Hi Guys, 

Had my 2020 Kamiq SE booked in for an MOT today. No known issues with the car and things like brakes and tyres recently replaced with a full service in late summer had me thinking it would be plain sailing. 

The MOT testers failed the car because the headlight adjuster dial wasn't working (which I've not needed). They used some sort of diagnostic on it and couldn't find any areas, so they couldn't rectify or resolve it. 

I'm booked in at my local Skoda dealer on the 8th of Jan (earliest) and the car is under warranty, but it's completely scuppered my plans for Christmas as I had a long drive lined up on Tuesday. 

 

Another garage took a look, and said they couldn't find any reason it wasn't working with voltage tests, but without wiring diagrams and time they couldn't do much more. 

Last hope is it's booked in at an auto-eletrician on Monday who are rammed but kindly fitted me in. 

Any ideas what issue I could be looking at here with nothing obvious jumping out? 

The one on my Ford Focus stopped working at some point but it was never a MOT fail as the headlamps were adjusted correctly so I can't understand why yours would fail on that. What exactly does it say on the print out given to you by the MOT station?

Edited 21 December, 20241 yr by sussamb

1 hour ago, sussamb said:

The one on my Ford Focus stopped working at some point but it was never a MOT fail as the headlamps were adjusted correctly so I can't understand why yours would fail on that. What exactly does it say on the print out given to you by the MOT station?

It says 'headlight operative device inoperative'. 
After some research my take is that if there is control for it, it should work. Took it to another garage that said the same thing.

Was this a dangerous fault, and when did/does the old MOT expire. If not considered dangerous then you can still drive if your old MOT has not expired.

35 minutes ago, Routemaster1461 said:

Was this a dangerous fault, and when did/does the old MOT expire. If not considered dangerous then you can still drive if your old MOT has not expired.

It's a major fault, and it expires on the 2nd.
Seems to be a grey area. I'm fine driving around in the daytime, but more concerned about a 6 hour drive and where I'd stand.

If the lights are correctly aligned, if you are not carrying a full complement of passengers and/or towing a trailer with too much nose weight your lights will still be correctly aligned on the journey so I would not give it a second thought in your position.

 

How often have you or any forum contributor had to use the headlamp height adjustment?

 

I use mine but the car is frequently laden and towing, sometimes I forget and am alerted by an oncoming vehicle flashing their lights.

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

If the lights are correctly aligned, if you are not carrying a full complement of passengers and/or towing a trailer with too much nose weight your lights will still be correctly aligned on the journey so I would not give it a second thought in your position.

 

How often have you or any forum contributor had to use the headlamp height adjustment?

 

I use mine but the car is frequently laden and towing, sometimes I forget and am alerted by an oncoming vehicle flashing their lights.

I've never used it and have owned it for a year, so no idea if it was always like this. 
It's mainly just me driving in it with no towing, and never thought/needed to change it. 
Locally I'm fine and I've got a Skoda booking if I need to produce anything. The longer journey I'm weary of in the case of an accident and insurance grey areas etc. 

Your choice, you have not dazzled anybody in a year, there is no reason that you should do this time causing an accident.

 

Your vehicle did not fail on headlamp beam alignment.

Hi, my mechanic said the same thing about my Skoda superb, but just adjusted the main beams and passed the MOT. He charged me extra 10 pounds. Maybe worth asking a garage if they can adjust the main beams.

49 minutes ago, Msuperb said:

Hi, my mechanic said the same thing about my Skoda superb, but just adjusted the main beams and passed the MOT. He charged me extra 10 pounds. Maybe worth asking a garage if they can adjust the main beams.

I wish I had a mechanic which would do this, and I know it will eventually get sorted at Skoda. I see some saying they just deleted the switch with black plastic which got it through. Unsure if my mechanic would do that.  

Your car is under warranty, Skoda will repair the non functioning headlamp control for it to pass the MOT, there is no reason for you to be thinking about bodging it to get through the MOT.

 

The only issue that you have is you are frightened to take your Christmas journey in case you cause an accident and are judged culpable because of your inoperative headlamp height control, I say you have nothing to worry about, your headlamps are set to the correct height as that passed the MOT inspection, the only way that can change requiring you to use the control is if the vehicle is severely laden and/or towing something with excess nose weight.

8 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Your car is under warranty, Skoda will repair the non functioning headlamp control for it to pass the MOT, there is no reason for you to be thinking about bodging it to get through the MOT.

 

The only issue that you have is you are frightened to take your Christmas journey in case you cause an accident and are judged culpable because of your inoperative headlamp height control, I say you have nothing to worry about, your headlamps are set to the correct height as that passed the MOT inspection, the only way that can change requiring you to use the control is if the vehicle is severely laden and/or towing something with excess nose weight.

Understood, thanks. 

Main issue is I'll be out of the retest date by the time my local Skoda can see it. Considering booking further afield and getting a courtesy car if possible in the meantime. 

2 hours ago, ambientsound said:

It's a major fault, and it expires on the 2nd.
Seems to be a grey area. I'm fine driving around in the daytime, but more concerned about a 6 hour drive and where I'd stand.

If you are driving around ATM then you just use it for your long journey, the headlights have been fine up to present.

I don't know where you stand legally if you've had a 'major fail' on the MOT that says 'repair immediately' and your MOT runs until 2nd January?

You can appeal a MOT test result, again I'm unsure if you can use the vehicle, in the case of a fail, until the current MOT test certificate runs out or the appeal result. Either way that's going to be a faff and take longer.

Me, I think I'd just use the car and get on with my life, get the problem sorted and probably not use the car after the current MOT has expired.

I also think possibly you can have a reduced MOT fee if it's gone over the 10 day retest date, all grey areas.

16 minutes ago, MickA said:

If you are driving around ATM then you just use it for your long journey, the headlights have been fine up to present.

I don't know where you stand legally if you've had a 'major fail' on the MOT that says 'repair immediately' and your MOT runs until 2nd January?

You can appeal a MOT test result, again I'm unsure if you can use the vehicle, in the case of a fail, until the current MOT test certificate runs out or the appeal result. Either way that's going to be a faff and take longer.

Me, I think I'd just use the car and get on with my life, get the problem sorted and probably not use the car after the current MOT has expired.

I also think possibly you can have a reduced MOT fee if it's gone over the 10 day retest date, all grey areas.

 

Yeah, a lot of grey areas. 

 

If I can't sort it in the meantime, my local skoda will see it on the 8th with a courtesy car booked. 

 

I've got it booked in with an auto-electrician on Monday, but if it's going to require parts or get expensive, Skoda would make more sense, but I don't think the diagnostic fee is included in the warranty cover and they'll want to do their own. 

There is light going to the switch unit, the wiring looms superficially look fine. I presume the levelling motor is in the headlight unit but I cannot hear any noise at the point of the headlight unit. 

 

6 hours ago, ambientsound said:

 

Yeah, a lot of grey areas. 

 

 

Sorry to point out the obvious - there are no grey areas.  You are talking yourself  (and allowing others on here to talk you into) a potential disaster.  You have failed the MOT test. Once your present MOT has expired, it is illegal if you drive the vehicle anywhere.  Long journeys, daytime short journeys - it is irrelevant.  (The fact that I believe the tester was talking out of his backside and it is not valid grounds for a fail - is also irrelevant)

 

If you want to see the fastest thing on earth, just watch the speed with which your insurance company rejects any claim arising from an accident once it twigs that you have no MOT.

 

It's a hard lesson to learn, but this is why God invented hire cars - until you are back to being legal again.

1 hour ago, lastgasp said:

Sorry to point out the obvious - there are no grey areas.  You are talking yourself  (and allowing others on here to talk you into) a potential disaster.  You have failed the MOT test. Once your present MOT has expired, it is illegal if you drive the vehicle anywhere.  Long journeys, daytime short journeys - it is irrelevant.  (The fact that I believe the tester was talking out of his backside and it is not valid grounds for a fail - is also irrelevant)

 

If you want to see the fastest thing on earth, just watch the speed with which your insurance company rejects any claim arising from an accident once it twigs that you have no MOT.

 

It's a hard lesson to learn, but this is why God invented hire cars - until you are back to being legal again.

I certainly wouldn't be driving the car once the MOT has expired, and would request Skoda to take it off my hands before it expires.

My Christmas plans are cancelled, and I've got the car booked in with an indy auto-electronics garage on Monday, as well as diagnostic requests from two other Skoda garages that are further afield but sooner than the 8th. 

I was more interested in hearing whether others had experienced similar issues and might know where to start. I will be asking the mechanic on Monday if they think it's an MOT fail, but I can see in the MOT regulations that it's a 'major'. 

 

 

 

Does the other headlight adjust its aim in response to the control? I guess it must or both would have been on the fail list.

What is the actual failure number? (So I can find the relevant paragraph in the test manual).

I can look at circuits if helpful, but would need reg number or VIN to be sure I get the right system variant.

 

 

 

Actually, not sure where I got the impression only one headlight is involved.  Did I read that somewhere above or just imagine it?

9 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Does the other headlight adjust its aim in response to the control? I guess it must or both would have been on the fail list.

What is the actual failure number? (So I can find the relevant paragraph in the test manual).

I can look at circuits if helpful, but would need reg number or VIN to be sure I get the right system variant.

 

 

 

Hi Pete, 

Neither of headlights adjust using the dial in the dashboard. I can't hear any noise of a motor. 
The specific fail number is 4.1.5. (a) Headlamp levelling device inoperative 
I will Pm the reg over and the vin tomorrow morning. 
Thanks for any assistance. 

Cabin fuse #40, 7.5 Amp rated, looks to be worth checking, judging by the first diagram I've looked at.