The 'E' Type Forum

For those of us with cars that are likely to be MOT'd under the new rules, regardless of the exemption afforded by the age of our cars, two new tests will apply, and the test will categorise defects differently.

The new test has four categories of defect.
DANGER. These are the defects that are so serious the car cannot be driven on the road.
MAJOR. These are the defects that must be fixed before the MOT certificate can be awarded.
MINOR. There are the defects that must be fixed, but the car can be awarded a pass.
ADVISORY. These, as before are notes of potential future defects.

One I've already memntioned in another thread, is that brake fluid now becomes testable. The test is visual, and the top of the reservoir is not removed. If the reservoir is not transparent, there is no test. If the fluid is anythng other than clean, clear and pale in colour, the tester may want to fail on that point. The failure is a major item, meaning the MOT pass certificate will not be awarded.

The other new item is fluid leak. This does not cover washer or radiator fluid, but those fluids that are likely to be considered environmentally harmful or a driving hazard. In other words - oil. The test is simple. The engine is left running at tickover for five minutes. If after that time drops of any fluid are found to have formed that are greater in total than a 3inch diameter pool, it is a Major failure, or if the fluid is continually leaking, a Dangerous failure.

On the basis that my bag of nails leaks copious amounts of oil from both ends of the engine, and the gearbox and the diff, I may have to do something. First thing will be to (a) clean the engine and gearbox and diff unit thoroughly, and (b) perform a mock-MOT test to see how close to the failure criteria my car is. Only then will I either panic or breath a sigh of relief.

Caveat. As with all things where people are invovled in a process, the interpretation of these new rules will be down to the individual tester on the day. Likewise, this is my interpretation of the new MOT testers manual. Others may read it differently.

But is your car not exempt from the MOT test now?

Ikebaddog wrote: ↑

Thu May 10, 2018 8:10 am

But is your car not exempt from the MOT test now?

Yes it is, but here's the rub. If you get stopped by Plod, and your self certified car is leaking oil such that it would fail this new test, you can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

So that exactly the same as the day after you passed the mot and then get a leak....Steve

Chris

If you have that much oil coming out I would be more worried if it had enough oil to get it to the test station

John

For me, it’s a none issue.

Mine will go for a full MOT annually and I will fix anything that caused a failure.

So just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, you do realise that if you get a fail through not road worthy you shouldnt be driving the car home or to another garage to get it fixed.....even if your old certificate has not yet run out and you go for an mot early if it fails its immediately registered as a failure..... Steve

Fill up with this stuff when you present for MOT:

https://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/prod ... g-oil.html

Environmental concerns about dropping oil taken care of (smells lovely too)!

And hope there's no fumes coming into the car or it'll be a genuine go-faster product

Geoff

I’ve never had plod check a Car for an oil Leak???
How long will he wait? 5 minutes, a week???

mgcjag wrote: ↑

Thu May 10, 2018 9:05 am

So just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, you do realise that if you get a fail through not road worthy you shouldnt be driving the car home or to another garage to get it fixed.

Not any more.

The two categories of failure, Dangerous and Major are differentiated thus. Dangerous means do not drive anywhere. Major means go away and get it fixed within 7 days for a free re-test.

And in reply to another question, if the car springs an oil leak driving out of the test centre, Yes it is unroadworthy, and if the leak is profuse, dangerous and the car should be trailered to a repair shop. The MOT is a test of compliance at an instance, not a guarantee that the car will remain compliant for a whole year.

The new rules state that a dangerous or a major are both failures ....Major means get it fixed but its still recorded as a failure..this means you are not supposed to drive the vehicle on the road.....or am i missing something..can you point me to where it says if you fail on a Major you can still legaly drive the car home to get it fixed...Steve

Believe me, to have a leak that extends to a diameter of 3 inches within 5 minutes you need a very major leak indeed . My S2 leaks from the rear of the engine quite noticeably but the most I have ever seen is a drop of perhaps 1 cm in size every few minutes . But in any event, one of the reasons why old vehicles are now exempted from the test is that it is unrealistic for them to be judged by the standards of modern vehicles. This is made clear if you consult the vehicle tester's manual where , particularly for very old vehicles with eg single rear lights, or rear only brakes, such standards are expressly excluded

I definately will get mine done every year just as an independant check. The guy who tested mine last month loves old cars and builds hot rods. He said that if you have a major accident then it is good if you can show the a piece of paper that says it was tested and complied with the rules at that point. If you don't have this then the insurance company might ask for proof that you have maintained the car.

John