MOT Test Changes from 20th May 2018
 

Major changes to the MOT test on 20th of May 2018

Some of you may have already heard that there are big changes coming to the MOT test this May. Here are just a few of the biggest changes that are most likely to affect you. Please take these with a pinch of salt as nothing will be finalised until the end of April and will probably still be subject to change after that date. Remember it will take your MOT tester time to get up to speed with these too!

So...

Advisories are being replaced with minor fails. These are all pre written & approved by DVSA. You will still get a pass but they will be noted on your test certificate. Manual advisories are still being worked out but may disappear completely.

Those of you who have changed your standard headlight bulbs for HID's will now get a major fail even if the aim is correct. It has always been an offence to fit HID bulbs to halogen headlamps so the MOT is now in line with that.

Reverse lights are now part of the MOT for any car registered from 1st September 2009 (59 plate onwards). Daytime running lamps (DRL's) & front fog lamps must work on vehicles registered from March 2018 (18 plate onwards).

Engine Management Light is now a major fail. It must come on with the ignition and then turn off when the engine is started.

Brake pad warning lights are a major fail

Handbrake with excessive travel is now a major fail. Before it would only a fail if there was no reserve travel.

Contaminated (dirty) brake fluid is a major fail. Not sure how that will work as the MOT tester isn't allowed to remove the fluid cap.

Oil leaks (engine, gearbox etc.) can be a major failure if they are deemed large enough.

It seems they have removed the failure for tyres not being fitted according to sidewall instructions. Inner/outer or rotation incorrect.

Any modifications/removal to emissions related devices, this includes DPF'S and EGR's is now a major fail.

Where a DPF canister has clearly been cut open and re-welded, it will now fail.

A vehicle fitted with a DPF that emits any kind of visible smoke during the metered test will now fail

Emissions limits for diesels registered on or after 1st of January 2014 have been reduced. All diesels will now need to pass the limit that was set by the manufacturer when the car was new. This can be found on the VIN plate. For example the current limit for your diesel car may be 1.50. That could change to as low as 0.30 with the new rules.

These are just some of the bigger changes to the MOT test the average motorist is likely to be affected by. There are dozens, perhaps even over 100 changes to the actual MOT test and to the way testers record tests on the MOT computer. Please remember these are all subject to change in the coming months and remember spare a thought for your MOT tester before you say...

"Well it passed like that last year!"

Source - https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-emission-data

Useful post, thanks! +++

Good info, thanks for the heads up +++

Interesting on the HIDs - my MoT guy has been a stickler for that for years. I saw a Metro with blinding drop-in HIDs this morning - the bulbs must be worth more than the car :tuttut:

Bummer about the EGR stuff though - I bin all that on my TDIs since all it does is clog the intake manifold with tar just like the FSI engines. Still, there are invisible ways to deal with that :p

Good heads up!
I am surprised by the removal of the failure to fit tyres iaw with the corrrect rotational instruction. Rotating one way they channel water away from the contact area of the tyre and, if the other way around, they channel a nice wedge of water under the contact area producing an aquaplaning risk even in moderately wet conditions. :Confused:

Oh shhhhhhugar, all those who've done the DPF removal will be selling there cars now

That will be a LOT of cars for sale
But not mine it dunt av 1

+++

I may have had something to do with some elements of this in my last job - the UK has lagged behind the legislation for years (the default limits in European legislation were always supposed to be a fallback value in the absence of a lower value quoted by the manufacturer) so it's just bringing it in line with what countries like France and Germany have been doing for years in terms of smoke opacity for older vehicles.

Smoke value isn't a perfect proxy for DPF removal - there's middle ground where a clean but DPF deleted car may still pass, and there's dirty with a DPF that can still fail. The vast majority that will now fail will be poorly maintained older diesels that need a set of injectors, or have mega miles and burn oil. Euro 5 with DPF delete will probably have something to worry about as the smoke opacity set by the manufacturer can be VERY low (think 0.15 level). It's usually quoted on a plate either in the door frame or under the bonnet with a number in a square box. Not all manufacturers quote one, though. Citroen don't.

The 2014 date captures the earliest Euro 6/VI vehicles, and handily a chunky number of late registered Euro 5/V. DVLA don't capture Euro status when a vehicle is registered so date of registration is all they can go by :rolleyes:

I’ve 3 diesel cars at the moment, the tailpipe on the A8 with its Euro4 system is so clean that I’ve never seen any soot on it in the time I’ve owned the car. The Mercedes has no DPF and the tailpipe has a light coating of diesel soot on the inside but nothing excessive. The Volvo is also Euro4 is very clean as per the A8. However the Subaru (now gone thankfully) also a Euro 4 had more soot on the tailpipe then a chimney sweep had on his brush. I wonder just how successful some of these filters actually are at cleaning things up

I read also that cars registered prior to 1970 won't need an MOT provided they aren't significantly modified.