New MOT laws now came into effect on March 20th BEWARE

Thought this will be of interest to many. The information below comes courtesy of The AA

All the items listed below are advisory only until 20 March 2013
The legal process for changing regulations has taken longer than expected and the bedding in period for the new items has been extended several times.

The latest news from VOSA is that:

The legislation to enable the changes required under Directive 2010/48/EU to the MOT test for Classes 4, 5 & 7, will come into force on 20 March 2013. Plans are now under way to enable the items (added to the inspection manuals in January 2012), which are currently being advised, to become fail items from 20 March 2013 where defects are found.

The latest version of the MOT inspection manual shows the new reasons for failure highlighted

The main changes
Electronic parking brake
Electronic parking brake controls are now included and must be present and not inappropriately repaired or modified - repair obviously likely to adversely affect the road worthiness of the vehicle or modification that has seriously weakened the component.

(The 'inappropriately repaired or modified' check is to be applied to a wide range of systems and components throughout the vehicle.)

The car will fail if an Electronic Parking Brake warning lamp is illuminated to indicate a malfunction.

Electronic Stability Control
Checks of antilock brakes will be extended to include Electronic Stability Control if fitted. The tester will check for the presence and correct operation of the ESC malfunction warning light together with looking for obviously missing, excessively damaged or inappropriately repaired or modified components and electrical wiring, as well as an ESC switch missing, insecure or faulty.

Warning lights
As well as electronic parking brake and electronic stability control warning lights (where fitted) the MOT test will also include checks for the correct function of the following, where fitted;

Headlight main beam warning light
Electronic power steering warning light
Brake fluid level warning light
Seat belt pre-tensioner warning light
Steering & suspension
The new test includes a check on the presence and correct function of the steering lock where fitted as standard.

Missing, or split/damaged dust covers on steering and suspension ball-joints will result in failure if they will allow dirt to enter the joint.

Power steering fluid level must be above the minimum level indicated on the reservoir.

Lighting
Products on the lens or light source that obviously reduce the light's intensity or change its colour will become a reason for failure – applies to front/rear position lamps, registration plate lamps, stop lamps, rear fog and direction indicators,

Headlight requirements are updated to take account of the particular characteristics of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps.

HID headlights can cause dazzle if they are dirty or aimed too high, so they are generally (if light output exceeds 2000 lumens) fitted in conjunction with headlamp cleaning and levelling systems. Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted the tester will switch on the headlamps and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted.

The car will fail if a headlamp levelling or cleaning device is inoperative or otherwise obviously defective.

If a headlamp bulb is not seated correctly the resulting beam pattern will be indistinct and this will result in a test fail.

Electrical wiring and battery
An insecure battery will be a reason for failure as will a battery that is leaking electrolyte.

Visible wiring that is insecure, inadequately supported or likely to cause a short will also result in a failure as will wires bared by damaged insulation.

Trailer/caravan electrical socket
There will be a basic security/damage check of 7-pin sockets,

13-pin sockets will be subject to a full electrical connectivity check and incorrectly connected or inoperative circuits will result in failure.

Tyres
Tyre pressure monitoring systems fitted to vehicles first registered after 1 January 2012 must be working correctly and not indicating a malfunction.

Supplementary restraints
The vehicle will fail the test if any airbag fitted as original equipment is obviously missing or defective.

A seatbelt pre-tensioner fitted as original equipment but missing or that has obviously deployed will be a reason for failure.

Seatbelt load limiters that are missing where fitted as standard or folding webbing type limiters that have obviously deployed are also reasons for failure.

The vehicle will also fail if a Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) malfunction indicator lamp indicates a system malfunction.

Speedometer
The car will fail if a speedometer is not fitted, is incomplete, inoperative, has a dial glass broken/missing or cannot be illuminated.

Seats
It must be possible to secure the driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism in two or three different positions. On electric seats the motors must move the seat fore and aft.

Doors
A rear door that cannot be opened from the outside using the relevant control is a new reason for failure.

Doors must be easy to open and close – hinges, catches and pillars will be inspected.

Towbars
Inappropriate repair or modification to the towbar assembly will be a reason for failure if judged likely to affect the roadworthiness of the vehicle/trailer.

Exhaust
A catalytic convertor fitted as original equipment but missing will be a reason for failure.

Fuel system
Damaged or chafed fuel pipes will result in failure.


* The new testable components subject to the 'bedding in' period throughout 2012 are:

headlamp levelling and cleaning devices when fitted for HID or LED headlamps
main beam 'tell-tale'
battery - including batteries for electric or hybrid vehicles
electrical wiring connectors
trailer electrical socket security and damage
operation of 13-pin trailer electrical sockets
operation of the steering lock (where fitted)
electronic power steering malfunction warning indicating a fault
electronic parking brake control and malfunction indicator lamp
electronic stability control components including switch and malfunction warning
brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
tyre pressure monitoring systems
secondary restraint system component including airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and seat belt load limiters.
speedometer
indirect vision devices - where they replace obligatory mirrors


Taken with thanks from another car makers forum which I frequent Kola is the big solid black German Shepherd, Dobbie is.......a breed you've never heard of......yet;)

Thanks for sharing this. My main concern has been answered.

Stratstones retro-fitted Xenon Headlamps as part of the deal, but there is no levelling system fitted. They were adamant at handover that it would not impinge on future MOT regs relating to lighting, as it had to be operative only if fitted. From reading through this, as long as the beams are aimed correctly, there would be no reason for issuing a failure notice. Foraging near Gaydon....
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MY13 HSE Lux SD4, Baltic Blue - current, 30,000> miles without fault
MY12 HSE 2.2 SD4, Sumatra Black - gone after 10 months/43,000 fault-free miles

"HID headlights can cause dazzle if they are dirty or aimed too high, so they are generally (if light output exceeds 2000 lumens) fitted in conjunction with headlamp cleaning and levelling systems. Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted the tester will switch on the headlamps and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted.

The car will fail if a headlamp levelling or cleaning device is inoperative or otherwise obviously defective."

IMO if a car has xenons/HID then it has to have a levelling AND a cleaning system. I don't know, however if it has to be automatic or can just be manual level adjustment
However you should have manual levelling and a headlight wash so should be covered anyway.

The people this affects most will be those who have fitted HID's to their base model cars without either of these items present.
Just my take on it.