49 replies to this topic

[scoticus]

This has got me all worried now

[Sleepy Stu]

Mine failed on not having a rear fog light present.

Soon put him right and he just crossed it out with a black marker!!

Yet he completely missed my illegal number plates because I had forgot to swap them over for the proper ones that come out once a year!!

Edited by Stewart_GT, 11 December 2009 - 12:20 AM.

[mikeyG]

This has got me all worried now

No need, what will be will be.
As long as you present your car well, good underbody wash and inside the wheel arches ect.
Make sure all the obvious fails are covered ie lights, plates, horn ect
If it fails on something mechanical so be it. You would rather it fail and be put right as drive about with a steering ball joint that's about to fall out!

By law in NI you have to display your MOT on the windscreen. It's a disc the same as your tax.
The vans at the roadside with cameras are common now, and they also drive around towns with roof mounted cameras.
If your car's on the road without either MOT or TAX chances are your time is running out.
This will come to the mainland without doubt.
Good thing too. Too many scrappers killing people, sooner they are off the road the better.

[MIRVINE11]

Mine was once failed by a total numpty of an MOT inspector who reckoned the A032R's weren't a road legal tyre and also that the way the front seats folded forwards was dangerous

I took great delight in returning for the retest having done nothing to the car except for gathering evidence to prove he was a knob. It worked.

that just made me burst out laughing!! in a class full of my students

[Ethel]

Just for the sake of factual accuracy, only a small percentage of accidents are attributable to mechanical failure.]

[scoticus]

good news.. I have a mate coming to help look around my car before the MOT

see if there are any areas that need work... worry has gone now

thanks for all these everyone

KEEP THEM COMING!!

[cambiker71]

From an MOT testers point of view, common avoidable failure points....

Washers empty, if it has just run out then mention it when handing over the keys, we don't mind this it's only a little water.

Oil level below minimum, if it's below minimum the test should be refused. Oil costs money, garages are not a charity so don't be offended if you're charged for the 2 litres of oil we just added before the test.

Air fresheners. mascots, kids favourite toys, etc, etc hanging from the mirror or sat on the dashboard obscuring the view through the windscreen, a "magic tree" air freshener blocks out the same size area of the windscreen as a mother and child about to use a zebra crossing. This test also applies to parking stickers from 2005 festivals or similar, sat navs with 5" screens. Remember, the windscreen is for looking through.

Wipers split, missing (yes really) or otherwise unable to clean the windscreen.

Lights not working, everyday i fail at least one car for a lamp not working, the latest addition to this is bulbs being incorrectly fitted, often having been forced into position, if you don't know how to change one ask somebody who really does, not next doors son who has read max power twice last year so is now a mechanic. Fog lamps need a warning lamp to notify you it's switched on, as do hazards. If you have to tap the light to make it work then it fails, try tapping the headlamps from the driver seat on the motorway!

Tyre pressures very low, another reason to not carry out a test, if the tyres are almost flat the brake test will be affected, or the tyres can be damaged, don't laugh, people really do present cars for test with almost flat tyres.

Exhaust obviously leaking, or even has parts missing, people nearly always feign surprise when these fail on excessive noise too, the rules have changed regarding noise, if it's obviously noisier than a standard vehicle with a standard exhaust fitted then it's a failure point, there are no decibel readings, just a comparison to a standard vehicle, this is checked at all engine speeds the emissions are checked at.

Broken lamps or other accident damage that leaves a sharp edge, if you can catch yourself on it, then it should fail.

Tow bars are a new MOT point, i've not failed many so far but if it's weakened by being rusty, loose or has bolts missing then it's now a failure point.

If you can't do any of these checks or repairs yourself then either ring the station (a few days beforehand is best) to ask if they can look at the items, or turn up early and ask the question, be prepared to wait in this case, other jobs will be booked in advance so yours might have to be fitted in around the prebooked work.

If you get a fail and don't understand, ask them to explain, often the tester will happily explain or show you what needs to be done, don't pay your money, make a run for it then post on TMF that you don't know why it failed, when you bring it for retest most testers would much prefer to just see the work done properly, pass the car and see you again next year, so make sure the repairs have been done correctly, again, ask somebody who actually does know what is expected for a pass when repairing it yourself.

Hope this helps somebody

[mikeyG]

Just for the sake of factual accuracy, only a small percentage of accidents are attributable to mechanical failure.]

Proof if you ever needed it that the MOT system actually works.
I would love to know, for the sake of factual accuracy, how many of the small percentage of accidents attributable to mechanical failure HAD a current MOT?
Anyway, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[paul6266]

back exhaust mount missing when it was the front mounting on the manifold and also wipers were parking in the vertical position aparently getting stuck, they explained it badly basicly they did not autopark cost me £150 in retests before they told me properly what they were on about!

[datsun100a]

The NI mot can be poor too. Nearly bought a rs turbo a few months back that had a year's mot. Rear inner sills and lower rear wheel arches were rotten and it should have failed on this. I think mistakes can be made here or on the mainland due to the examiner being a wally or he/she is just having a bad day.

I had a mini fail due to filler on the sills a few years back. I drove out and asked for the manager, I asked him to show me where the filler was and if he could find some he could keep the car. He got under the car and found what he assumed was filler, i asked if it was hard or soft filler to which he said soft. I pointed out to him that filler was hard and maybe what he found was seam sealer! I told him I fitted new sills and sealed all the joints with seam sealer, he was not happy as he could not see any welding so I lifted the carpet and showed him all the spot welds that I had left exposed in the car for them to see. He said very sorry walked over to the examiner and gave him a talking to and left with my certificate, result.

[scoticus]

HMM.. didnt know the sound of the car could make it fail.. mine is pretty loud now.. might get away with it

its just abit louder then an RC40

[waddle]

mines down the road for a mot now, i will give you a list later ..........

[waddle]

bearing
ball joints
headlamps not working on dipped beam
exhaust not adiquATELY SUPPOTED
rear fog lamp dead

[Ethel]

Just for the sake of factual accuracy, only a small percentage of accidents are attributable to mechanical failure.]

Proof if you ever needed it that the MOT system actually works.
I would love to know, for the sake of factual accuracy, how many of the small percentage of accidents attributable to mechanical failure HAD a current MOT?
Anyway, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Digging up old bones,

The point is driver error, and other factors, mean most accidents would have still happened with or without a valid MoT.

I do see it doesn't prove the effectiveness of MoT testing - we'd have to abolish the test and count the extra accidents for that. My expectation is there wouldn't be many more, very few would drive a car if they thought it was in poor enough condition to be dangerous and you'd learn to adopt your driving to the vehicle's capabilities. More likely we'd see worse injuries from defective seatbelts & less effective brakes.

[abbymichelle]

mine failed on the little rubber grip bit on the brake pedal being missing.


none of the pedals have grips...


and indicator light being the wrong shade of orange.