MOT Steam cleaning underneath??

[phantom]

In Northern Ireland we have to get our vehicles MOT assessed at a government facility rather than a garage as in England. Normally for this I get my car steam cleaned underneath so the assessor can inspect easily but this is the first year I have to take my motorhome.

 

Is it safe to have the chassis steam cleaned underneath with these high powered jet cleaners - I was concerned about all the vents and tanks?

 

All advice appreciated

Thaks Phantom

[Brambles]

In my opinion, never ever ever steam clean under your car and the chassis. It weakens the bond of any undersealing, waxes in joints etc and leads to increased corrosion unless retreated.

In a motorhome you have the added possibilty of damp penentrating the wooden structures and diluting any surface treatment to repell damp.

 

A hose with a mild detergent to loosen caked on dirt is all that is required and use of a soft brush. Also it really makes no difference to the Inspector if a liitle grubby, a load of mud yes, but that can be hosed off and not steamed off and if you say had a slow leak on say a brake pipe joint you have washed off any tell tale of fluid seepage. Bolts nuts etc all corrode raopidly after steam or cenical washing and very hard to recoat everything with a rust preventer/water repellant.

Just my penny worth for what it is, but you can see I really do feel very strongly about steam cleaning or any other form of chemical assisted cleaning unless it has a purpose like for underseal or body repair/respray work.

 

So to answer your question on a Motorhome - No, it is not safe if you want extended life for your vehicle and less corrosion.

[Clive]

If the underside is caked in mud then the examiner will hit the chassis with a hammer or old screwdriver to see if rust flakes fall off and the tool will puncture the metalwork. If its clean and painted then its a visual inspection only.

 

How you prepare your vehicle for MOT is up to you.

The trade and most operators use pressure washers for almost all commercial vehicles as part of the pre MOT preparation.

 

To minimise the crud on the underside one of the first things I did when we first got our coachbuilt Scout was to make some plastic wheel arch liners for the rear axle to stop the crud being spread along the full length of the underside. Thats 4 bits of flat plastic and 8 bolts and nuts.

Then some front mud flaps which are fixed by plastic clamps and silicon sealant. No drilling.

Its been a sound investment. 11 years on a zero rust and still a clean bottom.

C.

 

 

[Brambles]

If the underside is caked in mud then the examiner will hit the chassis with a hammer or old screwdriver to see if rust flakes fall off and the tool will puncture the metalwork.

 

And if rust flakes fall off exposing a hole and weak area what on earth is wrong with that? Surely the idea is to find weak areas as they affect safety of the vehicle. A tester is not going to punch a hole through sound metal and there are strict guidle lines for how he tests and looks for weak areas, and as I have alreday mentioned hosing of mud is how it should be done an dif necessary use a soft brush. You do not need it spotlessly clean for the examiner.

[Clive]

Commercial operators cannot afford the time to fiddle about with a brush.

Its blast off the crud with a pressure washer, blow off with the air line followed by a full grease up at all greasing points to expell any crud blown into the joints.

 

 

[BGD]

I may have got this wrong, but i always thought that the reason why commercial Operators steam clean underneath their vehicles is that for the "plating test" for heavy goods vehicles, it's a requirement before the vehicle is presented at the test centre.

 

For MOT's there's no requirement to prepare your vehicle in such way.

 

The Under-body/chassis check in the MOT test was, I always believed, a VISUAL check.

The tester isn't supposed to be banging at your chassis with a hammer...at least not according to the guidelines I read (but that was maybe 10 years ago now).....maybe the testing rules have changed in the UK since then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here in Spain the "ITV" (similar to MOT) test is either fantastic, or utterly appalling, depending on your point of view:

A quick look over, a check of exhaust emissions, a brake test, a headlight aim test, a check that tyres on the same axle are the same type, and thank you very much, see you again in 2 years. Cost: about £19.

 

 

 

 

[Randonneur]

Can't get away with anything here, its all computerised except for looking underneath.

[4petedaniel]

BGD - 2008-10-26 1:37 AM

 

I may have got this wrong, but i always thought that the reason why commercial Operators steam clean underneath their vehicles is that for the "plating test" for heavy goods vehicles, it's a requirement before the vehicle is presented at the test centre.

 

For MOT's there's no requirement to prepare your vehicle in such way.

 

The Under-body/chassis check in the MOT test was, I always believed, a VISUAL check.

The tester isn't supposed to be banging at your chassis with a hammer...at least not according to the guidelines I read (but that was maybe 10 years ago now).....maybe the testing rules have changed in the UK since then.

 

 

 

 

Here in Spain the "ITV" (similar to MOT) test is either fantastic, or utterly appalling, depending on your point of view:

A quick look over, a check of exhaust emissions, a brake test, a headlight aim test, a check that tyres on the same axle are the same type, and thank you very much, see you again in 2 years. Cost: about £19.

 

Where can you get a MOT for £19 in Spain?

The government fixed price for a Diesel motor is 69 euros and its every six months for a campervan.

Petedaniel