Hi,
first car, first MOT due soon - can someone answer these please:
1. Cracked front No. Plate - Fail or Pass?
2. Both Reverse lights dont work (think it is faulty gearbox switch) - Fail or Pass?
3. Handbrake doesnt fully bite until fully pulled up. Fail or Pass?
4. Spare Tyre has slow puncture - Fail or Pass?
Thanks.
Also, my brakes have started squeaking quite badly when braking. New pads were put on front last year. Other causes?
Thanks Again,
Murray
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murray
With a flash of lighting and a clap of thunder HJ's site solves your problems: Go to
www.tinyurl.com/baen
and enter the testers Manual.
Enjoy.
DVD
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Thanks For that,
so am I correct in thinking:
I ve had a look through and seems that my car is maybe okay with the spare tyre, reverse lights and no.plate, but Im sure Ive heard something in the past about the handbrake even though it wasnt mentioned on the site you reference????
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IIRC cracked nr. plate is a fail.
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Murray
A good site is www.motester.co.uk I'm sure you will find all the information you need there.
I have had a cracked No. plate pass, I don't know about the reverse lights, I would say that the handbrake could fail and the spare tyre is not part of the test.
Good Luck!
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(1) Depends where cracked - if it defaces a letter/number - fail.
If it is insecure - fail.
(2) pass
(3) fail
(4) pass
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If you've yet to book your MoT,check out the costs at 3 or 4 testing stations.
Some charge as little as £peanuts, others are free with a service.Average is around £25, you'll probably find they re-test free, if you do fail.
Good idea to confirm the costs, first & if they apply time limitations, after you've got any repairs done.
Don't forget, you can have a new MoT, lasting 13 months, if you get it done within the month prior to expiry of your current one.
& if you know you've got a dodgy spare.....it's only a few £££ to save a LOT of hassle!!
VB
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You don't have to present the car for test with a spare wheel as you are not required to carry one. If you present it and there is something wrong with it (other then a slow puncture) then it will be a fail. PS. What use is a spare wheel with a slow puncture?
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AS
Sorry, this has been done to death here before, but a duff spare isn't a fail! It isn't part of the test, so its condition is immaterial. Only the road wheels are part of the test. You can carry what you like in your car, and if it happens to be a worn out tyre, that's up to you.
Regards
John S
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Murray,
Spare tyre and reverse lights are not testable items.
No. Plate should fail.
Criterion for auto adjusted handbrakes (as yours probably will be) is that there should be 'sufficient reserve travel'. this means that as long as the handbrake lever doesn't reach the end of it's travel and the braking effort is at least 16% and that there are no other faults, the handbrake should pass ok.
If the handbrake can't meet the minimum 16% you will probably have noticed that it's useless anyway.
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As retests are free, I always regard the first attempt, up to a month in advance, as a pre-test to see what it will fail on. Then you can fix what is needed, and if you have been nice and friendly to your MOT man he will nod it through the second time in 5 minutes.
I have learned from experience not to go replacing things needlessly. Regardless of what the rules say, the ultimate test of a cracked number plate is whether your particular tester passes it or not.
Even if you bought a new one, some careless parker will break it for you within the next year anyway.
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Beware
My understanding is if your test is due at the end of the month, but you have the car tested at the beginning of the month and it fails, then despite the fact you have a piece of paper which covers you, you are still driving without a valid MOT
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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Now where ever did you get that gem from B?
Ministry of MisInformation.?
DVD
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from an mot station that had just failed my car - you telling me I was diddled ?
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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That's not really true, Cliff. A re-test is only 'free' at the discretion of the testing station. There are rules about what constitutes a re-test, and basically unless the car is taken back before the end of the next day with the faults rectified (and there are certain faults for which even this does not apply), then it should be subject to a full re-test, for which the garage is entitled to charge. However, as you say, some places offer free retests, and they tend to nod it through on inspection of the noted faults. Note that if you leave it at the garage for repair and re-test no second fee applies.
I wonder if this will still apply when they go computerised next year - from stuff I read earlier they have to tell the central system when the test starts and finishes - it will then maybe flag up if the test has been too short? Or maybe it just will all go horribly wrong as most Government jobs that involve computers do??
Richard
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Yes, I know not strictly true Richard, but effectively so if you know your MOTer. I have always found it pays to build up a friendly relationship with a strict but fair garage. If like me you only ever visit a garage for MOTs, then it is worth using the test as a way of getting an overall expert eye cast over everything. I also make a point of asking the actual tester whether there was anything he was a little doubtful about, or anything that might be a possible failure next time.
I did once get a car through on a promise to fix it soon - I had the new shoes on order. Honestly!
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