Number Plates Illegal...

[KentIS300]

Doesn't say much about the MOT place you have sent your car too. A bit like failing it on wipers when perfectly ok, they might be following the law but was a bit harsh considering you didn't try to misrepresent the characters. Bet they were quick enough to try and flog you a set of their £stupid.99 plates.

Can get sets from ebay with all legal marking dirt cheap have ordered many before

Nah did not go for their plates ... they did not try to offer me a replacement set ... he even said do you have another pair we can put on? which I found silly.

Gonne to Halfords where I had some previous discount and got the pair there done the cheapest possible...

[fjcfarrar]

I feel a bit for the MOT tester. If he spots something which may be a bit trivial but isn't a matter of judgement like the degree of wear & tear - what is he supposed to do? Should he pretend he hasn't seen it & risk comeback if it is noted elsewhere? It seems to me the MOT tester was as helpful as he could be while doing his job as he should.

It was an annoying issue & I am glad it is now sorted as well as you could realistically expect.

[m1pui]

I feel a bit for the MOT tester. If he spots something which may be a bit trivial but isn't a matter of judgement like the degree of wear & tear - what is he supposed to do? Should he pretend he hasn't seen it & risk comeback if it is noted elsewhere? It seems to me the MOT tester was as helpful as he could be while doing his job as he should.

It was an annoying issue & I am glad it is now sorted as well as you could realistically expect.

I personally I don't feel for the tester at all. I'm not saying he has to ignore it completely but surely it wouldn't have hurt him to just but it down on the advisory sheet that "number plate may need addressing before next MOT" or something similar.

[dave1]

I feel a bit for the MOT tester. If he spots something which may be a bit trivial but isn't a matter of judgement like the degree of wear & tear - what is he supposed to do? Should he pretend he hasn't seen it & risk comeback if it is noted elsewhere? It seems to me the MOT tester was as helpful as he could be while doing his job as he should.

It was an annoying issue & I am glad it is now sorted as well as you could realistically expect.

I personally I don't feel for the tester at all. I'm not saying he has to ignore it completely but surely it wouldn't have hurt him to just but it down on the advisory sheet that "number plate may need addressing before next MOT" or something similar.

So where would you draw the line? It could have been a VOSA spotcheck, "Which" consumer check or similar. Should the tester have put his licence or job on the line for an illegal number plate..........I don't think so.

[m1pui]

I suppose it's just me being used to having that bit of trust and leeway that comes from using the same garage/tester for many years over just flitting between whichever station is convenient or, as the case used to be, cheapest.

Dropped my RX8 one lunchtime, he tested it and passed it. During test he found a broken drop link which should be a fail point. He simply gave me a call, told me the situation ordered the part replaced the offending item later that afternoon.

[fil4362]

Just to clear up a few points, as an mot tester i constantly have to remind myself i test under the testers manuel rules not the law. Theres stuff thats against the law that still passes and mot test. E.G coloured side lights. As lomg as your car has one side light on each side of the car thats white (or yellow if showing through a yellow headlight) then it passes an mot. You can have as many other coloured lights as you like on your car and it passes. THe police will want to talk to you about it but as far as the mot goes its ok.

Anyway, theres number plates and number plates. A sign maker can make you a number plate that look exactly like a plate when infact its a sign. I have just personally bought a pair of plates from an online "number plate seller" that i know right here and now are illegal. There was no mention of it being a "show plate" no mention if its legal or non legal. Both plates front and rear are white. The A in the plate has and umlount above it ( if thats what its called the 2 little dots over the letter, been a long time since i did german at school). Any way i know they are illegal and wont pass the mot test. But i still bought them from a reputable seller who is ment to be registered with dvla as a autherised plate seller with no mention of being legal or not.

The mot test is alot down to testers discretion and if the tester is actually current with mot rules. Last year i started a thread on here asking 10 mot related questions one person got all ten right and he was a truck driver. Theres an mot tester on here got quite a few wrong. The mot rules on mot testing change all the time, number plates had a lot of changes brought in then within weeks they took the rules out again. One tester my look at your plate and think oooo thats a big gap fail. Another tester may look and think thats a big gap but i still know what its ment to be bit harsh failing it and give you a pass. A another tester may not even notice it in the first place. If you have had the plate on your car for a long time and the police havnt bothered you yet i would just carry on using it. Technically its an mot fail the tester got it right, i personally wouldnt have failed it as i see it as petty.

[dave1]

Just to clear up a few points, as an mot tester i constantly have to remind myself i test under the testers manuel rules not the law.

Technically its an mot fail the tester got it right, i personally wouldnt have failed it as i see it as petty.

Your 1st sentence and your last sentence on this thread seem somewhat contradictory. You either test under the manual rules or you don't. If you regard something as petty it should still be a fail if, as you say, you test to the manual!

[mikey's IS]

IMHO you knew what you was doing dose your log book have 2 spaces inbetween the number plate groups.

Did you sign any disclaimer ?

[fil4362]

Just to clear up a few points, as an mot tester i constantly have to remind myself i test under the testers manuel rules not the law.

Technically its an mot fail the tester got it right, i personally wouldnt have failed it as i see it as petty.

Your 1st sentence and your last sentence on this thread seem somewhat contradictory. You either test under the manual rules or you don't. If you regard something as petty it should still be a fail if, as you say, you test to the manual!

Its ment that i test to the manuels "rules" and not the law. The standards and limitations are diffrent . I cant test to the "design and use" as this has nothing to do with the mot. But failing petty stuff isnt me. As i said incorrect spacing is a fail and if the car was to fail on another item then i would fail the plate as well, as it is actually a fail. I wouldnt fail just a petty spacing fault.

Would you be happy if i said "here you go mate your car is ok it but i failed it because your number plates are dirty?? thats a fail item. Would you be happy leaving your car with me while you went to work only to return and find i havnt even tested it because you didnt leave the key for your locking petrol cap.

Technically your very correct but theres alot of things within the mot test Like number plate spacing that is pretty petty. If the plate is readable then it should pass afterall thats all a number plate should be, correct numbers/letters and readable. Does it need to be anything else to do its job as a plate? "fil 4362" or "fil 4362" Well worth failing a car for that extra space in the second plate, it makes the plate almost unreadable doesnt it.? After all thats exactly what this thread is about a double space in the plate.

[dave1]

Just to clear up a few points, as an mot tester i constantly have to remind myself i test under the testers manuel rules not the law.

Technically its an mot fail the tester got it right, i personally wouldnt have failed it as i see it as petty.

Your 1st sentence and your last sentence on this thread seem somewhat contradictory. You either test under the manual rules or you don't. If you regard something as petty it should still be a fail if, as you say, you test to the manual!

Its ment that i test to the manuels "rules" and not the law. The standards and limitations are diffrent . I cant test to the "design and use" as this has nothing to do with the mot. But failing petty stuff isnt me. As i said incorrect spacing is a fail and if the car was to fail on another item then i would fail the plate as well, as it is actually a fail. I wouldnt fail just a petty spacing fault.

Would you be happy if i said "here you go mate your car is ok it but i failed it because your number plates are dirty?? thats a fail item. Would you be happy leaving your car with me while you went to work only to return and find i havnt even tested it because you didnt leave the key for your locking petrol cap.

Technically your very correct but theres alot of things within the mot test Like number plate spacing that is pretty petty. If the plate is readable then it should pass afterall thats all a number plate should be, correct numbers/letters and readable. Does it need to be anything else to do its job as a plate? "fil 4362" or "fil 4362" Well worth failing a car for that extra space in the second plate, it makes the plate almost unreadable doesnt it.? After all thats exactly what this thread is about a double space in the plate.

If you read the 1st post that the OP made on this thread you will see that it came about because his car failed the MOT because of the spacing. I stand by what I said regarding your post because you do contradict yourself. You state clearly that you test to the testers manual which as you say means the plate would fail and then say that you would not fail it on that point. Whether it is clear and readable doesn't really come into it if you do in fact test it to the laid down standards. To say that you won't fail a car for petty things is going beyond your remit as a tester. The manual lays down the test requirements and whether or not you or I think that something is petty is not really relevant.

As for your point regarding the fuel cap, I would think it unlikely that the key would be separate from the car key, although you have undoubtedly had this occur, if the fuel cap cannot be removed then you would surely not pass the car?

[fil4362]

I stand by what i say also. section 6.3 of the testers manuel clearly states " testers are not required to required to physically measure the spacing" fail only if obviously mis spaced.

As for a missing petrol cap key its not that its a fail item, its reason to not test the car in the first place. i can refuse to test on the grounds i cannot check your petrol cap seal. I can also refuse to test your car on the basis you have just done your shopping and its in the boot so i cant check your boot floor for corrosion. It happens alot where people forget to leave the key. Can you imagine your mot ran out yesturday its the first test as its only 3 years old, you book in for test, i refuse to test it because of some petty thing missing key dirty lights/number plates shopping in the boot. Buy the time you have nipped home emptied your boot ,got your keys ,washed your car ( take your pick which). you return to the test station to be told " you have missed your slot and i am now busy until next week. sorry. your mot is out technically you cant drive home as you wasnt booked in for test as you have already been home once from the appointment you had.

So your choices, do with out your car until i can get round to doing it, or pay for it to be lifted and delivered to your house until i can get round to doing it or someone else can. Its very easy to say yes thats the rules but you are actually faced with it its not so easy.

Oh and dont take the testers manuel as set in stone either the manuel is currently full of faults. Theres lots of items that are listed as testable but are currently not on the mot computer system. I have to test them but cannot fail them even though the manuel says its a fail. If they are faulty theres no way of actually failing them so why test them in the first place??. I will be giving you a pass certificate knowing the car should fail. The current manuel allows me test and not fail failable items

So again i stand by my post i wont fail a petty item (unless the car fails on other items as well), if i fail cars for petty stuff i wont have many customers and will soon enough be out of work. like op said they have been on the car a while with no problems if the police are not bothered why should i be its not like its causign anyone a problem or harm is it? If you want to be a stickler for the rules i bet i can fail any car that comes through the door i can always find a way to interprite the way the manuel is written. Personally i prefer to give the benefit to the vehicle owner a double space in a plate is reason to fail but then again as i dont have to physically measure it, it looked ok to me and would pass. After all thats all thats included in my "remit" i judge each item thats testable and make a judgement as to its ability to do the job its designed to do.