Skip to main content

https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/adding-vehicle-technical-information-to-the-service/

Adding vehicle technical information to the service

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: MOT testing service

An MOT tester testing a wheel

Late last year, I told you about the work we're doing to make technical information available on the MOT testing service.

Since then, we’ve been looking at your feedback and thinking about what technical advice for vehicles we could add to the MOT testing service.

We've now developed this feature and have added it to the service.

Helping you to test vehicles safely

We want to make sure that this information helps you test vehicles safely and correctly.

It’s important that during a test you’re safe and that you don’t accidentally damage the vehicle. We also want to give you all the help you need to make the correct decision.

You can now find new information on:

  • steering and suspension including manufacturers design features and tolerances 
  • special features, such as how to put an electromechanical parking brake system into bedding mode before roller brake testing
  • the roller brake test, including whether a vehicle can be brake tested using a roller brake tester without causing damage to the vehicle
  • unusual features, such as testing certain vehicle types with the ignition off ensuring that the brake servo is fully charged
  • safety design features
  • other useful tips, like how to jack up some vehicles with air suspension

This first version has advice on how to test around 20% of vehicles. But the way we've built this feature means that we can add to it quickly and easily. So, we’ll regularly update it with more information as we get it. 

‘This vehicle has testing advice’

If you’re testing a vehicle and see the below banner, that means there’s technical information on the testing service to help you.

This vehicle has testing advice banner
What you'll see when you start the test

Once you click the link you’ll be presented with any information we have for the vehicle.

A screen shot of vehicle information
What testing advice will look like

You can also print it if you need to.

Listening to you

Following your feedback, we’re still looking at the possibility of you being able to the add technical information that you know. I still think this is a great idea, but we need to look at how this would work and how we could make sure that the information added is correct.

In the meantime, if you have any suggestions on what we need to do to improve this feature then let us know in the comments below.

Sharing and comments

Share this page

123 comments

  1. Comment by Martin posted on

    So tell me tesla model s? Very little info anywhere! Booked in for mot any advice apart from run a mile? I've been testing for 10 years managed to dodge them so far as few and far between

  2. Comment by Graham posted on

    So with the new special notice that has come out in regards to dpv. That now makes defender 110's dpv class 4 if no unladen weight is supplied. Previously vosa said to do these as a class 7. Anyone from dvsa disagree with this??

  3. Comment by Martin posted on

    Can you tell me how you have worked the weights out for motorcycles.
    You are over 100kg above what the known weight is on most bikes or are you guessing 100kg as rider weight ?

  4. Comment by Russ posted on

    Still seems to be a lot of vehicles with no brake weights or is it just me.

    • Replies to Russ>

      Comment by richard posted on

      All the weights appear to back for me, but I have noticed on the info page for the vehicle, it does say sometimes brake weight unknown, but when you print of the mot inspection sheet the vehicle weight is there.

  5. Comment by Graham posted on

    Why cant i scroll down the page with the cursor roller anymore. I can do in on the mot blog but not on any mot page screen. It makes it so much quicker being able to do this, please change it back!!!!!!!!

  6. Comment by Colin posted on

    It's a good system to have due the electronics now fitted, but in the example shown, it still does not tell you if you can roller test it !
    Surely that's one of the most important factors to know.

  7. Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on

    Hi everyone,

    A lot of you have commented about problems you experienced with the testing service yesterday.

    We’ve been working on this and it’s now fixed. You shouldn’t experience any further problems at this time.

    Please check the MOT testing service status page for further information.

    Thanks,

    Chris

    • Replies to Chris (DVSA)>

      Comment by richard posted on

      Thanks for the update Chris, but I am still having problems logging in, anyone else ? It always chucks out my password/username on the 1st attempt every time I try to log into the system. Its the same for our other testers as well.

      • Replies to richard>

        Comment by Stephen posted on

        Yup same here. It's getting rather stupid NOW.....

        • Replies to Stephen>

          Comment by Stephen posted on

          What happened to using Google, now you've changed to using explorer we're unable to print MOT TEST LOGS. and it does print it just gives us the Reg number not like before.

          DATE REG MAKE/MODEL NT NAME PASS/FAIL
          Please bring this back.
          We like to check that all our MOT's are booked and paid for.

      • Replies to richard>

        Comment by Tony S posted on

        System update to improve service last, system plays up today !!!

        • Replies to Tony S>

          Comment by Tony S posted on

          Why is it almost every day if I haven't entered my results by 12-20 pm the system crashes and I cant enter them till after lunch, end result a 1 hr 40 min test
          It's been going on for about a month now

  8. Comment by Paul browne posted on

    A good system and a great help to testers Paul b

  9. Comment by JEFF ED posted on

    fast track can be done after signing in and you return to signing out don't sign out return to home page and you will be able to put your results straight in

  10. Comment by cheekyboy posted on

    when is the jumping back to the home screen going to be sorted? taking me 20 mins to log off a car?

    • Replies to cheekyboy>

      Comment by Stephen posted on

      About time they sorted home screen out. Enter user ID and password 4 times every MOT. It's a raging joke.

  11. Comment by Harry posted on

    The system is as bad as ever. One step forward & two back.
    Why do we have to wait until the 12th to sort it out??
    Every result I log I am having to do two or three times.

  12. Comment by Tony S posted on

    Just spent nearly 20 mins entering MOT results, kept getting kicked out, then couldn't print cert, got kicked out, had to do duplicate

  13. Comment by david posted on

    STILL having issues when entering advisory items and going from screen to screen, system is throwing me out and asking me again for security code ?
    HELP!!

  14. Comment by mark posted on

    I see the pages are jumping around again

  15. Comment by neil posted on

    Still having problems entering data, keeps jumping to different pages or error messages. Same as last week !!!! When will be sorted?

  16. Comment by richard posted on

    I know you guys are working on it, any news on whats happening ? this morning its a nightmare , every time I go to either put in a defect or an advise it chucks me back out to the home screen or asks for my pin number again.

  17. Comment by Andy posted on

    I was looking at the MOT tester annual assessment sample questions and thought that it would be a good idea to have a prominent button on the home page ie. in between the home page logo and the start mot test button "20 second knowledge test" that would bring up a random sample question with an answer.If you tick the right answer then it dissapears straight away or after 20 seconds you get the answer and it dissapears , not a test or anyone counting just for information towards your CPD, the button could go green when there is a new question to be answered.

  18. Comment by Lee Watkins posted on

    System is getting better with every update , though lately I have noticed that I get alot of OOPS screens

  19. Comment by wayne posted on

    More information the better

  20. Comment by mark posted on

    Not only have some of the brake weights not been added but some that are there are totally wrong ive just tested a 13 plate 1.0l eco focus with a b/weight of 1900kg when on our chart its only 1340kg. It failed it till I checked it.

  21. Comment by Chris posted on

    Good th have this back, good help especialy with testing cars with epb

  22. Comment by Russ posted on

    Very good, well done?

  23. Comment by martin posted on

    when entering rfr and advisory items,as you drag the cursor down it can change the location from nearside to offside etc. If you fail to notice it at the review screen it can become quite an issue.

  24. Comment by robbo posted on

    With v.i.n plate info being easily accessible, a hand held scanner could be used as part of the mot log in process. Scanning the vehicle vinplate will validate the vehicle being tested & also cause a pop-up of v.s.information to be displayed. Barcode display style i.d from manufacturer of vehicles could be also be accessed to confirm vehicle build spec, again by scanning.

  25. Comment by john foyle posted on

    good to see it back but interested in some of the other comments hope they fix the problems with entering results details quickly .

  26. Comment by mercedes posted on

    just done a print out on tec info and it would not let me print out a mot inpection sheet had to log in again as if i had done the test to print off a sheet

  27. Comment by George posted on

    I'm seeing an absence of vehicle brake test weights, more often now. I use an older type brake roller that can't weigh the vehicle. So if there is no test weight available to me, I need to choose the "not known" selection. In many cases if all wheels lock out, I'm fine. But if some don't, I have to follow up my RBT with a decelerometer test. Allot of trouble that can be avoided if you were to provide a brake test weight in as many cases as possible

  28. Comment by Nissar Mohammed posted on

    Great to see Vsi info again.

  29. Comment by Stephen guy posted on

    Good idea, but does not work on I pad,logs me out when I use it,and what has happened to brake test weights, just as you iron out problems,it seems you replace them with new ones, Please sort it.

  30. Comment by Michael Brown posted on

    Anybody else having issues when you log back on to put results in ,that it keeps kicking you back to the start test screen ( not all the time ) . It's happened to me loads since the last improvement , twice when I am about to print off certificate it kicks me out and I have to issue a duplicate due to loosing the end page also when you are putting brake readings in it also puts me back to the start test page ? Bloody anouying when you have a full day of tests and it makes more work for yourself .
    Cheers

    • Replies to Michael Brown>

      Comment by Lou posted on

      Yep, frustrating just about covers it. Took me 20 minutes to pass a vehicle the other day, and like you had to print a duplicate to get the certificate.

    • Replies to Michael Brown>

      Comment by PETE COUSINS posted on

      Still having problems when putting test results and brake weights missing.

  31. Comment by Ajay Gokani posted on

    Brilliant getting back some of the functionality of 'Vts device' that was there years ago

  32. Comment by Jon posted on

    Great to get tips on testing with the ever expanding model range with crazy electronics and esp eps abs trc vsc dsc start stop... no doubt new cars have far more specific ways of testing to ensure damage is prevented and a thorough test can be performed.
    I still strongly believe electronic parking brake is a stupid, pointless and dangerous idea that should never been allowed to be fitted to a road vehicle.

  33. Comment by cheekyboy posted on

    bring back fast track re-test i think would be a good idea

  34. Comment by derek posted on

    Good idea but after completing the test found I hadn't actualy logged on to the test! My fault I'm sure.

  35. Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on

    Hello everyone,

    Lots of you have commented to point out that some brake test weight information is missing and that you have experienced some issues when registering and entering results.

    We are aware of these issues and working to address them. For more information, please check out the MOT testing service status page where we have provided a note for testers.

    Thanks,

    Chris

    • Replies to Chris (DVSA)>

      Comment by Tony S posted on

      Nearly chucked the computer across the workshop today, then remembered it's not the computers fault just the system

      Good job I wasn't doing a money transfer using the system, could've lost it111

  36. Comment by chris posted on

    about time the vsi came back.... but where are some class 4 testing weights?? seem to have gone for a lot of vehicles

  37. Comment by Nigel posted on

    Dangerous idea about people entering information looking at the expertise of some of the fast fit community
    Can see warranty claim written all over that

  38. Comment by Stephen Bernard posted on

    Great on the right track.

  39. Comment by craig w posted on

    good to see positive steps and the little things that help the job work both ways. small steps big strides. hope they do the same with the hgv manual to clarify abs and type approval variations.

    amen

  40. Comment by DAVID posted on

    working together with NT's will only help us do our jobs better.
    thank you dvsa for listening. hope this is a sign of whats to come in the future.

  41. Comment by David posted on

    A warm welcome return

  42. Comment by W.E.MORGAN posted on

    The VSI as we knew it as before was a great little extra aid when testing vehicles; so much good information was lost when the system changed over. I personally welcome all forms of information and assistance.

    Thank you DVSA for actually listening to us on the ' front line '