Brakes failed MOT

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Peaches

New Member
Posts
47
Location
Warwickshire/Shropshire/Cornwall
The brakes on my series 3 failed the MOT because they had an efficiency rating of only 35% apparently (it needs to be at least 50). Seems fair enough, but the brakes are the last thing I expected to be bad. They're pretty much entirely new in the last two years, and I've been out doing some emergency stops and all seems well. It pulls up relatively straight, the pedal feels firm, and all 4 oversize wheels lock up (I thought that was quite impressive for a single circuit, non-servo, drums all round system).

Am I missing something, but if all the wheels lock up fairly easily, then shouldn't that be as effective as a basic braking system need be?

Can anyone shed any light on the issue?
 
I took my landy to a nice neat garage where they have a reception area, people with ties and computers. A watercooler and a ruthlessly efficient customer service policy. It failed on all sorts of b*llocks, spectacularly a list a mile long. Non structural corrosion, hazard lights not working (have none!) etc....

I took it to another garage, lots of oily mugs and boobs on the walls where they're used to older vehicles. I had to replace a shock absorber bush.

Sometimes worth vetting you local garage. See if there's a local LRO who can recommend someone.
 
Yeah, this place is a Land Rover specialist. The truck has done 2 MOTs there before without any real problems, but this time its failed on all sorts of things. And he managed to rev the engine to the point where the diesel return pipe blew off from the pressure, something thats never happened before. When I heard it happen I was worried a conrod was about to go through the block.
 
Peaches said:
The brakes on my series 3 failed the MOT because they had an efficiency rating of only 35% apparently (it needs to be at least 50). Seems fair enough, but the brakes are the last thing I expected to be bad. They're pretty much entirely new in the last two years, and I've been out doing some emergency stops and all seems well. It pulls up relatively straight, the pedal feels firm, and all 4 oversize wheels lock up (I thought that was quite impressive for a single circuit, non-servo, drums all round system).

Am I missing something, but if all the wheels lock up fairly easily, then shouldn't that be as effective as a basic braking system need be?

Can anyone shed any light on the issue?
Click to expand...

Brake efficiency is all done on vehicle weight, the fact they lock up doesn't mean good brakes, with larger off road tyres it can be down to the tyres having no grip. It will be measured via the rolling road and the tester won't know if its a pass until he puts the numbers in the computer.

Have you got a set of road wheels? It might give better figures before it locks up...
 
They're BFG All-terrains so they grip pretty well, and the vehicle is only a ton and a half. Thing is, I just don't understand why they are apparantly so in-effecient if they work so well, whether that be locking up the wheels or stopping normally, I have adjusted the snail cams and they bite at the right point in pedal travel.

Seriously, what am I missing? I don't want it to fail again :-(
 
i was told by the mot tester that they can't put 4x4/s on a rolling road, dont know why but my tester just drives it arond the yard trying the brakes, but i think they are being a bit petty on yours i would go to another garage, but if push comes to shove you can fit a servo this will help
 
Had a similar issue with mine a couple of tests ago and found little wrong with brakes so the tester took it up the road with the old fashioned meter they put on the floor and got a pass that way. It passed on the rolling road the following year without any work just new tyres.
 
Sounds like they don't know what they're doing. On an old vehicle they should only be testing emissions at fast idle 2,500rpm or half max engine speed. If it's older than 79 (I think) not even that just can you see enough to overtake...

I often print a few pages out from here: MOT Testers Manual and help them. Even had to help ministry blokes out with testing at VOSA centres before now. They tried to use a gas tester on my bus....which didn't do it any good and got the bloke a proper bollocking off the boss!
 
Yes, I found this as well. However he argued that seeing as its a 1996 engine in a '73 vehicle he would have to rev it to its governor (which having now heard it i reckon is set too high) and the check for black smoke. Im going to take it back to the same place for the re-test, he cant fail it on the smoke again, it only made the smoke because of the diesel pipe he blew.
 
Peaches said:
Yes, I found this as well. However he argued that seeing as its a 1996 engine in a '73 vehicle he would have to rev it to its governor (which having now heard it i reckon is set too high) and the check for black smoke. Im going to take it back to the same place for the re-test, he cant fail it on the smoke again, it only made the smoke because of the diesel pipe he blew.
Click to expand...

visual my v8 project will be non cat 1985:D
 
How a rolling road reads is dependent on how the tester applys the brake,
if he presses too slowly he can have a poor result. if you can lock the wheels on the road then they should lock on the roller, you can get no better than locked. as for the smoke test it should be a visual test only, if the tester reved mine like that he would get a smack around the ear. most young testers no nothing about old cars, im so glad my series 1 will be exempt soon.
 
check he's put the correct weight in. Stick the weight of a 90 or a defender on a series brake force measurement and you're guaranteed a fail. Garage monkeys just click Land Rover on the machine and then it fails 'cos its trying to stop 2.5 tons not 1.2

A garage put a 1500 midget weight in for my lighter one once, failed the handbrake test. Passed when the proper weight was put in, and that's only 800 vs 700 kg.
 
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