Guidance

MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles: changes from 20 June 2019

Published 17 June 2019

This guidance was withdrawn on 1 October 2020

This MOT special notice has been withdrawn because the information has been added to the MOT inspection manual, so it is no longer relevant.

You can find all the information in the latest version of the MOT inspection manual at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles

Overview

The MOT inspection manuals for cars and passenger vehicles (classes 3, 4, 5 and 7) was updated when changes to the MOT were introduced on 20 May 2018.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has monitored how the new test is working. Following feedback from MOT testers, DVSA is making changes to the MOT inspection manual from Thursday 20 June 2019.

The sections that will change are:

These changes will not appear in the inspection manual until 20 June 2019.

Section 0: identification of the vehicle

(0.1) Registration plates

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Imported vehicles that don’t have the space for standard sized registration plates can have smaller registration plates.

To:

Tricycles, quadricycles and imported vehicles that do not have the space for standard sized registration plates can have smaller registration plates.

This change will be made to 0.1 Registration plates.

Section 1: brakes

(1.1.10) Brake servo units and master cylinder (hydraulic system)

Information added

To check the brake servo:

1. Check the engine is switched off.

2. Deplete the stored vacuum by repeatedly applying the service brake.

3. Fully apply the brake and hold at a constant pressure.

4. Start the engine.

5. Note whether the pedal can be felt to travel further.

This will be added to 1.10 Brake servo units and master cylinder (hydraulic system).

Section 2: steering

(2.2.2) Steering column or forks and yokes

Change to defect

Changing from:

Defect	Category
c. Excessive deterioration of a flexible coupling	Major

To:

Defect	Category
c. Excessive wear or play in a universal joint or a flexible coupling excessively deteriorated	Major

This change will be made to 2.2.2 Steering column or forks and yokes.

Section 3: Visibility

(3.3) View to rear

New defects added

These new defects will be added:

vehicle type	Date of first use	Requirements
Bodied tricycles and quadricycles	Any age	Must have two mirrors or devices, one of which must be in position ‘a’
Unbodied tricycles and quadricycles (other than mopeds)	Any age	Must have two mirrors or devices, one in position ‘a’ and one in position ‘b’
Unbodied tricycles and quadricycles classed as mopeds	First registered on or after 1 August 1978	Must have at least one mirror or device in position ‘a’

These defects will be added to 3.3 View to rear.

Section 4: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

(4.1.1) Headlamps: presence, condition and operation

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.1.1 Headlamps: presence, condition and operation.

(4.1.2) Headlamps: headlamp alignment

Change of instruction

Changing from:

For European type lamp to pass, you must make sure that: beam image ‘kick up’ is visible on the screen

To:

For European type lamp to pass, you must make sure that: Kick up’ is visible on the screen, unless it has been masked or it has a flat top beam pattern.

This change will be made to 4.1.2 Headlamps: headlamp alignment.

(4.1.4) Headlamps - Compliance with requirements

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

New defect added

This new defect will be added.

Defect	Category
Mandatory headlamps, intended to be a matched pair, are not the same shape, size or colour	Major

These changes will be made to 4.1.4 Headlamps - Compliance with requirements.

(4.2.1) Front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps: presence, condition and operation

Changes of instruction

Change 1

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

Change 2

Changing from:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they should dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may turn off when headlamps are switched on.

To:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they may or may not dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may dim or turn off when headlamps are switched on.

New defects added

These new defects will be added:

Defect	Category
a. (i) Multiple light source up to a half not functioning	Minor
(ii) Missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than a half not functioning	Major

These changes will be made to 4.2.1 front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps: presence, condition and operation.

(4.2.2) Front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps: switching

Changes of instruction

Change 1

Changing from:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they should dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may turn off when headlamps are switched on.

To:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they may or may not dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may dim or turn off when headlamps are switched on.

Change 2

Changing from:

If position lamps are combined with direction indicators, position lamps should switch off when the relevant direction indicator is flashing.

To:

If position lamps are combined with direction indicators, position lamps may or may not switch off when the relevant direction indicator is flashing.

These changes will be made to 4.2.2 Front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps: switching.

(4.2.3) Front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps - Compliance with requirements

Changes of instruction

Change 1

Changing from:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they should dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may turn off when headlamps are switched on.

To:

If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they may or may not dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may dim or turn off when headlamps are switched on.

Change 2

Changing from:

If position lamps are combined with direction indicators, position lamps should switch off when the relevant direction indicator is flashing.

To:

If position lamps are combined with direction indicators, position lamps may or may not switch off when the relevant direction indicator is flashing.

Information added

This information will be added:

Daytime running lamps (DRLs) or headlamps may function as front position lamps. If the DRLs function as front position lamps, they may or may not dim when rear position lamps are switched on and may dim or turn off when headlamps are switched on.

These changes will be made to 4.2.3 Front and rear position lamps, daytime running lamps and end-outline marker lamps - Compliance with requirements.

(4.3.1) Stop lamps - presence, condition and operation

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.3.1 Stop lamps - presence, condition and operation.

(4.3.3) Stop lamps - compliance with requirements

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.3.3 Stop lamps: compliance with requirements.

(4.4.1) Direction indicators and hazard warning lamps - presence, condition and operation

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

New defects added

These new defects will be added:

Defect	Category
d. Mandatory hazard warning device not fitted	Major
e. Mandatory hazard warning device inoperative	Major

These changes will be made to 4.4.1 Direction indicators and hazard warning lamps - presence, condition and operation.

(4.4.3) Direction indicators and hazard warning lamps - compliance with requirements

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.4.3 Direction indicators and hazard warning lamps - compliance with requirements.

(4.5.1) Front and rear fog lamps: presence, condition and operation

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.5.1 Front and rear fog lamps: presence, condition and operation.

(4.5.4) Front and rear fog lamps: compliance with requirements

Change of instruction

Changing from:

Repairs to lamps must be assessed for security, colour, light output, durability and beam aim.

To:

You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability.

This change will be made to 4.5.4 Front and rear fog lamps: compliance with requirements.

Section 5: axles, wheels, tyres and suspension

(5.1.1) Axles

Changed defect

This defect will change from:

Defect	Category
a. An axle fractured	Dangerous

To:

Defect	Category
a. An axle fractured or deformed	Dangerous

This change will be made to 5.1.1 Axles.

(5.2.3) Tyres

Changed defect

This defect will change from:

Defect	Category
h. Tyre pressure monitoring system:
(i) malfunctioning or tyre obviously under-inflated	Minor
(ii) obviously inoperative	Major

To:

Defect	Category
h. Tyre pressure monitoring system:
(i) Tyre obviously under-inflated	Minor
(ii) Malfunctioning or obviously not working	Major

These changes will be made to 5.2.3 Tyres.

(5.3.3) Suspension arms, rods, struts, sub-frames, anti-roll bars etc.

Incorrect wording

The wording of a defect has been corrected.

It has been changed from:

Defect	Category
b. A suspension component:
(ii) fractured or likely to foul	Dangerous

To:

Defect	Category
b. A suspension component:
(ii) fractured or likely to fail	Dangerous

(5.3.4) Suspension joints, pins and bushes

Changed defect

This defect will change from:

Defect	Category
a. A suspension pin, bush or joint:

To:

Defect	Category
a. A suspension pin, bush, joint or bearing:

This change will be made to 5.3.4 Suspension joints, pins and bushes.

Section 6: body, structure and attachments

(6.1.7) Transmission

Defect changed

This defect will be changed from:

Defect	Category
g. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot:
(ii) missing or split	Major

To:

Defect	Category
g. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot:
(ii) missing, split, insecure or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Major

This change will be made to 6.1.7 Transmission.

Section 7: other equipment

(7.1.2) Seat belt fitment and condition

Information added

This information will be added:

You don’t need to inspect:

• a belt fitted with no corresponding seat
• a buckle or stalk with no corresponding belt’

This change will be made to 7.1.2 Seat belt fitment and condition.

Section 8: nuisance

(8.2.2.2) Exhaust emissions: opacity

Changes of instruction

Change 1

Changing from:

For vehicles first used between 1 July 2008 and 31 December 2013, the smoke limit will be:

• the level specified on the manufacturer’s plate if available
• 1.5m^-1

For vehicles first used on or after 1 January 2014, the smoke limit will be:

• the level specified on the manufacturer’s plate if available
• 0.7m^-1

To:

For vehicles first used between 1 July 2008 and 31 December 2013, the smoke limit will be:

• the level specified on the manufacturer’s plate
• 1.5m^-1 if the manufacturer’s plate is not available

For vehicles first used on or after 1 January 2014, the smoke limit will be:

• the level specified on the manufacturer’s plate
• 0.7m^-1 if manufacturer’s plate is not available

Change 2

Changing from:

If the smoke levels from the first acceleration were significantly higher than the limit, you can choose to abort the test.

To:

If the smoke levels from the first acceleration were significantly higher than the limit, you can choose to not complete the test.

Change to defect

Changing from:

Defect	Category
f. Emissions test aborted because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values	Major

To:

Defect	Category
f. Emissions test not complete because smoke levels are significantly in excess of the specified limit values	Major

These changes will be made to 8.2.2.2 Exhaust emissions: opacity.

Section 10: seat belt installation checks

Section added

(10.1) Seat belt installation requirements will be added.

Section reordered

Section: seat belt installation guidance notes will be renumbered as 10.2.

These changes will be made to 10: seat belt installation checks.

Appendix C: seat belt fitment tables

In appendix C:

• the order of tables will change so that the 3 tables listing all fitment codes (A, B, C and so on) are shown first
• the table reference numbers will change
• the paragraph headings will be made more accurate

Additional information will be added to the renumbered table 5 (‘Seatbelt fitments for vehicles with an unladen weight more than 2,540kg’). This is currently table 7.

This will confirm that these vehicles can have seatbelt fitments of B, G, and N-type if they meet both of these rules:

• they were first registered on or after 1 October 2001
• they have 2 or fewer forward-facing rear seats

These changes will be made to Appendix C: seat belt fitment tables.