MOT testing

[Jonathan]

The MOT test is carried out to ensure the vehicle meets certain safety requirements.

The type of test which is carried out depends on the type of vehicle being tested.

For PSV tests they are looking for the same things they would in a normal car MOT with the addition of legal lettering, fire extinguisher, interior lighting, hand rails, bells, doors, engine shut offs, emergency door buzzers and warning lights. etc etc As you would expect with a test for a vehicle carrying large numbers of the general public.

A Private bus MOT is similar but assumes the bus is not going to be used to carry fare paying passengers so it is treated more like a car. They are mainly interested in ensuring the seats are attached to the bus properly.

A motor home MOT is the same as a car MOT you do not have to meet the stringent PSV regulations. Why would you need a bell for example?


When presenting the vehicle for MOT test they will look at the vehicle, if it has more than 9 seats it will require a Bus MOT, provided it's not to be used to carry fare paying passenegers it will be a private bus MOT class V

If you have removed all of the seats and left less than 9 seats in it will be treated as a private car again provided it's not to be used to carry fare paying passengers. It will then be tested as class IV

The only real difference to us between the classes is the price of the test. They charge more to test a bus with seats than they do for a bus with no seats. Basically they charge you £20 for the additional labour involved in testing the seats. If you have seat belts that will cost you more again.

If you change the seating capacity or any other specifications like engine size or vehicle colour you need to ammend the V5 and send it to the DVLA

[daddy2aore]

I am wanting to buy a double decker bus to convert to carry out stag nites etc and i am going to be replacing the seating. Can you tell me what kind of MOT I would require and roughly how much they tend to cost. Thanks

[Jonathan Smith]

A full PCV MOT can cost around £100

[steved]

Hello all, ok so once you have changed the class of your coach it can then go through a standard car MOT correct? if so where do you stand on emissions, surely a coach with an 11ltr engine is going to have sky high emmisions, dont converted coaches fail on this? or do the test stations take into acount engine size etc?

many thanks

[Jonathan Smith]

steved said:

Hello all, ok so once you have changed the class of your coach it can then go through a standard car MOT correct? if so where do you stand on emissions, surely a coach with an 11ltr engine is going to have sky high emmisions, dont converted coaches fail on this? or do the test stations take into acount engine size etc?

many thanks

I've not had any problem with emissions, depends on the age of the vehicle. PCV's arnt allowed to pollute anymore than anyone else. The test is done when the engine is warmed through, if the engine runs clear when warmed up then it should be ok. Most older vehicles smoke visually on first start up.

www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/carlgvowners/randommotchecks/maintainingmotemissionsstandards.htm

[tanglewood7x]

Once you're converted to a motorhome the MOT standard is just like a diesel car - so basically if it doesn't smoke too bad you'll probably be ok - just like looking at a second hand car.

I think all buses and coaches will smoke a fair bit when cold as has been said - the old ones definately don't have any form of 'glow plug' or other engine heating device - the diesel pump just overfuels the engine (just like the choke on a petrol car) and hence the smoke even from the best of engines.

Just watch for smoke when it's hot - especially black smoke that indicates duff injectors.

Hope this helps