MOT failure?

[Brendan]

When I bought my car I was aware that the hazard lights only worked intermittently. And it seems that you cannot buy a hazard switch on its own, you need to buy the complete Info Centre. I was advised to take the unit out to have a look but as the car is at the garage I have not been able to.

I asked the garage to have a look as the MOT is looming, but I was told that it was not a cheap fix and that a friendly MOT tester might just overlook it.

Is this likely..?

 

[Parisien]

Not sure if I ever had to put hazards on....only left/right indicators and that was that.....is this a new requirement?


P

 

[Brendan]

Not sure if I ever had to put hazards on....only left/right indicators and that was that.....is this a new requirement?


P

Seems to of been just introduced

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/customer-information-notice-cars-2010.pdf

 

[Parisien]

Are you in NI? My NHS net link is a bit slow at times...took too long to load!!!

If just introduced they might overlook it....but I suspect them might be hard line on this.....ie saftey issue, plus if supposed to work....it must!


P

 

[philw696]

Been a MOT requirement as long as i can remember here on the mainland and certainly since i took my licence.
Phil.

 

[Taliesyn]

Apparently from this year any warning lights that are on can also result in MOT failure.

 

[Parisien]

True......a bit of a worry for the older supercar brigade.......


P

 

[philw696]

Thats true guys at the moment still advisory but very soon all warning lights need to work as they should no more constant cars coming in to pass with engine light and airbag lights permanently on.
Phil.

 

[Brendan]

It would be interesting to know how the MOT here compares elsewhere. I guess in the EEC it must be fairly standard, best the rest of the world..?

 

[Parisien]

All the equipment for testing at our Government run centres........is German sourced...suspect the Germans head the game on this issue!


P

 

[philw696]

It would be interesting to know how the MOT here compares elsewhere. I guess in the EEC it must be fairly standard, best the rest of the world..?

Its supposed to be going that way with the idea that a tester like my self could test any where in the eec only problem for me is i only speak english.
Phil.

 

[2b1ask1]

So are they going to plug a diagnostic in as part of the MOT? Surely knowing this you would just take the warning bulbs out on a persistent error, Im sure some lessthan scrupulous dealers of cheap cars already accidentally blow warning bulbs!!!

 

[philw696]

Can't do that Newton the warning lights have to be working as designed and if a lamp does not illminate that will be a fail.
I carry my hand held code reader in my car all the time just in case.
Remember the mot test is only realy valid at the time of the test so if you could turn the lights off before you hand the car to the tester and they come on and go off then thats job done to satisfy the test.
Phil.

 

[2b1ask1]

With respect Phil; there are so many cars and different specs of cars how are you going to know what lights should show during startup of the vehicle, my van for example is mid spec'd but the dash has all the bulb positions available for the highest spec vehicle it is just that many are not used. When I turn the key there are probably 8 or 10 illuminated for a moment. Surely only by plugging in a reader are MOT stations going to know the truth?

 

[philw696]

I know what you are saying Newton but by entering the vehicle details we get the info needed specific to the car being presented for test.
Having been on the tools for over 30 years from visual inspection i can see what is on there or not.
Don't get me wrong its still a nightmare and people try all sorts of bodges and there are various little plug in boxes you can get off ebay to plug in and get the warning light to come on and go off as it should.
If a car is maintained correctly and looked after the MOT will never be a issue for me its the unloved abused **** that makes it hard work.
Phil.

 

[2b1ask1]

That's fair enough Phil, you guys have have so many checks to do nowadays it is bewildering....

I have a realy great MOT & Service garage just 100m from my front door, he is a gearbox speciallist and when our Fiat Ulysees gearbox chucked its reverse shaft out the side of the box, three days before Christmas 99 he came in on Boxing day, picked up my gearbox from me and rebuilt it the same day and returned it so I could get the family to Eurodisney for the milenium... £400 all in - now that is service! Christmas holidays under a car - oh joy!

 

[Brendan]

Whilst the car was being repaired I asked them to look at the hazard lights as i thought if they are working intermittently it may be something quite straightforward to fix eg loose wire...Unfortunately they could not find anything wrong after stripping the Info Centre down and said the only answer was to replace the Info Centre! I have noticed that the hazard lights have stopped working completely now and with a pending MOT it is going to fail. Any ideas..? Auto electrician? Another garage..?

 

[BennyD]

Put the old info centre back in as Hazard lights are supposed to work intermittently; on, off, on, off, on, off, etc.

 

[conaero]

You been snorting Domestos again Ian?

 

[lozcb]

That's fair enough Phil, you guys have have so many checks to do nowadays it is bewildering....

I have a realy great MOT & Service garage just 100m from my front door, he is a gearbox speciallist and when our Fiat Ulysees gearbox chucked its reverse shaft out the side of the box, three days before Christmas 99 he came in on Boxing day, picked up my gearbox from me and rebuilt it the same day and returned it so I could get the family to Eurodisney for the milenium... £400 all in - now that is service! Christmas holidays under a car - oh joy!

He must have real yugly wife then ,hahaha if i had a dragon at home i'd probably have done the same or found any excuse to get out


regards loz