MOT - Headlamp Alignment - Warning!

Volcano

KeithP wrote: »

Thank you for the science lesson.
I, like most people, know that a light beam has no mass.

Light may not have any 'rest mass', but it has 'effective mass' while in motion. Therefore it will exert a force on the reflector:
http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=14123

(even as I type that I get the feeling that this is one of my less useful posts.....)

Volcano

LessThanSte wrote: »

Forget garages,

No ta, there's absolutely nothing in your post to suggest you get a better deal than me.

who charge whatever the official rate is (i think £26 at the moment)

Are you sure you've taken a car for an MOT in the last 20 years?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_4022514

LessThanSte

Im holding the reciept in my hand right now, £30. It failed, but then that was nothing to do with the centre and everything to do with a broken coil spring!

I can scan it in if you like. The reason i guess they charge this rate is because public tests arnt their main service, taxis take up most of their time.

If you would like to enquire yourself, give them a ring on 01922 653753. This is the Walsall test centre, but i assume there are others around the country!

Volcano

LessThanSte wrote: »

If you would like to enquire yourself, give them a ring on 01922 653753.

I just have and they told me £30!

I'll still keep my garage though because they'd pass my car with a broken spring (as long as I promised to get it fixed quickly!)

LessThanSte

Fair enough.

I do agree with you though, finding a local garage and getting friendly with them is a great way to save the hassle. The mechanics i use on a regular basis let me get the parts and do the hard bit, thus saving a fair amount of money!

Also worth pointing out that its never a terrific idea to get the test done at the last minute, if you do it 30 days before that gives you 30 days to find the money, which can be useful.

Also another option that im not terribly sure about is goign for an MOT every 6 months, and if it then fails and you dont want to fix it, you can sell it with a 6 month MOT. But then i THINK that may depend on whats wrong, as the certificate says something along the lines of 'if x is hanging off/dangerous, you should not drive the car'. Anyone got any thoughts on that?

Volcano

LessThanSte wrote: »

Also another option that im not terribly sure about is goign for an MOT every 6 months, and if it then fails and you dont want to fix it, you can sell it with a 6 month MOT. But then i THINK that may depend on whats wrong, as the certificate says something along the lines of 'if x is hanging off/dangerous, you should not drive the car'. Anyone got any thoughts on that?

Nooooooo :eek:

This has been done to death here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1635595&highlight=mot

and here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1758017

Occasionally I'll do an MOT every 6 months (especially if the due date is going to be a cold month so I can avoid lying underneath my car in the frosty weather!)

datostar

KeithP wrote: »

"Modern headlights have a moveable internal reflector and this is susceptible to vibration and shock."
Oh, I didn't know we were talking about modern headlights.

Well, I'm sorry. When you suggested that the headlight mounting points were susceptible to movement I could only think that you meant the likes of the old shells for sealed beam units held into rusty holes in the front wings with self-tappers. They were certainly prone to movement and could end up dangling on the wires.

harveybobbles

datostar wrote: »

Fail certificate issued (no other faults), but Kwikfit adjusted them at no charge (don't mind mentioning the name as they do seem to get a lot of flak!) then immediately issued a pass certificate.

All MOT stations are highly monitored and if they pass evry car that comes in, then they will get the VOSA coming onto them all the time. So every now and then they will fail a car (for no reason) on something silly, like a bulb or beam adjustemnt just to make sure that they are failing enough cars each month.

scbk

harveybobbles wrote: »

All MOT stations are highly monitored and if they pass evry car that comes in, then they will get the VOSA coming onto them all the time. So every now and then they will fail a car (for no reason) on something silly, like a bulb or beam adjustemnt just to make sure that they are failing enough cars each month.

Yep, and there is a reccomened minimum time limit, so sometimes they have to sit and twiddle their thumbs until they can log it on the computer as a "pass"

Inactive

harveybobbles wrote: »

All MOT stations are highly monitored and if they pass evry car that comes in, then they will get the VOSA coming onto them all the time. So every now and then they will fail a car (for no reason) on something silly, like a bulb or beam adjustemnt just to make sure that they are failing enough cars each month.

Surely they are legitimate fail ponts anyway?

Not classed as " for no reason " in my estimation.