New MOT test. Please read if yours is due shortly!

Apparently soon the MOT is to include wiring, plus a few other things. (see list below) And apparently one of the things they are including amoungst other stuff is your parking brake light must be working.

I dont think mine ever has! I have an 87 defender 90. Can I ask if anyone else has a light that comes on when you apply the parking brake? There is a lamp for it on the dash console, but as I say it doesnt come on. Also I looked at my handbrake, but cant see any wires coming from it to go to the fuse box or anywhere to make a light work. I dont honestly think although as I said there is a lamp for it on my dash console, It has never had anything connected to itfrom new!

Can anyone shed any light on this? pref someone who does mot tests, and knows whats coming. Also does anyone else who has a 87 defender 90, (or about that age) have a working light when the handbrake is applied?

Other things that are going to come into it are seats must go into at least 2 possitions, so if yours are siezed in one place nows the time to sort them!

No lose wiring anywhere in the engine bay will be allowed, (you will have to cable tie all lose wires, and make sure they are well sheathed. i.e, no bare wires.

the list is in this months 'land rover international mag' (for those that haven't got it) it says: ELECTRICAL WIRING AND CONNECTIONS, DRIVERS SEAT MUST BE ABLE TO BE SECURED FORE AND AFT IN TWO OR MORE POSITIONS, TRAILER ELECTRICAL SOCKET SECURITY AND DAMAGE, TOWBAR MODIFICATION AND SECURITY, BATTERY SECURITY AND LEAKAGE, ENGINE MOUNTINGS, HEADLIGHT LEVLLING AND WASHERS FOR HID/LED HEADLAMPS, TINTED LIGHTS, NON FUNCTIONING/BROKEN SPEEDO, POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL;NO EXCESSIVE LEAKAGE, DOORS MUST BE EASY TO OPEN AND CLOSE, AND PILLARS WILL BE EXPECTED,

NOW THE WARNING LIGHTS: SEATBELT PRE-TENSIONER, MAIN BEAM, ELECTRONIC PARK BRAKE, (THE BIT I'M WORRIED ABOUT) STABILITY CONTROL, ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING BRAKE FLUID LEVEL, TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, AIRBAG, CHECK STEERING LOCK FUNCTIONING, CATALYTIC CONVERTER FITTED AS STANDARD.

the parking brake ( handbrake ) light switch is a plunger affair like on the door pillars for interior light , think they might be interchangable .

ELECTRONIC PARK BRAKE, (THE BIT I'M WORRIED ABOUT)

But you aint got one on your vehicle, it's mechanical.

If they expect you to have a parking brake light for an MOT even though they weren't fitted in the factory, then they're forcing you to modify your car!

It would be like me putting a catalytic convertor on my 1992 Defender, It doesn't need one, but I'd just do it for giggles, you just wouldn't do it!

They are taking common sense out of the equation, If the lever is up and the car doesn't move then the handbrake is on!

People who drive new cars obviously need a light to tell them what their car is up to

Thanks guys! I just wanted it confirming that there wasnt one fitted, therefore I doesnt apply to me! Phew! lol. I fairly new to land rovers, but learning all the time!

They can only test what was there from the factory so hand brake light nit needed for your 87 bud

dave18 said:

They can only test what was there from the factory

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not really.....

they will test the tow sockets to check if its working properly... that isnt there from factory

Ok they are going to test towing electrics but how? What about Nato sockets?

very likely they'll have something like a tow plug connect to a board with LED's to show what is working or not...

not complicated is it, they have even have a light board to connect to it.

Yes but.............they are not going to test 7pin sockets except for a visual,13 pin sockets will be electric test,not sure about the nato socket.

easy... put a multimeter on it

hmm Dont know if my Reverse light works on my trailer socket as I dont have a rev light of my lil 3 x4 trailer lol

dave18 said:

hmm Dont know if my Reverse light works on my trailer socket as I dont have a rev light of my lil 3 x4 trailer lol

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Same my dads is a 6x4 and doesn't have a reverse light

[JP];1822019 said:

not really.....

they will test the tow sockets to check if its working properly... that isnt there from factory

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I think if you have fitted towing sockets they have to be working right. (same goes with all add ons) but if you havent got them they cant test what isnt there.

dave18 said:

They can only test what was there from the factory so hand brake light nit needed for your 87 bud

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it's odd though that you have a light icon for a handbrake on your dash pod, (thats what threw me) but nothing connected to it. Was it an optional extra or something at the time?

I have an 87 90 truck cab and I have a light for the handbrake. The tow bar electrics are testable but I dont think failable, had mine done yesterday and the fog light isnt wired up. He just told me about it. Mine failed on track rod end rubber boots though

johns90 said:

I have an 87 90 truck cab and I have a light for the handbrake. The tow bar electrics are testable but I dont think failable, had mine done yesterday and the fog light isnt wired up. He just told me about it. Mine failed on track rod end rubber boots though

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I'm even more confused now then So was yours rigged up from new, or have you or someone else wired it up? If so how? was it done with some sort of toggle swithh on the handbrake mechanism? Mine has no wiring at all going to it, so it obviously wasnt fitted with one.

I'm just wondering if 87 was a change over year or something for when this was fitted. i.e. some were made with it, and some wearnt. ( I just hope the MOT people are aware of this if thats the case) Can anyone in the know shed some light on this once and for all please? as I just cant understand why you have one fitted and I dont, and it seems most others on here havent got it either.

I think 86 was a change over. I will check mine later to look at the wires and report back. Going to the zoo to see the monkeys.

My 1985 90 has a handbrake light that works. Have no idea if it was there form new or if someone has fitted it after though. So much has been changed on mine it may well be that is has been fitted by a previous owner.

Adam1979 said:

My 1985 90 has a handbrake light that works. Have no idea if it was there form new or if someone has fitted it after though. So much has been changed on mine it may well be that is has been fitted by a previous owner.

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The plot thickens! lol. It must be an add on surely? Can anyone who HASN'T got one fitted at around 87 say so? or anyone who has had an mot under the new rules who hasn't got one fitted, did it pass?? I need to get to the bottom of this before my MOT. Thanks in advance.