The MOT Test - Your Car Needs You

The Classic Car MOT

Driving a classic Beetle, the MOT was always a dark cloud looming on the horizon in the distance each year. Although I came to appreciate it for providing peace of mind - for a small fee of course.

From April 1st 2012, a new MOT regulation has come into being. The rules now require that all your dashboard warning lights be in full working order. From January 1st 2012, MOT testers have been giving warning lights a visual check (for ABS, airbags & similar) & flagging these up as advisory should they not be in working order, but next time you take your vehicle in, the failure of warning lights will equal the failing of the MOT. This is known as the Malfunction Indication Lamp (MIL) test.

This now brings the UK’s MOT structure more in line with the rest of Europe. Of course, this is a visual check, so should your car fail, you will then need to allow a garage’s diagnostic equipment find and fix the fault for you before resubmitting your vehicle for a follow-up MOT test.

The object of the annual MOT is to make sure that all vehicles on UK roads are kept in a roadworthy condition and is required once your vehicle is three years old.

The history of the MOT dates back to 1960, when the Ministry of Transport ruled that vehicles over ten years old should have an annual safety check for brakes, lights and steering. Seven years later, the ten-year mark was reduced to the three-year ruling that we have now. If you’re unlucky, like me, you will find that your classic car insurance and MOT coincide nicely to create an expensive month!

The new MIL check is just part of the continuing development of the MOT. The most notably significant development of recent years, probably being the emissions tests for catalytic converter using vehicles. There have also been some significant vehicles that have had their lives cut short by not managing to meet Euro emissions upgrades, from Euro4 to Euro5 for example. Sometimes it is just not cost-worthy or possible to upgrade an aging engine to the next level required.

All part of the legacy of Britain being part of the European Union of course. While some countries in Europe impose a 2 year period between tests, Britain of course has a more frequent annual MOT test.

I’m sure at some point we have all begrudged paying out for an MOT test (and often subsequent work) on what appears to be a car that gets you from A to B perfectly fine, but it’s worth remembering that essentially, it’s safety that the MOT checks, not how fast your new performance engine can get you from 0-60mph.

On that note, some figures for “D-box” entries, where a vehicle is flagged at an MOT test as “dangerous to drive” make you realise how important this test is. For the year ending March 2010, MOT stations flagged over 816,000 vehicles as being dangerous. A sobering thought.

For drivers of classic and vintage cars, the new ruling is not likely to have so much of an impact - I have an oil warning light and headlamps-on light, plus indicator lights and that’s about it. The lack of electronic reliance for an old vehicle is part of its joy – essentially making it easier to diagnose and fix. But it’s also a nerve-wracking time as you hope that your MOT tester is experienced with old and vintage cars. That doesn’t mean lenient though of course. I’d much rather find out when something is wrong while stationary in a professional environment rather than driving somewhere.

For that reason alone I say that the MOT is your friend; learn to work with it in harmony and you will be heading down the right road – safely.