dazc

Just rang my usual garage to book an MOT.

Last month it was £30 for my other car, this month £40 + a £20 retest fee if it fails and you take it off the premises to repair. That could now be £60 for a test!

Turns out the whole system is going computerised which works out more expensive for everybody, so if you are due a test, ring around and check as you can still catch some garages before it happens.

Rang around & I just got mine in time although it wasn't due until mid Sept, but most near me are all changing before the end of the month. Glad I didn't leave it until it was due! So be warned.

Daz

S600BYY

it's been that way for ages it's just not many vts charge for the re test
the actual mot charge only goes up every now and then and only by a couple of quid.
the only difference now is that a re test must be logged onto the computer for the 45mins to an hour that a retest takes (vosa can do remote spot checks) there fore the vts must charge for this time (before they only used to check what it had failed on) in some cases a complete test is now required
so don't be outraged as all the guy is doing is charging you for his time!!,which i'm sure we all do whitle at work
just look at it like this we haven't been charged for his time all these years and now we must start paying


S600BYY

p.s i'm not an mot tester or a garage owner just in the know from supplying garages in my line of work so don't flame me for taking the vts side

(vts = vehicle testing station)

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Also now all cars are to be logged onto a central database so any prospective buyers can check wether or not a car has a valid mot. Garages are now less likely to to turn a blind eye to minor indiscretions so in short chaps the test is getting tougher and more expensive. Same old story screw the motorist!

Little Miss WRX

I wouldn't say so really, there are plenty of death traps on the road because of many a test which hasn't been done thoroughly......or things ignored just to get it passed. Hopefully this will help get the majority of them fixed or off the road.

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Yes miss wrx dearest i agree whole heartedly. however you should know that we enthusiasts keep our cars in impeccable condition so therefore are paying extra for the shortcomings of others. I also add a minor indiscretion would be something like a number plate bulb gone or headlight aim out by a few degrees neither things making the car unroadworthy but still incurring a fail.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

How about a little indiscretion or "shortcoming" such as atmosphere polluting DE-CATTED Subarus?
Is it not a bit hypocritical to criticise others when there is a LOT of Subaru owners who cheat like mad when it comes to MOT time? Add to the cost of the certificate the fee for "hiring" a double catted centre section from your friendly Scooby specialist just for the day!
I know this doesn't affect the test at that moment in time, so would not contribute to the rising cost of the cert. but I thought we needed to be reminded to be very careful out there!
JohnD

dazc

In theory it's a good idea. But the trend is at the min to buy an old car for £50, don't register it in your name, no tax, mot and insurance. On the offchance you do get stopped, do a runner.

I haven't been stopped for about 10 years. Could have saved myself a fortune, if I wasn't so honest!

Putting up the test fee by as much as that will only encourage more people not to bother testing them in the first place.

Daz

As for de catting a scoob....no comment.

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Point taken JohnD. I will not be hypocritical yes i along with many other high performance cars (not just scoobs) have deleted the cats. Now if i could buy a performance cat for a reasonable sum i would do so but refuse to pay the thick end of a grand just to meet a dubious law regarding emissions. However i maintain my car to the highest standard, it is my hobby as well as carrying my family and myself back and forth and i never scrimp on anything. Dazc raises a valid point thousands of cars are on the road that should not be, however most conscientious subaru owners would not do that.I honestly believe that. Does not having a cat put me in that category? I dont believe so. banny

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

banny
I certainly wasn't replying to you on a personal basis - I just used your post to latch onto to make a point!
Although I run a high flow cat. (as part of PPP) I would not be adverse to de-catting as part of an upgrade, although I would be nervous should I be stopped for any reason!
On my prevoius 99my I used a Power Engineering sport cat. centre section (de-catted downpipe of course) It was expensive at around £400 fitted but it made me feel a bit safer!
JohnD

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

it was a good point well made. I suppose if you are breaking the law then there is no basis for defence i mean i dont think i could get away with saying how good the rest of my car was whilst i was running a decatted exhaust. You are right about being nervous when passing the long arm of the law i do cringe especially with one of the loudest exhausts on the market a blitz full system. However been lucky so far! Although i am cosidering a sports cat.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Erm, that shouldn't be right...I'd go elsewhere. You are allowed to take the car off the premises and fix it and have a free retest just as long as it is within 7days.

The computerised system may come in handy, as you can order your Tax disc off the net, so no need to queue behind the 40+ OAPs and mothers in the post office. It is long due for overhaul, and a dodgy tester willing to pass a decat car will still pass it, as the computerised system chnages nothing on that part. It's just automates and networks the actual issue of the certificate and nothing else.

The current hand based system still has to log every mot pass recorded, and even the emissions results of every single car requiring it. Just now it will be on a computer rather than a lever arch folder, nothing more.

So having a decat changes nothing, your MOT tester likely puts the analyser probe up the exhaust of another car instead of yours - as they HAVE to provide a emssions printout of your car to proove it passed, without it they can get into trouble (the printer ran out of paper/ink excuse only works once or twice ).

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Glad I get it for free
Family

jods

Purely for research purposes of course.
How much does a double catted centre rent for - including fitting/refitting

MattN

you still only need to test the bits that failed the first time. Simply you are paying for most garages to have a compterised system in place. Go elsewhere.

SiDHEaD

Mine is free too, thankyou Honda

scoobyvirgin

I'm sure you could come to an agreement with the tester, if it fails, log it as passed. Get what work is needed done and hey presto, no retest fee!

paul-s

id much rather have my scooby with a nice de-cat and do what i did last year, bung the guy a tenner and he took the readings off a motor parked behind mine rather than have 2 cats in the system all the time.

SiDHEaD

When i had my scoob tested at the Subaru garage they tested a new wrx for the emissions

Leslie

My car was miles below the limits with a Power Engineering single free flow cat which is good for up to 400 BHP worth of gas flow. Full de-cat just not necessary.

Les

dazc

But how good does it sound, and how expensive was your free flow cat?