jason_nike

Have MOT tests recently become stricter??

My mechanic told me my MK1 Escort was failed on silly things last week that would normally be fine.
My mates Escos running big BHP failed too on emissions where before this was overlooked to a certain point, but this time it was failed.

Anyone have this happen or know of changes?
My test centre now has cameras watching the MOT, is this from VOSA??

Obviously things like brakes etc should fail due to safety etc

studabear

Camera's are probably for a viewing screen so the customers can watch the mot without being in the workshop bothering the tester.

Some new items have been introduced in the last couple of years but most of it is straight forward.

Has this test station got a new tester or perhaps they are under scrutiny for something??

jason_nike

Same testers for years, none new I know of

st3v3

I live next to guy who runs his own garage and does infact do MOT testing.
I was only speaking to him yesterday about my cat on my Focus ST where its no good and for now i need to put a straight through pipe on till I get my replacement.
Whilst they haven't made things any more difficult he does think that stations are getting tighter as there is talk of cameras being put in place where VOSA can remotely log in at random and watch cars being MOT'd.
That isn't happening right now but looks like it *may* be a thing of the near future

stevieturbo

I think your MOT's have been very lax for many years. Certainly more lax than ours here in most respects.

It's just a sign of the times that things will tighten up though, more accountability, traceability, records kept etc

Good or bad...who knows really. For the most part catalytic convertor car emissions is the only real ballix for tuned cars where we really dont want a cat there.

All other parts of the MOT should be easy to pass for almost any car.

Oddly...emissions here are more lax with most cars just needing the comply with the basic 3.5% CO etc etc

gingerturbo

iTrader: (2)

I work in an mot station and we get updates and notifications all the time when the ministery decide they want to change something, it seams like you have just got away with a lot in the past as every car after 1960 needs an emission test but a lot in the past have just let it slide on classics,

The cameras will probily be for security and Heath and safety but then again its hard to say as vosa change things daily

stevieturbo

Pre 73 is only a visible smoke test surely ?

it's only 73+ that have actual proper test criteria

And with pre 1960 having no MOT test requirement ...no test at all.

gingerturbo

iTrader: (2)

^^^ yeh it's still classed as emissions even though a monkey could tell if its smoking lol,

The main ones which are the problem are the 73+ and the 91/92 change over

stevieturbo

73+ is pretty easy for most cars.

The only difficulties I see are the cat tests. If your car cant pass a basic 3.5% and sub 1200ppm HCC, then really it probably doesnt deserve to be on the road.

Although I suspect the most likely ones to fall foul here are highly tuned normally aspirated engines...which I guess is more difficult.

They should have just got blown lol

gingerturbo

iTrader: (2)

Even the early turbo'd car which are running rich show high ppm a lot of the time

JOHNDQ

if its pasted before someone wasn't testing it right lol

stevieturbo

It shouldnt be running rich though and high hydrocarbons are a sign of either misfires, cam overlap etc etc

1200ppm is a pretty high limit, especially for a turbocharged car.

tee-rex

There have been a few changes recently nothing dramatic apart from the presence of cat/dpf if fitted as original equipment, emissions tests are a contentious issue quite a lot of testers have no idea how to pre condition modified cars well enough to give them a fair chance of passing.
As for CCTV any garage can install a screen instead of a viewing area in the test lane some do because they don't want you in their workshop as for vosa remote log in to watch tests housewives tale.
Whilst vosa have the same training regime for all testers too many testers adopt their own test standards and procedures to fuel the own power trips, very recently I sent a 23 year old on a testers course really good lad really into Motorsport and anything with an engine, I asked him what was the most surprising thing he learnt he said firstly how low the standards are for a test pass (minimum standards) but what shocked him the most was how thick some of the candidates were on the course, unfortunately vosa have to offer a place on the scheme for anyone with the relevant paperwork how they got the paperwork is a bit of a mystery.
I have been testing for 15+ years and test quite a lot of modified cars with very few problems however there seems to a lot of testers who seem to freak at the mere sight of a road legal rally car to test my advice to the op find a tester who understands modified and older cars you will have more chance of a fair test.

botters

iTrader: (2)

i think they have got easier if anything just look at how fucked brakes need to be to fail these days

LHD220Turbo

iTrader: (4)

the standard is really low to get a pass on a vehicle in the UK, go to some other countries in europe and the test is very stringent

and yeah some MOT testers are thick as pigs shit, i've recently fallen out with 2 mot testers, both thick as shit & on a power trip.

stevieturbo

Paperwork doesnt mean shit. That applies to virtually any skill set.

MOT, certainly as far as emissions go dont really account for highly modified vehicles. If you modify it, you're still supposed to ensure it is emissions compliant. That isnt really a VOSA or UK thing, that's EU wide.

The only emissions test I find baffling...is the rev the complete dung out of a diesel and see if it blows up test. Whoever dreamt that one up needs their heads examined.

I'd imagine most testers over on the mainland dont actually carry out this to the letter ?

gcfcos

At work the boss has installed a camera for the customers to sit in the office and watch the mot instead of doing my head in but we had to apply to vosa to change the viewing area. I think some testers who used to let stuff go are prob more worries about there jobs these days as there's a lot less jobs about maybe?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

i noticed an abundance of cameras at my local mot station as well, 2 each pointed at the test ramps in an open plan garage

mind you, my tester didn't do one of the emmisions tests and it showed up on the paperwork

engine speed measurement
oil temp
fast idle
second fast idle
natural idle

yet according to the paperwork that was printed out, it's passed it's emissions test so i'm not sure if that's supposed to be checked or if i did a diseasal test thing

gcfcos

We have one camera which is the general managers spy camera and 1 at each end of the mot lane. The cameras are not allowed to record just live feed according to vosas rules