CT (MoT) failed miserably!

[Haladams]

Well here is a laff - arguably one of the best best Pick-Ups around - failed inspection today! In a bad way!

 

I should explain that last year France adopted a draconian inspection procedure to include loads of incidentals in order to rid the streets of the old bangers. Fair enough. Before all this started, I bought my Pick-Up with larger engine modification in mind down the road, and in preparation for this, started on suspension and brakes.

 

So I give them the car. I knew it was going to go horribly wrong when the tester produced a tablet and tapped in Felicia Pick Up 2001!🥴

 

Initial walk around was 100%. Except he clocked the wheels - failed on having 205/40/17. He consulted his tablet that shows 205/45/15 is max permissable by Skoda!

 

Then onto the rolling road it all went badly wrong.

 

Stopping power too good on all four wheels. He examines the brakes.🙄

 

Failed for non-standard front discs.☹️

Failed for non-standard front calipers (recognised as Mondeo - he knows his stuff)☹️

Failed for non-standard brake hoses all round (stainless steel braid).☹️

 

He looks at the rear [Golf Mk3] brakes, then at his wretched tablet again.

 

Failed non-standard brake assemblies. Should be drums.☹️

 

Then lights. All OK except he could not get the inset spot/fog lights to work. I never use them so had no comment. so he looked under and there are no wires going to them! (I think maybe whoever before me changed the front grille for the later one, inserted the spots just as decoration.

 

Failed for spot lights 'installed but not working'!☹️

 

He even commented on the third brake light that I have fitted above the rear glass as being non-standard but not a condition to fail..!

 

Then charged my 80€ for the pleasure of failing me and a note to return within two months with car back to standard. And if that is not enough, asked me all about the extra work as it was to such a high standard😀

 

Three things now:

1. Do not move to France if you like messing with cars!

2. If you are in France, messing with cars has just been killed.

3. Watch this space, as there will be Mondeo front running gear,  a Golf Mk3 rear running gear and four white 17" Monaco wheels - not even 1 kilometre use - for sale soon!!😂

Edited 18 November, 2019 by Haladams

[Liger1956]

So they can fail it for stopping too fast!! Only in France.

[Breezy_Pete]

It does seem bizarre, especially as it's the tyre/road interface that really governs stopping distance, more than the brake set-up (as long as the driver knows how hard to push the pedal to lock things up for any given conditions).

[Haladams]

Yep, only in France! My mistake really - I chose the first appointment after his two hour lunch. Everyone here knows the only way to get through these things quickly and safely is choose the 1130 -1145 slot as they want to be out the door at midday...😀

 

How is it in the UK these days - do the MoT chappies go through everything with a fine toothcomb? Here they have rather a natty dual rolling road where they can set the roll on individual sides plus I noticed there is a vibrator just before the rolling drums that he parked on for a minute to test the shockabsorbers - mine showed between 1% and 5%, but a percentage of what, I don't know. Do they have this in the UK?

[RicardoM]

2 hours ago, Haladams said:

Everyone here knows the only way to get through these things quickly and safely is choose the 1130 -1145 slot as they want to be out the door at midday...😀

On the other hand, hunger makes people cranky. So...

About MOT fail, while for one or two fails I'm on your side, let's point out that MOT regulations are detailed in a public document. EVERYBODY should read it before MOT and act accordingly. Otherwise the surprise becomes a topic of a forum.

[NJRJ]

I guess something had to be done and you've been caught in the clean up as it's about some of those french death traps came off the road. Thing is these seriously knackered stuff will still only go into the fields as scrap, or whatever it is the french hoard old crap for - I've been to the flea markets and they want 80% of new price for knackered garden stuff like chainsaws and mowers! Second hand car prices seem high but a failed rust bucket isn't worth keeping.

[Haladams]

Whoa up Guys!

 

I am not complaining! Or being critical of the system! I had hoped the proliferation of emojis might have conveyed my tone!

 

I am simply saying that the irony of a car being too good in some points may cause an examiner to look further. And yes, anyone in France, do not modify a car to make it any better..!

 

If anyone is concerned, the old front running gear is back on, tyres are on order for tomorrow and bog standard brake hoses on order from Autodoc. Rear brakes will be on tomorrow and then back for final tick in the box next week. All good😀

[RicardoM]

37 minutes ago, Haladams said:

I am simply saying that the irony of a car being too good in some points may cause an examiner to look further. And yes, anyone in France, do not modify a car to make it any better..!

"Too good" and "better" are very subjective words when they come from the owner of the car. MOT regulations are focused on SAFETY. There are many reasons why cars modified by DIYers (compared to factories that have to do thousands of tests) are not roadworthy immediately.

[J.R.]

Did the vehicle actually fail on all the items that you mention?

 

You only need to do the work where it says that a contra visite is required.

 

At least 2 of the items that you mention either should not be a fail or an advisory not requiring a contra visite.

 

My pal would have passed it.

[Thefeliciahacker]

You just go in there and raise your voice. 

Fix the only fault. Fog lights. 

And say I bring a stock pick up and if it does better in any of the test then I will change everything. 

Get a mechanical engineer to sign a paper stating that the car is up to higher standards than before. 

Take it to the regulating authority. 

Go in there and actually demand based on professional testimony that your car be passed. 

If it doesn't work bribe. 

[Haladams]

59 minutes ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

You just go in there and raise your voice. 

Fix the only fault. Fog lights. 

And say I bring a stock pick up and if it does better in any of the test then I will change everything. 

Get a mechanical engineer to sign a paper stating that the car is up to higher standards than before. 

Take it to the regulating authority. 

Go in there and actually demand based on professional testimony that your car be passed. 

If it doesn't work bribe. 

 

HaHa! I love your style!😎 You are instantly hired to be my Mr Fixer!🤠

 

Unfortunately in France these days, we just have to comply. It was well advertised that the CT was going to be tougher, ad it is!

 

There is quite a good following in France of M1 Caddy and Mini enthusiasts. I have read that these guys have been badly hit as well. A real pity as in truth you will find that the condition of enthusiast owned cars is a lot better than not.

 

There was a very well built Pick Up I was interested in down in Portugal - turbo engine, aircon, 17" wheels, recarros etc with I think was a Golf front end. Very tidy it was but pricey. I am glad I left it alone now😀

 

I will toe the line I guess. There are a few kit cars that are legal in France, so I might buy one of these so that I can tuck myself away in the workshop. I might even find one that can use Mondeo and Golf brakes...😀

 

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

Did the vehicle actually fail on all the items that you mention?

 

You only need to do the work where it says that a contra visite is required.

 

At least 2 of the items that you mention either should not be a fail or an advisory not requiring a contra visite.

 

My pal would have passed it.

 

No, all listed under the Defaillance (Majeures) section. The only thing under the Mineures section was a 'support de moteur arriere - anomalie de fixation'

 

I spoke with my neighbour last night who is a Porsche enthusiast who told me that there is a wide following here in the inspection circles that steel braided brake hoses are not liked because the braid can hide a physical defect in the hose material that is not visible. OK, yes, it is possible but...? He also thought having an ancilliary light not doing anything should not be a majeure.  He also said I might have been asking for difficulty going in there with the car so immaculate right down to new shiny white 17" wheels. A self respecting farmer with an 18 yeqar old pick up would have a mud build up underneath and even mud inside and would sail through😀😀

 

I will buy your Pal's name next time😀

[Thefeliciahacker]

4 hours ago, Haladams said:

HaHa! I love your style!😎 You are instantly hired to be my Mr Fixer!🤠

You know this is actually the Greek style.
Nevertheless here in Greece getting a formal report from an engineer and submitting it to the regulating authority would be enough to justify any rational modification.
But things like coilovers, brakes, rims would just be OK in the mot.
No questions asked.
If you slapped a quad turbo on a felly 1.3 the yes maybe you would have an issue at some mot centers.

But in general I would say try a different centre, and read the code carefully you may discover holes.
I wish you luck.

[RicardoM]

27 minutes ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

You know this is actually the Greek style.

Let's be generous and say it is the Balkans style 😎

Amazingly I haven't seen/heard of a bribed MOT mechanic/technician/inspector while I've worked in Canada.

In the meantime, back in the Dominican Republic bribery for MOT pass is very common. The poorer the country, the higher the level of corruption.

Nevertheless the UK has its own share of bribery too.

Now back on topic: obviously you can't bend the MOT rules in France. Yet you can use stock parts to pass it then put modded parts back.

 

Just for Laughs. I wonder what face would make the French inspector if you would come with this.

Edited 19 November, 2019 by RicardoM

[Haladams]

2 hours ago, RicardoM said:

Let's be generous and say it is the Balkans style 😎

Amazingly I haven't seen/heard of a bribed MOT mechanic/technician/inspector while I've worked in Canada.

In the meantime, back in the Dominican Republic bribery for MOT pass is very common. The poorer the country, the higher the level of corruption.

Nevertheless the UK has its own share of bribery too.

Now back on topic: obviously you can't bend the MOT rules in France. Yet you can use stock parts to pass it then put modded parts back.

 

Just for Laughs. I wonder what face would make the French inspector if you would come with this.

 

This would not have to go through a CT!

Just to add to lots of crazy things here, any car in circulation prior to 1960 does not need testing...

 

[Ju1ian1001]

1 hour ago, Haladams said:

 

This would not have to go through a CT!

Just to add to lots of crazy things here, any car in circulation prior to 1960 does not need testing...

 

Here in good old england any vehicle 40 years old or older does not need an MOT, so at the moment thats pre 1979. So long as the vehicle meets a set of minimum requirements it will pass but of this lights, tyres (including tread depth), certain warning lights on the dash, suspension, brakes, seatbelts, seats, doors, steering, fuel system and condition of the body (corrosion, damage, sharp edges)emissions are all tested, i'm an MOT tester but have simplyfied it here, the actual MOT is not that easy to pass, but coil overs, braided brake hoses, strut braces, and the like are allowed 

[Haladams]

An MOT teser? You are a handy person to know then😀 But it sounds as if you still have a small licence to use your judgement. Here it is pure box ticking. I respect the reasons for it, there are far too many rotten cars on the road.

 

There is a Caterham for sale that needs work on it, so I think I will take the little truck back to standard and use it for what it was intended for. But here I have hit another snag! I only have 15" wheels other thqn the 17s. I popped back to my CT chap to ensure they'd be OK. He said yes, aas they are listed on his tablet with 205/45 tyres BUT make sure that they have load rating 83 or more as the Felicia truck has a higher load capacity than the car where 81s are fine. Fine, except no one appears to make 205/45 with 83 load certification. Lots at good prices of 81s, but no 83!😭 But all not lost, loads of 83s in the 13" rim size. Only snag is - yep, you guessed it - impossible to find Felicia 13" rims...😭😭

[RicardoM]

9 hours ago, Haladams said:

Here it is pure box ticking. I respect the reasons for it, there are far too many rotten cars on the road.

You should make up your mind, Hal. You can be either an ironic citizen or a law abiding citizen. Right now you jump from one to another like a rabbit. Trust me, it is "box ticking" in every country. The UK is champion of the world for that matter. Moreover, you can consult the MOT regulations beforehand in every country. It is in your financial interest. To be honest I don't see why you felt the need to share what happens in France. It is the same in every country. The only difference is that in some countries there are MOT inspectors that can be bribed. If you feel the French are too a-nal, come back to England...

[Gmac983]

I take it no test stations do kerb sides? 🙄