MOT brake test

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:58 pm

Hi
A while back I had an MOT over here.....the local MOT station did not have the capability of testing the Bongos permanent 4x4 auto setup to do a brake test, so I was sent to a local VW main dealer who had all the test kit. Now I believe in England they still use a Tapley Meter on a road test to check the brakes, although the last MOT, I asked the mechanic to just "Get it done". When I got to the garage here the whole test was done on a computer, and the tester just selected "permanent 4x4", and followed the "on screen " instructions.
My query, or observation,is that the mechanic aimed the front wheels at some moveable plates fitted in the floor, accelerated forward, and stopped dead on the plates...a lot of figures came up on the screen, and it seemed that according to the figures, he made the decision to progress to the next stage or not. The next stage was the in - floor rollers, and more brake testing, followed by the same proceedure for the back.
My question is that is this safe for the transmission, or does this initial stop on the plate in the floor have some safety factor programmed in by the computer to prevent damage by winding up the transmission on the rollers.
As the garage performs similar tests on their permanent 4x4 transporter, I would have thought that the equipment is fairly fail- safe.
Anyone got any views?
BTW the VW transporter looks really cool....versatile seating, permanent 4x4 auto, and twin climatic, AND 175 BHP, using the Tuareg engine/ transmission.....(but no AFT)
Cheers
Helen

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:27 pm

helen&tony wrote:BTW the VW transporter looks really cool....versatile seating, permanent 4x4 auto, and twin climatic, AND 175 BHP, using the Tuareg engine/ transmission.....(but no AFT)
Cheers
Helen

Oh its cool alright. Until they present you with the bill for purchasing. Thing's start to warm up after that and people have even been known to break into a sweat.

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm

Hi, Mike
I think they are about £30,000 over here...I do't know what a Bongo would be in today's equivalent, but it must be around the same....They've both got their niche, but I prefer the Bongo for versatility as a camper, and ease of parking , as it is smaller, fitting almost any parking space, but on the other hand the VW is bigger as a carrier, and I bet it's quicker!
My overall choice would be a new Bongo, with just a tadicum more poke.
Cheers
Helen

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:25 pm

I think there is a view that a 10yr Bongo is in many ways a nicer car to drive and own than a new VW. I wasn't really considering a comparison of new Bongo with new VW although even then, I've formed a view that German cars are trading to some extent upon a myth whereas Japanese cars have been offering much better engineering for teh bucks. I always remember how the Brits persisted in believing that only French wine was worth buying, and the French continued to send them their mediocre stuff, until finally the New World wines managed to overcome prejudice and prevail. I can see similarities

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:45 pm

Mike
I know just what you mean....it's the saga of the British Bike Industry.....but I'm just a dinosaur, i'd still love an old Velocette Clubman, and the most superior sound of all time is a 250 "Golden Arrow"....almost unsilencd expansion boxes!!!!....maybe even a motoring icon a "Bonnie"
Wines on the other hand.....I prefer Australian wines to anything else, however I tasted (well....guzzled, more like), a very nice Bulgarian white wine the other day, and it was a lot cheaper than you'd think.
On the motoring front,I'm not keen on German cars at all, but I've a soft spot for VW vans from my Type2 days. My real love is American Muscle....always has been, but never had one....practicality rules O.K.....(Jap Stuff)
Cheers
Helen

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:48 pm

My stepfather had a Golden Arrow, which he gave to a mate of mine, who rebuilt it and rode it

Another mate bought a brand new 1969 Bonnie - used to give me a blast round the block on it from time to time.

I myself have had

BIKES: an Arial VHA Red Hunter (1952), AJS 500 (1955), Norton 650SS (actually a rebult mercury with twin carbs, gas shockers, Lucas e-ignition), BSA Bantam 175 (of course!), Lambretta GT200 bored out to 225 and uprated with Amal crabs and expansion exhaust (actually before the m/bikes, when I was a bit of a mod)

CARS: All the Morris 1000s (Traveller, convertible, 4dr saloon), Hillman Imp, Wolsey 6/90 (1955), MG Magnette ZB Varitone (1958), A35 Van (1967)

Jap stuff was dull dull dull until we bought my Mums 7yr old Nissan Sunny in 1993 and drove it without any trouble whatsoever until 2006 when it still looked and drove as well as it did when we bought it. People were crawling over each other to buy it at £300. I still miss it. It tok me through redundancy, unemployment, no £ etc. Dull stops being dull then.

The dear old Bongo combines all the above with NOT BORING - its gotta be a winning combination

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:38 pm

Hi Mike
I've only had 7 motorbikes, unfortunately all modern, oh, and a Vespa in the 60s when I was a mod
I have had numerous cars, but a few that may spark your interest....A Hamblin Super 2....never finished....in 1966, a 970cc Cooper S ...one of only 1000 made for homologation, a Standard 10, a Morris 1000 (hasn't everyone) and a mark 2 CONVERTIBLE Consul....an absolute dream.....
I think you and I should start a thread on Cars I always Wanted.
Any thoughts on the MOT thing??
Helen

Post by **Bob** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:33 pm

Got to say I've had the same BMW 318 for 18 years and 160 000 miles and it's been brilliant. Looking forward to the Bongo though, any day now...

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:03 pm

Hi
Gosh, Bob....no complaints about value for money there, then.
Any thoughts on the MOT query, though?
Helen

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:40 pm

Crikey Bob. The poor old Bongo has a hard act to follow. Although fundamantally a good vehicle, its hard to escape the feeling the Bongo is a bit more hands-on in terms of keeping it running reliably (coolant system, heater fan, chipped speedo just a few examples of areas to monitor). But if you're a hands-on person, the Bongo is a great car and capable of v good service I think (and it does a shedload more stuff than a Sunny or a 318)

Helen - MOT, haven't got a clue. I'm just not enough of a motor engineer. You'd think the system would tolerate a temporary wind-up without fussing. Its over the miles that the damage is done. Or have I misunderstood?

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:49 pm

Hi Mike
I would think, like yourself, that a few minutes every year wouldn't matter, but I've read on here that a normal rolling road test can cause failure of the transmission....I've also had many other 4x4s, and those people i've spoken to regarding the permanent setups have all said the same. It's all credit to the local test centre here that they would not touch the Bongo at all, and referred me to a centre with specialist gear, but I should still like to know about this computer controlled pad "thingy" in the garage floor that senses the brakes before putting the vehicle on the rolling road....it obviously can't do anything to the car's transmission to prevent a failure, but does it programme some kind of slip factor in....it has me fascinated, and not a little worried for the Bongo's transmission.
Cheers
Helen

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:54 pm

Beginning to understand. Naughty naughty if the garage busts your Bongo while testing to see if it is safe to go on the road!

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:50 pm

My feeling "Perzactly", Mike

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:17 pm

Hope this might help T & H

http://www.motuk.com/mot_manual/3-7.htm#14

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:38 pm

Hi
Thanks Dandy...I see , if i'm reading it correctly, that the Bongo, with 2 driven axles, should not be tested on a roller system....It's this other plate device in the floor of the testing area that i've not seen before....and then the roller test after....the laptop it's all wired to clearly states 4x4, so it really has me puzzled, but the tester clearly understood the implications of permanent 4 wheel drive, and as I said, the garage supplies new 4x4s, and obviously tests them....it's got me intrigued...
Helen