Don't go to a Council-run MOT centre if there's any chance of failing at all.

EpicFishFingers

Just learned this the hard way.

6 months ago I noticed I had a dead headlight and tried to replace it myself. Had previously paid Halfrauds £22 only to watch the chap effortlessly take a rubber seal off the back of the headlight housing, take out the bulb and put the new one in.
Tried the magic trick myself and just spent half an hour shredding my hand. Tried shaking it, pulling and pushing, thrusting it (oo-er), the car bounced on its suspension but the !!!! wouldn't come out of the headlight housing. Something came up and I drove off, and forgot about it.

Last week I noticed the MOT had run out so I booked it in at the local council place. Forgot about the headlight. Remembered at the test centre, and handed the mechanic the replacement bulb (maybe he, a mechanic, could hack it).

He outright said he probably wouldn't do it. I should have taken the car there and then but was late for my train.

The council run MOT centre shuts at 4pm. It's a proper compound with vanguard fencing etc - I suspect they won't leave the key on the wheel for me - I won't get back form work till gone 6, as is the norm with full-time employment.

So now the car will fail, they won't fix it, I'll have to drive it tomorrow (possibly illegally, depending on what "minimum roadworthiness" actually means) to somewhere else and, because of the timing of picking it up/dropping it off, I'll be outside of the "next working day" so I'll have to pay for either a full-price or discount second-test MOT

The thing is, if the car had working lights but failed on something unforeseen, I'd still be in this situation, forking out for a second MOT.

So aside form the obvious "check the common stuff before you go", I'd add "don't go to the council MOT centre at all if it shuts before you can get home from work". Because you WILL fork out for another part or full MOT.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, completely offsets the benefit of going to the council-run MOT centre in the first place. Very frustrating.

neilmcl

None of the above suggest using a council-run MOT centre is a bad thing. It's more to do with YOUR lack of planning and being able to look after your car properly.

It's well known that council MOT centres don;t fix things they just do MOTs (generally), that's the main reason why they are recommended.

AdrianC

I thought this was going to be similar to my own one-and-only experience of a council MOT.

They made it VERY plain that the only reason I'd booked was that they weren't allowed to blanket refuse non-council tests, but that I was as welcome as something they'd stepped in. They then proceeded to come up with the single most ridiculously anal and petty test they possibly could. Fail sheet a mile long. I took it to a proper garage the following day, having done nothing to the car... and got a clean pass with no advisories.


Perhaps I should have appealed the fail. I couldn't be bothered. I can take a hint. I note with satisfaction they no longer do tests, and seem to have been closed down as a cost-saving measure by the council in question.

alan_d

EpicFishFingers wrote: »

Last week I noticed the MOT had run out.

So how long were you running without an MOT? You can take it for the test upto a month before it expires and keep the expiry date. Reminder in phone needed?

waamo

alan_d wrote: »

So how long were you running without an MOT? You can take it for the test upto a month before it expires and keep the expiry date. Reminder in phone needed?

You can get free reminders sent by text too.

Johno100

alan_d wrote: »

So how long were you running without an MOT? You can take it for the test upto a month before it expires and keep the expiry date. Reminder in phone needed?

And I wonder how long were they driving around for with only one headlight, it was clearly long enough that they'd forgotten about their botched attempt at fixing it.

flashg67

You're worried about driving it illegally now? It was illegal before - from when the bulb went and the MOT expired.

Norman_Castle

Only 6 months with a failed headlight from February when its dark at 5 and you finish work at 6. Well done.

Don't go to a Council-run MOT centre if there's any chance of failing at all.

Don't presume council run mot centres will do minor repairs and change their opening hours to suit you.

EpicFishFingers

Thought I'd clear up a few things, after my initial rant/post:

First and foremost: I never claimed to be blame free, here. I obviously should have got the headlight fixed, and shouldn't have let the MOT lapse either (would have saved on the train money).

But the main issue is bolded in the OP:

The thing is, if the car had working lights but failed on something unforeseen, I'd still be in this situation, forking out for a second MOT.

So even a more diligent owner who sorted out the small stuff beforehand, and got it MOT'd while the old MOT was still valid, could still fall foul of this issue if they work full time. That's my point.

I thought this was going to be similar to my own one-and-only experience of a council MOT.

In fairness this centre is very handy and polite etc., I just didn't anticipate this issue (which is my fault I know, see above). The last MOT I had here was fine

So how long were you running without an MOT?

Turns out it ran out a week or two ago but by chance I wasn't driving it as the weather has been so nice I binned the car off

You can take it for the test upto a month before it expires and keep the expiry date.

Okay that last bit is news to me - I always took it on the last day or after the last day for this exact reason

Reminder in phone needed?

Just stuck one in for next year, along with a reminder to sort the small bits beforehand cheers!

And I wonder how long were they driving around for with only one headlight, it was clearly long enough that they'd forgotten about their botched attempt at fixing it.

I overestimated the time - it went around April and it hasn't seen night driving since as the commute since then has been in daylight
Easy for you to judge my attempt from where you're sat, when you yourself would have almost certainly failed at the task as well

You're worried about driving it illegally now? It was illegal before - from when the bulb went...

Shocker: I drove around with no lights on at all, for ages! Given that it was daylight every subsequent commute... not sure if it's illegal to have one headlight in the day, I suspect I wouldn't get caught though

and the MOT expired.

It was off the road, so no again



With that out of the way though, if we can address the point of my post...:

If the car had working lights but failed on something unforeseen, I'd still be in this situation, forking out for a second MOT.

/smartalec

alan_d

EpicFishFingers wrote: »

Okay that last bit is news to me - I always took it on the last day or after the last day for this exact reason

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot
States:

Earliest date you can get an MOT
An MOT lasts for a year. The date it runs out is printed on the last pass certificate.

You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date.

Example
If your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest you can get an MOT to keep the same renewal date for next year is 16 April.

You can get an MOT earlier, but the MOT renewal date for the following year will be different.

[Deleted User]

I too gave up using council run test centres. They clearly don!!!8217;t want to do do private cars.