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Pre IVA MOT


danielbrookes

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Morning,

IVA due in 2 weeks and I am planning on driving to test centre, 80 miles away.

I am thinking of booking a pre test MOT to check emissions, wheel alignment, breaks etc.

There seem to be mixed opinions but I was wondering are there any serious disadvantages to getting an MOT before the IVA?

Additional cost aside and the fact I may need to get an MOT in the first 3 years I like the thought of a trained eye checking my work before IVA.

Anyone else done this?

thanks,

Dan

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Personally I’d be trying to find a rolling road that can do your tuning and check/set emissions for IVA. The rolling road will stress the car to find issues an mot won’t, and generally speaking they’ll be able to give the car a once over too. 

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I did - excellent idea.

Firstly, just book an MOT but tell the garage not to record it, pass or fail. Just explain you want the tests only and you only really care about emissions and brakes - they should have no problem with that (if they do, go somewhere else 😀).

If you know how, take the laptop, sit there with the gas analyser connected up and adjust the map to get the emissions to pass  that's what I did and had no emissions problems at IVA. 

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4 minutes ago, theduck said:

Personally I’d be trying to find a rolling road that can do your tuning and check/set emissions for IVA. The rolling road will stress the car to find issues an mot won’t, and generally speaking they’ll be able to give the car a once over too. 

2 problems with that; you're legally allowed to drive to an MOT or IVA with an un-registered car but not a RR session and cost; RR=£350, MOT=£50 (or zero if the garage is nice, like mine was 😉).

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Pretty sure it’s illegal to drive the car on the road to anything other than the Iva appointment prior to first Iva test. After the first test you can drive it to a garage for work required to pass the Iva though. 

As for dyno costing more, it does, but then you have a properly tuned car and that is worth every penny. 

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To an IVA - Yes providing your insurance will allow it.
Unregistered car to MOT thats not an MOT (even if the garage don't record it...is it still an MOT? - Might need to provide proof of MOT which they can't do because no registration) - minefield. 

Risk vs Reward.

All it takes is one police officer on a bad day interpreting the law differently and your car is crushed for being untaxed, uninsured, unregistered and you find yourself a hefty fine and points.  

Personally, I'd do the IVA test driving there - if you don't have confidence in your build....will the IVA tester? After than, worst case, you need a retest - £90 still? Then you can book an appointment at the local garage to rectify emissions if needed and be covered. Yes it costs more, but if you've already sunk £10k into the build, whats an extra £100-200 for legal peace of mind?

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Thanks everyone - lots of replies in a short time, food for thought.

I setup insurance yesterday via chassis number and they said IVA and MOT are OK. It does seem a grey area for MOT; I have confidence in the build but extra pair of eyes (especially trained ones!) sounds good to me.

Ill mull it over whilst tinkering on car this sunny weekend :)

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If you can borrow a trailer --- the MOT is a very good idea &  if the car is trailed to the IVA test that equals brownie points with the tester if its pouring rain on the way there. Can't think any mechanic/tester likes working under a dirty,wet car.

Its highly unlikely given the thought & care you are putting in to your build --- BUT --- what if something drastic fails on the car at IVA --- could make getting home very awkward if driven there.

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I think you are right when you say "There seem to be mixed opinions but I was wondering are there any serious disadvantages to getting an MOT before the IVA?"

I think the problem lies in the perception of what an MOT is or does.

The MOT test checks a vehicle against a series of standards, one being vehicle emission, those standards do have some comparisons with the IVA, but they are not the same.

The IVA is looking at a vehicle in terms of build, safety and legal standards, which the MOT assumes some of these are already met because the vehicle is registered.

An MOT tester will check the rear fog light works, an IVA tester will check it works with dip beam headlights only, is at the correct angle and within the specified positioning, has the correct lens identification has the correct radius on the edges etc. etc.  

The MOT procedure, can be carried out on anything, however until IVA'd and registered the vehicle does not appear on the MOT database so the test procedure can not be recorded.

There is also no information as to which standard of emission the vehicle should be tested too. It can be manually set in the test machine and most engines are going to be post 1996 so under current standards, but pre 1996 could be age related or current depending on the proof of age.

Its value is in that it is a second pair of eye being cast over your build, and they have the equipment to accurately test the emissions, something that most garages could do MOT testing or not.

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Hi Dan. I did the same before my Iva a few years ago. The emissions were ok after a bit of a fiddle but also used the brake rollers to try and bed in the brakes as they were new parts.

It was useful but the car still failed the brake test on the rear drums along with a few other bits. 

My local garage is at the end of my road and is a guy I use regularly so he knew of the car and what I was trying to do.

‘MOT’ is worth doing if it can be done legally but won’t high light or fix all issues. Rolling road is the only sure way on emissions and then performance. 

Good luck with the IVA

Steve

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Guest MrToad

I completed IVA September last year and they wanted to see a MOT (mock as no registration). I included this in the package of paperwork and the inspector referred to it during the test.

As you say the IVA covers all and more that the MOT includes but I think they like to see the trail, showing your following of the rules.

I did all the journey's using a trailer but nothing was said about it. My experience of running a fleet of vehicles was that the traffic police have to refer to VOSA for these vehicle movements and that can mean lengthy delays/detours all of which are inconvenient, better to be sure than test the rules.

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48 minutes ago, MrToad said:

I completed IVA September last year and they wanted to see a MOT (mock as no registration). I included this in the package of paperwork and the inspector referred to it during the test.

Really - at IVA?! That's weird - what is an MOT going to tell him that he isn't about to find out himself? Or was that the last MOT for your donor maybe?

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Guest MrToad
45 minutes ago, nelmo said:

Really - at IVA?! That's weird - what is an MOT going to tell him that he isn't about to find out himself? Or was that the last MOT for your donor maybe?

Donor was long gone, crushed by the insurance company. I couldn't understand the MOT either but that is what they wanted at Southampton. Don't know whether not having one would have prevented pass but for £30 I thought why not.

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Guest MrToad

Anniversary is not until late September, so I will not know as nothing in paperwork to indicate when I will be required to do MOT. The mock MOT does not have any tie up to the car apart from the VIN as there was no number plate and they could not register it, the donor was in an accident and destroyed. I was able to get an age related plate though which was a total surprise.

I will check on-line nearer year date as at the last viewing it said "not available". This 3 year ruling is so vague as the various threads on here have shown. 

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