When did MOT testers lose their common sense?

[niceyellow vrs]

Just had my car MOT'd. It's passed now but innitially it failed for the following:

1. Both registration plate lamps not working

2. Nearside headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image

3. Offside Headlamp aim too high

Point one was 2 blown bulbs and something i should have checked before hand but unfortunately missed.

Point 2 was down to the bulb not being placed in the holder correctly and this was spotted by the tester.

Point 3 was just an adjustment issue that I sorted by turning the adjustment screw

In previous years MOTs at various garages, whenever something like headlamp adjustment has been required, the tester has picked up a scfrewdriver, turned the screw and sorted it there and then.

I have no issues with needing to sort things out as I want my car to be in tip top condition but as to why the tester felt it necessary to just fail the car rather than straighten a bulb in it's holder, turn a screw and change a number plate bulb is beyond me. Especially as I was in the waiting area the whole time and could have very easily done it myself

So I had to go home, sort it in all of 5 minutes and then go back for the partial retest to get my certificate.

Think that'll be the last time I get an MOT done at a dealer.

[matt_theforce]

my headlight aim was wrong when mine was mot'd, i was still given a failure notice but they also set the aim up and passed it. was bickerton in sheffield

[daverapid]

:)As an MOT tester I can see this from both sides.

VOSA are pretty strict about NOT letting repairs be done to the vehicle being tested during the time the test is logged on. The only exception to this is headlamps aim [if quick and easy] but even then VOSA want the fact that the lamps needed adjusting recorded by using the PRS system. VOSA can [and do trust me!] walk in on a test at any time as they can be sat in the yard un-noticed while you log on the test...they know you've logged on a test because they're watching you via a laptop! If you're caught changing bulbs and fuses during the test you're in the sh!t!

What I do in the event of bulbs and fuses blown is use the PRS sytem. This allows the tester to log off the test, issue a fail [VT30] certificate and a pass [VT20] certificate at the same time. VOSA then allow you an hour to rectify the faults you recorded on the PRS system. That way you've kept VOSA happy by recording the failure points AND you're not carrying out repairs during the logged on period. It also saves time because you don't have to log back on to carry out a retest.

If you knew first hand how hard VOSA came down on testers who are caught doing things other than by the book you would understand why testers can't do anything other than follow the rules...unless they have no common sense of course!

[Wardy]

Useful post Dave, thanks. Good to see things from the other side...

Steve

[niceyellow vrs]

Thought there'd be some red tape involved somewhere. What really annoyed me though is the dealer was all for me booking the car in to have the aim adjusted! I brought the car back within an hour and I think after realising what sort of mood i was from my angry face storming across the forecourt they didn't dare refuse me the free partial retest

[fabia vrs mark]

:)As an MOT tester I can see this from both sides.

VOSA are pretty strict about NOT letting repairs be done to the vehicle being tested during the time the test is logged on. The only exception to this is headlamps aim [if quick and easy] but even then VOSA want the fact that the lamps needed adjusting recorded by using the PRS system. VOSA can [and do trust me!] walk in on a test at any time as they can be sat in the yard un-noticed while you log on the test...they know you've logged on a test because they're watching you via a laptop! If you're caught changing bulbs and fuses during the test you're in the sh!t!

What I do in the event of bulbs and fuses blown is use the PRS sytem. This allows the tester to log off the test, issue a fail [VT30] certificate and a pass [VT20] certificate at the same time. VOSA then allow you an hour to rectify the faults you recorded on the PRS system. That way you've kept VOSA happy by recording the failure points AND you're not carrying out repairs during the logged on period. It also saves time because you don't have to log back on to carry out a retest.

If you knew first hand how hard VOSA came down on testers who are caught doing things other than by the book you would understand why testers can't do anything other than follow the rules...unless they have no common sense of course!

As an MOT tester too i can 100% agree here. its not as simple as just "writing out a ticket" anymore im afraid. which is why MOT testers are becoming hard to find by employers.

[VWD]

Was wondering about the loss of common sense -last year got an advisory "brake pads slightly worn " --yep -that partially worn that they lasted another 10k -and I changed with the worst being 3mm, and as a precaution I checked the discs themselves -20.5mm -as against Haynes 22 new /19 change -so not too bad ,and at nearly 60k -reckon they'll last well past the time I hand in my licence .This year -yep you;ve guessed -"discs partially worn "-should have seen his face when I quoted the limits and the fact that I'd mic'd them -still got the advisory .

[daverapid]

I certainly wouldn't charge a customer for replacing a simple bulb or adjusting headlamp aim....I want my customers to come back next year!

[fordfan]

You wouldn't have been happy if the tester had attempted to adjust the headlamp and something broke.

It's not unheard of for VOSA to leave cars for test before opening hours with sat nav brackets stuck to the windscreen and large air fresheners hanging from the mirror. If the tester uses a bit of common sense, removes them and passes the car without initially failing it, then he is in alot of trouble.

The tester is not allowed to disassemble any parts to aid inspection.

[Tom_vRS]

My local guy (used to be Skoda main dealer, now a Daihatsu dealer) is as strict as they come. I usually get a pass certificate, failure notice and advisories notice in one hit, with minor repairs having been completed. VOSA do seem very strict on things, but its for the best imho.

[Kablam]

I had my car MOT'd the other month, just had it serviced. My mechanic who did the servicing pointed out a few things that my car SHOULD have failed on... but didn't...

Sufficed to say I'm very disappointed that my car was allowed through an MOT and I wont be driving it until the repairs have been made.

[andypandypoos]

Was wondering about the loss of common sense -last year got an advisory "brake pads slightly worn " --yep -that partially worn that they lasted another 10k -and I changed with the worst being 3mm, and as a precaution I checked the discs themselves -20.5mm -as against Haynes 22 new /19 change -so not too bad ,and at nearly 60k -reckon they'll last well past the time I hand in my licence .This year -yep you;ve guessed -"discs partially worn "-should have seen his face when I quoted the limits and the fact that I'd mic'd them -still got the advisory .

so both the pads and disks were in fact partially worn...:confused:

[moley]

As I understand it from my brother in law, who has looked into setting up MOT''s in his garage the rules are very strict. You have to log the start time, I think he said you can't start the next test until an hour has passed and you cannot carry out repairs during the test.

The best way is to have the car seviced and MOT together, during the service the mechanic can check the car for the MOT and make any repairs or adjustments. Then the car has the MOT test, which it should pass.

[daverapid]

As I understand it from my brother in law, who has looked into setting up MOT''s in his garage the rules are very strict. You have to log the start time, I think he said you can't start the next test until an hour has passed and you cannot carry out repairs during the test.

The best way is to have the car seviced and MOT together, during the service the mechanic can check the car for the MOT and make any repairs or adjustments. Then the car has the MOT test, which it should pass.

:)There is no set time for an MOT test. An MOT test on a rotten old Estelle with loads of fail points could take well over an hour, a test on a 3 year old Fabia can be done properly in about half that if it's straightforward. However, if VOSA look at your records and see that you have done an MOT test in 10minutes, or you're taking 3 hours they will pay a visit! The average time is about 40 minutes...but basically VOSA say "a reasonable time". Also, you can log off an MOT test and straight away log on to a new test.

If a car comes in for an MOT and service I always do the MOT first. That way if there's a lot of failure points it's cost the customer a £50ish MOT fee to find out the car's a scrapper rather than a £150ish service!

[mannyo]

I had my car MOT'd the other month, just had it serviced. My mechanic who did the servicing pointed out a few things that my car SHOULD have failed on... but didn't...

Are you sure he doesnt just want some extra money from you to fix things that may not be broken as it has been known.

[Kablam]

I wouldn't say that's the case as it's a problem that I had suspected and he confirmed for me. I've used him for years and never had a problem.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Many years ago my Fiat Panda failed it's MOT because the bulb on the dashboard didn't come on with the indicators , though from the outside of the car all was fine and inside the car the relay was loud enough to tell you they were on. As an aside it had passed at the same garage the year before with the same fault.

I spoke to the tester and asked if it needed to be *that* bulb that worked , or just *a* bulb that would show the indicators worked.

He confirmed that any bulb would do , so I went home and opened up the cluster to see what's what. It turned out to be a fault in the circuitboard that I couldn't fix straight away , so I got a couple of diodes and connected them to the two sides of the indicator circuit and wired up a spare bulb I had lying around and blu-tacked it to the top of the dash.

When I went back to get the retest done he looked at the bulb , clearly unhappy , and went out back to check his manuals. He returned looking pleased with himself and said that it had failed again because there was nothing to say what the bulb was , erm , indicating.

At this point I got a scrap of paper , wrote "Indicators ----->" and stuck it to the top of the dash next to the bulb.

It passed that time!

[Tom_vRS]

Quality!!

[Dr Zoidberg]

I thought you might like that one.

[Conshine]

Fantastic!!

[Morg]

My car failed for having headlamp beam too low, and the cheeky twirps at Arnold Clark wanted to charge me for a re-test! (Not on my Skoda by the way) Needless to say a snotty letter to their General Manager did the trick.

[Ian_D]

I'm afraid MOTs have fallen victim to a trait that has become all too common in Govt circles.

With so much going wrong and so many challenging problems to solve, it is a sad trait of human nature to put all concentration and effort into an irrelevant issue - and Govt is no different. Call it displacement activity or some other name, but effort is put into controlling a minor issue to keep the mind occupied leaving no room for those bothersome important issues.

So great effort is put into in controlling the MOT process and testers are given no leeway - a tester I know has told me of some things that the Dept of Transport, or whatever they're calling themselves today, has done to put the fear of god into testers. Show some commonsense or leeway and the DoT finds out, they're in trouble.

It's not only cars, it's motorbikes too. My bike's speedo wasn't working, something dangerous & illegal, but they can't do anything - it's not part of the test - but my throttle sometimes sticks at about 10% when left to return from 100% alone (and who doesn't have their hand on the throttle to turn it back anyway) so it failed. So I tickled it with a hammer (vibration does the trick, and guess what you get when traveling down a road....) and the next time (as it did 9 out of 10) it passed. But he had to fill in the fail paperwork, I had to take the bike away (I can't do repairs on premises)...........

Then there's number plates. I had legal number plates apart from not having the maker's full details (first year that this became a requirement) and failed, lots of stick from (now ex-)wife as she had to do some work for once in getting new plates, yet when I picked the car up the car the tester was doing at the time had highly illegal plates with legal ones temporarily held in place with elastic bands!

It's a mad, mad world.....

[R1chard]

My car failed it's MOT because I had 2 air freshners hanging from the rear view mirror !

They were removed and it passed, talk about ridiculous !!!

[Stoofa]

Quick question to you MOT testers:

Are you legally allowed to MOT your own vehicle?

Just seems a little crazy if you can - but I can't see how it would be policed if you can't.

[Captain Sisko]

I had my car MOT'd the other month, just had it serviced. My mechanic who did the servicing pointed out a few things that my car SHOULD have failed on... but didn't...

Sufficed to say I'm very disappointed that my car was allowed through an MOT and I wont be driving it until the repairs have been made.

The garage I take my cars to are quite lenient on some things like bulbs of will adjust headlight allignment if needed but they will fail on split gaitors, tyres and other stuff.

But I just get that fixed and take it back for the free partial retest.