June 5, 2023
In today’s automotive industry, many modern vehicles are equipped with panels that obscure the view of safety-critical components, including exhaust after-treatment systems. In the recent government consultation on the future of the MOT, the DVSA raised an important question regarding the potential disassembly of such panels during future MOT tests. While disassembly may result in more extended test durations and potential problems with reassembly, it also offers the opportunity for a more robust safety assessment. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of allowing disassembly during MOT and consider potential solutions when panels are challenging to remove or prone to breakage.
Where aesthetic panels are on the increase, allowing Testers to remove panels which obscure safety features would increase the robustness of the safety assessment. Often a vehicle under-tray will conceal most, or even all, of a vehicle’s underside, making it challenging to conduct the necessary inspections. Allowing the disassembly of panels would provide the MOT testers with an unobstructed view of safety-critical components. This complete view would enable a more comprehensive evaluation of exhaust after-treatment systems and other hidden elements that play a crucial role in vehicle safety. Ensuring these components function optimally means the MOT test can continue contributing to enhanced road safety standards and reduce the risk of hazardous emissions.
Disassembling panels during the MOT test could lead to more extended test times and potential complications with reassembly. The additional time required to remove and reinstall panels may cause delays in the overall testing procedure, leading to reduced revenue for garage owners or, preferably, increased test fees and longer wait times for vehicle owners. Moreover, the complexity of modern vehicle designs and the risk of damaging delicate components during disassembly and reassembly pose significant challenges for testing centres. However, there is increasing dissonance between the current testing procedure and vehicle manufacturing processes.
The industry must consider and innovate new solutions for thoroughly inspecting vehicles without compromising vehicle integrity. Some possible approaches could include vehicle manufacturers developing specialist tools and training for safely removing and reinstalling panels, standardising fixings for panels, and including external access points in vehicle design specifically for inspections. The industry could also explore leveraging advancements in diagnostic technology to assess the performance and integrity of safety-critical components using scanners and sensors to provide detailed insights into the functioning of hidden systems without the need for physical disassembly.
The question of allowing panel disassembly during the MOT test brings to light the tension between conducting a more robust safety assessment and the potential challenges in implementing that. While disassembly may lead to longer testing times and possible reassembly complications, it offers the advantage of comprehensively evaluating safety-critical components. Manufacturers must be mindful of the accessibility of safety-critical components. Standardisation of fixings across manufacturers might aid testers as aesthetic panels become more common, as would specialised tools and training on disassembly and assembly. Integrating external access points for testers into the design is another option, as is leveraging advanced diagnostic technology to help overcome these hurdles. Balancing thorough inspections and practical considerations is essential for ensuring road safety standards while maintaining efficiency in the MOT testing process.
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