MOT for a car thats not run in over 1 year

So with the new MOT rules it looks like it could be a bit of a lottery and the testing station refusing to release the car depending on its failure.

I have a MK 1 MX5 that i’ve not run in over 1yr. Last time it ran it was thrashed back from wales so had a good 140mile trip. It was then parked in the garage and left. Since then bar keeping the tyres inflated its not been run as i’ve just not had time.

My fear is the old fuel may have gummed up the injectors a bit, so whats the best way to make sure it doesn’t fail on emmissions?

Thoughts so far are:
– Full Service,
– Can of addititive to the fuel tank,
– Take it the “long way” to the testing station for a bit of an Italian tune up. ( I can blast it down a motorway junction and back enroute)

Any other thoughts to make sure its running cleanly?

A tank of fresh fuel and a decent run would be the best bet.  I’ve never been convinced by injector cleaner but it might be worth a go.  Make sure it’s a decent tune up!

I’d be checking other things also such as brakes, etc if it’s been stood for a year.

Brakes would be another concern for me – a few hard long stops to get any corrosion off the face of the disk

and make sure that the handbrake works & releases

Take a good look around for perished rubber , hoses and gaiters / boots

Most of these “new rules” just shows how little understanding the lay man had in the old test.

Garages always had the power to stop you driving away if they deemed it a dangerius hazard to the public

Realistically your car would have to be absolutely hanging before they invoke it as they understandable are going to take. Flak for it.

With the exception of some kwikfit branches who won’t let it leave till it’s had a new exhaust and some lifetime brake pads and disks…

A year isn’t that long. A visual inspection then some injector cleaner and an Italian tune up should suffice.

I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit worried about year old fuel gumming up injectors, especially not on an engine as hardy as the mx5 one!

Injector cleaner is mostly bollocks. The additives in modern fuels do most of that for you.

The new guidelines are a bit vague and worrying, but I think you’d have to have a pretty wonky garage to refuse to ‘release’ it.

I’m about to get a car that hasn’t been driven for nearly 4 years tested. I’ve changed all the fluids (and the fuel and brake lines, but that’s another story) and given it a once over, I’ll scrub up the discs on the way, but other than that, I’ll just take it as normal.

If a the testing station tried to keep it, I’ll be picking up more than a bit of a fuss. From what I’ve read this is only even vaguely possible if the car is a bit of a deathtrap.

Then again, if yours is in mx5, chances are it’ll have approached 50% oxidisation after sitting for a year.

IIRC you have to go to the MOT station by the shortest route, so frequent start stops and hard acceleration would help both emissions and brakes.. and those would be the main worry.. can’t see it rotting much so it’ll be consumables like fuel, filter, pads and condition of tyres..

My next door neighbour (across the road) has a Pug 308 that sat for nearly 18mths unused then week before last it went for an MOT at a garage down the road and passed first time.. and the MOT garage is known for being “on point”

So, it’s a bit of a lottery.. doubt they’ll keep your car if it’s something simple.. if it’s more dangerous then well yes why not keep it after all you should be responsible enough to know shouldn’t you..

Cheers. It gets run on V-Power to hopefully that should help things. The garage is dry so hopefully no rot. The brakes have a bit of surface rust but nothing major.

It only goes out in the dry so i’m hoping everything else should be good.

can’t see it rotting much

Hi, it seems you’ve never heard of the mx5.

IIRC you have to go to the MOT station by the shortest route

? Are you assuming his current MOT has expired and he is using the exemption for driving without one to a prearranged appointment?  I don’t think there is any requirement to go to the nearest testing station although obviously if you live in London and book a test in Aberdeen you may struggle to justify that!

I assume the new rules don’t actually impound the vehicle it just cannot be driven off site – so you could retrieve with a trailer / recovery truck?

My elise is in a similar situation, last driven on a track day last September then back home afterwards. Not moved since! I want to send it to a garage in Swindon (I’m in Southampton) for some work and then MOT (it has a small oil leak). Was wondering if the no MOT exemption could be used in that case. Seems a little far to me!

It’ll probably be fine, if it does fail on emissions depending which part of the emissions test it is you could always chuck some ethanol in the tank to help things.

I think Tesco momentum is 5% ethanol these days, if you run it on v power anyway I wouldn’t waste your money on injector cleaner.

can’t see it rotting much

“Hi, it seems you’ve never heard of the mx5.”

Don’t worry, i’ve done plenty of welding on it, which is why i know it shouldn’t have rotted any more.

I’ve replaced both rear arches, rebuilt the sills along with one of the inner chassis rails which is when i set my trousers on fire.

The rest of it was pretty solid

I left a Landy in the garden for a year.

Had to change all caliper seals and brake pistons, due to them rusting. I then ran it up and down the road a few times to clean up the discs. I then changed the pads and it was good to go.

Also changed filters and oil.

It sailed through the MOT.

Fuel gumming up is a real thing with unleaded, but only really affects carburettors, as the fuel evaporates in the float bowl it leaves a sort of gummy residue behind which blocks the jets.

Afaik, it won’t affect fuel injection, as the fuel is injected under considerable pressure.

as above, give it a long enough run to get everything properly hot, fill it back up with fuel then present it for test.

I wouldn’t use any fuel system cleaners or conditioners unless you expect to get through a tank of fuel before the test, could result in extra crud in the exhaust.  If you want to be kind to the car, take the surface rust off the brakes with a wire brush or sandpaper, its not very good to just scrub it off using the brake pads.  If the rust is a bit heavier, a flappy disc on an angle grinder will make very short work of it (thats what I used on a secondhand axle I was fitting)

I recently took my amphibious landing vehicle for an MOT – that also sailed through it’s MOT.

that also sailed through it’s MOT.

I thought having to put the sails up was an instant fail.

Honestly? Give it the once over (check fluids etc), start it up and let it tick over for 5 minutes then take it for a gentle drive for a few miles, park it up, give it another once over after half an hour and then put it through the MOT.

If it fails you have 10 working days to sort stuff out.

Not forgetting that even if you have insurance to drive it to a pre-booked MOT the car still has to be roadworthy.  So the brakes must work and the tyres must be legal etc.  You’d still get nicked for a bald tyre – or worse if you had an accident.

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q600.htm

Good news, we have a pass. Advisory for an oil leak but its hardly anything.

Gave it a gentle drive this morning with the handbrake on one notch to clear the surface rust on the rear discs. The fronts cleared on the same gentle drive.

Once up to temp, gave it a bit of an italian tuneup down the motorway to the next junction and back. Forgot how much fun it is to drive.

Looking forward to the drive home with the wind across my bald head

Woop! Good work! Mine passed at the weekend after a 4 year layup, it’s a great feeling, isn’t it? Similarly, I got an advisory for a small oil leak and a couple of other ones on things I knew about, no drama.

The drive to the MOT station was nerve racking, drive back was joyous, and now the wait until the tax is valid on Sunday is agonising!

Also, pictures! Love a good Mk1

With the spring and summer we’ve had so far I’m amazed you’ve managed to resist getting it out til now!

Mine failed last week – going back for new rear brake discs, pads and handbrake cable on Friday to hopefully nudge it through.

One thing it failed on was a sticky fog light switch!  I managed to remove it and clean it all up and it’s working fine now, I just hope it still is on retest day…

Pic from this morning – Would have loved to have got it our sooner, but new baby, and build projects around the house have got in the way.

https://flic.kr/p/27tUK7N