MOTs... Are they really culling older diesel cars?

custardy

db21111 wrote: »

Thanks for posting this!

These are the defects, the windscreen ones I have sorted and video'd them working and the brakes will be looked at monday.. so I should hope it's all good then. If not I'll need to see just how dodgy the tester is.

Repair immediately (major defects):
Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))
Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))
Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))
Rear Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Why would you put a car in for MOT without working washers?

db21111

custardy wrote: »

Why would you put a car in for MOT without working washers?

It just needed water on the day, I asked the garage to deal with it all before sending it to the MOT place. They got too busy and frankly let me down on that. My friend hired a chap to help but the chap took forever doing a CV boot on my car and got nothing else done so they sent it in to not lose the booking. I think a lot of stress and bad planning was happening.

Frankly I had a 2L bottle in the car but it was empty by the time I ran out. I won't be doing that again.

The brakes I understand. I'm more than happy for that to be brought up to scratch. Probably the one thing I'd improve on any car is the brakes.

unforeseen

I don't think the rear washer should have been included. Mot should not be testing optional items.

AdrianC

db21111 wrote: »

We know that since May 2018, the government has put stricter MOT testing into place for diesel cars but is it possible some MOT testers are failing cars even after fixes are made?

If you think they are, then appeal.
https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/problems-with-your-test-result

To cut a long story short mine failed on something to do with windscreen wipers, which frankly just needed water (which I'd asked the independent mechanic to deal with before)

Are you not capable of topping your own washer bottle up?

and service brake efficiency, fair enough.

Your brakes were dangerously abysmal. They were simply not slowing the car down sufficiently - and the minimum test standard is LOW.


The braking efficiency of each wheel is calculated on a machine which measures how quickly they stop the rollers down, and then compares that to the weight of the car as measured by those same rollers. The result is an efficiency figure. If the efficiency is too low, or there's too big an imbalance side-to-side, then it's a fail. This is not down to the tester's opinion or vagaries.

I have to go back on Monday (third day leaving it at the mechanic) so he can give the brakes a once over and replace what needs doing... he moaned they are drums and that's trickier these days.

Poor lamb. He's in the wrong job.

No, he said, this guy doing the MOT is over strict and trying to fail cars to keep the DVLA happy. He said he can just add something new and say you drove it so something broke.

He's an idiot making pre-emptive excuses.

db21111

AdrianC wrote: »

Are you not capable of topping your own washer bottle up?

Yes. I do, hence the 2L bottle in my car, however the reserves ran out on the way to the garage and the bottle was nigh on empty.

db21111

AdrianC wrote: »

The braking efficiency of each wheel is calculated on a machine which measures how quickly they stop the rollers down, and then compares that to the weight of the car as measured by those same rollers. The result is an efficiency figure. If the efficiency is too low, or there's too big an imbalance side-to-side, then it's a fail. This is not down to the tester's opinion or vagaries.

As I said I'm more than happy to have the brakes brought up to scratch.

db21111

unforeseen wrote: »

I don't think the rear washer should have been included. Mot should not be testing optional items.

Strange one that, considering it was completely ignored the year before.

Jackmydad

db21111 wrote: »

As I said I'm more than happy to have the brakes brought up to scratch.

That's very decent of you, and reassures me no end that I'll no longer be sharing the road with a vehicle with faulty brakes.

unforeseen

db21111 wrote: »

Strange one that, considering it was completely ignored the year before.

Mot does not test items that are not obligatory. Therefore rear wipers and washers should not be tested. It has been argued that if they are fitted then they should be tested but nothing in the MOT covers rear screen or washers. If their were then quite a few vans that have blanked rear door windows will fail as the still have the wipers fitted but disabled..

Sounds like MOT tester needs a refresher course on what they should and should not be testing.

sevenhills

unforeseen wrote: »

Mot does not test items that are not obligatory. Therefore rear wipers and washers should not be tested.

It seems to me the MOT testers often let some things go, or interpret the rules differently.
Will my LED side light bulbs pass the MOT because they are non-standard, or will they just pass them because they work better than the standard bulbs?