i thinking of taking my car 4 an mot b4 takin it 4 sva
i need to see what my HC level is and to set my headlight aim

i can do co myself but meter wont do hydrocarbons

anyone else bothered?

I went for an MOT prior to SVA. Quite useful for emissions and headlight aim.

Only worry would be if you end up on the DVLA database it might be difficult to tax your car prior to 3 years without an MOT....

If you take the car in before SVA you will have hassle with MOT in 12 months i.e sorting out that you don't need it.

I booked an MOT then told them NOT to give me a certificate but to tell me if i 'would have passed' and they were fine with that.

If you MOT, then it is an MOT every year after that.
Just get a normal garage to check emissions and headlamps.

Don't worry about headlamp aim.

You can do this yourself if you know how.*

The SVA folks will tell you if it is out and should really tell you how to adjsut it so it points correctly.

Emissions you would need to borrow equipment, go to garage or ring one of the mobile tunig van people.

Depending on age of engine, different standard apply as I am sure you know.

*you should be able to find this via google or elsei ni haynes manauls.

if stuck, I can dig out the instructions.

Best off just taking it to your local mot tester and paying them 1hours labour and get them to do a MOCK MOT. So you don't end up on the system but you do find if there's anything wrong with the car.

Don't register for MOT before SVA, it will only confuse the new computer based MOT system causing you hassle for the future

Martin, It is well worth having an emissinons check before SVA. I did and found that the engine was producing 7.5% CO and 4,500 HC, many times too much to pass.

Just book your car in for the emissions, not an MOT. As has been previously said, having an MOT at this stage opens a new can of worms. If you are worried about the integrity of your build, you can ask your garage to check everything as they would on a normal MOT, everthing except issuing a test certificate.

My headlights were well out of adjustment at SVA. The Tester was in charge of the beam setter and I adjusted the headlights until he told me to stop. Job done.

I have recently been down this road and that is my experience and I hope it is of help.

atb

John

[Edited on 18/2/08 by John Bonnett]

The only advantage for it being an MOT is that you can drive to a pre-arranged MOT before your car is registered.

You wouldn't be able to do this just to get the emissions tested.

Now you could book it in for some work and if stopped say you're going for a pre-arranged MOT but you'ld be lying. Of course, if you book it in for an MOT and an emissions test and then when you get there for the MOT find that the car is too low for ramp onto the car lift (IE MOT canceled) you can still have the emissions done and drive home and it's all good

In fact I tried to do an MOT before SVA. I drove to my pre-arranged MOT test station only to be told "no way that'll fit on our ramps". They went away and said "Pit stop MOT place near the M1 J1 has a flat ramp system and they'll do it for you". So I pegged it over there to be told to come back the next day (the first garage hadn't told them I was coming as I thought they had!!!)....

Now in both instances I thought I was driving to a pre-arranged MOT test. It turns out I wasn't!!!

As it happens I failed the MOT on the handbrake (cos the cable had suddenly become loose and I'd left my spanners at home ) so my car never did end up on the DVLA MOT database... Sorted out my emissions and headlights though....

some good points there
thanks

as allways this forum is top place for advice