Author Topic: Pre-MOT check.  (Read 6018 times)

Jocko

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Pre-MOT check.
« on: June 02, 2018, 05:21:10 PM »
My MOT is due in the next 4 weeks, so today I had my son-in-law do a pre-MOT test (he is a certified MOT tester, but since moving on to trucks he no longer practices). I am pleased to say, everything seems okay. He isn't able to do the emission tests so that may still pose a problem, but I am hopeful! He did find the exhaust heat shield was loose (I have experienced the odd rattle from under my seat), but a large washer fixed that.  He cleaned up and greased a couple of brake pipes too.
Normally he just puts the car in for its MOT and either him of the garage does any repairs, but with the new rules he wanted it checked over first. He phoned his mate, and it goes in on Wednesday morning for the real thing. The garage is a truck specialist, so it had to be fitted in with their VOSA schedule.

sparky Paul

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2018, 09:57:26 AM »
Normally he just puts the car in for its MOT and either him of the garage does any repairs, but with the new rules he wanted it checked over first.

Speaking to my MOT man, for most vehicles not much has changed, despite the scare stories in the press. The main differences are in the wording on the certificate.

Ours is due to expire in a couple of weeks, hopefully I will be able to get it in this week.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2018, 11:07:21 AM »
It is the bit about not being able to drive the vehicle away if a dangerous fault is recorded. He would go and do the repair, himself, at the garage (the boss is a mate), but it is easier to check beforehand and avoid the inconvenience.
Seemingly, they are still not allowed to remove wheels at the MOT, so disc and pad checks are a bit of a lottery.
My pads are hidden when the wheels are on. Without removing the wheels you cannot realistically check them.

VicW

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2018, 03:48:35 PM »
I asked my son, an MoT tester, about the new MoT regs and not being able to drive a dangerous vehicle away. He said there is nothing the tester can do to stop it being driven away he can only advise the driver of the rules, he has no legal powers. Someone is going to say that the tester can keep the car keys but that means that the tester is now responsible for the vehicle on his premises and business insurance. Remember this doesn't need to be an old car it may be only three years old. This anomaly in the new regulations has been brought to VOSA's attention along with other things.

Vic.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2018, 05:16:02 PM »
I asked my son, an MoT tester, about the new MoT regs and not being able to drive a dangerous vehicle away. He said there is nothing the tester can do to stop it being driven away he can only advise the driver of the rules
Nothing has actually changed, other than the wording being made clearer. It was always an offence to drive an un-roadworthy vehicle and an MOT failure means a vehicle is not roadworthy.

sparky Paul

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2018, 11:04:37 AM »
Nothing has actually changed, other than the wording being made clearer. It was always an offence to drive an un-roadworthy vehicle and an MOT failure means a vehicle is not roadworthy.

Exactly.

MOT testers have always had the ability to mark a defect as 'dangerous' in their opinion, and if you were to be subsequently pulled over with a serious defect uncorrected, then you could well end up being handed a PG9 prohibition from use.

The problem is that some testing garages have taken to using the word 'dangerous' on MOT failures in order to pesuade customers to leave their vehicle and have work done immediately, or spend more fixing minor defects. I saw a scan of a refusal recently where one of the several items marked as *DANGEROUS* was a split front wiper blade. Hopefully, now that dangerous faults are now recognised as a specific category with subsequent consequences, this sort of thing should be less common.

It goes back to something I was saying on an earlier thread, find a tester you can trust and stick with them.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2018, 11:09:53 AM »
Garages will go back to the pre-MOT, off the system test, as they once did. £20 for a quick check over, nothing on the system, word of mouth report.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2018, 12:40:50 PM »
Car passed its MOT, with an advisory.
Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
No idea what that refers to so I'll leave it to my mechanic to speak to the MOT tester.

sparky Paul

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2018, 10:10:36 PM »
Car passed its MOT, with an advisory.
Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))
No idea what that refers to so I'll leave it to my mechanic to speak to the MOT tester.

Sounds like the rear wishbone bush, the doughnut shaped one with the vertical bolt. Probably a small tear in the rubber or detaching of the bush from the outer shell, which will deteriorate in time.

About 15 quid for both bushes, or about 25 quid for a pattern wishbone complete with bushes and new balljoint.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2018, 06:01:18 AM »


That would be my take on the matter too, if it wasn't for the fact I replaced the wishbone, complete with bushes and ball joint, 18 months/13,000 miles ago.

sparky Paul

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2018, 09:17:52 AM »
That would be my take on the matter too, if it wasn't for the fact I replaced the wishbone, complete with bushes and ball joint, 18 months/13,000 miles ago.

It's not beyond the realms of fantasy, especially if the wishbone fitted was one of the cheap unbranded ones - these are a bit of a lottery.

Time permitting, I prefer to refurbish the original wishbone if possible using good quality bushes like Lemforder, or for Jap stuff, Blueprint is the obvious choice - both of which are often sourced from the OEM.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2018, 10:20:44 AM »
Or the guy was maybe a bit heavy handed with the pry bar!

sparky Paul

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2018, 10:05:42 PM »
Or the guy was maybe a bit heavy handed with the pry bar!

Of course Jocko, bushes and balljoint rubbers are favourites. I'm too used to a cooperative MOT tester with some common sense.

Jocko

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2018, 06:12:32 AM »
He is a very cooperative MOT inspector, but it is a station for trucks and buses, so perhaps he saw movement because he is used to applying force to heavy suspension components. VOSA does the testing of the heavy vehicles, but Tommy does the pre-testing and repairs.

guest4219

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Re: Pre-MOT check.
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2018, 09:06:42 PM »
My 02 Jazz CVT is due its MOT in late August , so I'm having a "no record" MOT check done this week.
If it's going to cost a bomb to pass, I will need to consider if the cost is viable when compared to the value of the car. 
WBAC have given an on-line quote of £1090, so that probably means they want to pay around £700/800 for it. As it stands, I can sell it as road legal with a couple of months ticket left and the VOSA history  will show just  the pass for the expiring MOT.
Man maths coming up!

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