MoT test lighting requirements

MoT test lighting requirements

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Friday 1st December 2006
quotequote all
Following on from the C5 Rear Fog Lamps thread here's a summary of the requirements for rear lights at MoT. Note rear fogs and red reflectors not to be "obscured".
Full MoT guide at www.welcomecar.co.uk/web/cars/mot.html

# STOP LIGHTS, INDICATORS & HAZARD LIGHTS
- Are of the correct type.
- Do not interact with each other's operation.
- Indicator tell tale or audible warning works.
# REAR FOG LIGHTS
- Must be fitted to the centre or offside of the vehicle.
- Tell tale must work.
- Must not interact with other lights.
- Must not be obscured.
- Must be red.
# NUMBER PLATE LIGHTS
- All original lights must be present and working.
# REAR REFLECTORS
- Two reflectors must be fitted fairly symmetrically
- be secure and not obscured.

franv8

2,212 posts

244 months

Saturday 2nd December 2006
quotequote all
Easy fix to this,

Fit reflectors and rear fogs of a bolt on fashion for the test...

From the original post, it was about the ugliness of the stock Euro items. You can replace these with a single fog if you want, perhaps mounted under the bumper.

On my C4 I've got a small square fog under the bumper in a central location. The orignal red brake/tail light lenses have reflectors around their outlines as standard.

You can, in some circumstances, use the central brake light as a fog (although I suspect if looking right through the regs, it probalby should be type-approved as a fog...) - my import MX5 has this, and on one test before I had the car, the tester queried it, based on its location. Check with the MOT book and a measuring tape later, it was in an allowable position,

vaughan watkins

512 posts

217 months

Saturday 2nd December 2006
quotequote all
I have a 75 vette and have never had rear fog or reverse lights(converted into indicators), and has always passed the MOT? is it the fact that your vehicles are newer that they require them? just curious thats all thanks.

Edited by vaughan watkins on Saturday 2nd December 21:56

franv8

2,212 posts

244 months

Saturday 2nd December 2006
quotequote all
Don't know the exact dates or differing requirements, but there are so many areas of the MOT that are dependant on the year of manufacture, e.g. emissions. Fortunately having a pre-1992 car cats are only an option on an '86!

There is also an element of leniancy (or sometimes the opposite...) shown by MOT testers, particularly when faced with an interesting car, some American imports get away with all red rear lights and no amber indicators for example. (Not me - have the compliant amber lenses on two of the four rear lights!)

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

60 months

Sunday 3rd December 2006
quotequote all
vaughan watkins said:
I have a 75 vette and have never had rear fog or reverse lights

You're in the clear because as per the link I posted above rear fogs are only needed on cars built after 1980.

Reversing lights are nothing to do with MoT at all.

Center brake light conversion to fog may satisfy some MoT testers. However, the rear fog must not "interact" with brake lights.

franv8

2,212 posts

244 months

Monday 4th December 2006
quotequote all
Good point, mine is hard wired (although a boot mounted connector can put it back to brake light duties if so required), so the centre brake light only comes on with the fog switch.