MOT Failed At one Centre for Excessive tint, then same day for retest at another Centre Pass is granted

[Nickyyy]

Why do you need front tints anyway? Is so that you can have a w**k while driving?

don’t need tints to do that

 

[Coog]

Front of mine has been tinted and has passed OK for years

 

[rupertfinch]

Yeah, but what you have to do during the brake test eh?

 

[Eddies]

@Swiggy I spoke with traffic branch very recently and they passed comment on that if a dealership regardless of what one, supply's a car with tints it can fall back to them as it's unfit etc. He mentioned having to stop in with prentice about the amount of cars they had been selling with tints, long story short told to stop it.

 

[Swiggy]

don’t need tints to do that

Were on the car when i bought it, plus it makes her look little better

But obviously not worth the hassle

@Swiggy I spoke with traffic branch very recently and they passed comment on that if a dealership regardless of what one, supply's a car with tints it can fall back to them as it's unfit etc. He mentioned having to stop in with prentice about the amount of cars they had been selling with tints, long story short told to stop it.

Hmm.. well that's on them i guess, but i;m guna remove them now and save myself the hassle

 

[Coog]

Yeah, but what you have to do during the brake test eh?

Unspeakable acts.

 

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Hmm.. well that's on them i guess, but i;m guna remove them now and save myself the hassle

Is that because Mr Policeman told you too

 

[VEN©M]

i got semi-bored/confused. So there is a film fitted to the windows from new as standard by BMW? is that normal on BMWs?

 

[Chris666]

Assumed factory tinting was in the glass rather than films?

 

[hannakournikova]

Nothing said about your number plates?
Thoughts @Boabybooster ?

 

[stevieturbo]

i got semi-bored/confused. So there is a film fitted to the windows from new as standard by BMW? is that normal on BMWs?

I can't imagine BMW being so cheap as to be churning out cars with a tint film fitted like that

 

[Swiggy]

Is that because Mr Policeman told you too

No Mr Police Man has ever stopped me since owning the car from April 2019
MOT was a hassle so i guess they will just have to be removed for next one to save the hassle
No these were the plates on the car for MOT, suppose these are suspect too...

 

[stevieturbo]

Yes, those plates are not legal.

 

[RevT]

Yes, those plates are not legal.

..but they will pass MOT.

 

[eamon343]

Yes, those plates are not legal.

And the colours on the grill should not be legal either

 

[Apis]

No Mr Police Man has ever stopped me since owning the car from April 2019
MOT was a hassle so i guess they will just have to be removed for next one to save the hassle
No these were the plates on the car for MOT, suppose these are suspect too...

Yeah they are suspect.
Ten minutes would change them, which is probably faster than writing another letter.

 

[Chris tii]

It’s passed, why the complaint?
I’m guessing this was probably the first complaint they’ve ever had about a car that actually passed.

 

[Boksic]

Hi All,

Looking some advice, I had an MOT there on the 9th of this month in my local town
MOT was failed for this specific reason - Ma - Side window: light transmission excessively reduced; Nearside front; offside front - 25%

I was offered the oppurtunity to take the tints off at the intial test but refused, hence notice of refusal was given.
Test was at 8.45am that morning


So as i knew the car had passed on its 1st MOT in 2018 (As confirmed with dealership that these tints were present when they got the car)

So i decided to then book a Re-Test at another Centre 25 miles from me for 1.40pm, and the Retest was only Tints, They Passed the Car

I made no changes what so ever, bar give the glass a clean (again).

So being angered i wrote a complaint to see what the fudge was going on

The reply is received today was the following -

Your email, dated the 09/01/2020, regarding you vehicle test conducted in Omagh centre refers. Your email has been passed to me for investigation and response. In line with our complaints procedure this is being treated as a Stage 1 response.

The amount of tint on the windscreen and windows to the offside and nearside of the driver are a testable item, and form part of the annual inspection. Windscreens and other windows wholly or partially on either side of the driver’s seat, fitted to motor vehicles first used on or after 1st April 1995 require light transmission of 75% for a windscreen, and 70% for all other windows. Manufacturer’s tints to the windscreen and windows to either of the driver’s seat are not tinted by applying a film, the tint is manufactured into the glass.
Our experience shows that a factory tint will measure 71/72% light transmission. If a tint film is fitted over a factory tint our experience is the light transmission drops to 20-30%. All vehicle examiners are fully qualified mechanics prior to taking up post as vehicle examiners and undergo accredited intensive training immediately on recruitment to ensure they are competent in conducting all aspects of a vehicle test including assessment and measurement of light transmission. The examiner who tested your vehicle has stated that it was obvious the windows were excessively tinted, and gave you the opportunity to remove the film.
When you refused he obtained the light meter from the Centre Manager, and recorded a reading of 25%, which is a reason for refusal of a test certificate. I have spoken to the member of staff concerned and they wish to apologise if they offended you in any way. This was not their intention.

On speaking with the examiner in Cookstown centre he states the vehicle was presented without additional tints and when measured with the light meter, measured 68%. A tolerance of 5% is allowed during testing so a pass certificate was issued. The examiner in Cookstown also said the presenter claimed to have had the windows “buffed” so they would pass the inspection.

On the initial test the examiner exercised common sense and customer care by giving the opportunity to remove the tints so he could issue a pass certificate. When you refused this offer his only option was to refuse a certificate. Both tests were carried out as per procedures. On both tests the evidence shows the correct outcome was reached

The last part makes no sense, the guy doing the first test only got the light meter after i disagreed with him, then they are trying to make out from after 9am that morning until 1.40pm i managed to get 'Other' Tints applied to pass the MOT at the Centre.

Its interesting that they state that windows are only letting 68% of light through, so 2% off but there is a 5% Tolerance which makes the car, However where did they pull the -25% out of at the initial test...

Also the manager who i had words with was a total prat was looking me to bring the car down on Monday to look at it again which i think is totally out of order

Reason i didn't was simply because, if they read it again, they could turn round and say the same thing and cause another handling

So wondering if anyone has any advice on the above, thought it would also helpful to share incase anyone else is in scenario

Cheers in Advance

Am I right here..

So the guy in Omagh failed you because the tints on your car are a fail.

Then you book a retest in Cookstown because you know they're not as strict on them and it'll probably pass..

The guy in Cookstown is that ****ed off arguing with the local population over tints, that he let yours slide to avoid the hassle and to give you a bit of a by ball..

You complained via email (which has to be followed up) and the guy in Cookstown had to cover his own ass by saying they weren't tinted when you came back in.

Now everyone that's around Cookstown fails on tints because that tester got a ballsing, just because you weren't happy with paying a retest fee instead of peeling off a tint (which you should do) and potentially paying more £ to replace it?

They'll be talking about you for a while!

Also, didn't you know the age old trick of driving in with the windows down and hoping the tester doesn't care enough to put them up?

 

[Coog]

I had reinforced the Jimny steering arms and panhard rods by welding angle iron to them. Passed MOT like this for years and then one year the examiner pulled me aside and told me that welding to steering arms was a fail and that they'd all need changed. Not sure if it was a new thing or not. Anyway instead of spending a fortune on new arms I took it to another centre a few days later after doing nothing and it passes (and did so for a couple more years afterwards).

It is what it is. Sometimes they pick up on things and sometimes they don't. No sense getting a man into trouble for missing something or interpreting something differently than another.

In my experience they don't really appear to relish failing anyone either and always give benefit of doubt.

 

[Turks]

I had reinforced the Jimny steering arms and panhard rods by welding angle iron to them. Passed MOT like this for years and then one year the examiner pulled me aside and told me that welding to steering arms was a fail and that they'd all need changed. Not sure if it was a new thing or not. Anyway instead of spending a fortune on new arms I took it to another centre a few days later after doing nothing and it passes (and did so for a couple more years afterwards).

It is what it is. Sometimes they pick up on things and sometimes they don't. No sense getting a man into trouble for missing something or interpreting something differently than another.

In my experience they don't really appear to relish failing anyone either and always give benefit of doubt.

I hope you reported the boy that passed you a couple of days later. He deserves to be reported for passing you. Lol

 

[stevieturbo]

..but they will pass MOT.

No. They may pass an MOT.

I had reinforced the Jimny steering arms and panhard rods by welding angle iron to them. Passed MOT like this for years and then one year the examiner pulled me aside and told me that welding to steering arms was a fail and that they'd all need changed. Not sure if it was a new thing or not. Anyway instead of spending a fortune on new arms I took it to another centre a few days later after doing nothing and it passes (and did so for a couple more years afterwards).

It is what it is. Sometimes they pick up on things and sometimes they don't. No sense getting a man into trouble for missing something or interpreting something differently than another.

In my experience they don't really appear to relish failing anyone either and always give benefit of doubt.

There is wording in the test about dodgy modifications like that.

 

[avo5021]

Any tint apart from factory on your front windows is illegal, simple

Complain enough and they might just fail you again

Nope,

Any tint that doesn’t allow 75% AVLT (Average light transmission) through the Windscreen or 70% AVLT through side windows forward of the B pillar is/are illegal.

You can add tint onto the factory glass providing it doesn’t fall into the figures above.

Factory fitted tinted glass is usually between 17-21% (or was when I worked on a Toyota Assembly line fitting glass) so it leaves you very little to play with.

Bm has the factory tint on the front at 25/26 % which is top end of the legal pass, front windscreen is 30% again both legal but any tint, traffic branch will do you for. As said 3 point and a fine and if below 25% they can impound the car.

penalties are variable dependent on the level of AVLT, the penalty can £30 no points, £60 + 3 points or Prosecution and immediate vehicle prohibition

 

[AlpineF30]

No Mr Police Man has ever stopped me since owning the car from April 2019
MOT was a hassle so i guess they will just have to be removed for next one to save the hassle
No these were the plates on the car for MOT, suppose these are suspect too...

Whoever drilled that number plate on might want to take another go at it

 

[Nicky Glanza]

Why do you need front tints anyway? Is so that you can have a w**k while driving?

ffs burt

Whoever drilled that number plate on might want to take another go at it

he should maybe complain to the place he bought glasses from