Bongo Fury

Hi All, Is it actually illegal to have a turbo timer connected up, or is it just illegal if you use it. My bongos got one fitted , and it passed its MOT (before I bought it). Would it be wise to take it of before the next MOT, or leave it on and have an arguement with the tester if he decides that he needs to fail it.
Apologies if this has been asked before!!!!!

I would doubt that it comes into the MOT, as it's not a safety feature. However, I'm sure somebody will know.

I think the basic law is that it is illegal to park an unattended vehicle on the public highway with the engine running.

You can use it on your own private property, the same goes for remote engine starters found on some imports.

To be picky, a vehicle that has its engine running on the public highway (which can be a carpark) has to be under control.

If you leave the engine running and leave the driver's seat then technically the vehicle is not under your control, which is an offence of some magnitude.

Well, just one stupid question... Can anybody give me any link or reference to the source of this law? I remember I studied well Highway Code before passing my driving license exams but nothing even close to this topic was not mentioned there. So, I can assume everything not explicitly disallowed should be allowed...

The Highway Code wouldn't include things like this, it's only a brief guide to the basics of driving requirements. You would need to study the Road Traffic Acts to get all the info.

i bought an alarm with remote start and turbo timer built in from an english company.
had it fitted last year and it sailed through the mot.

as for the law, well as mentioned it isnt against the law to have one fitted but if a copper sees the car running on a public road without you in it and want to get funny, he can do you for leaving it running unatended.

all comes down to the copper and if one sees the bongo running without you init

A friend of mine had one these fitted on his imported surf.
When you take out the ignition key the engine only ran on for about
thirty seconds.
By the time you had sorted yourself out, coat on locked doors etc.
you were still in the vicinity of the car when the engine stopped.
I believe this time could be programmed. Is more than thirty seconds
necessary?

hi most turbo timers can be turned off ,turn it off for mot ?

mine turbo timer is a programable one, 30 and 60 seconds.

francophile1947 wrote:The Highway Code wouldn't include things like this, it's only a brief guide to the basics of driving requirements. You would need to study the Road Traffic Acts to get all the info.

That is my big beef with our system of government... it is impossible for anyone to know all the laws and amendments that currently stand... (not just about motoring) and so impossible for anybody to say "I have not broken any laws of the land in the last week".

We need a government to spend a term, not passing any new laws, but repealing, tidying converging and simplifying all the current/old/irrelevant ones.

Rant over!

phedders wrote:it is impossible for anyone to know all the laws and amendments that currently stand... (not just about motoring) and so impossible for anybody to say "I have not broken any laws of the land in the last week".

Of course, it's not possible for the whole law entity but at least possible to do it for several small areas relating to your everyday life. I've never been lazy to study and understand legal acts and track their changes if it directly affected my life, and believe me or not, still could survive without referring to any lawyers, although went through out processing whole bunch of legal/official UK documents. So, hope to manage for this case too, there was a good reference to Road Acts that would be a nice new piece of legal matters to study for me.

Well, back to the topic, as far as there're normally lots of things to do after stopping, I never felt any needs of turbo-timers, just 'simulating' this behaviour by not turning the ignition off and doing it immediately before walking away from the car.

I found this on a policespecials.com I hope it helps.
I have turned my timer off

Regulation 98

Stopping of engine when stationary

(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), the driver of a vehicle shall, when the vehicle is stationary, stop the action of any machinery attached to or forming part of the vehicle so far as may be necessary for the prevention of noise or of exhaust emissions.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) do not apply—

(a) when the vehicle is stationary owing to the necessities of traffic;

(b) so as to prevent the examination or working of the machinery where the examination is necessitated by any failure or derangement of the machinery or where the machinery is required to be worked for a purpose other than driving the vehicle; or

© in respect of a vehicle propelled by gas produced in plant carried on the vehicle, to such plant.

Regulation 107

Leaving motor vehicles unattended

(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall leave, or cause or permit to be left, on a road a motor vehicle which is not attended by a person licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and any parking brake with which the vehicle is required to be equipped is effectively set.

(2) The requirement specified in paragraph (1) as to the stopping of the engine shall not apply in respect of a vehicle—

(a) being used for ambulance, fire brigade [relevant authority (as defined in section 6 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp 5))] [or, in England, fire and rescue authority] or police purposes; or

(b) in such a position and condition as not to be likely to endanger any person or property and engaged in an operation which requires its engine to be used to—

(i) drive machinery forming part of, or mounted on, the vehicle and used for purposes other than driving the vehicle; or

(ii) maintain the electrical power of the batteries of the vehicle at a level required for driving that machinery or apparatus.

(3) In this regulation “parking brake” means a brake fitted to a vehicle in accordance with requirement 16 or 18 in Schedule 3.


The guidance does say that anything to do with heating, air conditioning, defrosting etc is not an excuse. It also seems that the police are exempt from Reg 107, but not Reg 98 - how odd!

Coo!! - it also looks as if you have to have the handbrake on when parked, not just left in Park.

Told ya, didn't I !!!!

To be picky, a vehicle that has its engine running on the public highway (which can be a carpark) has to be under control.

If you leave the engine running and leave the driver's seat then technically the vehicle is not under your control, which is an offence of some magnitude.