Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: TheBoy on 09 November 2010, 18:00:13
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:o
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=607675&postcount=1
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Chipped as well is a failure :'(
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I wonder how many people out there have chipped their cars, especially the guys with TD's? This could upset a lot of people :o
Darn: Too slow, as usual ;D
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crikey ,there are a lot of chipped diesels of all makes on the road,its a big business :-X
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not to mention all the road legal competition vehicles, whether for circuit or rally.....
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ECU chipped, unfortunately they have found a way of telling through the OBD port (diagnostic plug) on how to tell if the engine is chipped and if chipped you guess it its an MOT failure.
All I can say on that is .. ;D
Group buy on carb's anyone? ;D
[edit] Oh - it's worth reading the rest of that thread, btw, rather than just the headline post ;)
As for mods - well, if we fall into line with Europe, anything not TÜV approved will be illegal and, thus, an MOT fail, I suppose..
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surely there's a way to make the chips legal, as for the lights to me halogens are only blin´ding me from behind anyway
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How could they justify MOT failure purely because an engine has been chipped. If it passes emissions, where,s the problem ? :-/
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Mine's chipped & they can get dekcuf >:( >:(
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ECU chipped, unfortunately they have found a way of telling through the OBD port (diagnostic plug) on how to tell if the engine is chipped and if chipped you guess it its an MOT failure.
All I can say on that is .. ;D
Group buy on carb's anyone? ;D
[edit] Oh - it's worth reading the rest of that thread, btw, rather than just the headline post ;)
As for mods - well, if we fall into line with Europe, anything not TÜV approved will be illegal and, thus, an MOT fail, I suppose..
Please dont get me started, I,m just about to have dinner. I will have terrible indigestion tonight. ::) ;)
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Gord help me, if they discover I've got a rubber crankshaft :o
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:o
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=607675&postcount=1
The man to ask is 2woody, & he's always said that HID's aren't ilegal with or without washers or level system :-/
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Mine's chipped & they can get dekcuf >:( >:(
They hold all the keys.
In reality, I would expect only the likes of EDC15 cars can be checked, can't see how they could check a DDE2.0 or 2.1. Not sure about the older Motronics either :-/
Either way, I have my original chip if necessary, even if its only in for 3hrs a year ::)
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I`ve noticed a significant increase in the amount of severe dazzle from oncoming vehicles on unlit rural roads; the light more-often than not has the tell tale hue of HID......I have no doubt that properly aligned OEM HID`s or standard wattage OEM headlights are not to blame, as they seem to be easy to spot and are in an decreasing minority hereabouts.
Selfishly fitting aftermarket HID (w/o self levelling) or increased output and/or non 'E' conforming beam pattern lamps, can have severe consequences for other motorists on narrow/twisty/wet and unlit roads.
I`ve nearly been in a ditch on several occasions having been totally blinded by such lights (just as badly as if they`d been left on high beam). :'(
It isn`t a 'them and us' MOT/VOSA issue.....there`s REAL danger to lives. :o
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Mine's chipped & they can get dekcuf >:( >:(
They hold all the keys.
In reality, I would expect only the likes of EDC15 cars can be checked, can't see how they could check a DDE2.0 or 2.1. Not sure about the older Motronics either :-/
Either way, I have my original chip if necessary, even if its only in for 3hrs a year ::)
When i say chipped i mean re-mapped so i guess i'm stuffed.
Mine thinks it's a Vectra ;D
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How could they justify MOT failure purely because an engine has been chipped. If it passes emissions, where,s the problem ? :-/
It could quite easily have changed the CO2 emissions, which is the basis of road tax, so affects tax revenue.
Having said that, I can't for one moment imagine that the chip tuners won't find a way around it. Can't be that hard to make the ECU look the same from the OBDII port, yet have totally different maps inside. It will stuff a lot of people who have had cars chipped, though, especially if they have flash based ECUs and no way to get back to a standard tune. ;D
Kit cars are the way forward. :y
Kevin
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Kit cars are the way forward. :y
Until they find a way to remove the SVA test ..
Hm. Best build one sooner rather than later ;D
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luckily for me i have 2 ecu,s!! one chipped one not and it takes moments to swap them!!! :y
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I think the banning of aftermarket hid kits would be excellent.
Factory fit Xenon headlights are excellent...I woud never have a car withough xenon's. I have seen far too many hid kits fitted which are very poor indeed. I will refuse to take any vehicle with an aftermarket hid kit fitted in p/x.
A few police forces do run chipped vehicles, but only a very small minority...I wonder if they'll fail then?
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I`ve noticed a significant increase in the amount of severe dazzle from oncoming vehicles on unlit rural roads; the light more-often than not has the tell tale hue of HID......I have no doubt that properly aligned OEM HID`s or standard wattage OEM headlights are not to blame, as they seem to be easy to spot and are in an decreasing minority hereabouts.
Selfishly fitting aftermarket HID (w/o self levelling) or increased output and/or non 'E' conforming beam pattern lamps, can have severe consequences for other motorists on narrow/twisty/wet and unlit roads.
I`ve nearly been in a ditch on several occasions having been totally blinded by such lights (just as badly as if they`d been left on high beam). :'(
It isn`t a 'them and us' MOT/VOSA issue.....there`s REAL danger to lives. :o
100% agreement with you there Debs .. :y :y :y :y :y :y
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Interesting read.
I agree that certain aftermarket light fitments could be dangerous.
Not sure about chips. The time a tester has to spend would increase if he had to find the right tester and plug it in and compare notes with standard. I suspect if a car looked standard then he wouldn't bother. If you think of all the souped up, chavved up or just plain modigfied cars in the Uk then quite rightly a mechanism should exist to weed out the dangerous ones.
I have mentioned before on here about the Spanish system using only state run modern facilities with no axe to grind. I like them. They even check the towbar and reject home made or none type approved jobs for example let alone none standard wheels and tyres (see my other post) . It is a bit farcical though as folk with non type approved towbars have been seen removing them in the waiting area and then refitting after the test! Howver if you are stopped towing with a trailer using a none type approved towbar then you are in BIG trouble.
Maybe the golden age of free for all car mods has been and gone. Now we are all drones.............. ;D ;D ;D
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will not make a jot of difference.
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and theres me just about to fit my hids tomorrow :(
its ok though just remove them for mot time put them back in after job done :y
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my point exactly. :y
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Luckily I have a decent MOT tester who will let certain things go - but is strict otherwise - known him 15 years.
As to HIDs, mine are fine - stiffish suspension and are not high, yes I have had a look.
The problems are actually factory fit HIDs on eg Range Rovers - they are too high to start with
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The problems are actually factory fit HIDs on eg Range Rovers - they are too high to start with
Even worse when you're driving something low to the ground (MR2, MX5, Caterfield etc) - everything is higher than you and everything dazzles you.. can't see where I'm going half the time at night, I'm just driving into an oncoming blinding light.
Like a near death experience..
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The problems are actually factory fit HIDs on eg Range Rovers - they are too high to start with
Even worse when you're driving something low to the ground (MR2, MX5, Caterfield etc) - everything is higher than you and everything dazzles you.. can't see where I'm going half the time at night, I'm just driving into an oncoming blinding light.
Like a near death experience..
I notice this along the lanes, new off roaders are the worst
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Anyone got a spare unchipped ECU for Tractor??? My old chip was butchered by the "expert" who did mine...
Don't know how they will police it though...
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I`ve noticed a significant increase in the amount of severe dazzle from oncoming vehicles on unlit rural roads; the light more-often than not has the tell tale hue of HID......I have no doubt that properly aligned OEM HID`s or standard wattage OEM headlights are not to blame, as they seem to be easy to spot and are in an decreasing minority hereabouts.
Selfishly fitting aftermarket HID (w/o self levelling) or increased output and/or non 'E' conforming beam pattern lamps, can have severe consequences for other motorists on narrow/twisty/wet and unlit roads.
I`ve nearly been in a ditch on several occasions having been totally blinded by such lights (just as badly as if they`d been left on high beam). :'(
It isn`t a 'them and us' MOT/VOSA issue.....there`s REAL danger to lives. :o
I'm totally with you on this Debs they are dangerous especially (i can imagine!) to older folks who's eyes can't adjust as fast as they used to i know you can lump me into that category also what really pickles my pepper is idiots that drive with fog lights on on wet roads when theres not a whisp of fog in sight is this the truck look or something >:(
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I hate fog lights - most common in town so they can look kewl in their shit boxes
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are you referring to "tw£t lights"
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I hate fog lights - most common in town so they can look kewl in their shit boxes
Guilty as charged :)
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Sounds like they are trying to pass on enforcement activities to MOT testers. Why? Because we pay for MOT tests and the authorities pay for Police. As said, the determined idiot will remove all the chavtastic "upgrades" from his Saxo before the test and carry on blinding people the day after.
It will probably end up like the new number plate regulations (requirement for BSAU and postcode). At the time I asked my MOT tester if he was seriously going to fail my car for not having these, despite having perfectly legal font and spacing, when he warned me about the new rules coming in. He just smiled. Sure enough, the rules got watered down.
What we desperately need, of course, is for all the cars with misspaced number plates, aftermarket HIDs that dazzle, lights that show blue light, excessively noisy exhausts, etc. hassled constantly by the Police. They'd soon stop bothering.
You only have to look at what happens in the US to realise what can be added to tests on vehicles supporting OBDII and later protocols. 5 gas emissions tests, checking for fault codes, checking that the vehicle has had time for all internal monitoring cycles to complete (so no clearing the codes straight before the test), checking of the Calibration Version Number to ensure the vehicle has the map it left the factory with. All possible with OBDII and later diag interfaces, and because these are standardised across the industry they just need to plug in and the the check is made.
No 3.2 would get through such an MOT.
Kevin
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Sounds like they are trying to pass on enforcement activities to MOT testers. Why? Because we pay for MOT tests and the authorities pay for Police. As said, the determined idiot will remove all the chavtastic "upgrades" from his Saxo before the test and carry on blinding people the day after.
It will probably end up like the new number plate regulations (requirement for BSAU and postcode). At the time I asked my MOT tester if he was seriously going to fail my car for not having these, despite having perfectly legal font and spacing, when he warned me about the new rules coming in. He just smiled. Sure enough, the rules got watered down.
What we desperately need, of course, is for all the cars with misspaced number plates, aftermarket HIDs that dazzle, lights that show blue light, excessively noisy exhausts, etc. hassled constantly by the Police. They'd soon stop bothering.
You only have to look at what happens in the US to realise what can be added to tests on vehicles supporting OBDII and later protocols. 5 gas emissions tests, checking for fault codes, checking that the vehicle has had time for all internal monitoring cycles to complete (so no clearing the codes straight before the test), checking of the Calibration Version Number to ensure the vehicle has the map it left the factory with. All possible with OBDII and later diag interfaces, and because these are standardised across the industry they just need to plug in and the the check is made.
No 3.2 would get through such an MOT.
Kevin
Why do you say that Kevin ??? If the car is un-modified (cat wise) and the MIL/Emissions lights are out and have been for 6 months ... why would it fail ??
Serious Q BTW .. not picking an argument .. I lack your in depth knowledge in a great number of areas !!!
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Why do you say that Kevin ??? If the car is un-modified (cat wise) and the MIL/Emissions lights are out and have been for 6 months ... why would it fail ??
Serious Q BTW .. not picking an argument .. I lack your in depth knowledge in a great number of areas !!!
Ok.. The few that can keep an EML off for 6 months would be fine. The point being that if you reset the light, it takes a few driving cycles for the ECU to do its' internal monitoring (after which the light normally comes back on!). If the car is tested before enough driving has been done to complete the monitoring this is picked up via OBDII and it fails.
Kevin
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
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Why do you say that Kevin ??? If the car is un-modified (cat wise) and the MIL/Emissions lights are out and have been for 6 months ... why would it fail ??
Serious Q BTW .. not picking an argument .. I lack your in depth knowledge in a great number of areas !!!
Ok.. The few that can keep an EML off for 6 months would be fine. The point being that if you reset the light, it takes a few driving cycles for the ECU to do its' internal monitoring (after which the light normally comes back on!). If the car is tested before enough driving has been done to complete the monitoring this is picked up via OBDII and it fails.
Kevin
OK .. thanks for that .. :)
Last time mine was reset was return from France in Sep 2009. The "expected" 0420/0430 from France this year just never happened. Perhaps long term running on LPG makes a difference ??
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
which is a very limited number of cars with a V6 fitted.
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
which is a very limited number of cars with a V6 fitted.
Still, my original point remains, another victory for the 'inferior' 4 pot! :P
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
Had mine for over 2 years and no EML light??? :-/ ::)
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Plus, no guddling with the exhaust system to move lambda's or anything similar.
Its the same as it left the factory..... ;)
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has the bulb blown? :P
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has the bulb blown? :P
Are you a natural comedian? If so, please consider a change of career......
No, its not blown.
I really get the hump when you generalise everything into one pile without thought that sometimes, just sometimes, some things might actually work as the makers intended and not just be another part of your generic assumption that anything not endorsed by you is crap.... ::)
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
If you bothered to READ the thread rather than make assumptions ... you would see I've not had an EML light for 15 months ... so here is a 3.2 V6 without a problem ... and H21 another ....
"every" is a very big word when missused :)
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Had mine for over 2 years and no EML light??? :-/ ::)
I'd really like to know what's different about the 3.2s that exhibit this problem against those that don't. :-/
Kevin
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Had mine for over 2 years and no EML light??? :-/ ::)
I'd really like to know what's different about the 3.2s that exhibit this problem against those that don't. :-/
Kevin
As a minimum, I use branded fuels but generally, V-power from Shell.. Its the closest garage to my home and at worst, V-power is a placebo effect that keeps the EML out..... ;) ;D
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So, air bag ecu change or take out the bulb.... ::) ::) ::)
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Had mine for over 2 years and no EML light??? :-/ ::)
I'd really like to know what's different about the 3.2s that exhibit this problem against those that don't. :-/
Kevin
As a minimum, I use branded fuels but generally, V-power from Shell.. Its the closest garage to my home and at worst, V-power is a placebo effect that keeps the EML out..... ;) ;D
Still no eml here.... ;)
Asda unleaded or autogas, makes no odds to mine...although lpg set to 1.0 bar did bring the lite on, but 1.0 bar was too low as suspected, reset to 1.1 and the light went off again. Not seen it since... 8-)
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But aaaaanyway, where has this info come from re mot changes btw? looks like a one off post on a forum from what the link shows me, maybe its not displaying correctly on my shite Nokia? but i am sure if we looked hard enough on the web we could find “evidence” to support any theory imagineable..... .......or have i missed something? :-/ :-?
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If you view the full thread (rather than the single post linked to) there are links to various bits of information from VOSA.
Basically it's all down to the stuff that was in the news recently about bringing the UK into line with the EU and their bi-annual MOT checks rather than our annual ones.
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For better or worse, I already go through the 6 monthly ritual with both mine, as council insist on bi-annual inspections for all the taxi and private hire vehicles that they license. :-/
Before anyone pipes up about a mechanical inspection for the council not being a 'real Mot', I can only have the car inspected at a DoT testing station. The car is checked to MoT standards, and is pass/fail with no advisories allowed :-/
After this ordeal, the car is then visually inspected by the licensing officer. If he is having a bad day, and the car isn't quite spotless, then he can refuse to license it until it has been cleaned, meaning a new appointment in 3 weeks, time not working etc, etc.
Realistically, these new regulations probably won't apply to our beloved/cursed (delete as applicable ;)) migs due to their age, in the same way that emission requirements are different for older vehicles. We can but hope...
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If you view the full thread (rather than the single post linked to) there are links to various bits of information from VOSA.
Basically it's all down to the stuff that was in the news recently about bringing the UK into line with the EU and their bi-annual MOT checks rather than our annual ones.
ah, so yes, i have missed something....and the news as well :(
i'm all for it....i think? from what i see on my commute the current system is inadequate. Wonky head lights, bulbs failed, balled tyres.
Reps need realing in, newer cars with no tyre tread abound.
Not sure on the chipping issue, esp diesels....
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.. except what's being proposed is biennial. An MOT every 2 years, and first MOT when a car is 4 years old. :o
I think it's a terrible idea. IMHO the public aside from enthusiasts have no common sense when it comes to motoring any more and rely on an annual MOT to tell them when to change tyres, brakes, etc. 2 years is too long for a car to run without any attention and we have little enforcement from traffic police any more so the MOT is the only mechanism preventing cars from becoming seriously dangerous.
Adding complexity to the MOT will make it more expensive and a pain in the @rse but won't stop those determined to make illegal mods, as said. Keep the MOT a basic test of a car's roadworthiness and keep it annual, IMHO. Let the Police round up all the chavs.
Why do we need to be "in line" with Europe anyway? :-/ We have a system that works. Europe can go forth and...
Kevin
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Europe can go forth and...
::) Prosper!.......(seemingly) :'(
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Europe can go forth and...
::) Prosper!.......(seemingly) :'(
Shouldn't that be "Live long and prosper?" ;)
Kevin
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.. except what's being proposed is biennial. An MOT every 2 years, and first MOT when a car is 4 years old. :o
I think it's a terrible idea. IMHO the public aside from enthusiasts have no common sense when it comes to motoring any more and rely on an annual MOT to tell them when to change tyres, brakes, etc. 2 years is too long for a car to run without any attention and we have little enforcement from traffic police any more so the MOT is the only mechanism preventing cars from becoming seriously dangerous.
Adding complexity to the MOT will make it more expensive and a pain in the @rse but won't stop those determined to make illegal mods, as said. Keep the MOT a basic test of a car's roadworthiness and keep it annual, IMHO. Let the Police round up all the chavs.
Why do we need to be "in line" with Europe anyway? :-/ We have a system that works. Europe can go forth and...
Kevin
I agree with you to a point but as someone who lives in Europe rather than a crowded little island sort of in Europe, I have to say that it is high time that the best practice from all countries in the EU was applied across the EU. I am fed up of the difficulties ordinary folk face with mororing in different countries.
If you go on the coastal Motorway out of Malaga any weekend in the summer every other vehicle is foreign and hopefully road legal but you never know. Why is the German tyre tread limit so much more rigourous than elsewhere? Are there roads more dangerous for low treaded tyres? What happens when you go to Germany with a car that has tyres Ok in another country? Barmy.
The problem with blanket EU requirements like No test required till X years old, then Biannual till ten years old and from then on annual is that it takes no account of driving habits. Your average Spaniard I suspect does about 4 or 5 thousand miles a year at a leisurely pace. Compare that with your average Brit who commutes a long way to work each day and clocks up say12k a year of hard cut and thrust driving on roads soaked with salt to rot the cars soul.
Vans here in Spain have to be tested every six months! Presumably taxis are the same.
I do agree with you about the public having no common sense. No one knows anything anymore, you only have to look at Sat Nav users. ;D ;D
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I agree with you to a point but as someone who lives in Europe rather than a crowded little island sort of in Europe, I have to say that it is high time that the best practice from all countries in the EU was applied across the EU. I am fed up of the difficulties ordinary folk face with mororing in different countries.
Exactly. Best practice is currently our MOT system IMHO. Yet are Europe interested in adopting it?
If you go on the coastal Motorway out of Malaga any weekend in the summer every other vehicle is foreign and hopefully road legal but you never know...
Likewise our roads are full of Polish, Czech & Latvian HGVs.
I know someone who came here from Portugal for a few years. I advised him that he ought to have an MOT on his car, even if just to cover himself. No MOT station in the UK would touch it because their system barfed as soon as a Portuguese registration number was entered.
The authorities in Portugal told him he doesn't need (and can't have) their equivalent test done as he's not driving the car in Portugal any more. ::)
Why is the German tyre tread limit so much more rigourous than elsewhere?
The way Germans drive the car needs to be tip top. :o I wonder if they bother checking handbrakes in a German test, because in 20+ years of travelling there regularly I have not once seen a German driver use the handbrake.
No test required till X years old, then Biannual till ten years old and from then on annual is that it takes no account of driving habits.
Nor maintenance habits and enforcement habits. I have seen roadblocks where the Police just stop the traffic and check every car in mainland Europe so maybe more defective cars get picked up that way. Like that's going to happen on the M25. ;D The fact is, we rely very heavily on MOT testing to keep unsafe cars off the road, and the failure rate is 30-40% with an annual test. :o
Kevin
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Whoops, sorry.. biannual, biennial .. my bad :-[
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
If you bothered to READ the thread rather than make assumptions ... you would see I've not had an EML light for 15 months ... so here is a 3.2 V6 without a problem ... and H21 another ....
"every" is a very big word when missused :)
Wait.....is Tunnie winding people up rather than the other way around? ::) ::) ;D ;D
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
If you bothered to READ the thread rather than make assumptions ... you would see I've not had an EML light for 15 months ... so here is a 3.2 V6 without a problem ... and H21 another ....
"every" is a very big word when missused :)
Wait.....is Tunnie winding people up rather than the other way around? ::) ::) ;D ;D
What i find interesting, is i've endured countless digs/jives/general slagging off of the 2.2 (2/3rds engine/missing two cylinders, throttle as volume control and general slagging off)
But look what happens when I have a little pop at the 3.2's!
Double standards I feel here!
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on the subject of HiD's....
it's currently legal to retro-fit, provided you do it safely, and the onus is on the driver to make sure that's the case at all times.
there's nothing stopping the Government making it simply illegal through legislation. It might be un-supportable by the EU, but there would be some sort of fight on I guess.
regarding the chipping. Well, according to the EU, it's already illegal to sell the equipment for cars manufactured after a certain date, but the difficulty would be proving it.
The UK MOT establishment is simply not fitted out for a Directibve-level check as they do in Germany, for instance. This would mean the difference between MOT stations investing £30,000 in test kit and £3,000,000 in test kit.
I've done more emissions tests for manufacturers than anyone I know, the kit is very complicated and expensive - you need a rolling-road emissions tester with NoX capability, at least £2.5 million quid at current prices.
they'll probably....
require MOT testers to ensure that the vehicle hasn't got HiDunless levelling and washing present.
and simply make it illegal to change the map, but not police it any further - they simply can't
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Luckily on my last MOT emmisions test, it was done on LPG. I wonder if they class that as ECU chipping?
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I agree with you to a point but as someone who lives in Europe rather than a crowded little island sort of in Europe, I have to say that it is high time that the best practice from all countries in the EU was applied across the EU. I am fed up of the difficulties ordinary folk face with mororing in different countries.
Exactly. Best practice is currently our MOT system IMHO. Yet are Europe interested in adopting it?
If you go on the coastal Motorway out of Malaga any weekend in the summer every other vehicle is foreign and hopefully road legal but you never know...
Likewise our roads are full of Polish, Czech & Latvian HGVs.
I know someone who came here from Portugal for a few years. I advised him that he ought to have an MOT on his car, even if just to cover himself. No MOT station in the UK would touch it because their system barfed as soon as a Portuguese registration number was entered.
The authorities in Portugal told him he doesn't need (and can't have) their equivalent test done as he's not driving the car in Portugal any more. ::)
Why is the German tyre tread limit so much more rigourous than elsewhere?
The way Germans drive the car needs to be tip top. :o I wonder if they bother checking handbrakes in a German test, because in 20+ years of travelling there regularly I have not once seen a German driver use the handbrake.
No test required till X years old, then Biannual till ten years old and from then on annual is that it takes no account of driving habits.
Nor maintenance habits and enforcement habits. I have seen roadblocks where the Police just stop the traffic and check every car in mainland Europe so maybe more defective cars get picked up that way. Like that's going to happen on the M25. ;D The fact is, we rely very heavily on MOT testing to keep unsafe cars off the road, and the failure rate is 30-40% with an annual test. :o
Kevin
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Don't know how to answer points like you have done - very clever stuff so here goes my style.
1. MOT testing. I think the British system is rubbish. Loads of small independent garages in cramped conditions with an axe to grind? I like the Spanish system. Clean, modern government run places, plenty of parking. Nice waiting rooms, efficient. You can book online( and choose your time slot and day) or over the phone. They only have a few per county but still plenty to choose from.
2. The law is very clear on legality of cars in other countries. The car must be legal in the country it is registered in. e.g. a Brit car in Spain must be taxed, MOT'd in Britain and insured. If you have it here for more than six months you need to convert it to a Spanish plated car. I presume the same rules apply in Britain to a Portugeuse car. However no one really knows or cares. One of my pet hates as it all potentially hinders labour movement arounbd the EU.
They do those road stops here in Spain. I have seen two. The concept is simple. They set up a heavily manned Roadblock(including a guy armed with a stinger itching to use it) on the motorway and stop every vehicle and look at documents (which here you must carry - should be the same in other countries too including GB). Then they close the roadblock when there is about TWO hours tailback and let everyone go with fines as appropriate or impounding for dangerous vehicles, drunks..
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One of my pet hates as it all potentially hinders labour movement arounbd the EU.
That's OK, I get the impression that a large part of the UK population would rather there was no labour movement anywhere - certainly not into the UK ..
I get the same vibe from a fair few members of this forum, too, sadly :(
Aaaanyway I digress and I'm risking turning this into a flame war, again :-X Zip it, Aaron.
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1. MOT testing. I think the British system is rubbish. Loads of small independent garages in cramped conditions with an axe to grind? I like the Spanish system. Clean, modern government run places, plenty of parking. Nice waiting rooms, efficient. You can book online (and choose your time slot and day) or over the phone. They only have a few per county but still plenty to choose from.
I agree that a conflict of interest could occur with garages doing MOTs. I have no experience of any other system although I have friends in Northern Ireland who curse the system there, which is along the lines of government-run test centres as you describe.
I suspect to implement such a system across the UK the cost of a test would spiral out of control.
Garages take on work to cover most of their overheads so the cost of doing MOTs is the (not inconsiderable cost of) space plus the equipment required plus one or more testers, VOSA fees, etc. Resources which also bring in business when they are testing, and can carry out repairs and servicing when not. They can be seen as a sales / marketing overhead so the true cost is probably not passed on to the customer.
I suspect government run centres would have to be heavily subsidised (motorists subsidised? - not going to happen) or charge a lot more than the current (not desperately cheap) £50 odd a go.
Personally, I have found a small, local independent garage who are honest and reasonable yet thorough, don't discount the standard test fee but then don't find faults simply to bring in work, so the current system works fine for me.
2. The law is very clear on legality of cars in other countries. The car must be legal in the country it is registered in. e.g. a Brit car in Spain must be taxed, MOT'd in Britain and insured. If you have it here for more than six months you need to convert it to a Spanish plated car. I presume the same rules apply in Britain to a Portugeuse car. However no one really knows or cares. One of my pet hates as it all potentially hinders labour movement arounbd the EU.
The problem being the authorities in the UK have no idea what standard a Spanish car should be maintained to and vice versa....
They do those road stops here in Spain. I have seen two. The concept is simple. They set up a heavily manned Roadblock(including a guy armed with a stinger itching to use it) on the motorway and stop every vehicle and look at documents (which here you must carry - should be the same in other countries too including GB). Then they close the roadblock when there is about TWO hours tailback and let everyone go with fines as appropriate or impounding for dangerous vehicles, drunks..
As I said, it would cause uproar in the UK, hence we rely more on regular testing.
I don't see the point in carrying documents in the UK. I can be required to show them at a Police station if necessary. Why should I carry them? I'd rather they were safely "filed" at home. (Anyone who's seen my "filing system" please stop chuckling!)
Besides, Police will believe the PNC and/or a phone call to your insurer over and above any documents you carry which might relate to a cancelled insurance policy, or be forged, etc. We have moved on from paper documents being any use, IMHO.
Kevin
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
Thats a negative here. Not even a stored code :-X
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
Thats a negative here. Not even a stored code :-X
Same with the Black one 8-) :y
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Another victory for the 4 pots :P ;D
because a limited number of V6s shows an EML every now & then? ............. :-? :-? :-? :-/
Limited meaning every 3.2 :D
Thats a negative here. Not even a stored code :-X
Same with the Black one 8-) :y
I want to be one of the cool kids with no codes :'( ;D
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All ths talk about 3.2 EML's is making me VERY nervous as mine is on and it's going for an MOT tomorrow.Local stealers said that their Tech2 diagnostic was "inconclusive" so it looks like it's down to the MOT tester to have the final say! So watch this space.
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I haven't heard of one fail an MOT emissions check yet.
The issue is emissions monitoring during warmup before the main cat is hot enough to be working. MOT testing is done once the engine and cat are fully warmed up. You'll be fine. :y
Kevin
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I wonder how many people out there have chipped their cars, especially the guys with TD's? This could upset a lot of people :o
Darn: Too slow, as usual ;D
Yes me! This may force me to change cars, I guess I'll have to look at a petrol version. BooHoo :'( :'( :'(
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Yes me! This may force me to change cars, I guess I'll have to look at a petrol version. BooHoo :'( :'( :'(
I wouldn't worry too much just yet! I'd be VERY surprised if they applied anything retrospectively, if at all.
Kevin
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All ths talk about 3.2 EML's is making me VERY nervous as mine is on and it's going for an MOT tomorrow.Local stealers said that their Tech2 diagnostic was "inconclusive" so it looks like it's down to the MOT tester to have the final say! So watch this space.
What code do you have via pedal trick? 0420 0430 will not fail an mot on their own, don't worry.
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All ths talk about 3.2 EML's is making me VERY nervous as mine is on and it's going for an MOT tomorrow.Local stealers said that their Tech2 diagnostic was "inconclusive" so it looks like it's down to the MOT tester to have the final say! So watch this space.
What code do you have via pedal trick? 0420 0430 will not fail an mot on their own, don't worry.
...and a very usual hopeless answer from the dealer btw.