Refused an MOT test !!!

[ChrisQ]

I've just been for my first MOT since owning my Bongo.
I've been refused a test ( that's right, not failed, but refused )
Why ?? it's because they have no details of the braking weight which they need to work out brake efficiency
Contacted VOSA & told the garage can calculate this from the gross weight of the vehicle, details on VIN plate.
Garage told me it's not there
Checked on VIN plate which is on the rear of the arch when you open the drivers door, and there is no gross weight.
Is there another plate anywhere with the gross weight quoted
Garage will not accept weight from handbook, as this is "generic" and not specific to my actual vehicle. Mine's a 2.0 L AFT from 2000, so I reckon it's 1600 kg (E-SGEW) from the handbook
VOSA recommendation was to contact the manufacturer and quote my VIN number

I do not know how it got its MOT on importation ?

Any advice welcome, got 2 days to sort out or I will be Bongoless over the Christmas holiday period. All I can think of is using a public weighbridge

Thanks in advance

ChrisQ

[dunslair]

Take it to another centre, for peace of mind take it to a public weigh bridge first so you have the paperwork if you have any more problems. Sounds like they just wanted an excuse not to test it.

[Tony C]

Have just checked the VIN plate on my Bongo & no mention of gross weight on mine either, I'v never had any trouble getting it through 4 MOTs. I think the garage your using is being pedantic!

[westonwarrior]

Never heard of this before

say thankyou and go elseware

[rhino-wayne]

weird one
At least you know now, never go near that garage for service & repairs.

The Members area has a fact sheet of Bongo Friendly Garages not sure if any are near you...t ake a look.

[Ron Miel]

Most, if not all Bongos have no gross weight on their VIN, or in the V5 ("logbook"). If you want to be sure of Bongo for Christmas, look up public weighbridges in Yellow Pages, and get it weighed (about a tenner) - worth doing anyway. Mazda-specified gross vehicle weight (in original Japanese sales literature) was 2260 kg, and it's worth staying under that, fully laden, to be able to keep on the right side of your insurer, if ever in an accident where it could be an issue. Imperial Car Company, who converted ours, quote that gross weight here http://www.imperialcar.co.uk/bongo_facts and told me the Japanese sales literature is their source.

[jaylee]

Baloney....!! Go elsewhere... Or let em ring someone like Bellhill Garage http://www.bellhillgarage.com/ they do MOTs/are a test centre & should know the "gross weight"..!

[Ron Miel]

Baloney....!! Go elsewhere... Or let em ring someone like Bellhill Garage http://www.bellhillgarage.com/ they do MOTs/are a test centre & should know the "gross weight"..!

Sure, it's baloney but by the time he's (perhaps) found another test centre who will still do it before Christmas, and/or persuaded the existing test centre to take the word of Belhill (assuming they will bother, and can get hold of somebody there, this close to turkey and pud), might as well have just got it weighed, and the job done. He'll even know then how much his Bongo really does weigh, and how much payload margin he's got, for future ref.

[Ron Miel]

Baloney....!! Go elsewhere... Or let em ring someone like Bellhill Garage http://www.bellhillgarage.com/ they do MOTs/are a test centre & should know the "gross weight"..!

Sure, it's baloney but by the time he's (perhaps) found another test centre who will still do it before Christmas, and/or persuaded the existing test centre to take the word of Belhill (assuming they will bother, and can get hold of somebody there, this close to turkey and pud), might as well have just got it weighed, and the job done. He'll even know then how much his Bongo really does weigh, and how much payload margin he's got, for future ref.

1600 kg is the net vehicle weight, BTW - no people, fuel or payload.

[Rhinoman]

weird one
At least you know now, never go near that garage for service & repairs.

The Members area has a fact sheet of Bongo Friendly Garages not sure if any are near you...t ake a look.

There is a garage (Car Specialists?) listed in Piddington just outside High Wycombe that I used - they were very good.

[rita]

Never heard of this before

say thankyou and go elseware

A wee bit from the MOTT Manual.

1. Brake Efficiency (Classes 3, 4 & 7)
The brake efficiency will be calculated by the VTS Device using the following methods (having taken into account wheel lock where appropriate). Total up the braking effort recorded from all the wheels of the vehicle when the service brake is applied. Total up the braking effort recorded from the appropriate wheels when the parking brake is applied. Calculate the service brake and parking brake percentage efficiencies by following the procedures detailed below according to the Class of vehicle tested.
Class 3 & 4
Determine the brake testing weight for the vehicle, e.g. from the VTS Device. The weight includes an element of 140kg for the driver, fuel, tools, etc.

Calculate the service brake percentage efficiency by dividing the total brake effort achieved when the service brake is applied by the vehicle weight and then multiplying the result by 100
Total Brake Effort / Vehicle Weight X 100 = % Efficiency

[Luke and Debs]

my garage had same problem. but all they did was google bongo on the web found a page with the weights on and use that. passed MOT no probs.

go to another garage

luke

[teenmal]

Hi,

Some MOT testing stations use the ATL system,this system will self weigh the vehicle,the computer needs the vehicle weight to calculate the braking efficiency

Cheers.

[MountainGoat]

Why don't you give Aylesbury based Drive In Aylesbury Ltd a ring. Being Bongo specialists they should be able to sort you out or at least tell you where to take your Bongo to have it's MOT done. They are at 4 Printers End, Gatehouse Way, Aylesbury. HP19 8XN tel: 01296 397313. On my own past experience and on Bongoplod's advice you will need arrange the MOT befor travelling or risk being charged for using your Bongo without a current certificate if it has now run out.

Tony

[ChrisQ]

Thanks for your responses. I have checked the garage list, and there are 2 in Aylesbury, one of which does MOTs. Wish I'd known about that 3 days ago.
It's now unlikely I'll get an MOT tomorrow 24th, as the usual Christmas panic, so looks like we'll be using the wife's Citroen Saxo over the holidays
VOSA confirmed that the garage was correct not use "generic" weights for the test
Mazda web site for information on "contact us" is by snail mail, so I've sent of a request, but not expecting a rapid response, though I have include my e:mail address to to and speed things up.
I will print out the attachments I've been sent that include vehicle weight, and see how I get on with that.

The weight is not in my V5, nor on the VIN plate, so I'm still scratching my head as to how it got its initial MOT before being registered ????

Forget my problems, Happy Christmas to all my readers, and enjoy your holidays and Bongoliering in 2012.
My big Bongo adventure for 2012 in at the end of January when I'm of to Lerwick in the Shelands to celebrate Up Helly Aa ( presuming MOT is sorted by then !!

ChrisQ