In and Out MOT?

sassy_one

benham3160 wrote: »

I understand the sentiment, however I'm not sure how this affects the outcome of the test.

Testers (or properly "Nominated Testers") work autononomously when they are testing, it is purely the descretion of the NT who is "logged on" to take the test whether the car passes or not, one tester (regardless of experience) can not undermine another tester, and once an MOT Test pass has been issued, it's damn difficult, if not technically impossible to have it withdrawn.

I can tell you exactly what would happen if a non-NT manager tried to tell an NT (who is by definition a skilled time served mechnic, of good standing, and lots of assessment) if a car passes or fails!

Honestly, and I say this with no prejudice, cars are "passed on the sly" whichever method is employed. If there is a one-man or two-man test, ultimately the assistant sits in the car, the tester is underneath it making the decisions.

However, I do not know of any NTs (I know many) who would knowingly allow anybody to drive, (especially a friend) a car with a serious defect. Allowing somebody through for a brake-lamp bulb on the assurance they'll drive straight around the corner and fix it though...... Let's say these things to happen.

Let me know if I've misunderstood your point.

Regards,
Andy

No, you have fully understood and answered it.

I know where you are coming from, I still can't believe that Ford tried to get me to have loads of repairs for an MOT, and soon as I took it to my local garage that I had never used, I just needed a ABS sensor!

I am surprised a huge main dealer would try it on, but I guess their so big they haven't much to lose, correct me if I'm wrong.

And yes, would be very hard if not impossible to withdraw a MOT pass once logged into VOSA's database.

I now stick with the garage I know, fully trust them and know they are good after it's a family run business and have been going 15 years so far and many many people highly recommend them around here, a little higher priced on labour but worth it!


Also, years and years back I had a little 205, bought it from a car dealer, not a big one :rotfl: he claimed to be one.

No MOT, it was the days that MOT's were not on a national database, took it for an MOT, the tester said both wheels were rubbing at the rear and it looked like it had been in some kind of accident and damaged the rear suspension, tester took me over to the car and quitely said 'I pass it if you put a new set of tyres that are thinner on it, that will prevent rubbing on the arches - did just that and it passed, although after sleeping on it, didn't fancy driving it and sold it back to the guy I bought it off!:rotfl:

benham3160

sassy-one wrote: »

No, you have fully understood and answered it.

I know where you are coming from, I still can't believe that Ford tried to get me to have loads of repairs for an MOT, and soon as I took it to my local garage that I had never used, I just needed a ABS sensor!

I am surprised a huge main dealer would try it on, but I guess their so big they haven't much to lose, correct me if I'm wrong.

And yes, would be very hard if not impossible to withdraw a MOT pass once logged into VOSA's database.

I now stick with the garage I know, fully trust them and know they are good after it's a family run business and have been going 15 years so far and many many people highly recommend them around here, a little higher priced on labour but worth it!


Also, years and years back I had a little 205, bought it from a car dealer, not a big one :rotfl: he claimed to be one.

No MOT, it was the days that MOT's were not on a national database, took it for an MOT, the tester said both wheels were rubbing at the rear and it looked like it had been in some kind of accident and damaged the rear suspension, tester took me over to the car and quitely said 'I pass it if you put a new set of tyres that are thinner on it, that will prevent rubbing on the arches - did just that and it passed, although after sleeping on it, didn't fancy driving it and sold it back to the guy I bought it off!:rotfl:

Ah, good old Peugeot collapsing rear trailing arm bearings.... You made the right choice :rotfl:

I can't comment on individual cases, (I'm not, nor never have been an NT myself, but I did work in a busy test station for some considerable time, and do reguarly find myself having cars tested in them.....) but each tester will see things differently. Imagine it like the police I guess, some Police officers are very "thorough" whilst some maybe a tad more lenient....... Same thing I guess.

The old manta "in the condition presented by me" the caveat you'll hear many a tester mention....... Their weapon and their shield......

Regards,
Andy

sassy_one

benham3160 wrote: »

Ah, good old Peugeot collapsing rear trailing arm bearings.... You made the right choice :rotfl:

I can't comment on individual cases, (I'm not, nor never have been an NT myself, but I did work in a busy test station for some considerable time, and do reguarly find myself having cars tested in them.....) but each tester will see things differently. Imagine it like the police I guess, some Police officers are very "thorough" whilst some maybe a tad more lenient....... Same thing I guess.

The old manta "in the condition presented by me" the caveat you'll hear many a tester mention....... Their weapon and their shield......

Regards,
Andy

Yes, glad I did now, think Pugo's are awful awful cars to be honest, had a saloon one a few years back, can't remember the model, drove OK, not anymore than OK, was £200 with an MOT on it, while after driving the 15 miles home from the garage I bought it from the gears were bl**dly impossible to change!!! - left it to cool down, drove OK again, went on for a week before I took it back, dealer offered me £100 back for it, refused and sold it privately to a guy who fixes them, said it was the gear selector cable??!:rotfl: Rubbish rubbish cars.


The other thing I was going to say to you, was I have since seen getting my MOT this year, that the garage my Police force use for there Police cars is open to the 'general public' for MOT testing, was wondering if anyone has used one of these?
To far for me to go, some 30 miles from me.


I know some testers do turn a blind eye to something, a bulb or such is OK, but long as they are not knocking out the odd few with major brake failure or bald tyres :T

colino

All good stuff but something I should lay to rest is the quality and experience of testers. It is very, very easy to become one and it is certainly not the best tech. that big operators take off the tools to be their in-house testers.

benham3160

colino wrote: »

All good stuff but something I should lay to rest is the quality and experience of testers. It is very, very easy to become one and it is certainly not the best tech. that big operators take off the tools to be their in-house testers.

Not the best tech maybe, but we all know the world's best/worst tech.

I wouldn't say it's that easy to be a tester though, you've got to be qualified and time served (or time served and NTA) then take the assesments, writen and practial elements of the test.

Plenty of people fail the tests, so I wouldn't say it's "that easy". It's hardly rocket science for an experienced mechanic, but it can go the otherway too.... You can have techs with upteen qualfications in diagnostic procedures, wizards at CAMBUS and intrograted systems, but can they do a decent test.... No....

Regards,
Andy

colino

Unfortunately Andy your not correct. It is a straightforward route if you are time-served, but believe it or not it is not necessary to be time-served, neither is it necessary to be a "qualified" mechanic! Apart from demonstrating your age, job in a garage (unspecified) you can take their written test and then go through the assessment.
What's the difference you might ask? Well the poor souls who use the garage next door to me and rarely have a straightforward pass are having their cars tested by the owners idiot son who couldn't put a nut on a bolt. No mechanical knowledge or experience but found the test a breeze after cramming, having just spent 4 years at Uni.

benham3160

colino wrote: »

Unfortunately Andy your not correct. It is a straightforward route if you are time-served, but believe it or not it is not necessary to be time-served, neither is it necessary to be a "qualified" mechanic! Apart from demonstrating your age, job in a garage (unspecified) you can take their written test and then go through the assessment.
What's the difference you might ask? Well the poor souls who use the garage next door to me and rarely have a straightforward pass are having their cars tested by the owners idiot son who couldn't put a nut on a bolt. No mechanical knowledge or experience but found the test a breeze after cramming, having just spent 4 years at Uni.

Taken from the VOSA guide to becomming a tester.

Each delegate must complete a VT78 form.
Please contact 0117 954 3434 to request a VT78
form. Candidates must be a skilled mechanic with
at least four years full time experience, hold a full

valid driving licence for the class(s) of vehicle they

wish to test, and be sponsored by an authorised

MOT garage. Additionally candidates must have

passed the Inspectorate's NTT(A) examination OR

be an existing MOT tester OR possess one or more

of the following vocational qualifications: (NVQ, C&G etc...)

Methinks in this instance some foul play must have been happening in the place next door to you, either that or father has claimed that he's put him through his four-years supervised? If this is the case it does highlight a flaw in the system, although having looked at the dummy examination, I'd be shocked if anybody who claims to work on cars managed to get anything except a very high score in that!

Regards,
Andy

colino

Hi Andy,

Not to draw it out even further, but I used a single, extraordinary, but not unique example. "Skilled mechanic" has no definition and the employers supply the "proof" Unfortunately there are many, many, poor improvers out there who are the garage tester by default.
When the system was revised a number of years ago I feel the MOT was drawn up with one eye on the possibility of the test becoming a civil service function that would allow a tester to do the job with little or no background in the business. (Just think of the businesses that have clipboard men acting as QA for the business who cant even talk a good game).