|
Colchester Fire Brigade do them.
|
|
Many moons ago, when I lived in 'the smoke', I would only use MOT stations *that didn't* do repairs, so they are a good idea - I'll have to check out Cornwall.
|
British Telecom used to have its own garages which would do MoTs for members of the public.
I say 'used to', I'm assuming BT vehicle maintenance has long since been 'outsourced'.
|
I used to have our first car, a Morris Minor 1000, MOT'd at the local borough council's bus depot over several years, followed by subsequently owned vehicles.
The fact that the service was independent with no repairs on offer (the staff's main purpose, of course, was to maintain buses) was a major factor.
After the 1974 county boundaries reorganisation this went by the board, but the (now much larger) council still has a maintenance depot that undertakes MOTs, but this is based some 15 or so miles away and not exactly convenient.
|
Our local council vehicle repair centre's been privatised.
I've heard of some very expensive wiper blades being sold there come MOT time!
|
>>>but this is based some 15 or so miles away<<<
15 miles is nuffink (in Cornwall), why, I was looking at a car in Flintshire only last week!
|
Used to use the bus depot in Derby.
Until I found out that the squeak I thought was a dry bush was a dry flexible joint in the front suspension and they had passed it twice.
The car did not do many miles a year.
Sometimes it is nice to know the car needs attention.
|
|
|
>>15 miles is nuffink (in Cornwall),>>
But it is, for instance, if your place of work is 20 miles in the opposite direction..:-)
Not much chance of having an MOT done at such a test centre during normal hours in such cases.....
By the way, Martin Lewis has had this particular information on his excellent website for some considerable time.
|
>>> Not much chance of having an MOT done at such a test centre during normal hours in such cases <<<
Yus, say n'more Stuart :)
|
So what happens with the small minor items, eg my MOT tester would replace a bulb if needed to ensure it passes (although personally I would check before submitting).
Is it a straight fail then and have to book in for a retest?
|
i use my local indie MOT guy, he only does MOT's and doesnt do any repair work
being a small out fit. I am asked to help during the test , ie doing the lights and other functions and holding the revs at 2000 rpm for the emissions test , also i get to look under the car whilst its being inspected and any potential future fails are pointed out, he charges 50 quid but i would rather pay that than go for the cheap 25 quid mot offer by some mot tester/ welder... cheers zoo
|
>>I use my local indie MOT guy he only does MOT's and doesnt do any repair work
>>
>>.... he charges 50 quid but I would rather pay
>>
I too pay the full amount but I consider it worth it ( and I can afford it)
I use a similar outfit but pass by several cheaper outfits as my indie is 10 miles away.
One near me has a van parked along a A3 service road at Tolworth advertising MoTs at £29.99
|
I too pay the full amount but I consider it worth it
I do too. I use our village garage and consider that I'm putting money into the local economy. Also I can walk the 150yds to and from the garage rather than driving somewhere then hanging around.
He just did my daughter's Ibiza and tweaked the headlamp aim up, but interestingly he failed it, then adjusted the lamps, retested it and passed. No additional charge (he didn't even mention it and I only noticed the failure notice when I got home) and I read somewhere they like to show some failures otherwise it arouses unwanted VOSA attention.
|
I read somewhere they like to show some failures otherwise it arouses unwanted VOSA attention.
Yeah, they (VOSA) like to get a true indication of the state of vehicles running around; so the true MOT inspection is done and logged before any remedial work is done.
I had something similar recently when I decided on a combined Service and MOT, and they rang me after 2 hours to say it had failed on a couple of things, to which I was a little confused, but apparently VOSA guidelines state that the MOT should be done first. They then serviced it, then did anything for the MOT that isn't part of the service, then issue the new pass cert at time of collection.
|
|
|
|
|
bt still do there own work/also maintain the likes of southern gas and the aa.they still do mot's.
|
Is it a legal requirement for testing stations to have a customer viewing area? I can't recall any that don't, and normally garages want to keep you as far away from the workshop as possible.
|
Is it a legal requirement for testing stations to have a customer viewing area? I can't recall any that don't and normally garages want to keep you as far away from the workshop as possible.
This should answer your question, (PDF file link, VOSA document)
tinyurl.com/necvet
|
My father added a waiting room to his MOT bay at about the same time that we installed roller brake testing equipment, so, I imagine the requirement dates back to the early 1980s.
The MOT used to be such a cheap and simple inspection!
|
...My father added a waiting room to his MOT bay at about the same time that we installed roller brake testing equipment, so, I imagine the requirement dates back to the early 1980s...
Think that must be right, because the same thing happened where I was working at the time.
There were a few other new rules as well, such as minimum clearance areas around the ramp, and, I think, an approved locked cabinet for the pad of fresh MoTs.
|
|
I did use a county council one, he took twice as long as my MOTs usually are and just seemed to think I was a VOSA inspector. Nowadays I use Alan's Test Centres in Notts/Derby as they don't do repairs and you can help them by turning the steering and pressing the brakes.
|
>>There were a few other new rules as well, such as minimum clearance areas around the ramp, and, I think, an approved locked cabinet for the pad of fresh MoTs.
Yes, we had to build a small extension to the building to provide the necessary space and to house the viewing area.
The locked cabinet was a bit of a shot in the foot - in our case, it meant that when we were broken into, the villains knew exactly where to find the certificates. Being a garage with lots of hammers and crowbars and other tools lying about, a locked cabinet is a bit of a joke!
|
Being a garage with lots of hammers and crowbars and other tools lying about, a locked cabinet is a bit of a joke!
Indeed! :-)
Bet VOSA never thought of that! But they should have.
|
|
|
>Is is a legal requirement for testing stations to have a customer viewing area?
Yes, it is. It's main purpose is so that VOSA inspectors can come in unannounced and have a clear view of an MOT test actually in progress.
They don't reveal that they are VOSA until the test is completed. Were there no public viewing area then the inspectors would have to reveal their identity on arrival, which, in some cases, would defeat the object of them being there in the first place!
Edited by Galaxy on 02/09/2009 at 21:40
|
Strange but true . . .
Following advice in the Back Room, I recently took my car to one of these places that doesn't do repairs. They found far more things wrong than any main dealer ever has.
My other car has sailed through its last two MOTs at a main dealer without even an advisory.
(I might add that when I took the car to the 'MOT only' place, I had arranged with a friendly independent that in the even of a fail, he would be available to do the necessary work. He did so, and I was able to present it at the MOT centre later the same day, and get my certificate.)
|
>>> They found far more things wrong than any main dealer ever has<<<
The problem with the MOT test is that it is carried out by carbon based units, i.e Man ... if it was carried out by Robot, it would be 100% correct < or > 0.0005%
I had a Volvo 240 GLT MOT'd some years a'back and 'the unit' hit the chassis with a hammer much harder than is actually advised - he was new @ the job and used to be an exhaust fitter!
|
|
|
They found far more things wrong than any main dealer ever has.
.......I had arranged with a friendly independent that in the even of a fail he would be available to do the necessary work. He did so .....
Were the things they found wrong actually wrong. i.e. was it a valid MOT fail?
|
|
|
|
> They don't reveal that they are VOSA until the test is completed. Were there no public viewing area then the inspectors would have to reveal their identity on arrival which in some cases would defeat the object of them being there in the first place!
But they can't get many members of the public just wandering in for the viewing experience do they? It's not like going to watch a murder trial at the Old Bailey.
Anyone not bringing in a car would look a bit suspect surely?
|
SQ
But they can't get many members of the public just wandering in for the viewing experience do they? It's not like going to watch a murder trial at the Old Bailey. Anyone not bringing in a car would look a bit suspect surely?
But they do bring a car in, it's a VOSA car which has been suitably doctored so as to test whatever aspect of the MOT test they wish to check on at a particular time.
I used to always stay and watch my cars being MOT'd but, since the introduction of the new computerised test, the garage I go to have been giving a pretty strong hint that they don't really want people to hang around while their car is tested. I can understand it, in a way because, pre-computerisation, you could just turn up and get an MOT test on demand. However, since the test went PC you now have to make an appointment. I'm not aware that anyone waits these days where I go to while their MOT test is carried out.
Also, pre-PC, the test used to take around 15 to 20 minutes, so it wasn't too long to have to wait. Now that the vehicle is logged in on the VOSA computer they have to keep the car for 45 to 60 minutes, though I'm quite sure that, for a lot of this time, the testers are just hanging around talking or having a tea break. This is the craziest thing about computer logged MOT tests; the car has to be logged-in for, I believe, a minimum of 40 minutes. However, provided this is done, anything can go on during this time. I very much doubt whether many MOT's take 40 minutes. What on earth would they do for all this time, repeat the test two or three times over??!!!!
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/09/2009 at 01:36
|
>>.. that they don't really want people to hang around while their car is tested,,>>
I'm sure that the independent garage where I have my VW tested would be surprised at that statement - they've never had any qualms about me watching the MOT test, including the last two or three years when the test was first computerised.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
