No speedometer required for MOT?

[hedders]

My car recently passed an MOT with a non functioning speedo.

I pointed it out and was told that a working speedo is not required for a car to pass an MOT.

Is this true?

[Shaun_E]

The manual is here. Nothing in it refers to a speedo so it is not required to be tested.

[Dwight Vandriver]

Would appear to be so. Cannot see any reference to speedo in Testers manual.

How strange when one has to be fitted and maintained in working order in most vehicles.

dvd

[eliminator]

Not required for MOT
I think that it is required to be road legal, though.

If so, how could you drive to / from the MOT test, even if not required at test?

Do you need a trailer?

[hedders]

It is illegal to drive without a working speedo then?

[who me ?]

Not safe - you might even blip over the number in the lollipop and become "unsafe"( don't you know ,yo're only safe if you drive below the posted limit)(so the SCP tell us)

[pdV6]

Dwight Vandriver said:

Would appear to be so. Cannot see any reference to speedo in Testers manual.

How strange when one has to be fitted and maintained in working order in most vehicles.

dvd

But if it were part of the test, every MOT station would need a callibrated rolling road in addition to everything else they have to have.

[gridgway]

I thought that it was an offence to not have a working speedo, but that it was not covered as part of the MOT. The two not being synonymous.
Graham

[hedders]

I am sure it is just a fuse or relay or something.

A warning light came up when the speedo stopped working about a year ago, and it is still on now...

[Wacky Racer]

I bought a really nice secondhand Ford Granada Mk 111 from a dealer several years ago, after two weeks the electronic speedo failed...

I complained and the dealer offered to pay half the cost of replacement.....

I stood my ground but he claimed a speedo wasn't even a requirement for the MOT, which I thought was bollox at the time, but perhaps not???....

[Balmoral Green]

As I understand it, not required for the MOT, wether one is fitted or not.

As far as the law is concerned, IIRC, if the vehicle has got a speedo, it must work, but if the vehicle hasnt got one, that's OK. Like say on a Veteran or Vintage car.

[Dwight Vandriver]

Whilst the law requires where speedo fitted at the material time it has to be in working order there are exceptions:

If the defect occurred on the current journey, or

Where the defect has occurred steps have been taken to have the vehicle equipped with all reasonable expedition, by means of repair or replacement, with an instrument which is in good working order .

(Reg 36 (2)(a)(b) MV (Con and Use) Regs 1984.

[neil_cardiff]

Isn't the same with the same with ABS though, if its fitted, it's gotta work. I got caught with my ABS sensor failing two days before my MOT :s

[eccles]

i just wonder how the average traffic plod would work out your speedo wasn't working if he stopped you, unless you admit it, or the needle had fallen off.

[Mr Whippy]

eccles said:

i just wonder how the average traffic plod would work out your speedo wasn't working if he stopped you, unless you admit it, or the needle had fallen off.

Yep, and if it didn't work you could say "oh, has that just stopped working"

You'd have to be silly to admit anything to Plod these days wrt to speed

Dave

[eliminator]

Whilst Mr Whippy has a good point, If you are a good law-abiding citizen then the problem that you have is breakin the law to get to and from the test station, unless you trailer the vehicle there and back. Once there, the spedo is not a test item.

I do love the laws of Good 'ol England

[guru_1071]

no speedo is required, just a 'means to determine speed' i.e a rev counter.

my race car is occasionaly mot'd and passes fine with just the rev counter

[Mr Whippy]

guru_1071 said:

no speedo is required, just a 'means to determine speed' i.e a rev counter.

my race car is occasionaly mot'd and passes fine with just the rev counter

Not much good in an auto with no gear indicator

Dave

[Dwight Vandriver]

guru_1071 said:

no speedo is required, just a 'means to determine speed' i.e a rev counter.

my race car is occasionaly mot'd and passes fine with just the rev counter

A rev counter is not a speedometer.

The requirement under the regs is that the device must show speed in mph and kph, either simultanteously or by the flick of a switch.

There are a number of vehicles exempt from a speedo.

dvd

[deeps]

Dwight Vandriver said:

guru_1071 said:

no speedo is required, just a 'means to determine speed' i.e a rev counter.

my race car is occasionaly mot'd and passes fine with just the rev counter

A rev counter is not a speedometer.

The requirement under the regs is that the device must show speed in mph and kph, either simultanteously or by the flick of a switch.

There are a number of vehicles exempt from a speedo.

dvd

Mine only displays mph upto 180 , I guess that's illegal then?

I have no intention of taking the car abroad and will only ever use it here, so why at present should it need to display kmh I wonder?