MOT requirements - lights??

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J

JJKM

Member
Posts
77
Location
Essex, UK
Hi all,

My Series III has been off the road for a little while so I've been getting it ready for a test. It's a 1983 county.

Firstly, it has a reverse and rear fog light fitted. Are these aftermarket? I've not known another to have them but I am aware that its year means it's is on the cusp of the 90/110. The switches are in a Raptor dash so I'm assuming they're aftermarket.

Secondly, said lights are not working. Is it a requirement for them to work for the MOT and if so, is there a way of "disabling" without completely removing? I'm poking and prodding with a multimeter but not having much luck (in all honesty, I'm an idiot with electrics - I simply don't get them!!). I assumed it was a dirty earth but that doesn't appear to be the case...

Any help gratefully received.
 
The fog light is likely to be standard (my ‘82 has one) even if the wiring has been messed around with and is not standard. Not sure on the reverse light. But reverse lights are not lot testable I don’t think. But the fog light must work. And because of its age probabaly can’t be just removed as after a certain year they are a requirement.
 
X1 on if they are there they must work. Reverse light is non standard but fog light at the rear is standard. So, you can strip out to the minimum requirements. One thing I did on my 83’ County SWB was to remove the silly wee repeater indicators on the O/S wings - who needs them? If you want to make it easier don’t present a spare tyre; it’s just more scrutiny.
 
John S said:
X1 on if they are there they must work. Reverse light is non standard but fog light at the rear is standard. So, you can strip out to the minimum requirements. One thing I did on my 83’ County SWB was to remove the silly wee repeater indicators on the O/S wings - who needs them? If you want to make it easier don’t present a spare tyre; it’s just more scrutiny.
Click to expand...
Wrong on every count. Touting nonsense like this on a forum really doesn't help people at all.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-ins...ivate-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles
 
300bhp/ton said:
Wrong on every count. Touting nonsense like this on a forum really doesn't help people at all.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-ins...ivate-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles
Click to expand...

not wishing to contradict you as you are more knowledgable then I am but which bit is wrong? Reading through the link you gave you reverse light is non testable before sept 09. To my knowledge no series had side repeaters for the indicators. Just the front and rear, So any present were not requirements and have been retro fitted?
 
The easiest way I know to fault find is to get an indicator bulb and solder two leads onto it with crocodile clips on the ends. One lead needs to be about a metre and the other long enough to reach from battery to what you are testing.
To check your earth is good, attach long lead to positive on battery (assuming your car is negative earth) then take other lead and touch a known good earth, bulb should light brightly. you can then try the earth at your reverse/fog lights. If bulb doesn't light or glow as bright you have an earth problem.
You can then move the lead on the battery to the negative terminal and check for a supply at the bulb. If you don't have a supply, it is a case of following wires back to the switch and then to the fuse.
The trouble with using a multimeter is it can give false readings that will confuse the issue. !2 volts showing on meter doesn't necessarily mean circuit is good as there is no load. Its a bit like looking at the end of a brake hose and seeing fluid come out when the pedal is pressed and then connecting back up to find no brakes because seals are shot in master cylinder and its producing no pressure under load.
Hope the above helps.
 
That's actually really useful. I never really know what I'm doing with a multimeter which as you say, adds to the confusion! Light on/light off seems like a much more sensible way of diagnosing this one.

Thanks!
 
dag019 said:
not wishing to contradict you as you are more knowledgable then I am but which bit is wrong? Reading through the link you gave you reverse light is non testable before sept 09. To my knowledge no series had side repeaters for the indicators. Just the front and rear, So any present were not requirements and have been retro fitted?
Click to expand...
I was probably being over zealous with my reply... oops.

All I was really disagreeing was the comment - if it's there is must be tested. Which simply isn't true. It will depend on what age the car is and what is required by the MoT checklist. Many items are not testable at an MoT. And on older vehicles there are usually even less things that have to be tested. Regardless if they are present or not.
 
300bhp/ton said:
I was probably being over zealous with my reply... oops.

All I was really disagreeing was the comment - if it's there is must be tested. Which simply isn't true. It will depend on what age the car is and what is required by the MoT checklist. Many items are not testable at an MoT. And on older vehicles there are usually even less things that have to be tested. Regardless if they are present or not.
Click to expand...

What a very decent reply. Well done. A pleasant and polite response, what a refreshing change to the usual dumbwittery we do often get on the internet.

Thank you.
 
300bhp/ton said:
All I was really disagreeing was the comment - if it's there is must be tested.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I know it is far more complex than that and depend son the item and age of the vehicle. The older the vehicle the less that is required to be tested, however the key here is finding an mot tester that is aware of this, rather than one that complains the abs light on my series is not working o_O
 
Having done a bit of a Google, there does appear to be some vehicles in this year with the same rear lights fitted as mine so perhaps they were standard. I was trying to understand where the switches would have been (my dash has been bastardised), but then recalled the little add on switch board on later Series for things like hazard lights etc. Oddly, mine doesn't have the hazard light switch...

What doesn't help with this is that it used to be on LPG adding to unnecessary wiring, and trailer lights set up that aren't connected...
 
You may be able to jury rig it. Find the side / tail light wire from the light swtich, it wll be live if the lights are on, connect that to the rear fog switch and see what happens, if nothing then run a wire from that switch all the way to the rear fog. Earth the fog. It will be compliant and you can sort it properly another day.
 
barleywine said:
The easiest way I know to fault find is to get an indicator bulb and solder two leads onto it with crocodile clips on the ends. One lead needs to be about a metre and the other long enough to reach from battery to what you are testing.
To check your earth is good, attach long lead to positive on battery (assuming your car is negative earth) then take other lead and touch a known good earth, bulb should light brightly. you can then try the earth at your reverse/fog lights. If bulb doesn't light or glow as bright you have an earth problem.
You can then move the lead on the battery to the negative terminal and check for a supply at the bulb. If you don't have a supply, it is a case of following wires back to the switch and then to the fuse.
The trouble with using a multimeter is it can give false readings that will confuse the issue. !2 volts showing on meter doesn't necessarily mean circuit is good as there is no load. Its a bit like looking at the end of a brake hose and seeing fluid come out when the pedal is pressed and then connecting back up to find no brakes because seals are shot in master cylinder and its producing no pressure under load.
Hope the above helps.
Click to expand...

This was actually a really good suggestion. It has helped me work out the good and not so good earths and to find some live feeds. Have the fog up and running again now plus done some tidying up and niggles that a test lamp has helped greatly with. Still struggling with the reverse. Having taken the dash off, the switch actually had no feeds to it at all, but it was working for the last MoT. I did some messing behind the speedo when putting a new indicator stork on - am wondering if the pulling around has pulled what may have been already tight cables off entirely which now seem to have disappeared... The wires from the light are green and gold (plus the earth), which then become brown before disappearing towards the front. Does anyone know if it remains brown and what route it takes? If I can find this, I can then put a live feed to the switch and it should be good... Any help gratefully received...
 
I have managed to make some sense of a wiring diagram but it doesn't actually quote the reverse lamp, rather a left and right fog lamp. But am wondering if that will be the wiring, quoted as red and yellow. I just find it odd that it would change colour three times before hitting the switch, but, it is a Land Rover...
 
Red and yellow is definitely fog lights, just rewired mine. No reverse on mine so no idea what colour it should be
 
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