MOT Major Defect, Really?!?

Reading this thread I'm wondering how my rally car passed its MOT, obviously different testers take offence to different things.
 
justbeats said:
Reading this thread I'm wondering how my rally car passed its MOT, obviously different testers take offence to different things.
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Rally cars generally have to be reasonably quiet to pass scrutineering, I've heard much louder exhaust on various chavved up road cars than from rally cars.
 
Rroff said:
We've got a guy with a modified exhaust down the road from us - starts up to go to work at 5:45am on the dot - *bang* *bang* *putter* *putter* *putter* then a roar (plus some kind of dump valve sound) a bit later as he pulls away - we are just far enough away it isn't a major issue but I bet his immediate neighbours love him.
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I used to park my quad exhaust v10 in a car port which had a flat above it :D #wakeandshake
 
Loudest car I ever drove was a Mazda RX7 with a huge blitz KKK turbo that had a screamer pipe, full bridge port too.
All hell broke loose as soon as the wastegate opened, only car I thought really was too loud.
 
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Nasher said:
Rallying rules say the car must comply with noise regulations.
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Yes, I know this - but that's noise regulations for a motorsport event, not noise regulations for an MOT - they are two different sets of regulations.

Scrutineers will use a dB meter to assess the noise of a vehicle, MOT testers will not - and regardless, they are not measuring against the same set of parameters anyway. It's isn't that the regulations are stuck to more rigidly, they are just different.
 
SC0TTRS said:
I'm always looking at what's available on the market, it's what I do.

I came across one with following MOT failure. It's a Abarth 500 with a turbo back Scorpion exhaust.


Repair immediately (major defects):
  • Exhaust noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (8.1.1 (a))

Ok, sports exhaust without a doubt is louder than stock, we accept or expect that, but to fail the car classing it as 'Major Defect' is a bit excessive doing you think? Did the tester carryout a dB Level test to determine it exceed the legal limit?!!?..I doubt it.

It's not like the owner modified the existing, or made one up in the garden shed to make it louder, it's been replaced with a sports exhaust system!

Would think it's more Advisory noting it's just louder then stock than a OMG! Major Failings!!

What's the owner going to do, completely replace the exhaust system because it's louder than a standard?!?

To me sounds a bit bonkers!..
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I take it heard the cars exhaust system in person? And are not just presuming how loud it was

I agree it needs clamping down on, but I am talking the stupid loud ones
 
Dogbreath said:
Rally cars generally have to be reasonably quiet to pass scrutineering, I've heard much louder exhaust on various chavved up road cars than from rally cars.
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True but the chavs tend to remove a complete silencer and run a straight through pipe. Noise test at scrutineering is also carried out differently to an MOT and event types also differ. Anyway I can tell you this, my gearbox makes more noise than my exhaust flat in top gear... Go figure!
 
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