MOT Test of the Instrument Panel

While there is no “instrument panel MOT Test” as such, these instrument panel items are collected together here for your convenience, as they are grouped together in your vehicle. They also appear in the section relevant to the Test item.

Speedometer (7.8)

Test for vehicles first used on or after 1st October 1937

The glass of the instrument panel being cracked is not a reason for failure providing there is no possibility of misreading the speedometer, no possibility of the indicator needle being fouled or the cracked glass being a safety hazard.

Speedometer will be checked for:

Presence
Operation
Condition
Can be illuminated

The following categories apply to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. Speedometer not fitted where one is required:	Major
b. Speedometer: i. operation impaired	Minor
ii. not working	Major
c. Speedometer: i. not sufficiently illuminated	Minor
ii. not illuminated	Major

Power Steering – Warning Indicators (2.6)

An electronic power steering malfunction indicator lamp must not be indicating a malfunction

The following category applies to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. EPS MIL indicating a system malfunction	Major

Lights – ‘Tell-tales’ mandatory for lighting equipment (4.9)

Presence, condition and operation

The following lighting ‘tell-tales’ in the instrument panel will be inspected:

headlamp main beam
direction indicators
hazard warning lamps
rear fog lamps

A main beam ‘tell-tale’ is only required on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986. Class 3 vehicles don’t need to have the main-beam tell-tale inspected.

A direction indicator ‘tell-tale’ can be audible or visual.

A hazard warning ‘tell-tale’ must be a flashing light.

A rear fog ‘tell-tale’ is only required where a rear fog lamp is mandatory.

The following categories apply to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. A mandatory tell-tale: i. for direction indicators or hazard warning missing or inoperative	Minor
ii. for main beam headlamp or rear fog lamp missing or inoperative	Major
b. A hazard warning lamp tell-tale is not a flashing light	Minor

Anti-theft device (7.3)

The Tester will only inspect the anti-theft device on vehicles first used on or after 1 September 2001 with a steering lock as an anti-theft device fitted as original equipment

It’s acceptable for a steering lock to be missing or not working as long as the vehicle has an engine immobiliser, or a permanently installed immobilisation device which acts on either the steering, brakes or the transmission.

If it’s not practical to check if a steering lock is working, the tester should give the benefit of the doubt.

The following category applies to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. Steering lock missing or not functioning	Minor
b. Steering lock inadvertently engaging	Dangerous

Supplementary Restraint Systems (SRS) – Warning Indicator (7.1.6)

This refers to warning indicators related to:

all seat belts fitted
child seats and restraints that are permanently attached to the vehicle using Isofix mountings or nuts and bolts

SRS Malfunction Indicator Lamp:

Inoperative
Indicating malfunction

The following category applies to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp indicates a system malfunction	Major

Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems – Warning Indicator (7.1.2)

Warning Lamp

Missing
Does not illuminate
Indicates a fault
(For ABS) does not follow the correct sequence

The following category applies to defects in this section:

Defect	Category
a. Wheel speed sensors missing or damaged	Major
b. ESC wiring damaged	Major
c. Other ESC component missing or damaged	Major
d. ESC switch damaged or not functioning correctly	Major
e. ESC MIL indicates a system malfunction	Major