Board logo

One for the MOT testers..
prawnabie - 21/12/14 at 01:22 AM

Hi Everyone.

I have just finished building my Westfield, but am having a little trouble with the rear brakes, so would like to get the them checked (along with a few other things) to MOT standards.

It just so happens I work at a garage that has a MOT test centre and the car in question currently resides there. I have asked our tester to do a test on it and he is saying that as the car doesn't have a reg number, he can't register a test (even in training mode) and therefore has no way of knowing if the figures the brake tester is giving him mean the vehicle would pass a MOT. He did mention something about being able to test the car on the chassis number but he has never done it before.

So, my question is... Is it possible to register a test on a vehicle chassis number in training mode and say manually choose the vehicle so that the Brake test information can be interpreted by the MOT computer. If this is possible he will do a full test on the car as I need the headlamps and the emissions checking too.

Can anyone give any info?

Thanks,
Shaun

jollygreengiant - 21/12/14 at 07:50 AM

MOT test standard IS different from the VOSA IVA/SVA standard. For IVA the brakes are tested against the vehicle weight so that they must reach certain capacity against the test weight of the vehicle (hence the vehicle weight on the application form and they weigh the vehicle at the test station too).
ONCE you have an MOT test done against your vehicle (on Chassis number OR Reg number, real world or practice, ie data loaded onto the MOT test computer) it WILL for ever more show up as needing an annual test.

ALL you need the tester to do is run the vehicle through the brake tester, this always used to be possible with out doing a full test (unless of course the brake testing roller set up is THAT new that it's tied to MOT test computer. IF that is the case I would try and find a local garage with an Old School brake tester, but that would mean that you would need to trailer the car there as you would not be able to legally drive yet. But then you would have to do that at your work place too.

HTH


JGG


Edit bit. An MOT tester worth his salt would be able to look at the figures gained on the test machine and know IF they were in the right ball park area. ie, were the fronts pulling approx 2 - 3 times what the rears were, did the brakes pull up evenly side to side, did the hand brake pull up evenly and did all brakes release evenly.

[Edited on 21/12/14 by jollygreengiant]

rusty nuts - 21/12/14 at 08:49 AM

One thing that JGG didn't mention is the fact that for SVA and very probably IVA the brake efficiency must be at least 60% rather than the 50% required for an MOT also the brake bias is measured by using a brake pedal pressure gauge with the car on the rollers and noting the pressure that each wheel locks up on if indeed they lock in which case the maximum reading is taken for each wheel . Tell your tester to take more notice on his next refresher course, testing on chassis numbers is covered as are Q plate emissions .

Ugg10 - 21/12/14 at 09:31 AM

Don't you have one of the brake test pendulum/ball bearing things that you put in the wheel well to measure brake via inertia. The last mot I had on my fury was done like this as it was too low for the rollers.

rusty nuts - 21/12/14 at 09:41 AM

If the vehicle weight is not known it is acceptable to use a Tapley meter AKA a decelarometer to test the brake performance, it is also used to test permanent 4wd vehicles. Even if the owner knows the actual weight if it it not on the data base the tester can still use tha Tapley meter test

Ugg10 - 21/12/14 at 09:57 AM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
If the vehicle weight is not known it is acceptable to use a Tapley meter AKA a decelarometer to test the brake performance, it is also used to test permanent 4wd vehicles. Even if the owner knows the actual weight if it it not on the data base the tester can still use tha Tapley meter test


So that's what they are called - cheers.

[Edited on 21/12/14 by Ugg10]

rick1962uk - 21/12/14 at 10:16 AM

im a motorcycle mot tester and thats to put a point on it B@@@@@s he has got one of those moods on you can use the brake rollers at any time i try customers brakes out all the time for them and the headlight tester hence the constant supply of doughnuts is there only 1 tester if not try another one

also any one with or with out a licence can use the testing equipment thats how we learn how to use them so ask your boss to put it on the rollers your self

jollygreengiant - 21/12/14 at 10:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
One thing that JGG didn't mention is the fact that for SVA and very probably IVA the brake efficiency must be at least 60% rather than the 50% required for an MOT also the brake bias is measured by using a brake pedal pressure gauge with the car on the rollers and noting the pressure that each wheel locks up on if indeed they lock in which case the maximum reading is taken for each wheel . Tell your tester to take more notice on his next refresher course, testing on chassis numbers is covered as are Q plate emissions .


Yes sorry Rusty its been about 11 years since I last MOT tested, so not quite up to date and its been 5 - 6 years since I had my car SVA'd. But still not bad from memory (better attempt than the colleague at work tho'. )

Marcus - 21/12/14 at 12:11 PM

By the way, you can legally drive your car to an MOT testing station even if its not registered. If it's pre booked for something which is MOT / IVA testable (like brakes etc) and it's insured on the chassis number then you're legal.

NigeEss - 21/12/14 at 12:33 PM

A vehicle can be MOT'd by chassis number alone.
I took an ex-MOD Land Rover for a test and the chap had no problem with it. I can ask him tomorrow how he did it.