MOT Question

[normspanners]

There is a saying "when you are in a hole stop digging"

When I take vehicles for the MOT I always help with switching the lights etc and any thing else the tester asks for. When the tester is checking the vehicle I am stood close enough to see what he is doing and he always points out anything he sees that might need attention whether or not it's MOT related. I have a good relationship with the guy and have been using him for the best part of 30 years. Equally if he fails whatever I've taken for test I don't argue, I take it away and fix it.

That is correct and in my view the correct way.
To me if the person is A/ capable B/ interested C/ Paying the bill----------- they have a right/need to know any faults that are evident I will very often point things out/ show items to people sometimes easier quicker than trying to explain.
Coz the ministry list of advises can be very vague they they call stuff names that nobody else in the real world calls them, in life normally or in the trade, and their definitions is sometimes even as an NT, hard to decipher
Some people are not interested in the slightest (usually the type that wear/worried about nailvarnish etc or getting dirty hands ) and I am not being sexist, it is just a task for them to be there in the first place and NO amount of explaining is going to make it sink in .

 

[normspanners]

or another person qualified as a mechanic from another garage submitting a vehicle for test as the only way they could be sure they were competent is if he knew them to be qualified.

Why would they need to be qualified ?? they are there to operate switches turn a steering wheel, press pedals, pull levers, and complete various suspension movements/checks for the NT to view and assess play. As only the NT is qualified to make a decision on that particular car, No one else not even another MOT tester can. The assistant or another tester can make a comment but cant make a decision.

 

[daleyd]

Our local MOT guy has a recently started apprentice assisting with his checks, good guy but absolutely unqualified. Does this make him not suitable to assist, as he's "not qualified"?

 

[normspanners]

Our local MOT guy has a recently started apprentice assisting with his checks, good guy but absolutely unqualified. Does this make him not suitable to assist, as he's "not qualified"?

No his is perfectly fine to test with him as an assistant I have a keen young lad that sometimes helps and I am very happy to let him, as it is educating him and nowadays it is hard to find lads that are in the slightest interested.
The big problem is you are, as a NT------- damned if you do AND damned if you dont------I for instance feel I do a fair test, but have been dismayed this week to have had 3 brake pipes fail on the brake roller testss on two separate cars !! after visually checking them------ the pipes looked perfect but failed in the mounting clips The one mondeo was repaired and checked intimately, but failed again coz they have a longitudinally split anti chaffing rubber up in the rear subframe that holds salt, and the pipe burst in that, I have only had a couple burst in all the years of testing and had three this week !! SO now am VERY wary re pipes especially on cars that have stood for any period. worst thing with pipes is the plastic coating the pipe looks fine for 99.9 % of its length but rusts in very specific areas. the one pipe on the mondeo the first to burst I had the bad section in my hands 200mm away from my eyes and had to really search to find the leak !!! what chance have you when on the car??

 

[daleyd]

I know mate, I was agreeing with you - I was just pointing out that there must be hundreds of "unqualified" people assisting all over the country.

Having read the document I can't actually find any reference to qualifications anywhere, only exactly what you posted originally.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I often help when my MOTs are done, as outlined above [passed yesterday, clean bill of health with no advisories].

Irrespective of helping, I'm always under there when the car's up on the ramp to have a look for myself.

 

[normspanners]

I will show this again as an example of daily problems as a tester this guy was annoyed that I failed these tyre because he had 'checked' all of them before the car came for test and the driver guy that brought it was doing a very high speed on his way to me, he was shocked and frightened by it and wouldnt drive it anyway,but I had already stated IMO the car should not move a wheel and I would not even do a brake test on it.

 

[rtbcomp]

...it says competence is another qualified mechanic who the tester knows to be competent, ...

I consider myself competent to operate the controls because I'm familiar with the car (owned it for 7 years) and I passed a driving test.

 

[normspanners]

That's what they told my mate when he clarified it with them it and he has been an MOT tester for nearly 40 years.

Not be-littleing anybody here BUT he shouldnt need to clarify it because this is how it was- is - and always been and how they instruct you in the first place.

 

[bricol]

Try taking a Caterham for a test . . . the average steel toe booted mechanic tends to operate most of the pedals all at once ;-)

 

[brightspark]

Try taking a Caterham for a test . . . the average steel toe booted mechanic tends to operate most of the pedals all at once ;-)

I had a go in a 9 11 porche and the pedals were close together even with trainers on . was a bit frightening breaking and hitting accelerator

 

[doubleboost]

I test a lot of shall we say exotic cars Morgans Caterams and the likes
I prefer the owner to assist with the test
All they need to do is operate the controls
Any pry bar work I get one of the lads to do
Anything for a easy life

 

[normspanners]

I had a go in a 9 11 porche and the pedals were close together even with trainers on . was a bit frightening breaking and hitting accelerator

Yes I have to take my boots off with some cars coz, size 14 steelies take a bit of squeezing to get into some, I work on several lotus elans etc and it is more like putting them on, like a pair of overalls, rather than getting in.
I used to work on Gwyndaf Evans evo rally car and could not actually get in the nearside drivers door, I could not even get one leg in through the roll cage !! to bleed brakes had to clamber across the navigators side.

 

[GW8IZR]

I always help with the test, it makes the testers life easier 'cos he isn't wasting his time looking for controls etc. Its all about cooperation and respect. At the end of the day, he knows I'm not trying to bodge anything.

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

....this guy was annoyed that I failed these tyre because he had 'checked' all of them before the car came for test.... View attachment 95304

Apologies for going off the main topic, but how might the INNER edge of a tyre suffer that sort of damage? If it had been the outer edge, I would have said running along a kerb, but I am puzzled by that picture.

 

[doubleboost]

Tracking towing out a long way

 

[GW8IZR]

Apologies for going off the main topic, but how might the INNER edge of a tyre suffer that sort of damage? If it had been the outer edge, I would have said running along a kerb, but I am puzzled by that picture.

I've seen that amount of damage myself on the rear wheels of a leased 320 touring - driver didn't particularly load heavily it and whilst driven hard not excessively. The wheel arches and mudflaps meant the driver never spotted it. I always have a good crawl round them before I drive them.

 

[normspanners]

They where off the Rear of a Honda estate car, to be honest they didnt feel scrubbed or the tread wasnt 'wedged' or 'shark toothed' the usuall signs of tracking at all, the rear bushes where fine as it was not our customer, iwas not sure of what was done apart from the retest, but a lot of fully independent rear ends do suffer a little from wedging but not to this degree what makes me laugh is the ministry say a tyre is not likely to wear in that fashion !!! I seem to see it every day ---------stupidly lowered golfs at the front for instance, can wear the side wall more than the tread !! will post some pictures later

 

[GW8IZR]

In the case of the BMW it had very low profile run flats and I wondered if there wasnt enough movement in the whole setup, so even moderately loaded it seemed to be sat on the inside 2 inches of tyre, this was main dealer maintained (although lease companies dont spend much money) so I dont know.

It made me take extra notice at the last auction as I had one of those on my list of 'maybe' and all seemed to be wearing a bit on the edges.

Merc did a car, a 220 I think, which the front tyres are almost on the sidewall at full lock so you often see them with the original duff tyres on the back and new fronts worn the same way, which can make what looks like a cheap car expensive.

 

[reb78]

They where off the Rear of a Honda estate car, to be honest they didnt feel scrubbed or the tread wasnt 'wedged' or 'shark toothed' the usuall signs of tracking at all, the rear bushes where fine as it was not our customer, iwas not sure of what was done apart from the retest, but a lot of fully independent rear ends do suffer a little from wedging but not to this degree what makes me laugh is the ministry say a tyre is not likely to wear in that fashion !!! I seem to see it every day ---------stupidly lowered golfs at the front for instance, can wear the side wall more than the tread !! will post some pictures later

They weren't run flats that had been run at too low a pressure were they? Ive seen that wedge on one side of the tyre before as a result of this. Always suprised it didnt affect both edges of the same tyre.