Can car fail an MOT if the battery does not have enough power?

24

Comments

  • colino
    colino Posts: 5,059 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    While some cars wont operate their ABS lights properly (its stays on for example on some Vauxhalls) if the battery is near flat, this sounds like a garage with a battery overstock looking for a soft touch. Go somewhere else and leave them to their nonsense.
  • pendulum
    pendulum Posts: 2,302 Forumite
    Strider590 wrote: »
    Very old battery though, i'd strongly doubt a 5 year old battery will last another winter.
    You've said this before. I've got an 8 year old battery that's still going strong. 5 years isn't that much.
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    Strider590 wrote: »
    Could be another fault, like a dodgy ground connection causing dim rear/brake lights and they're just being idiots by assuming it's the battery.

    Very old battery though, i'd strongly doubt a 5 year old battery will last another winter. I'd be tempted to by a new one, fit it myself, take it back and say "right where's my certificate?" :p

    Where do you get this stuff from?
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • sinar
    sinar Posts: 144 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Hi,

    I’ve just come back from the garage, and I think the situation has been resolved.

    I told them I could find nowhere where it states that a car battery has to support all of the electrical systems running simultaneously to pass an MOT, I showed him the a copy of the VT40 form I had printed out and asked him to show me which part the car would not pass on based on the items to be tested on the list.

    He replied by saying they were wrong to say that the car would fail the MOT because of that, however, the car could not be tested with the current battery, so could not pass the MOT.

    He said when they were testing the electrical systems the car cut out, they checked the battery and it was low (10.8 when it should have been 14, I think, not sure what that means, but he showed me a print out from a computer that he used to check it)

    He said as the car cut out he could not continue to test it properly, so the only way to continue with the MOT was to have a new battery.

    He used the analogy that a car could come in without much petrol, and it the car ran out of petrol during the test, they would not be able to complete the test, the car could not fail due to no petrol, but it could not pass either.

    I just wish they had explained that in the first place, I would have been happy with that explanation, as obviously it is an old battery (that said I’ve never had any problems with it at all, and have never had the car cut out)

    Its not really an option for me to take the car elsewhere, it was taken to a big chain, where I got a deal of a an MOT and a service for £100, about a month ago I got a discount code for 20% off, so I booked and paid for the MOT and service online a month ago, though if they had not come up with a reasonable explanation I would have taken the car somewhere else and tried to claim back the money I had pre paid.

    They offered me a £20 discount on the battery due to the miscommunication, and I’ve accepted it, as I have no way to prove if the car actually did cut out during the MOT test or not.
  • s_b
    s_b Posts: 4,463 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    sounds all rubbish to me
    go on
    http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_10020539

    put your details in to see if it failed the test today due to unable to continue then see if they did another test
    if not i would take it further if i was you
  • vax2002
    vax2002 Posts: 7,187 Forumite
    edited 30 August 2011 at 12:21PM
    See you have already FALLEN FOR IT
    Why exactly did you come here for advice for ?
    We told you they were scamming you, but you ignored the advice.
    Sympathy ?
    Hi, we’ve had to remove your signature. If you’re not sure why please read the forum rules or email the forum team if you’re still unsure - MSE ForumTeam
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    edited 30 August 2011 at 12:26PM
    pendulum wrote: »
    You've said this before. I've got an 8 year old battery that's still going strong. 5 years isn't that much.

    Firstly, yes the garage seems to be taking the p1ss (I just want to make that clear).

    Most modern no-maintenance batteries fail around the 5-6 year mark. They're normally guaranteed for 3 years.

    Personally if it was my mums car, i'd tell her to get a new one before winter. It's just not worth the hassle of being stranded and then having to pay through the nose for a new one, because they know your in a desperate situation.
    Is £60 really that much for several years peace of mind?
    When you compare it to the rest of the yearly motoring costs, it really is nothing at all!
    There I was thinking this was about money saving!!! Or are we just interested in saving money right here, right now?
    "The poor man pays twice"

    But if you wanna carry on stretching out this 8 year old battery, you go ahead.... Dare say you'll be here in 4 years time saying the same thing about your 12 year old battery and how it's perfectly fine as long as you drop the car into 2nd gear and get someone to push you a bit :p

    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    Where do you get this stuff from?

    The encyclopaedia of logical thinking.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

    <><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/
  • wealdroam
    wealdroam Posts: 19,181 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    Strider590 wrote: »
    The encyclopaedia of logical thinking.
    Have you got a link please?

    :D
  • pendulum
    pendulum Posts: 2,302 Forumite
    sinar wrote: »
    Its not really an option for me to take the car elsewhere, it was taken to a big chain, where I got a deal of a an MOT and a service for £100, about a month ago I got a discount code for 20% off, so I booked and paid for the MOT and service online a month ago, though if they had not come up with a reasonable explanation I would have taken the car somewhere else and tried to claim back the money I had pre paid.
    Ohh !!!!... you've taken it to a fast fit place like Kwik Fit haven't you? Well that is what they do. They work on commission and always find extra things wrong. You've been done up like a kipper I'm afraid. There was nothing wrong with the battery and it didn't cut out on test. Lesson learnt the hard way I'm afraid.

    I had it in the back of my mind it was a fast fit. It just didn't sound like the kind of thing a local independent would do.
  • s_b
    s_b Posts: 4,463 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    pendulum wrote: »
    Ohh !!!!... you've taken it to a fast fit place like Kwik Fit haven't you? Well that is what they do. They work on commission and always find extra things wrong. You've been done up like a kipper I'm afraid. There was nothing wrong with the battery and it didn't cut out on test. Lesson learnt the hard way I'm afraid.

    I had it in the back of my mind it was a fast fit. It just didn't sound like the kind of thing a local independent would do.

    special battery these too, so your £20 discount is dust in the wind
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.2K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173K Life & Family
  • 247.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards