Mot Questions

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

My cars booked in for an mot tomorrow and it has the following `issues` it may fail on, what do you think??

 

1, braided brake lines running through thhe car are duct taped to the floor, a bit of a bodge but they are secure!

2, heat shiel under the fuel tank rattles on the exhaust,

3, bonet release is a cable/ handle zip tied in the engine bay as the in car release snapped..... (will get fixed one day!!)

4, the fuel cap dose not open after my keys were nicked, thats getting fixed in the new year though (before my petrol runs out!!)

 

nothing realy serrious just wanted some opinions so i can get any definate fails fixed tonight

 

Ta

 

Paul

[Anthony 1,003]

1, braided brake lines running through thhe car are duct taped to the floor, a bit of a bodge but they are secure!

2, heat shiel under the fuel tank rattles on the exhaust,

3, bonet release is a cable/ handle zip tied in the engine bay as the in car release snapped..... (will get fixed one day!!)

4, the fuel cap dose not open after my keys were nicked, thats getting fixed in the new year though (before my petrol runs out!!)

1. Potentially, depending on the testers viewpoint - I think the MOT rules state that the brakelines but be "securely mounted" and clearly whether tape is seen as a secure mounting is upto the tester. I few P-clips would be a much better solution really.
   
2. I don't think that it will fail on a loose heatshield touching the exhaust, but it's easy to remove/fix so why chance it? If nothing else, it makes the car look a bit unloved and less chance the tester will overlook borderline issues elsewhere.
   
3. That'll be fine so long as the bonnet can be opened and is secure.
   
4. That should fail I think - certainly on one previous MOT they've refused to pass the car until I dropped the fuel cap key down to them so they could check the fuel cap out. Can't remember what the rules say now, but a quick search on the MOT site should reveal all.
   

[smighall 1]

I think they check the seal on the fuel cap do they not?

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

I could always use a different fuel cap and key off one of my other cars, there all diferent colors though but what the hell, i just checked google and it says the do indeed check the seal,

 

i thought of removing the heat shield but its the one under the fuel tank, the reason its rattling is the clamp that holds it to the beam is missing, will it be ok to remove?? it wont melt the tank or anything daft??

 

brake lines, iv got no p clips but a bit more duckt tape my be in order lol! i thionk i left it a litle late tbh,

[Anthony 1,003]

i thought of removing the heat shield but its the one under the fuel tank, the reason its rattling is the clamp that holds it to the beam is missing, will it be ok to remove?? it wont melt the tank or anything daft??

Mine's laying on the side of the E40 motorway near Belgium after it departed company from the car on the way to the 'Ring

 

Did a full weekend the 'Ring, a couple of UK trackdays, and quite a few road miles in the summer with the heatshield missing and so far no evidence of the fuel tank suffering

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Mine's laying on the side of the E40 motorway near Belgium after it departed company from the car on the way to the 'Ring

 

Did a full weekend the 'Ring, a couple of UK trackdays, and quite a few road miles in the summer with the heatshield missing and so far no evidence of the fuel tank suffering

 

 

Haha thats reassuring then, il just take it off and sort it out at a later date! thanks for your help!

[Alastairh 47]

Certinly will fail on the fuel cap, as they want to test it locks/opens and holds pressure. I've had a car fail on me before because the key went walkies

 

All that is simple enough to fix though

Edited December 17, 2007 by Alastairh

[hodgy 0]

never knew fuel cap was part of an mot.you learn something new every day!

[welshpug 1,657]

I've recently sat watching a tester doing his thing about a dozen times with work and he didn't check the fuel cap once!!

 

they all do it differently, so you need to check everything basically!

[jackherer 543]

I had a Xantia fail because someone had put a flexicap on, it needs to be secure.

 

My 205 passed 4 mots in a row (all at different places) with the brake lines cable tied but the fifth place failed it.

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

2, heat shield under the fuel tank rattles on the exhaust,

 

Mine fell off the other day, they cost £6 from Pug.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Well it failed the mot, but not for any of the above reasons, and im a bit pissed acctualy! he failed it on the basis it had no rubber flexible brake lines, and that the braided ones that are there, are not up to the job, is this bull s*it??

 

He gave me an advisory for the duct taped lines through the car but thats all

[welshpug 1,657]

I'd have a good ol moan about that!! I don't know of a rally car that doesn't use braided lines and they're all road legal.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Are the braided hoses with swaged fittings on the end, or with self assembly type fittings?

 

If it is the latter, then you are very unlucky, but the tester can fail you.

 

I along with many others and as W/P says many rally cars etc all use self assembly fittings, but these are actually not DOT approved! First time I've heard of a tester on the ball enough to spot it though.

[Ryan 99]

First time I've heard of a tester on the ball enough to spot it though.

 

I doubt that was the reason. It sounds like the tester was just being a prick.

[All Praise The GTI 3]

as above^ tell him hes a prick and that braided lines are safer

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

well i can have a free re test for the next 10 working days, so iv`e got time to fix it but i dont know how exctley, iv just spent about £100 on the braided lines i dont want to fit rubbers just to keep him happy (and it will cost me even more!), and then revert back to the braided, seems like a right f*** about,

 

on the fail sheet he`s put, ns front, ns rear, os front, os rear brake lines serriously damaged, (4 seperate faults) and os rear, ns rear hose inadequatley cliped and the rear fog not in good working order, so altogether hes listed 7 faults when realy its only the fog light thats a real fault,

[jackherer 543]

Take it somewhere else, its easier to do that than replace the braided lines even though you miss out on the free retest.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Take it somewhere else, its easier to do that than replace the braided lines even though you miss out on the free retest.

 

In theory good idea and what I would have suggested, however with the introduction of the computerised test, the faults that the original tester has failed it on will have been picked up and recorded, so it is down to a tester at another station to disagree with the original tester and pass them......dodgy ground.

 

Perhaps taking the car to another test centre and getting them to look at the brake hoses with a view to them testing the car is the best way to start?

 

Are the hoses swaged or with self assy fittings?

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

There self asembley ones, im going to secure all the hoses propely with some p clips and take it else where for a seccond opinion, then going on what he saideither complaining to the origional garage and tryig for the free re-test, or just getting the other garage to test it, far to much hastle in christmass week!!

[jackherer 543]

In theory good idea and what I would have suggested, however with the introduction of the computerised test, the faults that the original tester has failed it on will have been picked up and recorded, so it is down to a tester at another station to disagree with the original tester and pass them......dodgy ground.

 

Yes of course, I forgot about that.

 

After years of similar problems with mot testers I have finally found an excellent garage that don't mess me about at all and I will be sticking with them. Hopefully the next place you try will be better...

[Jrod 7]

I'd ask him why they are not safe to use. Argue your tits off and make a big deal until he gives in or calls the police.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Unfortunately the self assy type are not DOT approved, hence he is within his rights not to pass it. Just to make it clear, I'm not getting on a high horse, my own MOT'd track car receives limited road use and also has self assy aeroquip right the way from the master cylinders to all 4 calipers, I've been lucky to have a decent MOT station that recognises it for what it is and doesn't get s*itty about stupid things like the fact it has no rear seats or belts etc.

 

As with all things of this nature arguing with the tester will most likely get you nowhere, as you'll get his back up and then theres no way he'll pass it just out of being awkward.

 

Only a few weeks ago I was looking at a really good website going through all this but unfortunately I can't find it.

 

Fingers crossed you find a MOT station that has dealt with a few modified cars and will recognise what you have done is safe.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

He was ok with the rest of the car he even let me fiddle with things that wernt quite right, (between my house and the mot station the n/s front light and indicators stoped working but it was just a bad earth)

 

he wasnt fussed about the lack of seats but said i should remove the pasenger side belt or fit a seat...

 

its just the brake lines he wasnt happy with for some daft reason,

 

iv booked my self in at a garage next to where i work and there going to look at the lines and give me there opinion, if they thin there fine what would the best thing to do, get them to test it and try for a refund, or go back demanding he passes it for free??

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

At the end of the day, any MOT station if they know the rules 100% and spot self assy aeroquip on brakes should fail it. That is the rules no two ways about it.

 

What I and I guess many others do is keep their fingers crossed that the tester either {a} doesn't know that self assy is not DOT approved {b} doesn't spot it or {c}spots it and knows the rules but lets it slide.

 

The only way you are going to get a test is to find somewhere that either doesn't know the rules, or is willing to pass it anyway. Give up on the idea of going back hooting at shouting at the original MOT station, as they are quite within their rights to fail it, unless you change the lines they do not have to pass it, and you certainly won't get your money back.

 

If the place you take it to says "Yes they are OK" then I'd pay them the test fee, get your new MOT, say thank you very much and bugger off sharpish before they change their mind. In fact if I were you I would not specifically mention the brake lines, as this may alert their suspiscion to something being wrong with them.

Edited December 19, 2007 by Tom Fenton