MOT query - for Chris or whoever

[Mitch]

If a vehicle has got eight days to go on its MOT certificate when you take it in to be checked and it fails, do you lose those eight days?

[Kylie]

http://www.mottest.net/mot/mot-failure-question/

[Mitch]

Hmmm... so if the work gets done in time, the old MoT is still valid - I see!

Our car failed it yesterday on too much steering free play. :(

Thanks Kylie!

Hmmmm.

[Kylie]

I think basically if you get caught at any time with a defect you're risking getting in trouble, but they have to be able to see it. If your car failed its MOT then its proof, but how would the insurance/police know about it? Mind you, it might flag up on the database.

[Mitch]

There is a thing on the VOSA database which I'll have a look at tonight when I get home (because I need the failure notice for some number or other). The tyres and exhaust, etc are all fine, so everything visible's OK.

[Blackjack]

Hmmm.

Bit tricky but..

If the vehicle fails the MOT AND is dangerous to drive, the tester should give you a "red" failure. Basically that means that you're only allowed to take the vehicle away on a trailer.

What an MOT fail means is that something is worn to the end of it's service life, not necessarily that's it's worn to the point of being dangerous.

If they haven't changed all that the implication is, that the tester doesn't think it's dangerous to drive because he didn't give you a "red" failure.

So, in his expert opinion, it was safe to drive at the time of the test.

Rule of thumb is that if the tester would be happy to drive it to Scotland and back (presumably different in Scotland/ The North) it'll pass. But he didn't think it was safe to drive to Scotland and back because he failed it.

So, if you put 400 miles on it after the test and then got pulled over the steering, that isn't going to wash as an excuse.

The phrase "earliest opportunity" springs to mind...

[Mitch]

The guy, to give him his dues, did say that "I would drive it as little as possible if I were you"

Last thing Lou wants is to be out on a Home Visit and some twat runs into the car, so she's had to tell work that she can't do them till it's fixed.

And as for 'not driving it to Scotland...' we've done two trips to Boscastle and back, plus Cardiff and numerous other journeys and the steering's been the same more or less for quite a while.

What gets me, the standards of different MOT stations is beyond a joke these days. Last year, it passed, no bother (apart from Exhaust and tyres).

[Mitch]

Here goes, just had a reply from VOSA

"Where a vehicle is submitted for test with a current test certificate and
subsequently fails, the existing certificate is still valid until its
expiry date so therefore meets the requirements of section 47(1) of the
Road Traffic Act stated above. However again it does not exempt the
owner/user from prosecution if the vehicle is being used on the road in a
dangerous condition. A situation that could be exacerbated as the
owner/driver is now knowingly driving a defective vehicle."

Basically means, good thing the MoT had 8 days to run as it is still valid! :D

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

what car is it ?
i had a sierra years ago that failed on the same thing,
at the bottom of the steering column ,on the inside of the car,there's a nylon sleeve /bush thingthat goes through the body,it had just worked its way up the column a bit ,and popped out of the hole,pulled the carpet back,pushed sleeve/bush thing back in,2-3 min job,took car back to the garage next day and it passed.
if not,it could need a new steering rack,quite expensive,and a fanny on to fit.
allways check the cheapest component first.

hope this helps.

[shaggy696969]

If not the rack check the track rod ends these can cause this and again pennies to change.

[Mitch]

It's going in tomorrow...
We've got a quote for a steering rack. Sadly loads of money...

Oh well...

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

how old is the car ?

[Mitch]

97P 152,000 miles on the clock (100k of them ours!)

will get said mechanic to check properly - seeing as his apprentice lives up the road from us, we'll see what happens. :D

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

have you checked the bush on the column ?

[Mitch]

maybe it's me being daft, but I can't get to it because of the acres of plastic which encases the column on the mark 2.

[v8_trike]

The bush will be close to the floor Mitch, if you can get it off easily, put it in boiling water for a few mins, then refit, this will tighten it up a bit, (though best to fit a new one)

[dracken1]

the bulkhead bush is a bugger for coming adrift. i've known people push it back in place and a jubilee clip to keep it there.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

here here ,happens a lot, :D

[Mitch]

Anyroad, the cars in (forgot to say it's a mondeo) and I've asked yonder garage bloke to have a look at the steering column first before diving under and changing the rack.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

mondeo ? mechanic ? :D

*the sound of air being sucked in through pursed lips* lol

[Mitch]

Tell me about it...

to replace the soddin' clutch on those things you have to take off the subframe before you can get to the plates - a five and a half hour job altogether!!! :mad: