ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 986
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Apr 25, 2018 17:57:29 GMT
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Today I was with a car for an MOT. It got stuck on the brake tester because of the exhaust. During discussion the tester said there was no chance of testing it as the ramp jack wouldn't be able to slide underneath, even if the brakes were tested on the road and the brake tester had its cover fitted allowing it onto the ramp.
We then got into discussion about the car having a modern engine. The car is old enough to fall into the category of not needing an MOT soon, but obviously needs to declare its engine swap meaning it will still need one. According to the tester, at the time of testing he will have to input the new engine into the system, the owner will need to prove age and ownership of the engine at the testing and it will need to be tested to modern standards including the need for a catalytic converter and be quiet. He also stated the MOT would be changing to a 10 point system based on original components, where the tester declared how many points the car had.
So my questions.
How do you guys with static low cars get onto the ramps?
Was he talking rubbish as my understanding was that the whole vehicle was tested in relation the the oldest vehicle component - the unmodified chassis in this case?
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Last Edit: Apr 25, 2018 17:58:11 GMT by ferny
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Apr 25, 2018 18:49:45 GMT
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take it to a mot tester with a pit not a lift may help i had a real low car that had to be tested for brakes on the road but fine on the testers pit
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Apr 25, 2018 19:10:44 GMT
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Hi, The MOT man was quoting rule changes coming into effect on May 20th), so although it's not applicable now it will be shortly. If he can't get it on the ramp he can't test it. Owners of historic vehicles will have to make declarations of originality to remain MOT exempt. There's a thread elsewhere on here about it.
Colin
Edit: date correction.
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Last Edit: Apr 25, 2018 19:21:52 GMT by colnerov
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GJUK
Part of things
Posts: 238 
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Apr 25, 2018 19:59:58 GMT
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Find a more friendly MOT tester, sympathetic to your type of car.
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,063
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Apr 26, 2018 21:37:26 GMT
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He is kind of right. If it is too low to get the jacking beam underneath to carry out a full test then they are entitled to refuse to test the vehicle. The points thing is not part of our juristiction as an MOT tester though, that is down to the vehicle presenter  As for the engine swap part, emissions is based on whichever is oldest, car or engine. In your instance the car is easily indentified as being the older of the two so is still subject to the same vehicle age related test. It is when there is the BET (basic emissions test) involved it becomes a bit more of a headache though  If the engine is pre-catalyst equipped from an old vehicle, the vehicle presenter is to have an official document saying that the engine cannot meet the newer test limits |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
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My tester basically follows mk2cossie. I think mk2cossie is involved in the field too so it can carry some weight. But yes, I've understood that if he can't get it onto the ramp he can't test it. After all, he can't inspect everything. |
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,063
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Apr 30, 2018 12:37:26 GMT
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My tester basically follows mk2cossie. I think mk2cossie is involved in the field too so it can carry some weight. But yes, I've understood that if he can't get it onto the ramp he can't test it. After all, he can't inspect everything. Yup, tester for about 15years now. And we have had a few odd ball things in in that time for MOT testing that push the limits of what we can do  Including a complete dog of a T3 Transporter with springs cut so much they could be removed from the back whilst jacked up, and front torsion bars wound down (and chassis notched for ultimate lows  ) so far that the jacking beam wouldn't go past the front subframe  A lot of a testers opinion of a car is if it is presented or just brought in for test. You wouldn't believe the state of some of the stuff that comes in and you have to dig/rummage through to inspect (not yet refused to test something because of the tat it is filled up with yet) |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Apr 30, 2018 13:39:59 GMT
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mk2cossie What's your opinion on the new MOT extemption malarky? You probably see a variety of stuff based on your location!
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Last Edit: Apr 30, 2018 13:40:19 GMT by ChasR
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,063
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Apr 30, 2018 17:03:26 GMT
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ChasR I don't approve of it at all. There are a couple of elderly customers who have old (and now MOT exempt cars) that they use exclusively as their mode of transport. We don't see the cars for any checks or servicing. Only when they have a major problem do they bring them in  One of them did the London to Brighton run this year and wondered why the engine was noisy. Turns out the engine oil was diluted with petrol from running way too rich a mixture and no sympathy towards the car
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mgmrw
Part of things
Posts: 701
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Find a more friendly MOT tester, sympathetic to your type of car. This, all day long. In my youth I had a few noisy and low cars, 3 stand out; - xr2i replica with RST front end, Laguna splitter and 70mm drop - MG zr on coilovers and bespoke exhaust from manifold to tailpipe - Nissan 200sx on coilovers, complete bespoke manifold and exhaust. I'd always used the same local garage as my parents, as he was a nice guy, local, and easy to deal with. However, he had no interest nor experience with modified stuff. So if the test looked like being harder work than normal they'd just refuse to do it or complain constantly about things. In the end, the solution was me to stick around for the test, and put them on/off the ramps, so splitter damage etc was my concern. Also the zr and sx needed a warm exhaust to get the cat working well to get emissions down. Garage wouldn't warm it properly, then fail it. Local motorway and bypass, part of my route there... Fixed. In my experience, either work with them, or find a more helpful one. |
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 986
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Car raised an inch, different tester and station. He used bits of wood to help him jack it and we spent ten minutes going through the new regulations.
The first tester was incorrect, as suspected.
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May 10, 2018 20:20:57 GMT
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According to an mot tester on another forum they have dropped the proposed modern emissions standards for engine transplants so it's the same as it was previously test to whichever is older engine or vehicle .
The original tester was partially correct though in the case of an earlier engine being fitted the presenter should be able to show proof of it's age so the correct standards can be tested for.
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Last Edit: May 10, 2018 20:22:59 GMT by dodgerover
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If the engine is pre-catalyst equipped from an old vehicle, the vehicle presenter is to have an official document saying that the engine cannot meet the newer test limits
) so far that the jacking beam wouldn't go past the front subframe 
