ITV

I have taken my vehicles (cars and motorcycles)  and those of a couple of friends for ITV tests for the past 30 or so years.

This morning I went with a friend and they checked the engine oil level.  I had never seen that done before.     I asked the tester if it was a new check.    He said it had always been one of the checked items.    When I said I have never seen it done in 30 years he expressed surprise.

Is anyone here not surprised ?

I have told my MOT testers to always do this simple check it takes seconds reason being when the tester revs the engine for the emission check the last thing you should do is rev an engine with no oil in it, same for cambelt change, my guys ask when it was last changed if we have no records of it having been replaced.

This thread is about Spain (EOS)  and ITV tests not UK nor  MOTs

And again just make it clear, The tester said it was an item to be checked not something done as a precaution.

Pedantic for sure.

Engines, lack off oil, reving engines, Spain or not the itv and MOT are much the same thing,what you got was a good tester knowing the rights and wrongs.

Many a time a customer has come back to my garage complaining that since we did the MOT this or that doesn't work now......Even though the particular item is not an MOT requirement.

It really does now appear that unless you agree with the posters  then it's useless information, shame.

Low and even too much oil will result in the tester refusing to do the emissions test at ITV. Lazy testers do not always check the level.

Went for ITV this morning on a fifteen year-old Citroen Xantia - no oil level check or mention of cambelt change.

(Love the cita previa system, tho!)

Steve

I have owned vehicles for over 40 years and have never seen what they do during an MOT, have just always relied on the garage doing their job, they are the professionals that's why we use them.

'Hi  Kevin .  

Sorry if I 'appear pedantic' but this thread is about ITV’s in Spain so what happens elsewhere, whilst distracting,  is not relevant.

For those who do not know but would like to:- 

In Spain the test centres,  which are government appointed,  only carry out the checks, unlike UK they do not have any repair faculties.   That means one can be sure they will get an honest result as the centre have no incentive to find faults, in the hope you will pay them to repair the faults 'they have found.'  In Spain even the retest is free if done within the specified period.

One drives their car through the test lane, switches on lights, wipers, applies brakes etc. whilst the tester carries out the checks.

Even with motorcycles one stands in the test area,  so can see everything done.

That is why I was so surprised to see the tester checking the engine oil level on my friend's car.

I just wondered if an ITV test included checking the functions of dashboard warning lights, if so a low oil sump coupled with no oil warning light when the engine is running could be the answer to the question.

A simple yes or no will surfice., 

Hi Johnzx

Sorry if my post is not relevant I was purely adding my opinion and experience which i appreciate is not in Spain but thought it was of a similar industry, I also thought this forum was an area I could be involved with even though I I am very new to Spain.

Sorry for wasting your time and distracting you.

Hi.  There is little point in checking the oil level on a warm engine because a great deal of the oil is around the engine block.  

An effective oil level check should be done on a level surface with a cold engine.  Checking the oil on a car that's just been driven to a test centre and driving through a test block won't be a good picture of the oil level really. 

Is that of any relevance to the post?

kevin

dont worry about it your views are (and should be)  welcome

we all drift off thread a bit at times and pot, kettle and black comes to mind

no distraction for me

I have just checked the "informe de inspección técnica de vehículos" from my last ITV. A copy of the same can be found by scrolling down on this site. Whilst checking the oil level is NOT included as a specific check, item 9.01 is a check of the general condition of the engine, so I guess it could be included as part of that check. I have never had my oil level checked by a tester in nearly 20 years of ITVs - but then, none of my vehicles have been old bangers that look like the engine might be on it's last legs!

One thing that always surprises me is that they NEVER check the spare tyre - not even the existence of one, let alone the condition. To my great shame & embarassment, I actually needed it for the first time ever this week, due to a puncture, and found it had no air in it . Having said that, like John, I feel the system in Spain is better than the UK's, with no incentive for testers to find faults that don't exist. For Spain, it's also a surprisingly effiecient system, even the online booking system works well!

One last word on the ITV - who bothers using a garage that advertises free "Pre-ITV" checks? And more to the point, WHY? Anyone can check most of the items on the list themselves, and as John has said, if you do unfortunately fail, you get a free re-test. In other words, you get a free pre-test in effect anyway, so why get someone else to do it, who has a strong motive for finding a fault?

Roberto 

Having a spare tyre is not a requirement and going off thread it is also not a requirement for an mot in uk which is why they are not checked 

I'm aware of that, just find it surprising. 

I check my oil & water regularly. Will now add the spare to my checklist 

I've got a space saver spare but always have two new replacement tyres in the garage, if you shop around when you don't need them and have the time, there are some cracking bargains to be had. 

"I just wondered if an ITV test included checking the functions of dashboard warning lights, if so a low oil sump coupled with no oil warning light when the engine is running could be the answer to the question.

A simple yes or no will surfice.", 

In reply to Destry - No. As the owner/driver is in the car operating the switches etc, the tester does not see them - even fog lamps/hazard warning lights etc.

That said, if he does notice one which should not be there, he will comment and take appropriate action.About four years ago, I had a warning light illuminated for the driver's side air bag. The tester said he would have to fail the car, but I knew that this was caused by a dry joint under the seat. I took out my trusty WD40, gave it a liberal squirt and the light went out. Tester was happy and issued a pass.

The moral of the story - never go for an Itv/MoT without your  WD40!

Steve

Sten46,

Thanks for your post, do you know that WD40 is also a fantastic scratch remover and chrome cleaner?

Sorry if I 'appear pedantic' but this thread is about ITV’s in Spain so what happens elsewhere, whilst distracting,  is not relevant.

For those who do not know but would like to:-  

In Spain the test centres,  which are government appointed,  only carry out the checks, unlike UK they do not have any repair faculties.   That means one can be sure they will get an honest result as the centre have no incentive to find faults, in the hope you will pay them to repair the faults 'they have found.'  In Spain even the retest is free if done within the specified period. 

One drives their car through the test lane, switches on lights, wipers, applies brakes etc. whilst the tester carries out the checks.

Even with motorcycles one stands in the test area,  so can see everything done.

Wrong on a couple of points and the points that are wrong just show that the ITV and MOT are very similar.

A MOT station in the UK does not have to have repair faculties, it's advised to have them due to when and if the car fails   the MOT the garage concerned is letting the car drive out on the road Un-roadworthy.

In the UK we have been advised not to fail a car unless it's really bad, as I am sure Spain would do, we have been told to advise as and when we can, thanks to the EU rules, reason being all cars go onto a central register within the EU and the country with the most fails has the most Un-roadworthy cars, and the UK is one that doesn't want this.

If a car fails in the UK the customer has the right to take the car anywhere to be repaired, or have another MOT test elsewhere, so it's of no concern for the MOT station to fail it knowing full well it might not get the work.

To have the MOT license is a money making machine, because the law says it has to be done, almost all my friends don't want the MOT failure work, dealing with some folk as to why the tyres are bald is a no brainer.

The MOT in the UK is free within a certain time frame if the car fails, many I know don't charge for re-tests. I don't either.

All MOT stations in the UK have to have a viewing area and the customer is welcome to watch it being done, reason not so in the UK workshop is an EU health and safety issue, driving the car through a non workshop area with ultra clean floors is fine, in the UK some customers just love to complain that they slipped over on a spoon full of oil and are due a claim.

I know quite a few case's of the car failing the Spanish ITV, one due to side steps fitted onto a jeep which didn't come of the line with them, I have many more cases I could quote, but thats being "Pedantic" so don't make out that Spain is squeaky clean when it comes to the ITV, yes you might know ten friends who have had no problems.

The UK MOT is one the best going....Because it saves the idiots from themselves.