The New MOT

Anyone see the article in this month's Practical Classics about the new (central computer database) MOT. Apparently not only is the price of an MOT set to rise due to the increased length of time it takes to do the test, but the new system effectively spells the end of the free-retest deals which many testing stations currently offer. Anything but the smallest fault - which can actually be put right during the test - will require a full price retest. Not good news for classic car owners, methinks!

Indeed, absolute bollox - it'll hit people like us particulary hard, as most people on here run more than one car so the costs will rise exponentially!

The DVLA parasites should get their own house in order before they try and do other peoples! - their computer systems are so inaccurate, so how on earth will they maintain this MOT database? I keep getting threatened with big fines because I've been "seen" on the road untaxed by their cameras, when I've been taxed all the way!

Agghhh didn't know that.
I put my family car through its MOT last month and got one of those fancy new forms but had no idea if it had failed I would need to pay for a full re-test.

I am totally with you Jim I got one of those MOT reminder thingys through my door yesterday for a car I sold two years ago... So the chances of them managing this correctly will be nearly impossible..

MOT'S barhumbug

Will any MOT inspectors be at the national event? My car is due its MOT in OCT. I was very pleased when it passed last year with no work required. I thought that the rear turrets were touch and go then. One year on and a lot of fun I'm worried again. Ewen and Phil had a look when we went to Stirling and said, "I've seen a lot worse". I fear that the new MOT will encourage much more scrutiny.

If my car fails and I take it away. Fix the fail point. It would now need a complete retest. What happens if say the horn then fails. would I need to pay another 45 quid and so on. This new test doesn't stop the fraudesters (they allways find a way). It just makes owning a classic car (and yes the X1/9 is a classic car) something that only the wealthy can afford!!!

I'm not certain, but I imagine that if you feel that a particular MOT inspector has been unjustly over-zealous about some failure point, you will no longer have the easy option of going to another testing station in the hope of finding a more sympathetic examiner. The original failed MOT will immediately pop up on the new testing station's computer, hi-lighting the fail point(s), and the new examiner will naturally home straight in to that area so that he can confirm for the computer database that a repair has since been carried out. It all sounds potentially ghastly.

I'll be there!
I am/was an MOT tester,until I started on my own (garage isn't suitable for all the equipment) but I keep 100% up to date with whats going on,in case I go back to it.I wrote an X1/9 MOT guide a year or 2 ago for the mag.Mine passed today-yipee...

Don't know what all the fuss is about,Your car should have ALWAYS had a full retest,unless it was a minor point,which are listed on the back of the fail sheet.The MOT regs are pretty slack really,apart from a few exceptions.Mine passed today (correctly) with holes in the sills at the front,where the weatherstrip button is-its not within 30cm of a "prescribed area"

If ou read the back of a fail sheet (VT30) you will see the things that allow a partial retest-tyres,bulbs,horn,seatbelts etc.Basically anything that can be repaired without any knock on effect to anything else.I canot see this changing with the new system-which is still under trial.

Have a look here to find out more..
www.motuk.co.uk/welcome.htm

P.S kwik-Fit do MOT's for £25 if you book on line,I know people have preconceptions about these fast fit places,but I used to be a tester for one of them, and I have to say that their MOT examiners course (5 day) was actually superior to the (2 day) Ministry of transport course. The same guidelines MUST be followed if its a main dealer,1 man garage or a fast fit centre.The MOT guy is really working for VOSA,and not himself or his place of employment.If he makes an error,or touts for work,it could mean the loss of the ability to test for the individual,the branch or the whole chain...so as you can imagine,they try to do it right! Its actually quite a responsibility!! But remember-if you read the testers manual (see link) the wording in there is quite vauge,so every tester can see things slightly different!!

Tiff,
If I understand it correctly, what the Practical Classics article seems to be implying is that the computer interface requires an MOT test to be opened and closed within one session, so only faults that are actually put right during the test will allow a pass for that particular MOT. I doubt that tyres and seatbelts will fall in to this category.
I can see some advantages in the new system, especially with respect to detecting fraud, etc., but I can't help feeling that it is bound to make things more difficult and more expensive for the classic car enthusiast.

The testers manual has not changed, nor have the forms,so the criteria on the back of the VT30 are still valid.Vosa and Siemens are having HUGE HUGE problems with the system,software and database,so rest easy for a good while yet.I've been away from testing for 4 years now,and it was "imminent" while I was testing...
You are not allowed to correct any faults during a test..even a bulb or headlamp aim even now, most folks do it, but you ain't supposed to! Going by the letter of the law, a car should fail for having a Magic Tree on the mirror.The tester CANNOT remove it. As I keep saying the MOT test is pretty lax,its about time it was brought up to scratch! For example,your footbrake only needs to be 50% efficient to pass the test, handbrake 16%....you gotta see it from the other side,and see what horrors people present for an MOT!!!

Technically your car can pass an MOT with the pads down to the metal, holes in the floor,wafer thin discs, etc. I had one today that had no sills, but the car had 10 months mot..Amazing what sideskirts can hide. If you can't see it,you cant fail it.
You have to remember that all of us here are car enthusiasts,we're in a car club after all.Most folks have no clue about cars.I wish I had a quid every time I'm told..My car doesn't need a service/cambelt/brakes, its just been MOT'd a couple of months ago.An MOT is the Holy Grail? actually its a rather expensive piece of paper that means nothing except your car was reasonably roadworthy on the day it was tested.

Probably 80% of failures are actually avoidable,bulbs,tyres,etc. Get a copy of the testers manual,arm yourself with info,and CHECK your car first!

www.motester.co.uk/motquiz.html
www.motester.co.uk/retest.html
www.motester.co.uk/qanda.html <if you look about half way down the page,there is X1/9 content!! Tony???

Can I say a BIG thanks to Tiff for the article you wrote about MOTing an X1/9. It was that very article I used to prepare my car for its test last year and it passed first time. Never thought of searching for MOT web sites but there is some good info about. Another one I liked was www.ukmot.com . I tried the MOT Q&A got 2 out of 10. It now seems like there is a lot of paranoia about the new test and things haven’t really changed. Can't wait till next week should be good.

P.S your car is looking good.

Souldn't have put in the dot. The link is www.ukmot.com

Thanks for that! One other benefit of computerisation is that testers special notices will automatically come up when the make of car is typed in,previously these had to be kept in your head...It details info about any peculiarity of your particular model..for example Mk1 and 2 VW Polo's have a large amount of play/movement at the strut top when jacked up,its a design feature,but many are failed for this..Its down to the tester to remember if he'd seen anything about it.

I'm keeping an open mind about it all, if they can get the system sorted out it'll benefit us all,although the price will probably rise to cover costs...

I tried the MOT Q&A and got 7 out of 9. In both cases where I got it wrong, I had a fail when the answer was a pass.

well, a tester should get 9 out of 9 EVERY time,or his/her job's on the line..Have some respect for what we/they do....Its not all hitting sills with a big hammer...although it is fun! :lol: