Would i fail my m.o.t if.....

[fabvrs2009]

i have no rear seats....i have removed the rear seats out of my fabia vrs, this includes the rear seat belts as well.

i was assuming that as there are no seats there that i can't fail on what could be an invisible risk?

or am i being absent minded?

answers on a postcard

thanks

Edited 22 July, 2011 by fabvrs2009

[pinocchio]

No seats and no belts won't fail.

[chrisw880]

I would say no, as there is a Fabia's with no rear seats

[fabvrs2009]

I would say no, as there is a Fabia's with no rear seats

really?

did they make a van vers?

[Llanigraham]

The vehicle is still classed as a five seater therefore even if the rear seats aren't there the belts have to be.

Daft but why you see rally cars still fitted with them!

[fabvrs2009]

The vehicle is still classed as a five seater therefore even if the rear seats aren't there the belts have to be.

Daft but why you see rally cars still fitted with them!

oh ok but the 5th seat belt comes out of the seats themselves? would the seat belt connectors be sufficient for the middle seat?

[Jonny5ive]

I would say no, as there is a Fabia's with no rear seats

Guilty!

The vehicle is still classed as a five seater therefore even if the rear seats aren't there the belts have to be.

Daft but why you see rally cars still fitted with them!

:no: All i've had on the last 3 MOT's is an advisory that states something along the lines of "majority of interior trim removed, rear seats and belts removed. There's nowt in the back of mine, no seats, no seatbelts.

[Gizmo]

The vehicle is still classed as a five seater therefore even if the rear seats aren't there the belts have to be.

Daft but why you see rally cars still fitted with them!

That's got nothing to do with the MOT but the class they are entered into.

However harnesses are not road legal (they have to be able to done up with one hand for some reason) so technically even if you have full harnesses fitted the FRONT belts need to be present for the MOT (most MOT testers however use common sense on this issue).

Just like a spare tyre, if there is one in the car it must be legal, but if there is not spare there then it will not fail the MOT.

I have had my previous rally cars all pass the MOT with no rear seats and whilst this was a few years ago, I still have friends with stripped out rally cars that never have a problem come the MOT time.

[Tech1e]

Just like a spare tyre, if there is one in the car it must be legal, but if there is not spare there then it will not fail the MOT.

Not so, the spare isnt part of the MOT, there or not so can be bald, chords poking out whatever, cant fail.

[TeflonTom]

Not so, the spare isnt part of the MOT, there or not so can be bald, chords poking out whatever, cant fail.

I confirm this, the spare tyre is not a testable item, neither are the front log lights or reversing lights... You won't fail for having no rear seats

[fabvrs2009]

so to conclude if the seats aren't there and neither are the belts then I'm likely to get an advisory

[Tech1e]

Leave the belts unless you want to take them out for a reason, but if the seats aren't there then they can't be tested, that's that. Shouldn't get an advisory.

[fordfan]

The seat belt requirements are given on the number of seats fitted, for a Fabia with 3 forward facing rear seats they are:

In forward facing rear seats; A 3 point inertia reel belt in at least one seat or any of the following in both seats.

1. a three point belt

2. a lap belt

3. a disabled person’s belt

So if there are no rear seats, there are no seat belts required.

However harnesses are not road legal (they have to be able to done up with one hand for some reason) so technically even if you have full harnesses fitted the FRONT belts need to be present for the MOT (most MOT testers however use common sense on this issue).

There is nothing in the MOT testers manual about how many hands it takes to fasten a seat belt. It states about harness belts:

9. Adult harness belt An adult harness belt comprising a lap belt and shoulder straps bearing a British Standard or European approval marking (an upper case ’E’ or lower case ‘e’ and a number) is an acceptable alternative to any of the seat belt types listed.

The tester can change the number of passenger seats for the car when logging the test on, so could always change it from 4 to 1.

[Gizmo]

There is nothing in the MOT testers manual about how many hands it takes to fasten a seat belt. It states about harness belts:

9. Adult harness belt An adult harness belt comprising a lap belt and shoulder straps bearing a British Standard or European approval marking (an upper case ’E’ or lower case ‘e’ and a number) is an acceptable alternative to any of the seat belt types listed.

The tester can change the number of passenger seats for the car when logging the test on, so could always change it from 4 to 1.

I'm wondering if this has changed then? as especially road rally cars would regularly fail scruitineering if the lap & diagonal belt was removed when full harness belts were fitted - this was some 20 odd years ago mind!

My dad's car also failed the MOT one year (many years ago) with one of the items being the spare tyre was below the legal limit, their reasoning was if you got a puncture would you put an illegal tyre on to get home / to a garage or sit their stranded? thus making the car illegal.

[Tech1e]

As far as im aware a spare tyre has never been part of an MOT, its not fitted to the car so isnt tested, simple as that.

[fordfan]

The part about harness belts is an amendment from the previous testers manual, I don't know how they were previously regarded.

Years ago before computerisation a tester could write anything down on the fail slip, now it's all picked from standard text with boxes to check as to be a fail, advisory or PRS. A PRS is where a repair is carried out after the test before entering the test result, such as replacing a bulb, wiper or realigning the headlamps. Sometimes there is only an option for fail or PRS.

I would counter the potential offence argument with the spare tyre with the fact that the car is capable of exceeding the speed limit, so what's the difference?

The only testable item connected to the spare is the security of an external spare wheel carrier.

[KenONeill]

I'm wondering if this has changed then? as especially road rally cars would regularly fail scruitineering if the lap & diagonal belt was removed when full harness belts were fitted - this was some 20 odd years ago mind!

The function of event scrutineering is to determine if the vehicle is:-

1) Safe.

2) Compliant with the rules of the class entered.

Accordingly you could fail scrutineering with a vehicle that passes an MOT, or vice versa in some classes.