VOSA’s Customer Service Centre answers 3,500 calls and 120 emails a day from testers, operators and members of the public. The team takes calls on anything from training courses to cars fitted with jet engines! Here are some of the most common questions they’re getting from MOT garages - and the answers!
Do HID headlamps require washers / self levellers?
Headlamp washing and levelling systems are a legal requirement for high intensity discharge (HID) lamps with a luminous intensity exceeding 2,000 lumens. But unless the luminous intensity is marked on the lamp, a tester won’t be able to tell if these systems are needed.
So, they can only be rejected if they are fitted and are inoperative or obviously defective. If they are missing and you believe they should be fitted, then pass and advise.
Do the new Reasons for Rejection affect specially modified vehicles?
Where a vehicle has been extensively modified or converted, Reasons for Rejection for components missing where fitted as standard should not be applied. For example:
- a car converted for rally use
with rear seats removed, roll cage and full harness seat belts fitted etc. - may no longer be fitted with a brake servo, power steering or airbags
- a car converted to a stretch
limousine may no longer have curtain airbags or electronic stability control
But vehicles not fully converted - like those fitted with a sports steering wheel and bucket seats - must be tested as normal.
How can I test an unregistered vehicle?
You can create a new record to test vehicles with foreign plates
or with no registration plates:
If foreign plates are fitted, enter the details in the Registration Mark field and change the descriptor from ‘UK Registration Mark’ to ‘Foreign Registration Mark’, then enter the rest of the details as usual.
If no registration plates are fitted, leave the Registration Mark field blank and change the descriptor to ‘Not Found (Missing)’ or - if you are certain that the vehicle is unregistered - ‘Not Required’. Either way, you can enter the rest of the details and continue as normal. The test documentation will show the Registration Mark as ‘Not Displayed’.
How do I test an Electronic Parking Brake?
Most Electronic Parking Brakes can be tested in a roller brake tester, but it is important to check the Vehicle Specific Information
(VSI) on the VTS Device first. If you are still not sure, contact VOSA’s Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 9000.
How do I correct a mistake on the VT20?
Some mistakes can be corrected by the VTS, such as vehicle colour and odometer reading/units.
The odometer reading/units can only be changed by the VTS within seven calendar days of the test.
Appendix 10.I.2 of the VTS User Guide gives guidance on issuing replacement certificates. Use F5 on the VTS Device to bring up this guide.
Feature image courtesy of Shutterstock images.