MOT changes - the official line

[Poodle]

For people still wondering about how the new MOT changes are going to affect them, I thought i might shed some light. This is all effective as of Wednesday 20th March 2013, ie the day after tomorrow.

NOTE: There is no internet-of-lies/bloke-down-the-pub/my-mate-who-works-in-a-garage/my-dad-says -based information included in this post. I have taken this information straight from the notice served by VOSA.

I've limited this information to the important bit - ie the items that have been upgraded from advisories to automatic failures.

I'll start with the news that probably affects us the most - airbag lights. Or rather more specifically - any and all SRS-related warning lights. Don't panic, airbag lights are the only ones in our cars relevant here.

Any brake-related warning lights. Also, the electric pas fluid level warning light has been added to the list - relevant to anyone running a leccy pas conversion.

Next main concern is electrical wiring and connectors - fairly vague, but the idea is that anything electrical that looks unsafe or unsuitable for purpose can be marked down as a failure. Let's consider this a moment... your car has French-made wiring, so for the love of god don't piss of your MOT assessor - they could condemn the whole car based on this alone! :S

Steering lock operation - fairly self-explanatory.

Engine mountings - will be assessed in the same manner as other bushes and joints.

Battery security and condition - battery must be properly fixed to a suitable mount and free of any leaks or signs of deterioration.

Speedometer must work and be clearly visible. For some reason they're particularly hot on this, even a crack in or clouding to the fascia covering the speedo should be classed as a failure.

Main-beam tell-tale lamp - again, don't think this needs further explanation lol.


Other items that may affect a few 306s depending on modifications and specialist use...:

HID or LED headlamps must be fitted with levelling devices and washers.

Trailer sockets will be tested for security and condition, socket cap must be present and working. 13-pin sockets will be fully tested for proper operation.


Other items to be changed to a failure, although irrelevant to 306s:

- Electronic parking brake control and malfunction indicator lamp.
- ESC components, switches and warning lamps
- Tyre pressure monitoring systems
- Indirect vision devices (where they replace obligatory mirrors)


I hope this has helped clarify things and maybe put some minds at rest.

[r3k1355]

HID's must have self levellers and washers now?

The will piss alot off.

[ozonehostile]

looks like i have some electrical issues to sort out then

[Arron]

HIDs were usually a fail anyway due to the beam pattern

[darrenjlobb]

Eleccy pas warning light...neither of the cars ive took pumps from even have a low fluid warning light, so cant see how they can enforce that if stock cars dont even have it?! Sure they mean fluid level or is there some other warning light to say its working normally? if so simple light in line will no doubt do the trick...

Rest of it is common sence really, and no airbag system see what happens....

[Piggy]

HID's must have self levellers and washers now?

The will piss alot off.

this has always been the case

[Poodle]

HIDs were usually a fail anyway due to the beam pattern

Assuming they haven't been fitted properly, yes.

But technically, having them without proper levelling and washers was always illegal, it's just not been an MOT-able item before now.

EDIT: Wrong Piggy - it was illegal, not an MOT fail. Yes there is a difference, no it doesn't make any sense lol.

If a light isn't present we can't test for it, but if it isn't present and it should be you're back to looking at a fail. Cars with leccy pas will have a fluid-level warning light, some have malfunction lights too - multiplexing is an amazing thing...

[Arron]

Mine failed on the HIDS and the tester said a HID bulbs will always have the wrong beam pattern in a set of 306 headlights as they werent designed to emit that kind of light through them.

My beam pattern looks fine, but he'd only pass it once i put some standard bulbs in

[Eeyore]

the beam pattern for HIDs is well out! You get a nice crisp line with standard bulbs but with HIDS you get a random blur of light everywhere! But i still use them....

Bad news about the air bag light... ill have to fix that.... and take out my hids.... and refit my cat... booo

[Arron]

CAT? Please no

[Dicky]

When I phoned VOSA in January about a Cat on a diesel the woman told me you don't need a cat

[Eeyore]

CAT? Please no

This is on the 1.8 petrol...

[Poodle]

Sorry, when i said fitted properly, i meant in a proper set of converted/after-market projector headlights.

Fairly sure needing a cat for petrol is nothing new dude...

[Ed Doe]

Poodle can you just clarify the point re airbags... I've got buckets and a non oem wheel, if I have the correct resistors that turn the airbag light off after the given period on start up will I be ok?

[Toms306]

'If' you could just scrape through the emmisions test, you didn't need the cat (unlikely though with a dirty petrol!). Now the presence of a cat is checked on petrols.

For diesels, you still do not need a cat to pass as I asked vosa when I decatted. There is no diesel emmisions test, and cat presence isn't checked. You do need to pass smoke density test....but its gotta be really smoky to fail lol!!

[Piggy]

can buy decats thats still look like a cat....??

---

PS about time they failed HIDs...ruddy dangerous things

[Toms306]

can buy decats thats still look like a cat....??

True, but it's highly unlikely you'll pass the emmisions test anyway....especially with an old peugeot!

[darrenjlobb]

Id be interested to know how in depth they look into airbag system, is it literally just if the light comes on and goes out, or are they allowed to fail it on noticing the fact there physically isnt any airbag!

[Ed Doe]

Id be interested to know how in depth they look into airbag system, is it literally just if the light comes on and goes out, or are they allowed to fail it on noticing the fact there physically isnt any airbag!

This!! Even I may struggle to blag that my cobra monaco's have side airbags...

[darrenjlobb]

Side airbags wont be a problem as tbh I doubt the system has that logged for cars of our age, the database will just say if airbags are present or not, or at least id have thought anyways...but it is going to look like a bit of a pisstake if the light comes on / goes off, when you clearly have no bag or pre tensioners fitted lol... Id be tempted to just pull the dash bulb out and put it in, and see what they say, if they argue it say its used on track alot etc and been removed, good excuse to strip the car to make it look for realistic haha.

[Piggy]

can buy decats thats still look like a cat....??

True, but it's highly unlikely you'll pass the emmisions test anyway....especially with an old peugeot!

Im talking diesels

[miles]

There are some exceptions to the rules thou but only if you have a Cage and Bucket seats, this is to let the Rally cars etc pass the test, but otherwise if the car had it fitted as std then it should be present and in working order.

[Poodle]

Airbags are tested generally on the lights - if you've got the resistor in you'll probably be fine. Well, technically its down to the discretion of the tester, they could fail you on a whole lot of things if they felt like it, including missing airbags. Should think you'd have to be fairly unlucky to do so though.

Your right with your distinction there Tom, but the emissions test is pretty restrictive. Tbh about a quarter of the petrols over ten yers old fail as standard the first time. Ive only seen one have a go without a cat and the readings were miles out. Like thirty times the limit kinda miles out lol!

[darrenjlobb]

There are some exceptions to the rules thou but only if you have a Cage and Bucket seats, this is to let the Rally cars etc pass the test, but otherwise if the car had it fitted as std then it should be present and in working order.

Is that an official thing wrote down? Needing a cage to allow removal of airbags, or just something you think / get the idea of?

I personally cant stand driving a 306 with a stock wheel after getting used to a smaller one, but simply removing it for MOT isnt really an option, as its still technically invalidating your insurance if it wouldnt pass an MOT...

[1616six]

HID's will pass.

You've missed out the bit where it says the self levellers and washers need to be working IF PRESENT

if its not there, they can't test it..

[Ed Doe]

I personally cant stand driving a 306 with a stock wheel after getting used to a smaller one, but simply removing it for MOT isnt really an option, as its still technically invalidating your insurance if it wouldnt pass an MOT...

This. Can't stand stock wheels now, and it's such a bloody faff swapping them over, not to mention the point darren makes about insurance...

[Rippthrough]

HID's must have self levellers and washers now?

The will piss alot off.

this has always been the case

It won't piss anyone off because it's not true, the mot regulations have been outlined a couple of times for this and they need to work IF they are fitted, they do NOT need to be fitted.

[Poodle]

Right you are JJ and Ripp, thats my bad. As I said before, they'll be fine if they're properly installed, but most people havent properly installed them, so most will fail anyway just on beam pattern.

Darren, believe it or not they actually specify that caged rally cars are excepted from the airbag, abs and tcs regs, so if you get a cage and can blag that its a rally car you'll be fine haha.

[Rippthrough]

Yeah, if the car has been specifically modified for a purpose (i.e. - Rallying), then items that have been removed or altered for that purpose don't require testing/are at the testers discretion.

Missing/broken/not working properly = fail
Modified/removed for specific purpose and still safe (Harnesses/bucket seats, etc) = Pass

Unfortunately, doesn't count for emissions purposes

[Ed Doe]

Right you are JJ and Ripp, thats my bad. As I said before, they'll be fine if they're properly installed, but most people havent properly installed them, so most will fail anyway just on beam pattern.

Darren, believe it or not they actually specify that caged rally cars are excepted from the airbag, abs and tcs regs, so if you get a cage and can blag that its a rally car you'll be fine haha.

Best £500 I'll ever spend