Booking Northern Ireland MOT advice thread

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Just learnt this morning that if my car fails its MOT (even just for a light alignment or something small) I can't continue driving it even if there is still a full 4 weeks left before its dew date. The failure automatically scrubs off any remaining time you have so you are meant to put the car in the garage until the retest. Looks like I've broken the law on 2 occasions in that case! Is this common knowledge??

Your car is unroadworthy, it failed MOT, the chance of Mr Policeman knowing that would be slim, so you still have MOT, can still tax the car ect, but I tell people, once the faults are fixed, the car is safe to drive. Same situ as being stopped by enforcement. But at the same time, I wish a had £1 for every time I see a new ball joint fitted and its still loose in the hub, because the hub is worn.

 

[neil-c]

Cheers for the replies, I didnt bother doing a thread search before I posted and then realised after pablo posted that there is a 3 or 4 page thread on this in Jan.

 

[Darren91]

Is it acceptable to send the car through on winter tyres? They're all the same make/type and have legal tread.

Would save me the hassle of putting the summer wheels back on and finding 4 new tyres for Tuesday.

 

[stevieturbo]

Is it acceptable to send the car through on winter tyres? They're all the same make/type and have legal tread.

Would save me the hassle of putting the summer wheels back on and finding 4 new tyres for Tuesday.

As long as they have legal tread, load, etc etc etc then no reason to fail them.

 

[Darren91]

As long as they have legal tread, load, etc etc etc then no reason to fail them.

Cheers!

 

[pablo]

of course - its fine. I MOTed the golf with 2 winters on front, 2 regulars on rear.

 

[Darren91]

of course - its fine. I MOTed the golf with 2 winters on front, 2 regulars on rear.

Superb, I'd usually have them off by now but my summer tyres wore quicker than I'd hoped and wouldn't pass this year.

 

[eamon343]

@JCLC Is it true mot testers are told not to jack up beetles and 2cvs by the sills?

And is there any differences between a modern mot and one on a 74 car? Ive heard they dont check headlight alignment etc... but ive read through all the regulations online and its hard to make sense of it all.

@DMC 4087

 

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

@eamon343, if there's suitable chassis members to lift them on the sills we will, if you ask the examiner he will usually use the pit jack, think we need to on a Beetle anyway. We have respect for cars, especially classic cars. Headlights will be tested but they are usually a sealed beam on the Beetle and should pass no problems. As far as the test goes, its the same, more allowance on emissions just.

 

[soupyrachel]

I've removed my rear seats from the mini. Seats belts are still in place and I've a flat board across the back now. Is this okay to go through mot or do I need to put my seats back in again?

 

[pablo]

I think you need to either refit the seats or remove the belts from memory.

 

[stevieturbo]

No seat, no belt needed or part of the test even belt is fitted.

Point 8

http://www.dvlni.gov.uk/Freedom of Information/Light Vehicle Inspection Manual/Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems _SRS_.pdf

 

[Mark_C]

Would a sizeable hole cut in to the boot from the engine compartment on the Mr2 be ok? I used to have a massive hole cut in the boot floor that passed five years in a row so thinking it should? It's to allow my long runner manifold to fit in the car. No structural parts were cut out.

 

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

As long as its 30cm from a structal area or suitably reinforced

 

[S2K-Aaron]

What's the story if you can't find your V5? Can the County Hall issue you a Letter or something in the mean time? The car is up for MOT on Sat! It's the Missus car...

 

[stevieturbo]

It's only the very odd occasion they ask for it, and never been an issue if you dont.

 

[soupyrachel]

How will this fair at an mot?

 

[stevieturbo]

How will this fair at an mot?

Cant imagine that going down to well at all, but as always tester discretion/interpretation

Page 5

http://www.dvlni.gov.uk/Freedom of ...and Supplementary Restraint Systems _SRS_.pdf

 

[soupyrachel]

My car is not going to do well at this rate

 

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Nothing wrong with that seatbelt

 

[soupyrachel]

Nothing wrong with that seatbelt

It's bit worn at the edge

 

[mayweather]

JCLC, I've noticed a very slight tear in a brake line, it isn't enough for it to weep.

Fail or advisory?

 

[Mark King]

JCLC, I've noticed a very slight tear in a brake line, it isn't enough for it to weep.

Fail or advisory?

Fail!! it's brakes,you don't **** about with brakes lol

 

[stevieturbo]

Nothing wrong with that seatbelt

Frayed with strands coming off is deemed ok ?

I can agree it will still handle quite a load, but would be hard to say it is in good order. It's a bit like some corroded brake pipes....they'd still be fine for a few years. But you still wouldnt let them go.

 

[Storm]

@JCLC My MOT is due on the 1st of June, could I MOT it say, this week so I could sell it with a full years test on it? Also, what if the car failed on the early test, would I lose my remaining 2 months? lol