MOT Nightmare

[weety]

My brother just tried to MOT his peugeot 306 low pressure diesel turbo estate. He had one of the new style computerised MOT tests and his car failed on ABS.

Now his problem is that the ABS warning light hasnt come on at any point........ it was the MOT centres interrogation of the cars ECU that generated the failure. the garage have no idea why it has failed and have contacted Peugeot (still awaiting the reply).

now is this scary or what, i have a sudden desire to go back to driving base spec cars again (and fortunately my Xantia does not have ABS anyway) but what else does the MOT computer interrogate your car ECU's about............

[Kowalski]

I suppose that it is sensible for the MOT computer to talk to the cars ECU so that it could report any anti-pollution faults that the car may have BUT its the emissions test that matters. There is an ABS warning light too, how come that light didn't come on if there was a fault?

It's possible that an MOT could find 'old' fault codes for faults that have been fixed, or perhaps for intermittent faults but if the tester can't guarantee a fault is intermittent as opposed to being fixed they surely can't fail the car.

[BrianM]

In Ireland for our NCT a car will fail if the ABS light does not come on for the self check sequence.

Brian

97 Xantia TD
93 Xantia TD (RIP)

[bxbodger]

Under the old style manual test it wasn't the ABS function that was tested- it was the light bulb sequence..........as long as the warning light followed the correct sequence it was quite possible to pass the MOT with a non-functioning ABS system- even with bits of it missing!!!

The new system must have been designed to address this anomaly!!

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_340.htm

[JohnT]

Perhaps the ABS bulb has been removed, I have seen this before and air bag lights by naughty traders.

[jeremy]

The car's computer is NOt interrogated for the MOT - have a look at the link - as is mentioned above its just a basic function test - Ignition on - light on then off as it performs its self test.

As all car manufacturers take pride in making their systems different I can't see a 'one size fits all' software package being available for years. The EEC has introduced some measure of standardisation (one of the few useful things it has done) but as you would expect its seems a bit half hearted and late.

[citronut]

jeremy is quite right
apart from the emmisions test there is not other computer atached to your car through out the MOT test,and that just reads oil temp,engine revs and whats comming out of the tail pipe,the other computer involved is for filling out the apropriate piles of trees and sending the info through ciber space to the ministrys valve powerd computer
regards malcolm

[np]

Did`nt have anything connected to mine the other week when i had my MOT.Other than taking 10 mins to enter the details in the computer in the office,it was the same as all previous tests.My centre exhaust had even split around the join to the backbox,but as there was no noise,the tester put a bit of paste around it & all was fine.Although that was at the local Council test station where i`ve been going for the last 13 yrs,with the same 2 testers.

[andmcit]

It's wrong to say nothing else apart from the emissions is wired into the computer...

My Xm V6 24v came foul of the rolling road with a lazy nearside front brake calliper to draw off the pads. The regular MOT guy of many years was confident of issuing a pass certificate KNOWING that I'd get the car sorted asap and that the official retest fee of another 35quid was hash as well as being a total waste of his time...

'THE' computer however had other ideas having seen the rolling road roller inputs and overuled his pass input into the terminal...

Bloody computers...

Andrew

[wheeler]

'THE' computer however had other ideas having seen the rolling road roller inputs and overuled his pass input into the terminal...

Bloody computers...

Andrew

I think someone is taking the P*** ,'THE' computer is not in any way connected to the brake tester,as said before all test results are manually input by the tester & 'THE' computer is not connected to the car at any point.

[citronut]

It's wrong to say nothing else apart from the emissions is wired into the computer...

My Xm V6 24v came foul of the rolling road with a lazy nearside front brake calliper to draw off the pads. The regular MOT guy of many years was confident of issuing a pass certificate KNOWING that I'd get the car sorted asap and that the official retest fee of another 35quid was hash as well as being a total waste of his time...

'THE' computer however had other ideas having seen the rolling road roller inputs and overuled his pass input into the terminal...

Bloody computers...

Andrew

the MOT station i use the rolling road is not conected to the ministrys computer,the tester just types in the r/r results then the computer calculates the end result
regards malcolm

[AndersDK]

Some of our MOT stations I believe have automated inputs from rolling roads to the station computer. It's indeed very simple to hook up with standard PC's.
If the brakes fail the certificate will state a fail on the brakes - no matter the tester input.

I would'nt btw like the idea of passing a car if I know something was wrong with the brakes. I'd rather repair the brakes or find another bargain with good brakes (and some new niggles). After all it's not that expensive to find another daily runner with a fresh MOT.

[andmcit]

Some of our MOT stations I believe have automated inputs from rolling roads to the station computer. It's indeed very simple to hook up with standard PC's.
If the brakes fail the certificate will state a fail on the brakes - no matter the tester input.

I would'nt btw like the idea of passing a car if I know something was wrong with the brakes. I'd rather repair the brakes or find another bargain with good brakes (and some new niggles). After all it's not that expensive to find another daily runner with a fresh MOT.

DON'T GET ME WRONG - I'M NOT IN THE HABIT OF DRIVING DODGY CARS!!

Especially a v6 24v Xm with 200bhp on tap - you kind of need bloody good brakes...

The point is, I sometimes take up to a dozen cars a year for an MOT here [NO - I'm not a dealer!] and HE KNOWS that when I present for testing IT WILL BE 100% so I'll not waste his and my time [and my money!!] with retesting.

When I have to restest he usually sees the car the NEXT DAY sorted and he KNOWS I'm a Citroen nutter devoted to the cause!!

With this new regime of testing a pass wasn't available because the rolling road readings WERE INPUT [he showed me!!]. He DIDN'T want to sit around for 28minutes doing nothing in the allocated computerised time for the retest

They're only allowed a fixed number of tests per day in exact-to-the-minute time slots - if you're late by a few minutes the test is voided in that timetable!! He HATES this as the backlog of appointments stretches out longer and longer...

I actually took the car back with a sorted calliper the following morning AND was 'relieved' of another 35quid for two mintes service

Andrew

[PowerLee]

My brother just tried to MOT his peugeot 306 low pressure diesel turbo estate. He had one of the new style computerised MOT tests and his car failed on ABS.

Now his problem is that the ABS warning light hasnt come on at any point........ it was the MOT centres interrogation of the cars ECU that generated the failure. the garage have no idea why it has failed and have contacted Peugeot (still awaiting the reply).

The ABS light on the 306 should come on for 3 seconds when the ignition is switched on but engine not started & then it should go off & stay off untill the ignition is switched on again next time.

If the car has ABS fitted & the yellow check light on the dash doesn't follow the correct sequence or the bulb is blow / removed then its an MOT FAIL!

Check the fuses & if they are ok then try changing the ABS warning bulb in the dash & see what happens with the ABS check light sequence.

[Gregg1100]

Hello All,
This new mot business is another lash up. Just another way to get older cars off the road. The clowns that thought it up, haven`t even got the contact point on broadband, it`s on dial up , for pete`s sake.. NO SOFTWARE can EVER take the place of an experienced MOT tester.
I can see more than a few more cars being used without MOT, then ultimately no tax. If all vehicles were off the road, and we had to use giraffes to get about on, they would want to measure the average height of neck. Sorry. Neck too short/long----get a new one
Greg