2012 MOT
Author
Discussion

Blueeleven

Original Poster:

28,935 posts

212 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
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Hi anyone know much about the new MOT??

http://www.driving.org/news/2011/12/09/new-mot-tes...

"An insecure battery will be a reason for failure as will a battery that is leaking electrolyte"

My battery is "loose" inside a steel box with a lockable lid behind the drivers seat. Will this count as insecure? I thought an insecure battery would have been a fail anyway?


MJK 24

5,676 posts

265 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
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Can you put a strap over it to secure further?

My MOT man is sympathetic to older cars and also, if you're coming in the same car for year after year after year, he'll know it's a decent sort and cut you some slack if you have a minor issue.

Blueeleven

Original Poster:

28,935 posts

212 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
I will have a word with the MOT guy before I take it in. I may strap it anyway just for peace of mind.

jagracer

8,248 posts

265 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
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Lock the lid so MOT man can't see it, you may want to wedge the battery so it doesn't move if he wiggles the leads.
BTW the link you provided isn't entirely correct and is quite misleading as far as HID lamps go although this shouldn't affect classic car owners.

Edited by jagracer on Tuesday 27th December 18:30

Major Fallout

5,278 posts

260 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
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A loose battery is not really what you want anyway. Rattling and banging away gives it a chance to split.

Blueeleven

Original Poster:

28,935 posts

212 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
Major Fallout said:
A loose battery is not really what you want anyway. Rattling and banging away gives it a chance to split.
I wouldn't describe it as rattling and banging exactly!!

Major Fallout

5,278 posts

260 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
quotequote all
Blueeleven said:
Major Fallout said:
A loose battery is not really what you want anyway. Rattling and banging away gives it a chance to split.
I wouldn't describe it as rattling and banging exactly!!
Then its not loose.

Yertis

19,707 posts

295 months

Tuesday 27th December 2011
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That bit about the missing catalytic converters might bugger up a few people who've taken them out, on newer classics.

aw51 121565

4,773 posts

262 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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The link in the first post is a bit long on hysteria and a bit short on facts frown - an example is if HID headlights are fitted then the benefit of the doubt must be given if the tester can't tell if the "levelling system" is working.

It's all been covered elsewhere on this site (do a search smile ), but was well worth bringing to our attention anyway smile - I know I only read certain subfora on here (like most of us wink ), and if I'd not read the General Gassing (I think!) subforum I would have been none the wiser about the changes!

4rephill

5,165 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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jagracer said:
BTW the link you provided isn't entirely correct and is quite misleading as far as HID lamps go although this shouldn't affect classic car owners.
Why should this not affect classic car owners?

One of the regular complaints about classic cars is their poor headlight performance and I suspect there are a quite a few classics that are owned by people who are not so concerned about having 100% originality at all times, that have had HID kits fitted to improve matters.

The term "classic car" covers a wide range of vehicles from many different era's (despite the opinions of the classic car snobs who look down on the owners of standard production cars from the 70's and 80's, declaring them to be merely "old cars" rather than classics), so it is far too simplistic to say that the legislation for HID's will not affect classic car owners.

(And before the old: "What is a classic?" argument starts, according to the Oxford English dictionary: "Traditionally, classic means either ‘outstanding’, as in a classic novel, or ‘very typical and representative of its kind’, as in a classic little black dress, a classic example". So the first part covers all those with their expensive Ferrari's; their Jaguars; their MG TC's etc., etc., and the second part covers all those with their Mark one Golf's; their Capri's; their 70's & 80's BMW 3 series etc., etc.)


aw51 121565 said:
The link in the first post is a bit long on hysteria and a bit short on facts frown - an example is if HID headlights are fitted then the benefit of the doubt must be given if the tester can't tell if the "levelling system" is working.
I'd suspect that if someone has fitted HID's to a mark one Capri; an MGB; a FIAT X1/9 or a series one Golf GTI etc., etc., then the tester is very unlikely to give any benefit of the doubt as to whether the self leveling system is working because he should have a pretty good idea that these cars never had a self leveling system fitted.



jagracer

8,248 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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4rephill said:
I'd suspect that if someone has fitted HID's to a mark one Capri; an MGB; a FIAT X1/9 or a series one Golf GTI etc., etc., then the tester is very unlikely to give any benefit of the doubt as to whether the self leveling system is working because he should have a pretty good idea that these cars never had a self leveling system fitted.
The there wont be a problem.

lowdrag

13,181 posts

242 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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Look up the "Le Mans" headlights fitted to Jaguars and Healeys for racing. Couldn't theoretically pass an MOT in any country, but my man just chuckles.

jagracer

8,248 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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lowdrag said:
Look up the "Le Mans" headlights fitted to Jaguars and Healeys for racing. Couldn't theoretically pass an MOT in any country, but my man just chuckles.
Why won't they pass?

lowdrag

13,181 posts

242 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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Because as racing headlights, they dip straight ahead, not to the left ot right. Illegal in any country.

jagracer

8,248 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th December 2011
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Well unless they are 'E' beam headlamps, highly unlikely, they will be checked to a "Hot spot" not a kickup, this could be on either main or dipped beam dependant on type and as long as they hit the right spot on the beam tester they'll be fine. Legalities don't always correspond with the MOT test.