MOT advise

[gary r]

A quick heads up if your taking your Car for an MOT soon.I fell foul of a new MOT requirement,no management or warning lights to be displayed on the dash (my air bag light was showing)

 

[junglegusset]

It's okay, I have found that you can fix most of these faults yourself cheaply and easily with a black permanent marker pen.

 

[gary r]

It's okay, I have found that you can fix most of these faults yourself cheaply and easily with a black permanent marker pen.

i did think a black bit of tape would have sorted the problem!

 

[mcshroom]

I didn't think that was new, it's been around for a while I know of. Also taping over/removing the bulb wouldn't work as to stop people doing that the lights turn on and then off again. The tester should notice the lack of warning light during the start up process.

 

[Night Train]

That has been the case for a while now IIRC.

The test has to show all the warning lights working and then they need to go off when the engine is started. That means you can't just remove the bulb that is lit.

When I had a water leak into my car I had to remove the passenger seat. That meant the airbag light came on and stayed on after the seat was refitted. The garage reset it for me and said that the light comes on when the system has been tampered with.

Airbags only have an official 10 year life and, technically, should be renewed after that time at great expense.

 

[sheddy]

A bit like marriage ?

 

[MarkF]

. Also taping over/removing the bulb wouldn't work as to stop people doing that the lights turn on and then off again. The tester should notice the lack of warning light during the start up process.

Worked for me, I removed the bulb for the MOT.

It's crazy, I had a light showing an engine fault, but no fault, the garage kept re-setting it but it kept lighting again after a week or so.

Am seriously considering a cheap "classic" low/non tech car to lower my motoring costs.

 

[junglegusset]

That has been the case for a while now IIRC.

The test has to show all the warning lights working and then they need to go off when the engine is started. That means you can't just remove the bulb that is lit.

When I had a water leak into my car I had to remove the passenger seat. That meant the airbag light came on and stayed on after the seat was refitted. The garage reset it for me and said that the light comes on when the system has been tampered with.
.

What car do you have? This is almost exactly what happened to me! I had to get one of the airbag sensors replaced this year because of the new regs. Was the result of water damage. Probably for the best really.

In some ways now it is better to have a more basic vehicle that is about twenty years old but in good nick. Too much tech in them nowadays. (Sound like my dad). Those engine management lights come on if you look at them funny.

 

[junglegusset]

You can't easily remove LEDs anyway.

 

[junglegusset]

Worked for me, I removed the bulb for the MOT.

It's crazy, I had a light showing an engine fault, but no fault, the garage kept re-setting it but it kept lighting again after a week or so.

Am seriously considering a cheap "classic" low/non tech car to lower my motoring costs.

Are you my dad?

Was it easy to get the bulb out? I was told it was tricky.

 

[Mile195]

This really irritates me. The whole point of the MOT is to make sure the car is safe to drive. Not that it's in good mechanical order. I presume this extends to all the warning lights. We had an Audi which had a warning light that had ultimately been triggered by a fault in the air conditioning system. Whether or not this works has no bearing at all on whether or not it is safe to drive.

Bet the car manufacturers are rubbing their hands together with glee, since many of these lights can't actually be turned off by anyone other than a branded dealer (who tend to be far more dishonest and underhand than any independent mechanic... well from what I've experienced anyway!)

Thanks for the heads-up though... I should maybe save my ranting for the "current affairs and debates" forum! sorry!

 

[junglegusset]

The mechanic I use seems to think that it is a ploy to get cars off the road. I think it's a ploy to force people to buy new cars sooner.

 

[Night Train]

What car do you have? This is almost exactly what happened to me! I had to get one of the airbag sensors replaced this year because of the new regs. Was the result of water damage. Probably for the best really.

In some ways now it is better to have a more basic vehicle that is about twenty years old but in good nick. Too much tech in them nowadays. (Sound like my dad). Those engine management lights come on if you look at them funny.

Skoda Octavia TDi 2001 model.

The airbag was fine, but I think there is a seat sensor so that it doesn't go off if there is no one sitting in the seat, I think. The remote central locking sensor might be water damaged I think but I can live without that.

In some ways I would like a much simpler car, and I am building one, that doesn't have all the electronics. However, I would still prefer having the ABS, airbags, side impact bars, stronger passenger cage, and crumple zones of a modern car. In day to day life with a car I think I would miss the electric/remote adjustable mirrors. Never liked the 'having to walk around the car to adjust the mirror and then get back in to see if I got it right' routine several times before a drive only for some Pedestrian to move it again to do their make up!

 

[Over The Hill]

I did see something on this when it came out and think that they should only concerned with warning lights that show what lights you have on (ie dip, beam , fogs, indicators, hazards) .
Cannot see how they can fail on anything that itself is not a test component or else they could fail you for not having enough fuel in the tank if the light has come on!

 

[Arch]

Am seriously considering a cheap "classic" low/non tech car to lower my motoring costs.

If I ever get a car of my own, I'll be looking for something as simple as possible. A proper Mini would do. Trouble is, a lot of the older cars are starting to get collectable, so something in good nick is fairly expensive.