spospe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Just a word to those of you who may not be in the know, but from 1st April 2012 all instrument lights on the base vehicle will be tested for the MOT. This means that any non-working light will result in a fail, it also means that any light which is lit when it should not be, will also result in a fail. Quote from Which? April 2012 page 8 "The MOT test has included a Malfunction Indication Lamp (MIL) check since 1 January 2012, requiring examiners to visually check the warning lights for anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners and tyre pressure monitoring systems. Until now, illuminated lights would have been flagged as an 'advisory' item, but from 1 April they'll result in an automatic fail" and "The inclusion of the MIL check could have a big impact on motorists - particularly those with less reliable cars". and "The MIL has been introduced to bring the MOT test in line with the rest of Europe. It's a visual check, so doesn't require examiners to find out why a light is on. But most garages will need to use diagnostic equipment to find out the cause of the problem before they can fix it - and this tends to come at a cost" I claim nothing, I am only passing on what I have read today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Motoring certainly don't get any easier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 You can buy your own diagnostic tester on e.bay from £10 upwards. All cars now have to comply with (on board diagnostics) OBD2 or OBD11 (the same) now so any OBD2 (the later the software , the better) tester will cary out the diagnostics to tell you what's not working properly. I've just ordered one that plugs into a laptop as the software is better and larger screen. Cost £26, still cheaper than trotting down to the dealer and paying a lot more for just the tester hook up. At least if you can't fix it yourself you can tell the garage what to check, so you don't get conned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Peter Thanks for the info, Looking forward to a test report and how you get on (and a couple of links) if it works out and is worthwhile to pursue. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I have a cheaply standalone scanner that cost about £60 two years ago, its had its uses but it doesn't cover manufacturer specific codes so has limitations. Just yesterday I invested in a Snap On scanner that will do lots more but even that doesn't cover everything. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 spospe - 2012-03-29 3:46 PM Quote from Which? April 2012 page 8 "The MOT test has included a Malfunction Indication Lamp (MIL) check since 1 January 2012, requiring examiners to visually check the warning lights for anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners and tyre pressure monitoring systems. Until now, illuminated lights would have been flagged as an 'advisory' item, but from 1 April they'll result in an automatic fail" and "The inclusion of the MIL check could have a big impact on motorists - particularly those with less reliable cars". They can't fail what you haven't got ;-) Progress eh? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 No, they cannot fail what you have not got: quite true. As time and technology roll on, things (motor vehicles) will get more and more complex and the testing also. Caveat emptor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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