MOT

[excalibur]

Well continuing from my post in the old forum:- Last year went to my local MOT centre and they were excellent in that they put black tape on my French headlamp and adjusted the tracking for not a penny more than the £25 MOT fee BUT the guy told me he wouldn't pass it again next year unless I got a British headlamp   ..well I don't drive at night and didn't want to spend about £25 for a new headlamp...anyway the guys on the old forum said that they have had black tape on their headlamps for years and had no problems, so I was forced to go to another MOT centre today and the bike passed 

[SteveCB1000]

Nice one you did right going someware they dont take the p*ss my MOT place is the same they do little things like fit brake light switches, bulbs and refletors for nothing they even put a used tyre on my mates bike for just £10 was like new.....

[excalibur]

Maybe their is a rule that if a MOT garage puts black tape on a RH drive headlamp (to pass an MOT) then he can't pass it again on the following year? Maybe a guy who works in a MOT garage will eventually spot this post and give us his view. When you think about it, if the tape is already on the headlamp then a garage wouldn't know if the bike was temporarily in the UK from France (say a person living in both countries) and maybe black tape would be allowed under MOT rules.

[Red V Four]

Maybe their is a rule that if a MOT garage puts black tape on a RH drive headlamp (to pass an MOT) then he can't pass it again on the following year? Maybe a guy who works in a MOT garage will eventually spot this post and give us his view. When you think about it, if the tape is already on the headlamp then a garage wouldn't know if the bike was temporarily in the UK from France (say a person living in both countries) and maybe black tape would be allowed under MOT rules.

So in which country (UK or France) would this hypothetical bike be registered, as it can't be registered in both countries. If it was French registered it wouldn't be being taken for a UK MoT test anyway (and in France whatever the registration would also be a giveaway as to the bike's real 'home'!). Don't forget, if an 'advsory' is given regarding the headlight aim (and they do give them...) or tape to mask it, then I'd have thought it will show up on the system for the next tester to look out for.

[SteveCB1000]

im not sure how it all works because i have some saw edge discs on the CB1000, now a few years back when i used to go to a different place they passed it but with a advisory on it, new place say no probs cant understand why the other guy did it.....???

[excalibur]

Maybe their is a rule that if a MOT garage puts black tape on a RH drive headlamp (to pass an MOT) then he can't pass it again on the following year? Maybe a guy who works in a MOT garage will eventually spot this post and give us his view. When you think about it, if the tape is already on the headlamp then a garage wouldn't know if the bike was temporarily in the UK from France (say a person living in both countries) and maybe black tape would be allowed under MOT rules.

So in which country (UK or France) would this hypothetical bike be registered, as it can't be registered in both countries. If it was French registered it wouldn't be being taken for a UK MoT test anyway (and in France whatever the registration would also be a giveaway as to the bike's real 'home'!). Don't forget, if an 'advsory' is given regarding the headlight aim (and they do give them...) or tape to mask it, then I'd have thought it will show up on the system for the next tester to look out for.

Well if black tape wasn't used and the biker was going back and forth from UK to France then he would have to change his complete headlamp each time (can't change the bulb and no way of switching )........so black tape is a sensible answer to a problem and it does the job of not dazzling other motorists.
On the previous MOT there was no mention of black tape for work done .....just "check headlight".

[Red V Four]

On the previous MOT there was no mention of black tape for work done .....just "check headlight".

They don't put anything on the MoT about work done, and you won't see "check headlight" on the MoT certificate. It's a test, either a pass or fail. Any failure only lists point(s) it fails on (plus any advisories), not the corrective action taken to them to gain a pass. Technically, if the vehicle fails on anything, but it's been agreed the workshop corrects any faults, the vehicle should still have a fail (with faults listed), but then also a re-test with a pass - testers are not permitted to fix faults "as-they-go" and then just issue a pass. Advisories list minor faults that will not cause that test's failure, but the owner should still be aware of them (and they can still be listed on a re-test pass certificate after an initial test fail), as they could potentially be the cause future MoT failures if the fault gets worse.

[excalibur]

On the previous MOT there was no mention of black tape for work done .....just "check headlight".

They don't put anything on the MoT about work done, and you won't see "check headlight" on the MoT certificate. It's a test, either a pass or fail. Any failure only lists point(s) it fails on (plus any advisories), not the corrective action taken to them to gain a pass. Technically, if the vehicle fails on anything, but it's been agreed the workshop corrects any faults, the vehicle should still have a fail (with faults listed), but then also a re-test with a pass - testers are not permitted to fix faults "as-they-go" and then just issue a pass. Advisories list minor faults that will not cause that test's failure, but the owner should still be aware of them (and they can still be listed on a re-test pass certificate after an initial test fail), as they could potentially be the cause future MoT failures if the fault gets worse.

Well I can't see any reason why a tester can't fix small problems as they go...otherwise e.g. if a bulb had gone so should be a fail. So you say to the garage "fix it with free retest" ...time is money to a garage and they will charge you for replacing the bulb and just issue a MOT without a full retest for about a minute's work testing, and if you take the bike away and put the bulb in yourself could charge for a retest for about a minute's work retesting. So in this e.g. maybe the garage hasn't got the time to fart around with small problems (testing and retesting) as I'm sure would want lucrative work from serious failures.
AAMOI to show how garages want easy money without problems:- is my vehicle is unusual and it usually fails on some thing like ball joint dust covers split, so I tell them to fix it, but they don't want the job as they don't know where to get the parts and say it would probably take about a week to get them anyway, well as they are short of parking space don't want the vehicle parked for about £40 job. So I take the vehicle away and get it done to where I know they could do the work and get a free test (as they were offered the work but didn't want it).

[SteveCB1000]

My MOT place put me a new brake light switch on the pan in the middle of the MOT then passed it..... in the past i have had small bits done while its been MOT'ed like i said in the other post i think different places do it different maybe the shouldent but they do....

[Red V Four]

Well I can't see any reason why a tester can't fix small problems as they go...otherwise e.g. if a bulb had gone so should be a fail. So you say to the garage "fix it with free retest" ...time is money to a garage and they will charge you for replacing the bulb and just issue a MOT without a full retest for about a minute's work testing, and if you take the bike away and put the bulb in yourself could charge for a retest for about a minute's work retesting. So in this e.g. maybe the garage hasn't got the time to fart around with small problems (testing and retesting) as I'm sure would want lucrative work from serious failures.
AAMOI to show how garages want easy money without problems:- is my vehicle is unusual and it usually fails on some thing like ball joint dust covers split, so I tell them to fix it, but they don't want the job as they don't know where to get the parts and say it would probably take about a week to get them anyway, well as they are short of parking space don't want the vehicle parked for about £40 job. So I take the vehicle away and get it done to where I know they could do the work and get a free test (as they were offered the work but didn't want it).

Well, you personally may not see any reason why a tester can't fix small problem as they go, but a test is a test. If it fails on anything, then it's a fail, and should be recorded as such, simple as that. If the tester then goes on to rectify the faults, then fine, but the vehicle has technically then to be re-tested, and should then get a pass, as the faults have been dealt with. That is why the modern computer system lists faults and/or advisories. If the garage chooses not to charge for a re-test, that's up to them, or if they "fix-as-they-go", but all details should be recorded, a fail (with reasons) and a subsequent pass.
If you were buying an older vehicle with loads of MoT passes but no record of any failures and the faults, you'd rather know about them, wouldn't you?
If MoT garages get caught out in the unofficial way they carry things out, the lucrative MoT licence can be taken away from them (and it does happen!).
Some MoT stations do not do repairs, so they gain no extra business from failing a vehicle.