parking brake warning light

I was always told back in the day by VI staff that an mot testing station is not allowed to carryout a pre - mot test inspection. I was told that the vehicle must be mot tested and a record made of the pass or failure result. VI explained to me at that time that the Government want to see what condition vehicles are in when used in on public roads, hence pre-mot testing and then fixing cars before the test won't actually record a true record of what is used on public roads. It's not word for word but basically what I was told about 20 years ago.

I would probably say something like, I have carried out a vehicle appraisal today and found that the park brake warning lamp appears faulty........ 

What type of parking brake has a malfunction lamp?aylesburyjock

The method of inspection says;

Check that the brake fluid warning lamp is not illuminated or defective.

The reason for rejection says;

2. A brake fluid warning lamp is illuminated or inoperative

I'd fail it

I feel silly now.

I think the ref to training mode is on the VTS Device gents.

Maybe markmotman could clarify for us?

Hi. Only an electronic parking brake warning is a fail. Manual parking brake warning lamp is only testable if it is the same lamp as the fluid level low lamp. The EPB fail comes under Brakes, Parking brake, Electronic Parking Brake and is the first fail item [1100] Warning indicates a fault.
The brake fluid low level lamp fail is under Brakes, Hydraulic systems, Brake Fluid Warning Lamp, either [6009] illuminated or [4643] inoperative

Hope this helps

When I started in the Testing Scheme the government was called DfT, shortly after they came up with the name VI. It was during a refresher training course that I got that information, therefore based on the time I started to run my own VTS in the early to middle 1990's I am confident that it would have been VI trainers that told me. I'll check tomorrow whether a VTS can do pre-mot testing, I'm sure they will say no, but we will see...

It is true that DVSA under all their different guises have asked, and it has only been a request, that if a vehicle has to have a service and mot, then we should mot first so we would have an accurate view of the condition of vehicles on the road. They did not forbid servicing first, I don't know if it would even be legal for them to try. 'Pre mots' though, as has already been said, are none of their business. Let's face it, owners have repairs done at any time so doing a 'pre mot' isn't really altering this information on vehicle condition, rather it is contributing to it. It is something mot testing stations have been doing since there has been mots

I'm not questioning you android, pre-MOT's and Servicing a vehicle after the MOT Test gets you brownie points during site assessments. Or at least it did at one time...

It is allowed none-the-less. As servicetune mentioned, no-one including DVSA/VOSA/V.I. or DfT can tell you how to market your business. That's as long as you don't break the Law in doing so mind.

Pre-MOT's, Servicing or any other form of work can be done (legally) prior to the actual MOT Test itself.
No repairs during the MOT Test are permitted. However we can do repairs immediately after completing the MOT Examination but prior to logging off the test to print (max repair time is 2 hours'ish).
Repairs are limited to a selection of PRS and they are in my opinion a brilliant introduction to the scheme.

Pre-MOT's, Servicing or any other form of work can in fact be done by one and all, be warned though, DVSA/VOSA/V.I. or DfT really do frown on it, It makes their work harder without accurate figures. Figures that aren't accurate when presented as evidence to DfT or Europe could lead to changes within the scheme which could in turn make our own jobs harder.....and stricter....and longer....and seriously Policed....I could go on.

Personally I try to maintain accurate figures at all times. Why do I do this? Simply because I like to think that I'm supporting the MOT scheme and our very own trade as a whole by doing so.

A kind of, donation to a good cause if you like.

In reply to markmotman, we don't have an RfR for the hand brake warning lamp so it's a P&A mate. But as has already been said, if it's also the low fluid lamp it could fail under:

3.6 Braking Systems and Additional Braking Devices
G. Hydraulic Systems
RfR 2. A brake fluid warning lamp is illuminated or inoperative.

Or if an EPB warning lamp under:

3.1 Parking Brake Control
RfR 7. Electronic parking brake warning indicates a malfunction.

With the following additional Note:

Note: An EPB malfunction may alternatively be indicated by a message on the dashboard.

Thanks for posting a great topic markmotman...