The perils of taking your XJS for an MOT
#1
04-03-2014, 01:18 PM
The perils of taking your XJS for an MOT
Although my XJS V12 is now ready for her first MOT after an 8 year layup, even the thought of going for one is already stirring bad memories of past MOT's with another XJS.
The gas struts on the bonnet, do get a bit weak over time and I well remember explaining this to the Tester and offered to hold the bonnet up if he needed to look inside the engine compartment.
Instead in his wisdom (or lack of it!) he tried to prop the bonnet up with a stick, which promptly collapsed through vibration when he lifted it up on the ramp, jamming the stick between the lip of the bonnet and the windscreen scuttle.
Which then dented the leading edge, which he said wouldn't notice when the bonnet was closed and when I blew my top about it, he thought that I was making a fuss about nothing!
One of the all time favorites, is where they get a 'Clip Board' where the clip shows metal through on both sides, then lay it on the bonnet or wing, while they fill the form in.
One Tester who was checking the brake lights jammed a metal pole between the foot brake and the steering wheel, even though I offered to sit in the car and push the brake pedal.
Then you get the young boy racer who has never seen a V12 engine let alone driven a car that has one in and is simply overawed by the fact that the engine is about the same size as a double bed (in his eyes anyway)
Who wants to make the most of the trip from where it is parked outside the door up onto the ramp and (accidentally on purpose!) ends up spinning the wheels.
Or even worse if it can get worse! floors the throttle to try and get it off the rolling road, leaving skid marks on the workshop floor, no doubt so that he has a tale to tell when he goes down the pub with his mates. M8's
Or my own personal favorite (not counting getting in the car in filthy overalls) is reaching out the window to try and grab the control that operates the rolling road, which has a metal hook on the back.
Which is invariably only just a finger tip out of reach so it falls on the floor and narrowly misses scratching the door in the process!
I've seen this happen so many times, that now I almost have a nervous breakdown but most of the modernized MOT bays now use a remote controller to operate this function. (which cuts down the risk)
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
The gas struts on the bonnet, do get a bit weak over time and I well remember explaining this to the Tester and offered to hold the bonnet up if he needed to look inside the engine compartment.
Instead in his wisdom (or lack of it!) he tried to prop the bonnet up with a stick, which promptly collapsed through vibration when he lifted it up on the ramp, jamming the stick between the lip of the bonnet and the windscreen scuttle.
Which then dented the leading edge, which he said wouldn't notice when the bonnet was closed and when I blew my top about it, he thought that I was making a fuss about nothing!
One of the all time favorites, is where they get a 'Clip Board' where the clip shows metal through on both sides, then lay it on the bonnet or wing, while they fill the form in.
One Tester who was checking the brake lights jammed a metal pole between the foot brake and the steering wheel, even though I offered to sit in the car and push the brake pedal.
Then you get the young boy racer who has never seen a V12 engine let alone driven a car that has one in and is simply overawed by the fact that the engine is about the same size as a double bed (in his eyes anyway)
Who wants to make the most of the trip from where it is parked outside the door up onto the ramp and (accidentally on purpose!) ends up spinning the wheels.
Or even worse if it can get worse! floors the throttle to try and get it off the rolling road, leaving skid marks on the workshop floor, no doubt so that he has a tale to tell when he goes down the pub with his mates. M8's
Or my own personal favorite (not counting getting in the car in filthy overalls) is reaching out the window to try and grab the control that operates the rolling road, which has a metal hook on the back.
Which is invariably only just a finger tip out of reach so it falls on the floor and narrowly misses scratching the door in the process!
I've seen this happen so many times, that now I almost have a nervous breakdown but most of the modernized MOT bays now use a remote controller to operate this function. (which cuts down the risk)
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
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JimC64 (04-03-2014)
#2
04-03-2014, 03:54 PM
Senior Member
You guys over there have it pretty rough. Here in Canada, when you first acquire a car it must be safety inspected by a licensed garage or something similar. I use a buddy down the road for cars that I will be driving/working on, not family cars. He basically walks around it and I’m done.
Then there’s an emissions test which is a little stricter. For cars before 1987 no test is required, from 1987 to 1996 they put probes in the exhaust, run the car at an idle and then at about 2500 rpm in neutral and read the emissions. For 1997 up all they do is read the obd computer for faults, if it’s clear you pass, that’s all, if you fail, spend $450 in repairs and you get a conditional pass. Repete the etest every 2 years and that’s it.
We can also modify the cars practically without limit
Then there’s an emissions test which is a little stricter. For cars before 1987 no test is required, from 1987 to 1996 they put probes in the exhaust, run the car at an idle and then at about 2500 rpm in neutral and read the emissions. For 1997 up all they do is read the obd computer for faults, if it’s clear you pass, that’s all, if you fail, spend $450 in repairs and you get a conditional pass. Repete the etest every 2 years and that’s it.
We can also modify the cars practically without limit
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orangeblossom (04-03-2014)
#3
04-03-2014, 05:04 PM
You guys over there have it pretty rough. Here in Canada, when you first acquire a car it must be safety inspected by a licensed garage or something similar. I use a buddy down the road for cars that I will be driving/working on, not family cars. He basically walks around it and I’m done.
Then there’s an emissions test which is a little stricter. For cars before 1987 no test is required, from 1987 to 1996 they put probes in the exhaust, run the car at an idle and then at about 2500 rpm in neutral and read the emissions. For 1997 up all they do is read the obd computer for faults, if it’s clear you pass, that’s all, if you fail, spend $450 in repairs and you get a conditional pass. Repete the etest every 2 years and that’s it.
We can also modify the cars practically without limit
Then there’s an emissions test which is a little stricter. For cars before 1987 no test is required, from 1987 to 1996 they put probes in the exhaust, run the car at an idle and then at about 2500 rpm in neutral and read the emissions. For 1997 up all they do is read the obd computer for faults, if it’s clear you pass, that’s all, if you fail, spend $450 in repairs and you get a conditional pass. Repete the etest every 2 years and that’s it.
We can also modify the cars practically without limit
And if you modify your car in any way at all, the worst case Scenario could be that it would invalidate your insurance.
Or at least give them some grounds for not paying out, for any damage sustained to your own car.
#4
04-03-2014, 05:35 PM
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#5
04-03-2014, 06:55 PM
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Although my XJS V12 is now ready for her first MOT after an 8 year layup, even the thought of going for one is already stirring bad memories of past MOT's with another XJS..............
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
I use the same guys year in year out.......they're a friendly small garage and we've gotten to know each other.
The most important thing foe me is.....they know me, my car and how much I love it and look after it, and expect anyone that works on it to treat it the same.
I also have quite good access so can be close and watch the whole process from start to finish.
In the unlikely event that anything were to even nearly happen that I didn't approve of rest assured I'd let them know.
My car is always cleaned n polished inside n out before going and looks her best, anything she needs she gets, so failures or even advisories are rare.
Thnking good thoughts for you.......
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#6
04-03-2014, 07:00 PM
Veteran Member
On the upside, taxes on a private party purchase are great.. If the car was under $15k, you only pay a nominal amount based on the age. I think I paid about $40 in taxes when I got my 05 XK8 from a fellow down in Atlanta.
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#7
04-03-2014, 09:49 PM
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Although my XJS V12 is now ready for her first MOT after an 8 year layup, even the thought of going for one is already stirring bad memories of past MOT's with another XJS.
The gas struts on the bonnet, do get a bit weak over time and I well remember explaining this to the Tester and offered to hold the bonnet up if he needed to look inside the engine compartment.
Instead in his wisdom (or lack of it!) he tried to prop the bonnet up with a stick, which promptly collapsed through vibration when he lifted it up on the ramp, jamming the stick between the lip of the bonnet and the windscreen scuttle.
Which then dented the leading edge, which he said wouldn't notice when the bonnet was closed and when I blew my top about it, he thought that I was making a fuss about nothing!
One of the all time favorites, is where they get a 'Clip Board' where the clip shows metal through on both sides, then lay it on the bonnet or wing, while they fill the form in.
One Tester who was checking the brake lights jammed a metal pole between the foot brake and the steering wheel, even though I offered to sit in the car and push the brake pedal.
Then you get the young boy racer who has never seen a V12 engine let alone driven a car that has one in and is simply overawed by the fact that the engine is about the same size as a double bed (in his eyes anyway)
Who wants to make the most of the trip from where it is parked outside the door up onto the ramp and (accidentally on purpose!) ends up spinning the wheels.
Or even worse if it can get worse! floors the throttle to try and get it off the rolling road, leaving skid marks on the workshop floor, no doubt so that he has a tale to tell when he goes down the pub with his mates. M8's
Or my own personal favorite (not counting getting in the car in filthy overalls) is reaching out the window to try and grab the control that operates the rolling road, which has a metal hook on the back.
Which is invariably only just a finger tip out of reach so it falls on the floor and narrowly misses scratching the door in the process!
I've seen this happen so many times, that now I almost have a nervous breakdown but most of the modernized MOT bays now use a remote controller to operate this function. (which cuts down the risk)
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
The gas struts on the bonnet, do get a bit weak over time and I well remember explaining this to the Tester and offered to hold the bonnet up if he needed to look inside the engine compartment.
Instead in his wisdom (or lack of it!) he tried to prop the bonnet up with a stick, which promptly collapsed through vibration when he lifted it up on the ramp, jamming the stick between the lip of the bonnet and the windscreen scuttle.
Which then dented the leading edge, which he said wouldn't notice when the bonnet was closed and when I blew my top about it, he thought that I was making a fuss about nothing!
One of the all time favorites, is where they get a 'Clip Board' where the clip shows metal through on both sides, then lay it on the bonnet or wing, while they fill the form in.
One Tester who was checking the brake lights jammed a metal pole between the foot brake and the steering wheel, even though I offered to sit in the car and push the brake pedal.
Then you get the young boy racer who has never seen a V12 engine let alone driven a car that has one in and is simply overawed by the fact that the engine is about the same size as a double bed (in his eyes anyway)
Who wants to make the most of the trip from where it is parked outside the door up onto the ramp and (accidentally on purpose!) ends up spinning the wheels.
Or even worse if it can get worse! floors the throttle to try and get it off the rolling road, leaving skid marks on the workshop floor, no doubt so that he has a tale to tell when he goes down the pub with his mates. M8's
Or my own personal favorite (not counting getting in the car in filthy overalls) is reaching out the window to try and grab the control that operates the rolling road, which has a metal hook on the back.
Which is invariably only just a finger tip out of reach so it falls on the floor and narrowly misses scratching the door in the process!
I've seen this happen so many times, that now I almost have a nervous breakdown but most of the modernized MOT bays now use a remote controller to operate this function. (which cuts down the risk)
What with all the Health and Safety stuff, going on these days, they do their best to try and prevent you going anywhere near your car while the test is being carried out.
Which by default means that you can lose control of the situation all to quickly.
I, of course, have no idea what you do for a living, but if you're not a writer of some sort you have seriously missed your calling.
I've got in the habit of scanning this list to find the next of your epic tales. I'm never disappointed when I find something like this very post. It probably doesn't hurt that we are all clearly able to picture ourselves in these very situations and we can almost literally feel your pain.
I sincerely hope your fears are exaggerated and unfounded, and that your car passes with flying colors.
(';')
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JimC64 (04-04-2014),
orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
Trending Topics
#8
04-04-2014, 10:02 AM
where i live on passenger cars there is no inspection what so ever.
on my semi truck, i have to have annual inspections done. they dont check emmisions but they check everything else. also subject to road side inspections at any time. its better to have them catch something on your annual than have a cop find something on the side of the road. a cop finds something they write you a big ticket. and depending on the category that the violation falls in they may not even let you leave the side of the road till its repaired.
you thoroughly inspect your truck every day in the name of safety and avoiding tickets
some of the things that iv seen on passenger cars i think they should be inspected but at the same time. i don't like inspections. i know how to maintain my vehicles but some people take the philosophy of if it moves under its own power its good to go.
on my semi truck, i have to have annual inspections done. they dont check emmisions but they check everything else. also subject to road side inspections at any time. its better to have them catch something on your annual than have a cop find something on the side of the road. a cop finds something they write you a big ticket. and depending on the category that the violation falls in they may not even let you leave the side of the road till its repaired.
you thoroughly inspect your truck every day in the name of safety and avoiding tickets
some of the things that iv seen on passenger cars i think they should be inspected but at the same time. i don't like inspections. i know how to maintain my vehicles but some people take the philosophy of if it moves under its own power its good to go.
Last edited by Ezrider; 04-04-2014 at 10:04 AM.
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#9
04-04-2014, 11:10 AM
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I grew up in Montana (also no inspections) and if it wasn't for little things like making a living and the weather I would go back just for the ability to put any engine with any modifications I want in my car and not have to worry about Officialdom.
I left for the above mentioned reasons (economy, or more correctly lack of it, and weather) as soon as I got my eyes open and discovered there were far more pleasant places to live. But everything has a price and we all make choices.
(';')
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#10
04-04-2014, 11:32 AM
im all for being able to freely modify vehicles and not having some **** say that you cant. what i do have a problem with is people driving on the roads with bald tires and no breaks or balljoints that have 1inch of play in them. i wouldn't say that I'm for safety inspections.
i have a heavily modified motorcycle that includes frame modifications i built it myself not from bought parts and but its safe i would be awfully upset if a inspector said i couldn't have it on the road.
the funny thing is i grew up in California and now live in north dakota, you couldn't pay me enough money to live in California again
i have a heavily modified motorcycle that includes frame modifications i built it myself not from bought parts and but its safe i would be awfully upset if a inspector said i couldn't have it on the road.
the funny thing is i grew up in California and now live in north dakota, you couldn't pay me enough money to live in California again
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#11
04-04-2014, 12:45 PM
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orangeblossom (04-04-2014)
#12
04-04-2014, 03:10 PM
Senior Member
Basically the same here in Washington state....just lots of taxes!!
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orangeblossom (04-06-2014)
#13
04-04-2014, 05:47 PM
#14
04-04-2014, 05:51 PM
Hmmm..... I can sympathise OB
I use the same guys year in year out.......they're a friendly small garage and we've gotten to know each other.
The most important thing foe me is.....they know me, my car and how much I love it and look after it, and expect anyone that works on it to treat it the same.
I also have quite good access so can be close and watch the whole process from start to finish.
In the unlikely event that anything were to even nearly happen that I didn't approve of rest assured I'd let them know.
My car is always cleaned n polished inside n out before going and looks her best, anything she needs she gets, so failures or even advisories are rare.
Thnking good thoughts for you.......
I use the same guys year in year out.......they're a friendly small garage and we've gotten to know each other.
The most important thing foe me is.....they know me, my car and how much I love it and look after it, and expect anyone that works on it to treat it the same.
I also have quite good access so can be close and watch the whole process from start to finish.
In the unlikely event that anything were to even nearly happen that I didn't approve of rest assured I'd let them know.
My car is always cleaned n polished inside n out before going and looks her best, anything she needs she gets, so failures or even advisories are rare.
Thnking good thoughts for you.......
Cheers Jim
Like you say, a good rapport with the Tester is really half the battle but this will be a first time MOT with a car that is unknown to them
With predictable results!
Last edited by orangeblossom; 04-04-2014 at 05:53 PM.
#15
04-04-2014, 05:55 PM
While I can't complain compared to those MOT horror stories, here in Illinois we do have the emissions testing which I think is nonsense for any older car like the XJS.
On the upside, taxes on a private party purchase are great.. If the car was under $15k, you only pay a nominal amount based on the age. I think I paid about $40 in taxes when I got my 05 XK8 from a fellow down in Atlanta.
On the upside, taxes on a private party purchase are great.. If the car was under $15k, you only pay a nominal amount based on the age. I think I paid about $40 in taxes when I got my 05 XK8 from a fellow down in Atlanta.
#16
04-04-2014, 05:59 PM
I, of course, have no idea what you do for a living, but if you're not a writer of some sort you have seriously missed your calling.
I've got in the habit of scanning this list to find the next of your epic tales. I'm never disappointed when I find something like this very post. It probably doesn't hurt that we are all clearly able to picture ourselves in these very situations and we can almost literally feel your pain.
I sincerely hope your fears are exaggerated and unfounded, and that your car passes with flying colors.
(';')
I've got in the habit of scanning this list to find the next of your epic tales. I'm never disappointed when I find something like this very post. It probably doesn't hurt that we are all clearly able to picture ourselves in these very situations and we can almost literally feel your pain.
I sincerely hope your fears are exaggerated and unfounded, and that your car passes with flying colors.
(';')
Strangely you are not the first one to say that.
Another epic tale is on the way!
#17
04-04-2014, 06:02 PM
#18
04-04-2014, 08:04 PM
Veteran Member
Its nothing compared to what the Swiss MFK is like, or the German TUF, ask me how l know !!......give me the UK MOT any day. Some times they let me play with the light switches as even the MOTer finds that easier. But hey, my '73 Stag is now road tax free......yeah. Thaks to the budgetn
But here in Florida if it drives keep on going, no test at all.
But here in Florida if it drives keep on going, no test at all.
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orangeblossom (04-10-2014)
#19
05-04-2014, 09:57 AM
i have just TÜV,d my XJS , the inspector said that i had removed the headlight leveling switch gear,,i politely explained that the car has never been fitted with such a thing , he then points out the hole in the dash (just above right knee) and stated very matter of fact that i had removed it.
I quietly removed the interior light from the glove box a fitted it into the offending hole. He blushed and i called him a clever idiot !
I love experts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I quietly removed the interior light from the glove box a fitted it into the offending hole. He blushed and i called him a clever idiot !
I love experts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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orangeblossom (05-05-2014)
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