MadMac

Just seen this in another thread but... are not having windcreen wipers an MOT failure? Was thinking about gettin rid of mine (summer/dry used only) to keep it looking smooth.

Can I get away with it?

Oranoco

Doubt it mate. Would think it would fail the MOT.

Graceland

if they are fitted then they must operate correctly.


a lot of kitcar builders get round the windscreen washer and wiper system at SVA time by not fitting them

MadMac

How can I get round it with a fully re-built escort cabby? not exactly a kit car is it.

Do rebuilt cars have to go for the SVA?

Oranoco

Would have thought the rozzers would screw you under the Construction & Use act. They use it sometimes on very low cars. They put a prohibition notice on a local lads car a few years back.

AJ Escos

not sure about wipers but you can run cars without headlights but you have to get something like a daytime only mot (cant exactly remember how) so maybe you could somehow, there is also something about if its not there they cant fail on it, eg: if you have a spare its got to be legal but they cant fail you for not having one

Oranoco

Reverse lights are oddly not covered by the MOT

Rich_w

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Topics/Moto...6&chk=tkjX%2Bp

READ

Basically MOT is the same for EVERY car. Just the tolerances are different. Early cars dont have reverse lights, so its not an item. Same as Rear wipers. Or front fog lights

MadMac

Cheers rich, but surely, IF you have another method of keeping the windscreen clear (like that rain-x stuff) and its heated.....

Rhys

hows heated screen going to help keep water off??

IMO it will fail, as if stuff gets splater on your screen like mud how will u get it off? Thats why its a fine for having no water in your squirties aswell

Rich_w

To be honest, nothing clears a screen like a proper wiper. Purely on a safety basis I wouldnt like to run without one. What if some shite was kicked up off the ground by a truck onto the screen?

righthooker

no chance,imo. cant see the point.why not try to position them well low down out of sight some how if it is that important

MadMac

well it was another thead and that focus in FF that made me start thinking about it. Looked well nice. Dunno how to hide a wiper on an escort thou

I suppose....

maybe I could have a removable one, just unbolt it when I dont need it and make something to cover the recess up.

rs shawn

Logically speaking I too would have thought it would fail with no wipers. Even if you say that it will only be used in summer/ dry days, what happens if you are driving & get sprayed by a field-sprinkler (those mahoosive buggers) or someone in front sprays theirs screen whilst travelling. you will have no way of clearing it. It's a safety issue.

If you do wanna be able to take it off..how about a single conversion to start with. That wil get rid of one straight away. For the other, how about modifying the wiper arm & the motor arm. Normally the spigot fits through the top panel & the wiper goes onto that. You could modify it the other way round. Have it so that you bolt the wiper through the panel & then put a nut to secure it to the motor arm. This way you could take it off when you wanted & fit a colour coded bung so it will look flush and won't have the arm poking through the top panel like normal.

MadMac

Cheers Shawn good thinking. Keep the wiper for the road, take it off for the shows