The MGF Register Forums

Here’s the link to gov.uk.
Actually there is no time limit, so even if the current MoT test is just 5 months old and someone wants to put a new test on the car (eg as a sales incentive), a fail will mean not being allowed to drive it immediately.

Interesting, thinks me, as I just want to get a new test before winter really starts and the shed gets too cold for repairs (“TÜV“ runs out end of January). So I checked what the situation’s like in Germany. Which is different as one would have guessed. Over here, tests are only required every other year, so we are a bit on the laissez-faire side anyway. If I take the car to the test station and it fails, I won't get the new sticker but the old one remains valid. I can then opt for an immediate re-test (within 4 weeks) which is cheaper, or wait until the original period runs out but then have to pay the full amount again.

Of course, if the car is unsafe to drive (such as brakes not working), then the engineer will scratch off the old sticker and I wouldn’t even be allowed to leave the premises except on a trailer.

Mykel, you pressed the button seconds before I did.
The Offence is not for the MOT but "Driving a Vehicle in a Dangerous Condition"

But without the mot you can not tax the car right? I guess the automatic number plate reader would also be triggered. Ash

6. Retest after a repair
In some cases your vehicle can have a partial retest for free or a reduced MOT fee.

Extract from Government Website



Leaving your vehicle for repair
You only need a partial retest if you leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days. There’s no fee for this.

Taking your vehicle away for repairs
You can take your vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid.

You can only take your vehicle to or from somewhere to be repaired if your MOT has run out.

Taking it back for a retest the next working day

You won’t have to pay again if you take it back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day for a partial retest on one or more of these items:

access panels
battery
bonnet
bootlid
brake pedal antislip
break glass hammer (class 5 vehicles only)
doors (including hinges, catches and pillars)
door open warning device (class 5 vehicles only)
dropsides
electrical wiring
emergency exits and signs (class 5 vehicles only)
entrance door remote control (class 5 vehicles only)
entrance/exit steps (class 5 vehicles only)
fuel filler cap
headlamp cleaning or levelling devices (that doesn’t need a headlamp aim check)
horn
lamps (excluding headlamp aim)
loading door
main beam ‘tell-tale’
mirrors
rear reflectors
registration plates
seatbelts (but not anchorages), seatbelt load limiter and seatbelt pre-tensioner
seats
sharp edges or projections
stairs (class 5 vehicles only)
steering wheel
tailboard
tailgate
trailer electrical sockets
towbars (excluding body around anchorage points)
tyre pressure monitoring system
vehicle identification number (VIN)
windscreen glass, wipers and washers
wheels and tyres (excluding motorcycles and motorcycles with sidecar)
Taking it back for a retest within 10 working days

You’ll only need a partial retest if you take the vehicle from the test centre for repairs and take it back within 10 working days. You can be charged a partial retest fee for this.

In all other cases, you’ll need to get a full retest and pay the full MOT test fee again.

"But without the mot you can not tax the car right? I guess the automatic number plate reader would also be triggered".

Oooh Yes indeed. One of my friends got done in Sydney this year, forgot to tax the car and drove past a highway patrol on the way to kids sport.
The number plate reader got them out the LHS window of the patrol car. Big fine. We were following and actually saw it happen. Wondered why they were getting pulled over.

If you are paying for car tax monthly they now cancel the direct debt and thus the tax as soon as the MOT expires.

One of my 'other' cars is a 2001 model Toyota Prado. The back tyres are well and truly worn and it's due for MoT,
now that I can read tyre build dates I checked them out, one of the tyres was made in 2000!!!

What, a 16 year old tyre still on the car?
Turns out the previous and only other owner kept the spare from new without rotating it.
She liked to keep things looking new!

When I started rotating the tyres to get some wear out of a $200 tyre, it ended up being the best of the rest
when I got new tyres, and put back as the spare, 3 times over.

The spare on this car is exposed to the elements 24/7 like many 4WD and it does show significant signs of age.
One other tyre that I have just worn out was made in 2004 and is has serious cracks in the sidewall.
I guess it's been exposed more to the elements than the spare in an F, but it makes me wonder.

So when replacing tyres if you are choosing one to put back as a spare, perhaps choose the youngest tyre, rather than the one with the most tread.
Yes, I know this comment doesn't really apply to the F.

I finally got to reading the age of the tyres on my F, the red one in my little picture here.

Frustratingly I found the patch where the batch date should be stamped to be blank. I checked front and rear and both had no date.
A few days later I walked past the other side of the car and checked again. There was the batch date!

So I have 2 tyres with a date and two without?
I carefully checked where on the tyre the date was stamped, it was right near the arrow and the word 'rotation'

Then the penny dropped - DIRECTIONAL TYRES. The date will be stamped on the inside of the tyre, yes
the 2 I could read were on the left of the car, and the 2 I couldn't see were on the right. It seems that tyres don't get the date stamp
on both sidewalls, only one.

Happily the tyres are 5-1/2 years old and my concern about the car being off the road for 3 years are somewhat less.

I post this experience in the hope that someone else won't make the same mistake and learn from my new knowledge.
My neighbour says he has lots of experience, just means he has made lots of mistakes.

My 1997 F has just been for its "Contrôle Technique" in France (again). It has been over here for a number of years and I've had it for the past 8. It's on its second set of Toyo Proxes, 195/55 R15 on the front and 205/50 R15 on the rears. They have been fine. However today the tester tells me that 195/55 R15s are not "authorised" and as a result could invalidate the insurance in case of accident. (he printed me out a sheet with all the authorised tyre sizes & combinations)

Seems a bit strange. Doubly bizarre is the fact that it has been through several MOTs like this and no-one has ever commented before, but the French do love a bit of bureaucracy. Is there any information UK side regarding this option (195/55 R16)

Car passed with flying colours by the way. Got a 'mention' about slight oil leak on engine (near oil filter) and a touch of toe-out. Can sort that no worries.

Hi Bruce, the correct figment for a 15" front is 185/55. A bit picky maybe but he's correct.

I wonder if he's aware that you can have 215/40x16 all round but not 205x50/15. This combo was standard on the Abingdon's and MY2000 vvc's.

It's a it tougher for you in Europe as we can change wheel sizes on our cars ( and most other things like exhausts and brakes) without failing the test as long as they meet the test criteria.

Actually there are some more combinations you can use legally. Dieter has an official paper from MG Rover Germany on his site, listing all the sizes that are usable according to their internal tests. Although this is in German, it might help. 195/55R15 is not included, though.

And a slight engine oil leak is meant to be there for conservation purposes. At least that’s what my tester always tells me.

This is the print out of MGF authorised tyres printed out for me by the Tester. It looks like I might have to bite the bullet and change the fronts as he says that in the event of an accident the insurance could be voided.

Reckless Rat wrote:My 1997 F has just been for its "Contrôle Technique" in France (again). It has been over here for a number of years and I've had it for the past 8. It's on its second set of Toyo Proxes, 195/55 R15 on the front and 205/50 R15 on the rears. They have been fine. However today the tester tells me that 195/55 R15s are not "authorised" and as a result could invalidate the insurance in case of accident. (he printed me out a sheet with all the authorised tyre sizes & combinations)

I'm thinking of going to a set of Toyo Proxes, 195/50 R15 on the front and 205/50 R15 on the rears. Nice to know that you are satisfied with them.
It's one of only a few sizes that are available in the 2 different sizes out here in the colony. My other option is to get a pair of 185/55 R15 put on a plane as some here have already done.

But don't the 195/55 have a bigger circumference than the 205/50?
Anyway I sort of like that 'nose down' look with a slightly smaller tyre on the front so I think I'll stick to 195/50 anyway

RobboMC wrote:........But don't the 195/55 have a bigger circumference than the 205/50?
Anyway I sort of like that 'nose down' look with a slightly smaller tyre on the front so I think I'll stick to 195/50 anyway

195/55/15 Overall diameter: 596mm

205/50/15 Overall diameter: 586mm

I have read the Gov web site regarding MoTs and its not quite black and white.
It does not state that your current MoT is now null and void and does allow for taking the vehicle to be retested and or repaired.
It does however state the car must be road worthy at all times, implying this is a lower standard than the MoT itself. I haven't read the detail definition of what this but bear in mind the MoT tester needs to look ahead and assess whether an item is going to be serviceable for the year ahead. This means the car could be failed for certain items that are still legal but in the opinion of the tester will not last until the next test.

I finally got my spare out of the wheel well and proved it really is the OEM tyre - Strewth!!!

It's the original GT 65 and bears the stamp 168 ; which means Week 16 of 1998. Since the car left the production line in Sept, 1998 ( about week 36 ) this makes perfect sense. Imagine a 20 year old tyre, middle of the night, 50 miles from help, NO thanks.
This tyre has now gone to the great tyre dump and I have a new Falkan 914 of the correct size ( 175/65R14 rated 82H).

Now for my question: the OEM tyre was T rated, which means 80 km/h maximum.

The new tyre is H rated, like the 4 on the ground. So what maximum speed would anyone recommend, considering the weight of the rim
and the fact the tyre is 3 cm narrower than the ( say ) proper rear.

In this nanny country the highest speed limit I'm likely to have is 110 km/h; and I'm thinking the 175/65 H rated tyre should be good for at
least 100 km/h, especially if fitted to the front. Surely I'm not the trail blazer on this.

The speed limit on the spare is because you’re running vastly different sizes on one axle, which is supposed to slightly compromise road holding.

Space saver goes on, I go 50!

And it goes on the back so as not to compromise steering.

On the back sounds fine if all 4 tyres are of the same width, I agree totally.

But on a 15" rimmed F with 185/55 on the front and 205/50 on the rear is it really worth the double wheel change
to have the space saver on the back and different 185 and 205 wheels on the front, that's if the 205 fits at all.