flashed. I'm fortunate that my MOT tester is a friend of mine and is only bothered about headlamp aim. The light housing are projectors rather than reflectors as well so it doesn't scatter the brighter light. Anyway how would most MOT testers view them? Fail, Pass or even know they're fitted without opening the bonnet? I fitted mine in a way that I could put original bulbs back in quickly if I had to anyway.
If the lens is not marked for HID's then unfortunately it should fail, sorry Oh and we know if they are fitted...
rambo19 said:
I have a land rover defender and am going to paint the underneath, are painted brake pipes a fail?
Not at all, they might generate an advise though, a lot of testers cover their backs with brake pipes as they can look fine but be really poor, I have noted pipes as an advise before that have burst doing the roller brake test....355spiderguy said:
On another current thread, the thread starter posts that his 911 convertible racked up 7 miles whilst in getting an M.O.T on a lovely sunny day....any suggestions as to what may of happened?
No. No reason to do that I can think of, I can do a rolling brake test in our car park..Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff