Sva Test

[Guest John Hammond]

I've been reading the stuff people put up about SVA tests and I'm amazed by the hoops some testers put us through. I mean, like failing a car because it does not have the word 'supressed' on a brand new high quality set of HT leads or because there is an edge on a rear foglight (very dangerous if you reverse over somebody at speed presumably). So what's the most nit-picking fail point anybody's has ever had?

[Guest Ant]

Apologies to those who remember this from 12 months ago ...

 

On my re-test the examiner tried to fail the chromed plastic edge trim which I'd put on the silencer shield on grounds of it being plastic and hence combustable and part of the exhaust system. It wasn't mentioned on the initial test. He wanted me to use "a length of brake pipe, split down the length, and spot welded to the shield" ... hmmm ... welding copper to stainless anyone? Anyhow whilst argueing over another point he got another tester to come across and adjudicate. He was meandering around the car and he pointed to the exhaust shield and said "hey - that's nice. Much better than most people turn up with". In the end I agreed with the first tester that if he could put his hand on the shield after we'd done the steering / mirrors test then it wasn't hot enough to catch fire. This was a win win for me - either the tester would get a burnt hand for being such a git in the first place, or he would have to conceed and pass it

 

The thing we were argueing about when he got the other guy out was the track rod threaded bars on the front suspension. I had plastic pipe, split and then clamped with jubillee clips on them - again it passed the first test - in fact I specifically asked the first tester if it was ok (he was failing other parts of the suspension) and he said it was absolutely fine. The re-tester wanted to fail them. They're not "permanent" he said. "But if they've permanent how can I adjust the tracking?". The arguement covered this question in detail and went on for ages! I simply wasn't giving in. In the end I said they were "permanent" anyway ... as permanent as anything else on the car. "Give me a socket set and a hoist and I'll remove the engine ... give me a screwdriver and I'll remove the tracking bar covers ... is the engine permanent?" He conceeded on this one in the end too but on condition that I put a bead of glue along the split pipe as well as the jubillee clips. Later that day I tracked the car, had to destroy the plastic to remove it because of the glue, and guess what, they didn't get re-fitted!

 

Do I get the most picky SVA tester award?

 

Ant

[swan]

ant

dont know if you get the award for the most nit picking fail point but remembering your test report on this group you definately get the awkward tester award .

If they try to fail parts that have previously past sva he is bringing the competancy of one of his colleagues into question. You could go for a re- test with 4 fail points and come home with 4 different fail points. You could go on either until your patience or money ran out.

You can smile about it now but at the time it must seem like they are taking the p**s

 

What is the situation if it passes first time round but is susequently failed ? as in your case whilst you argued the case and won what action can you take if you do not persuade the tester in favour of your argument, and he then refuses to issue a pass.

 

swan

Edited April 10, 2004 by swan

[Guest Ant]

Once we'd got to the stage of passing the items on the first fail list I just became very very arsy with him. I clarified every niggling details of everything he failed it on, and I wasn't leaving without a lengthy description of how he wanted them done. At one point I asked him what would happen if I implemented his idea on the track rod arms only to come back and get the previous tester. I think he saw the stupidity of the situation in the end. The problem was simply inconcistency - if they both said the same thing I wouldn't have had a problem with any of it.

 

Oh well ... nearly 7000 miles since then

 

MOT time later this month!

 

Ant

[Guest Phil Slater]

Ant

 

I thought once you had your SVA you didn't need an MOT for three years??????

 

Phil Slater

[Guest chris brown]

That has been said before but being age related when you get your tax reminder the MOT is listed as a requirement along with insurance and cash. Well that the way it seems to work

[Guest rizla]

well thats something else ive learnt today

[Guest Phil in Cheshire]

Hi

When i registered my car on Tuesday i was told by MR DVLA that an MOT would be required the next time i taxed it so in 6 or 12 months.

Phil

[Guest Ant]

There's been a lot of debate on the MOT / new car issue, both on here and in the kit car press. I think the official line is that they are now counted as new, but that wasn't the case when mine was SVA'd. Even then I don't have a problem with taking it for an MOT. It will be a chance for a good look underneath - see if anything has moved or come loose etc. It's also a bit of a safety check and well worth the money. the only proviso is to take it to a garage where I can wander around as they do it, otherwise it looses its value.

 

More in a few weeks time

 

Ant

[Guest timswait]

I haven't had an MOT test for the two years since my SVA, when the road tax renewal came round it didn't list an MOT certicate as being required.

As for the most nit picking SVA fail, mine failed on a fair bit, some of it reasonable, but the most nit-picking point had to be that the balancing weights on the spare wheel were too sharp! He wasn't worried about the ones on the road wheels since they were exempt (you could presumably have spikes on your wheels if you want!), but the spare wasn't so needed a cover. Also the screw holes on the fog light were too sharp and needed filling with silicone. Another inspector very worried about reversing into pedestrians.

[Guest mark kingston]

i would like to stake my claim for the longest sva test... mine lasted 7 and a half hours once the half hour lunch break had been taken out...

mark kingston

[Guest chris brown]

What was he doing all that time mark? If it had been a Westfield you could have built it in that time

[colivent]

i failed first time with the metal part of the 4 point harness not having a 2.5mm radius. metal is 3mm thick, 2.5+2.5 = ?.......colin

[Guest chris brown]

Colin I was picked up for that also but the tester let me tape a bit of edging material around them which he said would do until after the test. As long as it complied at the time was all he was bothered about.