SVA & MoT emission regs
russbost - 19/9/06 at 12:44 PM
There was a topic on here recently regarding the above with large amounts of confusion & disagreement over the technicalities. I've done some
checking & can confirm the following (I was until very recently an MoT tester & this info comes direct from the Manual - the MoT testers
bible).
"Vehicles having a Q registration - for emission purposes only, all types of vehicle are to be considered as vehicles first used b4 1st Aug 1975.
For all other testing purposes should be considered as vehicle 1st used b4 1st June 1971."
The next section is the one that causes confusion including amongst MoT stations - IT DOES NOT APPLY TO Q REG VEHICLES!!!
"For emission purposes only Kit car & amateur built vehicles first used b4 1st Aug 1998 are to be considered as first used b4 1st Aug 1975.
Kit car & amateur built vehicles first used on or after 1st Aug 1998 are required to obtain SVA & should be tested to the limits stated on the
registration document"
So, at last, there is a good reason for having a Q plate, even if you SVA & register a vehicle now & it has a 2006 engine, although
you'll need to pass a CAT test at SVA you can then take it off once passed as you don't have a CAT test at MoT time!
I would point out that a LOT of testers are unsure of the rules, but if they try to insist on a CAT test on a Q plate car, or a pre Aug '98 car
(irrelevant of what age of engine is in it now or at SVA) print this off & show them, they should then be able to find the relevant sections of
the manual. If that fails ask them to check with their local area office, if that fails ask for an appeals form if they fail the car - no MoT station
likes appeals because it involves extra "Ministry Attention" - believe me, never welcome! 
If you're in the Basildon area of Essex I would suggest using Amethyst Autos at Laindon 01268 413166 from whom this info was obtained & where
you won't get a "silly" fail.
Hope this helps straighten things out!
alister667 - 19/9/06 at 03:58 PM
I'm going to have to query the emmisions fail I was initally given this year.
I'll quote this information, although the regulations for N. Ireland are different from the mainland.
The big problem is that my limits are printed on my V5, and thus on the computerised V5 records, so with the recent computerisation of the test the
tester has no choice as to which limits to use with the test - it's taken from the V5 documentation - which shows my limits as declared by my
**** of an SVA inspector!
russbost - 19/9/06 at 04:42 PM
I believe the test only came in to N Ireland relatively recently & I'm sure you have different regs to ours, which seems potty when we can
all drive on the same roads, so can't help on your regs, but worth double checking.
alister667 - 19/9/06 at 05:43 PM
The only problem is I believe that MOTs are being computerised all over the UK, mainland as well. I'm pretty sure I am not the only one with
emmisions limits in my V5 special notes section - in one of our initial discussions I saw a response from some folks on the mainland with this on
their V5. It's quite likely they will find themselves in the same boat as me once all MOT test centers get hooked up to the net.
I genuinely hope I'm wrong. As it stands I'm seriously considering taking my own car off the road and building another with an old engine,
SVA'ing, registering then replacing the engine as I see fit. Ridiculous.
I took the time, there now, to look up the DVLNI's e-mail address and I've explained the situation to them. I await their response.
Humbug - 20/9/06 at 06:33 AM
quote:
Originally posted by russbost
There was a topic on here recently regarding the above with large amounts of confusion & disagreement over the technicalities. I've done some
checking & can confirm the following (I was until very recently an MoT tester & this info comes direct from the Manual - the MoT testers
bible).
"Vehicles having a Q registration - for emission purposes only, all types of vehicle are to be considered as vehicles first used b4 1st Aug 1975.
For all other testing purposes should be considered as vehicle 1st used b4 1st June 1971."
...
Surely that can't be completely right (that for all other purposes it should be considered pre-1971)? - MOT testers now have to check that number
plates are "legal" - does that mean a Q plater could now used black and white plates as far as MOT is concerned? Similarly, I believe rear
fog lights apply to cars bult from 1979, so would this not apply to Q-platers???
I appreciate that there may be other laws that have to be complied with, but technically what you are quoting is that you can't get an MOT fail
on black number plates or lack of fog light (and anything else brought in since 1971)
the words "left hand" and "right hand" relating to UK laws come to mind
Jimbo - 26/9/06 at 08:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by russbost
There was a topic on here recently regarding the above with large amounts of confusion & disagreement over the technicalities. I've done some
checking & can confirm the following (I was until very recently an MoT tester & this info comes direct from the Manual - the MoT testers
bible).
"Vehicles having a Q registration - for emission purposes only, all types of vehicle are to be considered as vehicles first used b4 1st Aug 1975.
For all other testing purposes should be considered as vehicle 1st used b4 1st June 1971."
The next section is the one that causes confusion including amongst MoT stations - IT DOES NOT APPLY TO Q REG VEHICLES!!!
"For emission purposes only Kit car & amateur built vehicles first used b4 1st Aug 1998 are to be considered as first used b4 1st Aug 1975.
Kit car & amateur built vehicles first used on or after 1st Aug 1998 are required to obtain SVA & should be tested to the limits stated on the
registration document"
So, at last, there is a good reason for having a Q plate, even if you SVA & register a vehicle now & it has a 2006 engine, although
you'll need to pass a CAT test at SVA you can then take it off once passed as you don't have a CAT test at MoT time!
I would point out that a LOT of testers are unsure of the rules, but if they try to insist on a CAT test on a Q plate car, or a pre Aug '98 car
(irrelevant of what age of engine is in it now or at SVA) print this off & show them, they should then be able to find the relevant sections of
the manual. If that fails ask them to check with their local area office, if that fails ask for an appeals form if they fail the car - no MoT station
likes appeals because it involves extra "Ministry Attention" - believe me, never welcome!
If you're in the Basildon area of Essex I would suggest using Amethyst Autos at Laindon 01268 413166 from whom this info was obtained & where
you won't get a "silly" fail.
Hope this helps straighten things out!
not quite correct, we've just gone through this. go to http://nw.rhocar.org/MOT%20emission%20testing.htm to see the actual page from the MOT
testers manual, and reasoning.
Q plates can be funny, also cars that were built in the early days of SVA, when it wasn't functioning all over, ie 1998 to 2002.
Basically, it's when your car was "first used" not when your kit was first registered, so if you had a 1984 sierra for donor, but
registered it in 1999, then it should come up as first used in 1984, so would be under the 1975 emissions test, ie visual only.
If the figures are on the testers sheet (& your log book) then, tough, that's what's used.
[Edited on 26/9/06 by Jimbo]
[Edited on 26/9/06 by Jimbo]
gingerprince - 29/9/06 at 01:13 PM
quote:
Originally posted by alister667
I'm pretty sure I am not the only one with emmisions limits in my V5 special notes section
Nope, mine has the SVA limits in the special notes section. HOWEVER in the body of the V5 itself there are separate sections for the various
emissions levels - and I would assume that these figures (if they existed) would be the ones used by the computer. Mine is blank in these spaces so I
will be using the Q-plate printout when I get an MOT!
russbost - 29/9/06 at 02:07 PM
I think you are confusing the issue again - I have previously had this as a question on the paper at the MoT testers refresher course given by VOSA -
if the car is a Q plate it's date of reg, first use or anything else is irrelevant it has to meet only the pre '75 requirements for
emissions.
If you have an age related plate then you start getting into engine age etc etc & you may well have to have a CAT test (unless you have a pre
'95 engine.