Mot Failed on noise!!

wild willy

Full Member
Aug 4, 2003
2,323
0
Wales
isnt AMG a different car to Mercedes?

Anyway, if the MOT garages where told to measure the exhaust noise it means more time will be spent on a test and extra equipment will need to be purchased and calibrated each year. If this was done then the MOT fee would need to increase and no one would like that speacially the people who have not modified their exhaust.

The inspection manual that testers use are full of subjective and objective decisions. Subjective are decisions like excessive corrosion, play in a steering joint and exhaust noise. Objective decisions are things like 1.6mm minimum tread depth and 1.5mm brake lining material.

A tester has to use his experience, qualifications and knowledge of different vehicles for subjective decisions and if he thinks a exhaust is louder than that of a standard one in average condition tested at idle and 2500rpm to 3000rpm, he can fail it. Remember this is a static check and not under load.

The problem is that the testing personel i have experienced are not the sharpest tools in the shed. Motor mechanics is not an overly educated subject either. There should be one max noise level and thats it, measured by the operator if it appears to be ott. That won't increase mot times at all.
 

wild willy

Full Member
Aug 4, 2003
2,323
0
Wales
I think you maybe need to try a different garage then dude, quite a badly generalised overview there.
Harsh but true. I studied motor mechanics for two years as one of my gcse subjects which i enjoyed greatly but was really miffed when i found out that even if i scored 100% exam success the best grade that could be rewarded was a "C" grade. It is academically rated as a dumbo subject (Hugely unfair and underrated). All of my class mates were to be honest were the wrems of the year, and went fourth and got employed in the industry.
Most of the work i have had performed on my car has been substandard, the reason being is the caliber of the people working on it.
I appreciate good workman ship, practical skills and jobs that require a high academic ability. Motor mechanics embraces all of these and there are some great technicians out there. Its just that you need a microscope to find them. :(
 
Dec 6, 2008
612
0
Shropshire
Harsh but true. I studied motor mechanics for two years as one of my gcse subjects which i enjoyed greatly but was really miffed when i found out that even if i scored 100% exam success the best grade that could be rewarded was a "C" grade. It is academically rated as a dumbo subject (Hugely unfair and underrated). All of my class mates were to be honest were the wrems of the year, and went fourth and got employed in the industry.
Most of the work i have had performed on my car has been substandard, the reason being is the caliber of the people working on it.
I appreciate good workman ship, practical skills and jobs that require a high academic ability. Motor mechanics embraces all of these and there are some great technicians out there. Its just that you need a microscope to find them. :(

No offense dude but if you studied it at GCSE for 2 years and that was all that was needed then you should be working on your own car instead of paying people to do it should you not?
 

borisvanhalen

FR is not a dirty word...
Feb 7, 2009
120
2
salisbury
passed MOT today with full milltek... 3' downpipe sports cat and 2.75' non res cat back system:)

got one 'advisory' for an indicator bulb that is starting to lose its yellowness

this was at my local SEAT dealer / service centre - Cecil & Larter in Bury St Edmunds
 

vwbassett

Joined the Dark Side
Aug 13, 2007
963
53
Surrey
As far as i am aware the max db is 101 db as i run exactly this in my R1 engined kit car which was recently tested under SVA which has all the components of an MOT and then some. This car is seriously loud and the leon doesnt even compare mine also has a piper but not the decat. Tests comprise of the car being tested outside with a sensor at 90 angle to the outlet for SVA and sounds like your MOT tester is making this up as he goes along. id take the car back to him and ask what his assumptions are based on and if no joy call vosa and report it.
 

strugers1

Guest
my car ran 99ecibels with standard turbo:) even louder now woth decat and more boost :)
 

adam cupra 20vt

Built Not Bought.
Mar 31, 2005
6,162
2
Mud Hut
This may sound silly but DB's are measured in a funny way

ie. a sound 10 times louder than silence is 10db but a sound 1000 times louder than silence is only 30db

If that makes sense :cartman:
 

strugers1

Guest
^^^^nope lol this was just done at amd with a decibel reader lol dunno if its right lol
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
As far as i am aware the max db is 101 db as i run exactly this in my R1 engined kit car which was recently tested under SVA which has all the components of an MOT and then some. This car is seriously loud and the leon doesnt even compare mine also has a piper but not the decat. Tests comprise of the car being tested outside with a sensor at 90 angle to the outlet for SVA and sounds like your MOT tester is making this up as he goes along. id take the car back to him and ask what his assumptions are based on and if no joy call vosa and report it.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showpost.php?p=2503795&postcount=14

Method of inspection:
assess subjectively the effectiveness of the silencer in reducing exhaust noise to a level considered to be average for the vehicle.

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.

Your kit car rules are different... because it's been through an SVA, there is no similar vehicle.

It's totally subjective though
 
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