15 replies to this topic

[pothole]

Oh I am a happy chappy, the Mini Cooper sailed through the MOT no advisories.

pothole

[kenny&shanice]

Good to hear it, if u have a mini that passed like that you got a gem !

[Amy_Green11]

I'm so jealous, I had mine in for her MOT on Monday morning, loottttss of work to be done, lots of expensive work

Congrats!

Edited by Amy_Green11, 05 July 2011 - 06:11 PM.

[pothole]

I bought the cooper last year from a guy in Nottingham so it was the first time I had used this garage in Leicester the guy was in his early fities and we got chatting and he told me, he had a mini in his lockup, good sills and subframe, and then I thought great, trust me to get a tester who knows all about mini's and where to look and check for faults, and the test seemed to take ages, so even better that he passes it. Where I take my daughter Metro he knows its me ever year because its the only one he ever gets in, so the same must apply to mini's.

Then it got me wondering is it the garage you take it too or the age of the examiner that depends if you get a pass or not, would a young tester really know where to look. I took the Sidewalk to a garage I never used before. he called me up to say its failed, and in his next breath it would be £140+vat to repair, I did the repairs myself and when I took it back he had a car on the ramp, so just looked underneath and passed it. It will be interesting next year because now they know I do the repairs myself.

And does anyone know if once the car has failed is it logged on the computer because you get the failure ticket, is that information available to all garages, because if mine failed on lots of expenive repairs and I thought the garage was trying to rip me off, I would take it too another garage, but would the other garage have the failure notes from the first garage.

pothole

Edited by pothole, 11 July 2011 - 10:22 PM.

[MiniLuke]

I bought the cooper last year from a guy in Nottingham so it was the first time I had used this garage in Leicester the guy was in his early fities and we got chatting and he told me, he had a mini in his lockup, good sills and subframe, and then I thought great, trust me to get a tester who knows all about mini's and where to look and check for faults, and the test seemed to take ages, so even better that he passes it. Where I take my daughter Metro he knows its me ever year because its the only one he ever gets in, so the same must apply to mini's.

Which garage in leicester did you use......?

[AVV IT]

sailed through the MOT no advisories.

MOT advisories eh??


This is this years ridiculous MOT advisory list offering from my local MOT station:


"001. Rear child seats fitted prevent adequate inspection of rear seat belts" - (i.e. Inspector couldn't be bothered to climb in the back of such a small car to see if rear belts actually worked or not and is therefore using the presence of child seats as an excuse for not actually checking them!!)

"002. Oil Leak" - (It's a Mini don't they all??)

"003. Seat belt pre tensioner has been activated" - (Excuse me!!... Seat belt pre tensioners in a Mini??)


I really don't know why they bother!!

Edited by AVV IT, 11 July 2011 - 10:34 PM.

[stubbsy]

Well done, i have mine today, waiting for the expensive news

[the_r_sole]

I bought the cooper last year from a guy in Nottingham so it was the first time I had used this garage in Leicester the guy was in his early fities and we got chatting and he told me, he had a mini in his lockup, good sills and subframe, and then I thought great, trust me to get a tester who knows all about mini's and where to look and check for faults, and the test seemed to take ages, so even better that he passes it. Where I take my daughter Metro he knows its me ever year because its the only one he ever gets in, so the same must apply to mini's.

Then it got me wondering is it the garage you take it too or the age of the examiner that depends if you get a pass or not, would a young tester really know where to look. I took the Sidewalk to a garage I never used before. he called me up to say its failed, and in his next breath it would be £140+vat to repair, I did the repairs myself and when I took it back he had a car on the ramp, so just looked underneath and passed it. It will be interesting next year because now they know I do the repairs myself.

And does anyone know if once the car has failed is it logged on the computer because you get the failure ticket, is that information available to all garages, because if mine failed on lots of expenive repairs and I thought the garage was trying to rip me off, I would take it too another garage, but would the other garage have the failure notes from the first garage.

pothole

there is a log of the fail and advisory notices on the computer apparently, my mot tester said mine had advisories on the o/s ball joint, but i'd done a few months back, i'm not sure if you can see the fails etc on the history checker http://www.direct.go...Mot/DG_10020539

[pothole]

there is a log of the fail and advisory notices on the computer apparently, my mot tester said mine had advisories on the o/s ball joint, but i'd done a few months back, i'm not sure if you can see the fails etc on the history checker http://www.direct.go...Mot/DG_10020539

Good site I have just checked the history of the mini interesting reading, just a shame you need the V5 ref no and not just the reg no. because you could check the mileage and history of repairs and fails if you were buying a car off Ebay.

pothole

[Ethel]

There's nothing to stop you asking the seller for the info you need to do the check. Perhaps we should try and start a trend.

[kenny&shanice]

sailed through the MOT no advisories.

MOT advisories eh??


This is this years ridiculous MOT advisory list offering from my local MOT station:


"001. Rear child seats fitted prevent adequate inspection of rear seat belts" - (i.e. Inspector couldn't be bothered to climb in the back of such a small car to see if rear belts actually worked or not and is therefore using the presence of child seats as an excuse for not actually checking them!!)

"002. Oil Leak" - (It's a Mini don't they all??)

"003. Seat belt pre tensioner has been activated" - (Excuse me!!... Seat belt pre tensioners in a Mini??)


I really don't know why they bother!!

They wont beacuase if you were to get home, take the child seat out, stick in a passanger and go down the road and crash,(and your passanger got badly hurt or worse) the garage can say ""001. Rear child seats fitted prevent adequate inspection of rear seat belts" - (i.e. Inspector couldn't be bothered to climb in the back of such a small car to see if rear belts actually worked or not and is therefore using the presence of child seats as an excuse for not actually checking them!!),

more linient mot testers will take the child seat out but not refit it as the same rule applies (you pick your car up with kid, put kid in child seat go down road and crash, you may blame the garage for incorrect fitment of the child seat.

"003. Seat belt pre tensioner has been activated" - (Excuse me!!... Seat belt pre tensioners in a Mini??)- because child seat is fitted (the pre tensioner is activated, all seatbelts have them)

"002. Oil Leak" mine dont !


If someone cant be bothered taking child seat out before an MOT to allow there seatbelts to be tested, why should the MOT tested be bothered, abit like when people bring car for MOT with no water in the washerjets, this a potential fail and pissed MOT's right off.

The direct.gov site tells you how to prepar a vechile for MOT and guess what it says "MOT TESTER IS NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK SEATBELTS WHERE A CHILD SEAT IF FITTED, THEESE SHOULD BE REMOVED PRIOR TO TESTING "

MOT's are there to keep you safe !

Edited by kenny&shanice, 13 July 2011 - 10:50 AM.

[pothole]

MOT's are there to keep you safe, only at the time of the MOT and depending on how well the MOT is carried out. The car could fail at anytime on anything, suspension, steering, braking. I took a mini for an MOT years ago it failed on handbrake cable, lights need adjusting, wiper blades when I took it back he then failed it on the rear subframe mounting point corrosion bolted to body, when I asked why did you not spot it on the first MOT, his answer was "well sir you have done 10 miles since the last MOT" so the MOT is only as good as the tester. Another time a young lad tested it and failed it on not having rear seatbelts, until his more experience mate pointed out that for the year of my car it did not require them.

Would you take your car to the garage thats really strict and does a good test picking up everything they can, or to the garage not so strict that will pass the car and keep it on the road?

I am sure we all have stories about MOT stations, especially the more experienced drivers on here, but do they keep us safe, or line the pockets of the goverment, or just help you sell your car on Ebay.

pothole

Edited by pothole, 13 July 2011 - 11:15 AM.

[AVV IT]

The direct.gov site tells you how to prepar a vechile for MOT and guess what it says "MOT TESTER IS NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK SEATBELTS WHERE A CHILD SEAT IF FITTED, THEESE SHOULD BE REMOVED PRIOR TO TESTING "

I'll have to hold my hands up to that one then, as I was not at all aware of that!! (I have to say though with that being the case, that I'm quite surprised that in all the years and in all the cars that I have had tested with child seats fitted, that I have never before received and advisory to that effect, nor has any tester asked me to remove the child seats or even suggest that I might want to remove them for next time??)

because child seat is fitted (the pre tensioner is activated, all seatbelts have them)

Really? In which case that's not my understanding of a "pre tensioner" at all, are you referring to the inertia system that locks/tensions the belt in place and is often permanently activated when a child seat is fitted? (not actually present in the rear of my car though either, due due to fixed rear belts) My understanding of a "Pre -Tensioner" is the device fitted to modern cars that rapidly pulls in the slack in the belt in the early stages of an impact. They are usually operated by some kind of small charged cannister unit under the seat somewhere. The usual sign that they have been activated being a coloured tab that appears somewhere around the red release button on the catch mechanism/ seat belt stalk.

[kenny&shanice]

The direct.gov site tells you how to prepar a vechile for MOT and guess what it says "MOT TESTER IS NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK SEATBELTS WHERE A CHILD SEAT IF FITTED, THEESE SHOULD BE REMOVED PRIOR TO TESTING "

I'll have to hold my hands up to that one then, as I was not at all aware of that!! (I have to say though with that being the case, that I'm quite surprised that in all the years and in all the cars that I have had tested with child seats fitted, that I have never before received and advisory to that effect, nor has any tester asked me to remove the child seats or even suggest that I might want to remove them for next time??)

because child seat is fitted (the pre tensioner is activated, all seatbelts have them)

Really? In which case that's not my understanding of a "pre tensioner" at all, are you referring to the inertia system that locks/tensions the belt in place and is often permanently activated when a child seat is fitted? (not actually present in the rear of my car though either, due due to fixed rear belts) My understanding of a "Pre -Tensioner" is the device fitted to modern cars that rapidly pulls in the slack in the belt in the early stages of an impact. They are usually operated by some kind of small charged cannister unit under the seat somewhere. The usual sign that they have been activated being a coloured tab that appears somewhere around the red release button on the catch mechanism/ seat belt stalk.

Hi there a pre tensioner is a device that preemptively tighten the belt to prevent the occupant from jerking forward in a crash, you probably right your rear seat may not have them if its a later model, as the tester could not get to the belt to find out this was the reason for the advisory.

Some testers are with job worths... find a decent one and stick with him, Good tip is to get you MOT';s about a week or 2 before xmas, drop of a crate of beer when your done, he'll remember you every year then, not sayin he'll always pass your car but may be more linient on things like bulbs, wiper blades and other mr miners !

[AVV IT]

Hi there a pre tensioner is a device that preemptively tighten the belt to prevent the occupant from jerking forward in a crash, you probably right your rear seat may not have them if its a later model, as the tester could not get to the belt to find out this was the reason for the advisory.

I wasn't aware that any classic mini had seat belt pre tensioners fitted, I don't see how they could as surely they would require their own impact sensors, ECU and wiring etc. I suppose that maybe the later mpi's that also had air bags fitted could have had them in the front, but I've never seen them in anything earlier and certainly never in the rear of any model. I know that later models also had inertia reel seatbelts fitted to the rear as well as in the front, but mine just has basic inertia reel seat belts in the front and fixed static belts in the back. (so no seat belt pre tensioners anywhere that I'm aware of!!)

Some testers are with job worths... find a decent one and stick with him, Good tip is to get you MOT';s about a week or 2 before xmas, drop of a crate of beer when your done, he'll remember you every year then, not sayin he'll always pass your car but may be more linient on things like bulbs, wiper blades and other mr miners !

Thanks for the advice on that one though, I'll certainly bare that in mind