Controle Technique (MOT)

[Gardian]

Our car was due for it’s CT today. Duly made an RDV online.

Turned up at the local place - just one other client there. His vehicle had just started through the validation process.

Now ......... it was one of those old Renault 4 things - squared off at the back, white and with the a ss hanging out of it at the back. Let’s just say that it had seen better days. Mid 80’s ish at best.

It went through the various checks - dreadful noise when the technician did the exhaust emission check. The moment of truth arrived.

Technician hissed in through his teeth & made several other iffy facial gestures. Deep & quiet conversation with the customer. I speculated as to whether the customer had asked whether the technician had seen the €50 note on the passenger seat !

The vehicle was passed and is free to inhabit our roads here in France.

[Théière]

AHH but it was his brother in-law!

[Théière]

Double post

[BritinBretagne]

What good news. It’s great that older cars are still kept in a roadworthy condition by their owners.

I’m not sure what noise has to do with emissions.

I own three cars with an average age of over 35 years old and the youngest, a mere 13, passed its CT recently with flying colours.

Is this thread about ageism or snobbery?

[PaulT]

In the UK cars that are 40+ years old are now MOT exempt. Responsible owners do put them through the test just to make sure.

[BritinBretagne]

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/mot-exemption-changes-2018-13-things-you-need-know

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F328

I’m obviously irresponsible as I do not put my Vintage car through a CT. I am however far more aware of its overall condition than most modern car owners would be as regular maintenance schedules that involve greasing every 500km and oil changes every 1000km and pre-drive checks keep me up to date.

[Lehaut]

Wonder how much longer motorbikes will be exempt a CT? According to the chap that fits my tyres, a good number he works on would fail. Starting with after market exhausts!

[nomoss]

[quote user="BritinBretagne"].....

I’m obviously irresponsible as I do not put my Vintage car through a CT. I am however far more aware of its overall condition than most modern car owners would be as regular maintenance schedules that involve greasing every 500km and oil changes every 1000km and pre-drive checks keep me up to date.[/quote]

I don't think that regular greasing and oil changing will guarantee that a car will be roadworthy.

The MOT test or CT is a relatively cheap way of ensuring that it is, whether or not it is compulsory.

I have always maintained my own vehicles according to the manufacturers' manuals, but have still overlooked items which were picked up on statutory tests.

I agree though, that it's probably unproductive to put a Vintage car (built between 1919 and 1930) through a CT, as many, except really special ones, are already inherently dangerous on modern roads.

[BritinBretagne]

Oh lovely a lecture from a know it all. I really find your answer quite rude!

I’m sorry you didn’t understand what I meant but in future I will write using little words you might less difficulty with.

In theory motorcycle CTs should be introduced but 2022 but there doesn’t seem to be much of hurry to get it sorted. It’s quite likely that they will initially be introduced when a bike is sold.

[nomoss]

It wasn't a lecture, it was a list of MOT test and CT failures despite my best efforts at maintenance.

I understood perfectly well what you meant. Your statement "I am however far more aware of its overall condition than most modern

car owners would be as regular maintenance schedules that involve

greasing every 500km and oil changes every 1000km and pre-drive checks

keep me up to date" is really arrogant.

I don't presume to be a know it all, I learn new things about cars and their maintenance almost every week, and was nowhere near as rude as you are.

From reading your posts, I admit that you do have more practice.

[AnOther]

[quote user="BritinBretagne"]I’m sorry you didn’t understand what I meant[/quote]I knew exactly what you meant and agree wholeheartedly.

In 32 years of ownership and close on 300,000 miles of driving my MGB has never once failed either an MOT in UK or a CT in France.

Somewhat farcically that unblemished record was broken just a few months ago here in Spain where the car was failed for having a MPH speedo however considering a year previously whilst switching to Spanish plates it passed the obligatory engineers inspection and subsequent initial test with that same MPH speedo I think it's fairer to call that an aberration rather than a failure.

Incidentally I did have a KPH speedo but had never got around to fitting it so the tester was quite surprised when I returned within the hour for a retest, I in turn was equally surprised when he asked for a certificate from whichever garage had fitted it, something which would be expected for a more modern car where a replacement speedo would alter the recorded KM's, but when I politely pointed out to him that it was a 43 year old car, AND on it's 4th go round on the odometer, AND that the replacement odometer actually showed a significantly HIGHER number than the original, he saw the folly of his request!

I'll add finally that in the whole of that 32 years what precious few breakdowns I recall (maybe half a dozen at most) were all minor and were fixed on the spot allowing me to complete my journey, none of them were safety related.

In short: There's maintenance and there's maintenance and whatever the age of a car simply following a manufacturers schedule ain't it !

[BritinBretagne]

When I got the Quittus Fiscal for my older car I was asked if the recorded mileage of under 2000 miles was correct. I pointed out that as it was over 85 years old that was unlikely. Again they realised it was a silly question. By that time I had worked in the car so much to get it into that position I had gained an intimate knowledge of its mechanical and electrical condition. A position I’ve maintained by regular inspection and maintenance. When owning and running a car of that age you tend to spend as much time maintaining and checking as you do behind the wheel. I had to put it through a CT as part of the registration process but that wasn’t worth the paper it’s printed on, they did not check the brakes on the rolling road and can’t have checked the lights, horn or emissions as that would have needed the engine to be running and the tester did not know how to start it. He came and asked me to start it and drive it into the test bay then switch the engine off then asked me to come back at the end to start it and drive it out. Please don’t tell me that a bit of paper telling me that it has passed a CT should give me peace of mind because it has been inspected by an expert and therefore is safer that it was before.

[alittlebitfrench]

Did anyone notice this thread was posted on the 'lighter side' of the forum. LOL

Anyway...here is a question.

My loverly Saab was due its CT a month ago.

But the clutch broke a week before..

No probs...ALBF to the rescue.

I am rebuilding it (all of it)...quite an easy job to be fair.

But I am thinking of not putting it back on the road until next March and will do the CT then. I will just put a cover on it to protect it from the winter.

How does that work with the CT which has expired.

It is all insured. Just not driving it.

Any advice would greatly appreciated.

[BritinBretagne]

The CT does not have to be continuous, the insurance does. If you aren’t going to have the car on the road there is no need to have a CT. What I don’t know about is the journey to the CT station when the clutch is fixed and ready to go; in the U.K. you are allowed to drive your un MOTd car to an MOT appointment, I’m not sure if you are in France. I trailered the only non CTd car I’ve needed to take to a CT appointment.

[alittlebitfrench]

Thanks Brit

I thought that was the case.

The CT station is only 10 mins away. If I don't go during the school run I should be fine. LOL.

I will get the clutch in this weekend and make a decision.

Bit chilly out there now for all this car mechanic stuff.

Winter is coming !

[woolybanana]

Not on the beach today it wasnt!?

[nomoss]

I took our newest car, a 1996 Audi A4 Avant, for its CT today.

No faults or contra-visite, but he checked the tyre pressures (is that a new check?) and found them all about 0.4 bar (6 psi) too low.

Seems the gauge on the tyre inflator on my compressor is faulty. I generally use my own gauge as I don't really trust those in petrol stations.

I've ordered a new gauge from, I hope, a reputable company.

Without the CT I probably wouldn't have known until it got much worse.

EDIT: I expect the really experienced old hands on here would be able to check the pressures accurately by kicking the tyres[:D]

[NickP]

That's good to know about the pressure gauge nomoss. Interestingly I went to Feu Verte this week to buy two new tyres and have the Tracking reset. They gave me the bill and the tracking details, also without me asking for it they gave me a "CT" check, which I glad to say, said there were no problems with my vehicle. Considering I never asked for it and my car is a UK registered one I was very pleased and thought what a good customer service deal.

[PaulT]

NickP good that they found nothing wrong so top marks for being truthful - but could be a way of getting work.....no such thing as a free lunch.

[NickP]

To be truthful PaulT I have been using them for years so I'm a repeat customer. I would have been disappointed if they had found any problems as the car is due it's first MOT in the new year.

I have had my cars serviced in France for 15 years now. I find that garages are one enterprise in France where customer service is superb, also the prices are lower than back home in the south-east. I pay just under 65 Euro an hour at a local Mercedes garage who's work ethic is great and thorough, in Vendome, in Weybridge, it's around £125. Interestingly Mercedes, although my car is UK registered and they have my UK address, send any information about the car to me via the French garage.

I think that French garages do try harder to retain customers as it appears to me that the French, in general, do a lot of their car repairs/services themselves. That is sometimes obvious when French cars approaching have their headlights all over the place. LOL

[alittlebitfrench]

You live in Vendome Nick P ?

I love Vendome...I used to play Pool there every week. Loverly place.

We were looking for a house there once.

We could have been neighbours...lol.

[NickP]

No, I don't ALBF, we have a holiday home about 20K away, I agree it's a nice town.

[nomoss]

[quote user="NickP"]That's good to know about the pressure gauge nomoss. ............ [/quote]

Yes, it's a mistake to rely on any instrument as it gets older.

When I had the business I used to have extra, usually more expensive, instruments, not taken away from the workshop, some which were periodically sent for recalibration, so that they could be used to check those being carried about and used out in the field.

This was important for professional work, but it would be a bit OTT for tools I just use for DIY, so I think the best way is to occasionally compare readings between similar instruments, e.g. I have at least 3 or 4 multimeters and several pressure gauges for different jobs, with which this would be possible.