Mufflerectomys and MOT's

Dec 16, 2007
432
1
Gloucester/Cheltenham
Just a word of warning to you all really.

I have a pd130 with a CAT and just the backbox removed.

Went to In-N-Out saturday morning for my cars second MOT. (with the mufflerectomy system fitted). Had a phone call a hour later saying that the car has failed.

*No backbox fitted
*Car sounds louder than standard

I spoke to a few mechanics i know, each have driven the car and they couldnt believe it.

I went to the garage, asking to speak to the mechanic, as he approached, i knew he would be an ar*e so i started by shaking his hand, then went on to ask why he had failed my car. I told him that all the usual lack, i dont need a backbox... and the exhaust system is quiet. He wasnt having any of it got real sarcastic and unprofessional with me. (by this time my blood was boiling). I then went on to add how do you pass all these boy racer cars which have universal systems which are way over the top. He went on to add ''yes, but they sound like normal because they have a rear silencer'' haha. Then i went on to say ''if i put my standard system back on will you pass it'', he basically said, ah well that depends.

I couldnt see the point in any of this, it would cost them 45 minutes of their time to retest the vehicle for free.

Anyway... I thought bugger it... afterwards i took my car to another random garage and guess what... the car passed straight through no problems at all. I told them what had previously happened and they said that the guy who MOT'd before needs a good slap, the exhaust system is apsolutely acceptable.

(my friend had a MR2 with a 3'' system which would shake houses, and that passed the MOT every time).

So i am £50.00 down and the customer service was pants!

Dont get your car MOT'd and In n Out in bristol cribbs! I dont even think i stand a chance of claiming my money back either...

Long a** rant... over
 

MJ

Active Member
Apr 22, 2008
5,556
36
Manchester
Why dont you annonymously contact VOSA the mot regulating board and inform them of the garages 'shaky' judgement and unprofessionalism with regards to your mot test, it doesnt matter if they find a fault with them or not - the fact that they are being scrutinised and re-tested should teach them to handle matters such as this with more maturity and expertise instead of being smart about it.
Or you could put a bag of flaming dog-sh*t on the doorstep :cartman:
 

willives

Active Member
Apr 20, 2008
94
0
Wiltshire or Spain
Just had my Tdi pass its MOT with a full straight through system. It is louder than standard, but there were no problems with the noise or smoke levels.
 
Dec 16, 2007
432
1
Gloucester/Cheltenham
I spoke to VOSA yesterday, the guy was really rude to be completely honest. I explained the whole situation, even the fact that my car now has a FULL MOT. All he said is well you can go on our web site and fill out a form which we can get one of our MOT testers to test your car for free, this will either give you a pass or a fail. I said to him but i have just had 12 months put on the car and he was like 'well its your decision'.

They didnt care.

And i read up on the internet and checked the official book about *Does your car sound louder than a similar vehicle with a standard silencer*

Its the most rediculous comment going... it means that 90% of car enthusiasts cars should fail MOT's if they want to be c*ntish! Oo you have an open air filter too.. cars to loud sorry.

Of course its louder it has no boxes.

It should be set in stone. Not left up to the individual to make a random decision depending on his bias and how he feels that day. I think the mechanic i had had a hell of a lot of whisky the night before so a mild exhaust system was just to much for him first thing.

I'm in the process of getting a FULL system done too, this will have a milltek back box bet if i went there with that system they would fail me for not having a CAT haha.

I cant see how my exhaust causes an issue as the car is perfectly road worthy. Thats what irritated me.
 
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Andrewcupra TDI

Resident Desk Jockey
Apr 30, 2008
3,282
2
in the mountains ( Wales )
carnt you say u just bought a car local which has just got a fresh mot from that bell end , and you wernt convinced of its roadworthyness and had taken it elsewhere and it failed on lots of things that were dangerous and be annonoumous , and that you have no faith in the garages anymore as bodgy dogdy garages etc etc
 

ChrisGTL

'Awesome' LCR225
Nov 17, 2007
2,459
2
Huddersfield
Mine is going into SEAT for its free MOT tommorrow, should be fun!

No CAT, no middle silencer. Wonder if they will pass it, but as its FREE I really don't care.
 
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Dec 16, 2007
432
1
Gloucester/Cheltenham
Well the good news i supose would be that its the cars 2nd MOT and its passed both of them without any problems. I did explain to them that it passed last year with the same exhaust system, they turned around and said that the garage should be reported haha.
 

Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
4
Near Richmond, North Yorks
And i read up on the internet and checked the official book about *Does your car sound louder than a similar vehicle with a standard silencer*

Its the most rediculous comment going... it means that 90% of car enthusiasts cars should fail MOT's if they want to be c*ntish! Oo you have an open air filter too.. cars to loud sorry.

Of course its louder it has no boxes.

It should be set in stone. Not left up to the individual to make a random decision depending on his bias and how he feels that day. I think the mechanic i had had a hell of a lot of whisky the night before so a mild exhaust system was just to much for him first thing.

I'm in the process of getting a FULL system done too, this will have a milltek back box bet if i went there with that system they would fail me for not having a CAT haha.

I cant see how my exhaust causes an issue as the car is perfectly road worthy. Thats what irritated me.

That's why I asked my earlier question. Noise level is a part of the mot test, and if the tester thinks your car is louder than it should be then he's within his rights to fail it. Simple as.
 
Dec 16, 2007
432
1
Gloucester/Cheltenham
That's why I asked my earlier question. Noise level is a part of the mot test, and if the tester thinks your car is louder than it should be then he's within his rights to fail it. Simple as.

It is very bias though as i would say 70% of systems are louder than mine and they would pass MOT's every time. The system just isnt justified IMHO, just depends how much the MOT tester wants to make... hardly a fair test. I was always under the impression it had to be over a certain decible (sp?) to fail an MOT, until this happend. My old car had a non res catback and it was stupidly loud, at any revs... it went through its MOT.
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
Reason for rejection

a silencer in such condition, or of such a type, that the noise emitted from the vehicle is clearly unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle with a silencer in average condition.

Pretty clear cut to me.

It was louder, you failed. IMO In & Out did their job properly.

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with it, but the laws the law
 

Andrewcupra TDI

Resident Desk Jockey
Apr 30, 2008
3,282
2
in the mountains ( Wales )
shoulda taken my old car - a ford fiesta which had a puma 1.7 4-2-1 mani decat & straight pipe into a back box which had no baffling (which kinda amplified the noise more ) to see if it passed -lol

have a vid on my old phone of me giving it some stick but unsure how to post it
 

MJ

Active Member
Apr 22, 2008
5,556
36
Manchester
Reason for rejection

a silencer in such condition, or of such a type, that the noise emitted from the vehicle is clearly unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle with a silencer in average condition.

Pretty clear cut to me.

It was louder, you failed. IMO In & Out did their job properly.

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with it, but the laws the law

Thats the long and short of it, i spoke to a couple of the other lads at work and the general view was - the final decision is entirely at the testers discretion and cannot be altered once decided

Some will pass it, some fail it. Technicly if a tester passed any car with an aftermarket exhaust he would be doing his job wrongly because its not how it left the factory and usualy exceeds the noise level produced by a vehicle with an entirely standard system.
 

muddyboots

Still hanging around
Oct 16, 2002
5,739
2
So, given what M0rk posted, In-n-Out are actually the ones doing their job correctly then - in which case they don't deserve the criticism.
 

MJ

Active Member
Apr 22, 2008
5,556
36
Manchester
Exactly, the tester is obviously a fair bit stricter than others but cant be condemed for his decision.
 
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