Why would an MOT tester do this?

[TinaLes]

Took the van into the dealers for its Major Service & MOT today, all air filters, oil, in line Fuel filter, plus the big one, Brake Fluid change, chassis inspection & grease etc
Van was in workshop for 4 hours, Mechanic presented paperwork to receptionist, who informed me that the van was now fully serviced but had failed its MOT on windscreen wiper blades.
She then informed me that a new set was in stock and would cost £24 to replace & Fit, then it would Pass The MOT.
I gave her the go ahead of course, she then talked to the MOT guy, who replaced the wiper Blades, but he would have to log back into the DVLA System, stating the wiper blades had now been replaced and the van was now OK, so he then issued a PASS certificate.
I was the presented with the MOT Fail Certificate, then the PASS Certificate inside 20/30 minutes of doing each.
I asked the receptionist why he didn't just mention the defective wiper blades, get my OK to replace them, then issue an MOT Pass, why bother issuing a Fail one first?
She then said, yes I know, "But MOT Testers are strange people at times, and they have their own way of doing things"
All I can conclude from this is that the MOT tester, is worried that he hasn't issued enough Fail Certificates recently, and is trying to massage his performance figures with the DVLA or MOT inspector of inspectors, if you get my drift.
Now I guess the van has an MOT Fail in its DVLA history, followed by Re-inspection PASS 20 minutes later
Surely an advisory, along with rectification work to get a PASS would have sufficed?

PS: I drove down overnight in a storm with high winds and heavy rain, raining so hard the wipers were on 2nd speed, the roads were flooding and the original wipers did their job, might have been a bit perished, so just replace them, dont fail the bloomin van first.
LES

 

[Lenny HB]

I would be asking why they weren't checked on the service surely its a basic safety item.

 

[Clivefog]

I would have thought a major service covered wiper blades, Lenny HB you type too fast!

 

[Silver-Fox]

It’s not unusual for this to happen.

I was told that a tester is officially not allowed to rectify defects, even changing a wiper blade.

Having said that I’ve had testers change a lamp or similar to allow a pass.

As said above why wasn’t the blades checked.
Have a look on your service check sheet.

 

[bigwood]

When I did my MOT training we were told to put a minor advisory down to prove we had actually checked the vehicle. In this case I would have put the wipers down as an advisory and left it up the service department to ask the customer if they would like new blades fitting.
I worked for a small garage that had a close customer list of regulars not a main dealer that needed to make a profit on every job no matter how small.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Silver-Fox]

Think yourself lucky you didn’t get the MoT at a Halfords center

 

[James-Alex]

Ours failed today on a not great handbrake. I looked online. Seen the fail then the pass came up straight after. We didn’t ask them they just adjusted it. Collected it tonight. Happy days. Not bad for 50quid

 

[cmcardle75]

Took the van into the dealers for its Major Service & MOT today, all air filters, oil, in line Fuel filter, plus the big one, Brake Fluid change, chassis inspection & grease etc
Van was in workshop for 4 hours, Mechanic presented paperwork to receptionist, who informed me that the van was now fully serviced but had failed its MOT on windscreen wiper blades.
She then informed me that a new set was in stock and would cost £24 to replace & Fit, then it would Pass The MOT.
I gave her the go ahead of course, she then talked to the MOT guy, who replaced the wiper Blades, but he would have to log back into the DVLA System, stating the wiper blades had now been replaced and the van was now OK, so he then issued a PASS certificate.
I was the presented with the MOT Fail Certificate, then the PASS Certificate inside 20/30 minutes of doing each.
I asked the receptionist why he didn't just mention the defective wiper blades, get my OK to replace them, then issue an MOT Pass, why bother issuing a Fail one first?
She then said, yes I know, "But MOT Testers are strange people at times, and they have their own way of doing things"
All I can conclude from this is that the MOT tester, is worried that he hasn't issued enough Fail Certificates recently, and is trying to massage his performance figures with the DVLA or MOT inspector of inspectors, if you get my drift.
Now I guess the van has an MOT Fail in its DVLA history, followed by Re-inspection PASS 20 minutes later
Surely an advisory, along with rectification work to get a PASS would have sufficed?

PS: I drove down overnight in a storm with high winds and heavy rain, raining so hard the wipers were on 2nd speed, the roads were flooding and the original wipers did their job, might have been a bit perished, so just replace them, dont fail the bloomin van first.
LES

I would technically be illegal to offer to replace something to make it pass. It has to fail and then be retested. They're not allowed to stop the test, fix something and claim it passed first time. Not even for a light bulb.

The main issue is why it wasn't replaced on the service. However, this can be as simple as them choosing to do the MOT before the service.

 

[B-well]

Ask for pre MOT service check to be undertaken before the DVLA test.

 

[Ivory55]

Does anybody actually read what is included in a service ? I bet it’s totally different for every garage in the country

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Silver-Fox]

Does anybody actually read what is included in a service ? I bet it’s totally different for every garage in the country

Main dealers tend to have a massive check list for servicing but actually little of substance done.

 

[Revolvor]

I would be asking why they weren't checked on the service surely its a basic safety item.

I've just had an MOT and Service on my car. I specifically asked them to do the service first, but they refused and said they do the MOTs first, because sometimes if MOT repairs are expensive, then people don't want to pay for a service!

It passed OK

Last year, it was failed for a blown brake-light bulb, which was immediately replaced, and a Pass certificate was issued.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

There is a very good reason for this. A fail followed by an easy reinspection and pass shows on the system that the test centre is doing its job.. but pass, pass, pass, pass will result in a DVLA snap inspection

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

To answer the question I would say that they have no idea of the meaning of ’customer service’ and why the trade has a reputation for being full of Arthur Daley’s.
They must see enough vehicles presented just for MOT that have defects that can be logged without making a song and dance about such minor issues that the customer is happy to pay to be rectified especially as you have agreed to a major service.
Such practices would guarantee that they would not be getting another chance with me a a customer.

 

[RobbyMClark]

There is a very good reason for this. A fail followed by an easy reinspection and pass shows on the system that the test centre is doing its job.. but pass, pass, pass, pass will result in a DVLA snap inspection

Spot on with that explanation.
DVLA inspections are torturing.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TinaLes]

Thanks Chaps.
Yes, I have been told many times by various garages that they always do The MOT first, before the servicing, as the MOT in most cases highlights what needs to be serviced or fixed first.
I think I guessed correctly though that the MOT mechanic/inspector needs to show a realistic balance of Pass & Fail Ratings to stop The DVLA getting suspicious.
As others have mentioned if its a light bulb, or in my case wiper blades, then why not put an advisory on the MOT Certificate that these items were noticed, and immediately dealt with at the time of testing, its saves time in doing admin on paper & on-line, and all interested parties can see what the minor issue was, and how it was fixed to make the vehicle of roadworthiness.
I do concede that how ever silly it may seem to some, that if that's the DVLA Protocol that as to be followed to keep your licence as an MOT inspector, then fair enough, I cant point the finger at the bloke that did the test, I am sure he has probably questioned the procedure protocol also.
I just wish I had asked him face to face now, but these guys stay well out the way in the workshop.
LES

 

[glenn2926]

I’m really struggling here. Why would the owner of any vehicle send it for MOT without having a look around it first? Why wouldn’t they not check lights, washers, wiper etc themselves? Surely the average driver isn’t that inept that the cannot carry out these very basic checks. To then moan about the MoOT tester not putting right what any responsible owner should do is beyond belief.

 

[Revolvor]

I’m really struggling here. Why would the owner of any vehicle send it for MOT without having a look around it first? Why wouldn’t they not check lights, washers, wiper etc themselves? Surely the average driver isn’t that inept that the cannot carry out these very basic checks. To then moan about the MoOT tester not putting right what any responsible owner should do is beyond belief.

I agree with you. I normally check bulbs etc regularly, as it is something that really bugs me when other cars have faulty lights. The bulb on mine must have failed just before the MOT, but I kicked myself that I hadn't checked it on the day.

 

[Conal]

My 1963 Morris Minor no longer needs an MOT - a crazy decision by those in power in my opinion. They should allow age appropriate MOTs but presumably they are too difficult to administer. This year I asked my specialist garage to service the moggie. They suggested it had an MOT first. I asked why. I was told that a comprehensive check of the vehicle BEFORE the service would reduce the cost - they would change more for the same inspection, and it would provide a list of jobs needed. It failed on boots so not too expensive, and no recharge for redoing the MOT.
All this checking didn’t stop the moggie breaking down twice soon after due to a missing brake retensioning spring that the AA recovery man knew nothing about!

 

[TinaLes]

I’m really struggling here. Why would the owner of any vehicle send it for MOT without having a look around it first? Why wouldn’t they not check lights, washers, wiper etc themselves? Surely the average driver isn’t that inept that the cannot carry out these very basic checks. To then moan about the MoOT tester not putting right what any responsible owner should do is beyond belief.

glenn2926 I did check the van over before I left home, lights, indicators etc as its been parked quite a while, I even washed the windscreen, wiper arms & blades, as leaves had blown onto them, and got caught in the scuttle part.
As I mentioned I drove the van all the way down to Somerset, 128miles, in the dark with pouring rain, with the wipers on most of the time, and they seemed to work fine to me. All I know mainly from experience is that after 2 years, most service centres recommend changing the wiper blades, even if they leave only a slight trace of water between wipes.
Mind you I was focussing more on finding a garage with diesel on the way down, as it would have been pretty dodgy to get to my destination without a top up, albeit limited to £30 at the pumps.
Hope that answers your question.
LES

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nanniemate]

I always say a vehicle should never fail on wiper blades, screen wash, or tyres as these are so obvious and pretty basic checks - car had MOT march 27th last year with less than 500 miles since service the previous year it FAILED on wiper blades took some stick off the mot tester .......

 

[TinaLes]

Just shows how things have tightened up though, can you remember how many windscreens had almost a groove scratched in the glass because the wiper blades were so rotten they had exposed the rear clip backing strip?
Now they even recommend changing the rear wash wiper on the rear of BMW's on their second service from new, thats well before the 3 year first MOT, then there was the obligatory bottle of screen wash left on the passenger seat that was not needed, as you had topped it up before the service, but they still charged a £1 for it.
You always end paying indirectly for that complimentary Coffee & fancy Biscuit that you were offered in the waiting room.
I have a different one every 20 minutes to get my monies worth.
Short & Curlies comes to mind.
LES

 

[Eggs]

I took my work van in last year only to be mortified when the MoT tester drove it onto the ramps when I noticed I had a break light out, I said to him, "that will be a fail then", he gave me a new lamp and said, "if you put that in before I see it I'm sure it will be ok". That's the way it should be, saying that I've used the same garage for 20-odd years.

 

[Jim]

I’m really struggling here. Why would the owner of any vehicle send it for MOT without having a look around it first? Why wouldn’t they not check lights, washers, wiper etc themselves? Surely the average driver isn’t that inept that the cannot carry out these very basic checks. To then moan about the MoOT tester not putting right what any responsible owner should do is beyond belief.

Fair warning. This is the last time I will warn you about your posting style. It's just rude.

 

[chatteris]

the tester can fix faults at the end of an mot, its called a prs and must be done within an hour the fault still shows as a fail on the system and a fail and pass certificates are issued, the tester does not have to fix the faults if he has a lot of tests to do he will probably fail and move onto next test ( you cant log on another test until the one you are on is finished) and let someone else fix it and then the retest can be done by any tester

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Offagain]

My ex MoT tester says vehicles must be tested as presented and not after a service, including rectifying any problems. This is to give a true representation to VOSA of the condition of the vehicles which are on the road.
For needing wiper blades he would have given an advisory.

 

[The Wino]

I used to use a small garage in Leicester before we moved. They were a family business and always very reasonable prices but they started to struggle financially and I noticed that at mot time they almost always said it needed new wipers so I started putting new ones on before I took it.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

I thought something like defective wiper blades were an advisory only.apparantly not.

 

[pagey]

1st mot at the supplying main dealer failed our car on wipers inoperative and then passed it after changing a fuse , this was on a cold February morning and the idiot had tried using the wipers when they was frozen to the screen , I had a word in his ear it never had another advisory in the next 6 years

 

[tinks703]

My 20year old autosleeper just passed its MOT. I was worried about the windsreen wipers, just before I took it for the mot I spayed wd 40 on to a cloth and gave them both wiper blades a clean, vast improvement. MOT PASS.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}