My local tester won’t believe that the seats locking under deceleration is OK.

I tried to explain, he took the car out for a test drive and he ended up agreeing that the seats locked. However, he didn’t feel the way they locked was worthy of an MOT pass so he failed it.

Incidentally, the car passed every other aspect of the MOT with flying colours. Anyone know an MOT centre in the Southampton area that has a clue about 3rd gens? The worst thing is that this garage had passed it before but with a different mechanic.

Has this issue popped up before? Are there are enough 3rd gens in this country that there is some official advice form the department of transport on the seats?

The MOT runs out in a few days, this is my only car, I need an MOT NOW!!!

Kinda frustrating to have a car in perfect working order that won’t pass the MOT at the whim of some guy who thinks he knows more about safety that GM’s seat designers.

PS: Can this issue be reported to whatever bureau or organization is in charge of the MOT standards so that some official advice exist so owners don’t have to go thru this again?

I am thinking this guy had it in his head he was going to fail me no matter what. Initially he thought the seats didn't work so he said it would fail. Then after I proved to him they locked he said he would think about it and test it again but still failed me writing down "Both fronts seats broken dow's. Seroone(?) in a upright position”... Can something like this be reported? I don't want to go thru the hassle of appealing with a VT17 form and waiting 5 working days. I just want my MOT now thru a different tester but I want it to go on record somewhere that they failed me over perfectly good working seats.

 

MOT stands for Ministry of Transport, though they are now calling themselves the Department of Transport. This is the place you want to be contacting, the address and complaints procedure should be on the reverse of your failure sheet. That's the first step.

Did you bring up the issue of it passing last year? That said, his argument would be that you could have replaced the seats with defective ones since then, so he's no good. With independent garages such as this, the most you can do is threaten to go to the DOT about the matter. If the garage has anything to hide, ie being too lenient/failing for no good reason, they will not want to risk the "mystery shopper" element, but they will probably not change your failure to a pass, mainly because you could be the mystery shopper.

If you're worried about your MOT expiring, take it to another place and explain the seat mechanism before the test begins, and don't mention you had a previous test (they love to find other faults because it shows they are more "thorough")....that will keep you legal.

As a side note, if another garage does find other faults, you could always show the first place the new failure sheet and tell them you'll be showing that to the DOT at the same time...

 

Good advice Si. I have learn't to find a special MOT garage and stick with it. Too many job-worths out there, and at £30 a time or so it soon adds up.

Have you got any specialist American specialists around you? If so use them. I always take my car to Robin's (Autopontiac) and have a service/checkover (after all want a professional opinion on your cars safety) then straight to a MOT. It's a PITA as he's in Twickenham and I'm in Rugby but at least I get my MOT sorted.

The other thing they tend to be funny about is the rear fog light thing, again reason for me to visit the experts.

Good luck cunawarit, let us know what happens.

 

Sorry to hear you're having this kinda trouble. I have this fun coming up this week too! yeah.....

Can we use this oppertunity to compile a list of what to mention to the tester before you commit to using them. Given that I don't have a specialist around here that I know of, and so far every single year since I first bought a car I've tried a different garage to try and find ONE that I can trust. When I do find a garage I can trust they will get the business of about 6+ cars!!! not all mine I hasten to add.

As for the list of what to mention :

1# Seatbelts : Don't lock when you yank on them, but only lock under de/acceleration.

2# Seats : only lock when de/accelerating.

3# Foglights : What is the real position on these?

Any others?

Si.

 

Well, it is all sorted now, took it to a garage recommended by Dolphin American Services is New Milton and it passed.

As far as rear fog-light goes, I have a modified rear cluster so it looks like a proper European fog light, the only thing someone could argue is a failure about it is that the switch is located in a palace where the switch-light is visible from the driver’s seat… But not exactly on plain sight.

I have realized the specialist thing by now. Sadly nowadays finding a garage that actually knows a thing or two about how cars work is difficult. I swear by Dolphin American Services in New Milton, they have always come to my rescue when several garages in Southampton has made a hash of it... It isn’t worth wasting my time looking for another garage anymore; I’d rather drive to New Milton because I know they are trustworthy.

 

Glad to hear you got it sorted! Shame New Milton is just a tad far to drive for an MOT from here......

Does this mean that if you can tell that your foglights are on while driving the car, its an MOT fail??? Wouldn't be surprised with the number of numpties that drive around with their fogs on and don't realise due to stupid vehicle design, as well as the ones that are just being stupid.

Si.

 

The other way around. There has to be a visible indicator (a light bulb) when the fog lights are turned on...

My switch and bulb are around where my right knee is, yes, I can see the bulb but I have to look at my knee... I don't think I have ever used the fog lights in the Camaro anyway.

PS: I am actually job hunting right now, and finding a good garage wherever I get to move does worry me

 

Hey, it can't be as bad as a dorf escort, where you have to take your hand of the wheel, and peer round the side of the wheel to see it.... On my iroc the switch/bulb is by my left knee and nicely hidden.... but the fogs look like they are original equipment both front and back, though I'm sure the rears can not be original?

Si.

 

cunawarit, I had this exact problem 3 years ago regarding the seats locking up. There is a regulation that allows for 3rdgens & the locking seats, I'm certain it comes under "if built to that spec at factory". I pulled the regulation out & took it to the test centre. They now know better when I turn up not to fail it on that.

What I did the first time I got pulled up for that was drilled a small hole in the bracket & put a nut & bolt through for MOT, then removed the nut & bolt after.

The other thing you can do in future is jack up the back end high enough to prove it to the tester, or as you know, park on a hill.

I hate MOT centres full stop. They are all daylight robbery, a licence to print money, & all have different standards. When was the last time we ever went to a MOT station & a car passed without all the hassle of "oh that's a fail, this ain't right."


By the way, it's all going to get even tougher in the future. The test stations are going to be getting linked up "live" to ministry of transport centres who will be able to tell what a tester is doing at any time, how long he is testing an item etc. Frightening stuff, but apparently coming in soon.

 

That's scary news.

Is this feasable though? How much will we end up paying as tax payers just so that the department of transport can spy on all MOT test stations 24/7?

 

Don'y you worry, I'm sure Gordon Brown & DOT have it all worked out how much more tax we'll be paying as well as the DVLA's proposed SORN yearly fee. Also known as the "poll tax on wheels". I'm sure the last Tory govt. tried this too only to make the 25 year free road tax concession. Which Gordon brown altered to Jan 1st 1973 as soon as he became Chancellor.

Check out the FBHVC's website for more info on SORN fees.

 

WHAT!?!?!?! I can't believe they want to charge people for the simple pleassure of owning a car and keeping it off the road!!!! Bloody hell!!!

 

For Fork's sake!! What is this stupid country coming to? Labour have to go. They have lied to everyone.

 

Advise your MOT tester to re read the regs, if the car is non uk spec, it simply has to pass according to the regs of the country it is marketed for, your seats are perfectly ok, and it is not up to his discression to fail them, doing so he is in breach of the MOT regulations, and by law must issue a pass if there was no other failure.

I advise you to contact Harry Tune of the AACI (www.aacint.com forum name prezaaci) as he would be able to write to the garage and advise them of thier error. Harry has a lot of weight in these issues, and should get you that pass.

 

dont panic too much guys, the sorn fee is proposed to be £4

its not the end of the world...yet.

 

for what its worth, this is a perfect excuse to find a set of seats from an Euro spec fourthgen, the seats on the EU spec cars lock in the same way as any other UK spec car..

as do the seatbelts, although they are a pain to fit..

 

They'll get back in. Too much scum in this country to vote them back in because they don't want their welfare and free housing benefits cut.

With regards to the SORN. The amount of £4 isn't the point, it's the sheer principal of the thing. I wouldn't pay it out of sheer spite. My car, kept on my land, my £4 stays in my pocket. The road tax is high enough as it is.

 

yeah the £4 is probably 10p to deal with your SORN car in their database, and £3.90 to administer the 10p fee.......

hmmm gotta phone adrian flux about my mods to me car tomorrow, then arrange an MOT with whoever around here is prepared to pass her......

Does anyone have a link/copy of what the MOT is suppose to be?? DOT say nufink useful. DVLA says less. argh.

Si. :lala:

 

Let us know how much the mods add to the insurance, that would be interesting to know.

 

will do! just got to persuade them to give me numbers for the mods before I ask them to double the value of the car!

I think its worth a tad more when the damn thing actually works!!!! As Alloy says theses days you have to have sunglasses on to stop your eyeballs popping out......

Si.

 

And then when they implement it, the fee will go up to £10, then 1£14.50 etc etc etc.

The clubs have to do something about this like they did back in the 90's.

 

Amen. I have no problem with car tax; I am paying to use my car on public roads... However, why should someone pay the government for the simple pleasure of owning a car? I simply don’t understand that. It doesn’t matter if it is £200 or 20p, I just can’t see why someone should be paying the government to keep a car off the road.

 

Couldn't agree more- cheeky barstewards. Be interesting when this is made public. Time we stood up against this repression

Shall I storm Parlament? (sp?) Do a burnout outside No.10?

I'm going to vote Monster Raving Looney party I think.

 

I have the pass already thru another garage... Anyway, I have writen to Harry Tune. Thanks

 

i believe we have found the regulation in question.



from the MOT website..

Original design characteristics and specialised modifications (eg to enable wheelchair access) are to be accepted.

the characteristic of locking only under decelleration falls under an 'original design characteristic' so must pass

 

Phil, are you able to give us a link to that web-site document?

 

here ya go...

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_620.htm

 

Thanks Phil!

Any one know the position on sidelights with our cars? I'm asking as the Firebirds running lights/side lights whatever you want to call them are amber - they are the same unit as the front indicators.

How are those with birds getting round things? Friendly MOT man?

 

No problem with sidelights up here. Best take your car to a garage where you get on well with the MOT tester.

 

WooHoo!!! My iroc made it cleanly through its MOT.

I fitted a more standard number plate to make sure they didn't fail it on that, and I suspect it should have failed on the lack of foglight warning light, but other than that it was a nice clean pass. They didn't seem that bothered about the seatbelts/seats. The place was the new farmer autocare bunch at Blackhall, in Edinburgh.

Just curious as to what sort of emmisions levels you guys are getting. I got 1.46% CO, and 390ppm HC. Is this about normal for one of these beasts?

Si. :lala:

 

odly enough number plates are only checked for security on the MOT, they cannot be failed for incorrect spacing or font. (or size for that matter)

with regards to the emissions, mine regesters....

0.00% Co (allowed 3.5%)

32ppm H/C (allowed 1200)


Car is stock as a rock with the exception of an edlebrock open element air filter, and a flowmaster back box.

it still has all smog equipment and cat is present and correct.

 

I'd have to disagree there, old chap. Taken from the official site :

"Correctly formed letters" takes care of the physical size (there's not a lot of room for reduction with the size of lettering we have), but legislation exemplifies us from that as we only have a limited recess on our import vehicles.

I make number plates most days, and sadistically enough it gives me great pleasure telling people they can't have their precious, over-priced cherished plate spaced differently to everyone else. I really should get out more...

 

i was basing that on this from the MOT test manual..

Letters or figures of a particular style, eg 'computer' or 'sloped' are not to be regarded a reason for rejection unless they are likely to be misread,


http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_630.htm

seems they write these things so they can be interpreted any way you like..

 

ahh. i misread it. dont mind me, i'm just a moron.

 

I don't think SORN will apply to our cars. The DVLA website states that 'Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) was introduced on 31 January 1998 and affects vehicles licenced on, or after that date.'
but like boydee says, once it's in place they will then start changing it.

 

Mark, they mean if you vehicle has ever had road tax since that date. If your tax disc runs out you must pay to renew it or declare SORN. It does apply to out vehcles!

Declaring SORN is pretty easy, just get the form, fill it in and hand it in to a post office or send it to the DVLA. If you don't then believe me they'll send you out an automatic fine.

I'd be rather annoyed if they put a fee on SORN though.... Another cost for the thirdgenners who garage their cars over winter to bear.