Contrôle Technique versus MOT

I've just bought SWMBO a SOC to run around in. What I did like, is the
fact that before you sell on a vehicle (over 4 years of age, IIRC) in
France, that you need to have the CT done.

This not only protects the buyer from hidden problems on the cage
(you've got some comeback on the seller if there's an issue), but it
also means that the vehicle is road worthy as seen by the French
Authorities. I believe it's more detailed than the MOT (166 points to
be verified with 50 that could be noted but don't require a second
visit) and it lasts two years.

I know that the MOT just means that the vehicle was okay on the day it
was tested, but shouldn't the MOT be styled along the French lines?

 

Er, no, because it means there will be even more rolling wrecks on
British roads.

 

I've noticed this before - we definately have more sheds on the loose
here in the UK - is there a huge fine involved in France if you have
summat dodgy?

 

How do you work that one out then? The 2-year thing wouldn't cause it,
and most wrecks change hands frequently, which wouldn't be possible
under the froggy system.

Granted, it might lead to even more being uninsured, untaxed,
completely illegal. To counter that you need the plate to be issued
to the individual, not the vehicle, so a seller wouldn't be able to
fob off a junkpile without continuing to be legally responsible for
it.

In CH the test is only done when they feel like asking you in. Jude's
206cc is now 5 years old and has just been called in for a test; the
Volvo I just got shot off was tested in 2001 when I first registered
it here, and once more in 2007. All tests are done by/at the official
testing centre for the kanton, so there's no possibility of getting
one done at any other time, so AFAIAA the French and Belgian 'test
before you sell' rule doesn't apply here.

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

You haven't looked closely at what the French regard as acceptable
structural repairs... Pop-rivets and fibreglass? No problem...

There's a few things we could easily improve - not least the compulsory
display of an MOT & insurance sticker, like in France - but I'm not sure
there's a lot to learn from the CT itself. Half the reason a CT has to be
recent (IIRC it's within six months) when you sell a used car is because
it's so long between tests normally.

Oh, and if it fails (apart from on some stuff like brakes & tyres)? No
problem - fix it within two months. You're fine to continue using it in
that time...

They've only just introduced things like leaking dampers and emissions
testing this year, ffs. Hell, they only introduced the test AT ALL in the
'90s.

 

I'd have thought that checking certain components only every two years
is asking for trouble. And if the wrecks can't be sold, then they'll
continue to be used by owners who don't GAF, as long as they're
'legal' and actually locomote (but maybe not stop).

That, anyway, is how I'd interpret it. I'm open to persuasive
arguments to the contrary.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Eh? Will that hurt?

<fx:reads subject line>

Oh.

 

Only if you get your thumbs caught.

 

Maybe. But based on the Swiss test, and I know the French one may not
be as thorough, anything that's going to fall apart within two years
would fail now anyway, IYSWIM. Or in other words, wrecks would be
forced off the roads a lot sooner than in the UK.

Of course, individual components can fail, but that's always going to
happen, regardless of test frequency.

I guess you'd need to ensure that anything of the wreck variety being
driven around would be stopped by Police on a regular basis, which of
course could happen anyway under UK Laws, with a rectification notice
or similar being followed up if unresolved with a heavy stick
approach.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

ITYM _IF_. I fucking hope so anyway.

 

How do you figure that out?

 

Then you continue the MOT every year. But the "Test before you sell" is
a good idea, IMO.

I suppose my main point is the fact that the buyer has some form of
recourse, in the event of any issues. Today, the MOT doesn't and isn't
worth the paper it's written on.

 

It's not "before you sell". It's "less than 6mo". The law of averages
says that half of all used cars (>3yo) sold here have MOTs less than 6mo,
rather than a quarter of all used cars (>4yo) sold there.

A fresh MOT is "worth" no more or less than a fresh CT.

 

Unfortunately, I think it's happening *less* in Britain, because so
much policing is being done by camera. And all an ANPR camera will
tell you is that the vehicle is taxed, MoT'd and insured. It won't
tell you that it's got three bald tyres, had a severe shunt since the
MoT, and is being driven by someone pissed and who doesn't have a
licence anyway.

You're right - human Plod will clamp down, but there aren'tenough of
them on traffic duty any more.

 

In communiqué <>, Cab

Is it still in doubt? Do you mean you hope CT comes in, or hope it is
'_IF_', though I suspect from a previous exchange on this subject it is
the former.

TBF, the old Yamaha is OK in the stopping, steering and even noise
departments. It also has virtually new tyres. It would be the lights
side of thing that would scupper it. It has bobby dodger glow worms on
at the moment to satisfy the lights on at all times requirements, but I
suspect they wouldn't get through a CT.
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| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

In communiqué <>, Cab

Might that also mean a change to the registration system though? I
haven't purchased a car in France, but I was amazed when my insurance
man sent me to the nearest car showroom to get a form to fill in to get
a Carte Gris in my name for the bike. Then go all the way in to Limoges
to get the paperwork checked and pay (or do it by post perhaps). I was
amazed when it all went through without a hitch. Having to prove that
you actually have an address that exists seemed a good thing to me.


--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

That'll be the "I don't give a shit if it's actually roadworthy, as long
as it's got paperwork" model?

 

It's still an "IF the CT comes in" atm. It'll probably happen in all
reality. It's just a case of getting the infrastructure in place, etc.

Funnily enough, even though there is no CT for bikes, you very rarely
see people riding complete sheds. However I reckon that the government
won't want to rely on the word of bikers as to the state of their two
wheels.

On the flip side, if CT does come in, then you may see more rats/real
customs on the road. If they pass the CT, then there's no excuse for
refusing to keep them off the roads.

 

Um, yes? Isn't that the Generally Accepted Truth?

 

In the event that someone sells a vehicle more than 4 years old, the
seller needs to give the buyer (before the sale is concluded) the CT
(which needs to be less than 6 months old). Granted, you're right, but
I reckon that in most cases the CT will be done just before the sale
(SWMBO's SOC was done last week).

Personally, I wouldn't buy a car where the CT was done more than, say,
one month ago (depending upon the age of the car, condition, etc). For
example, the new SOC was first on the road in '93, so there's no way
I'd have accepted a CT more than a week previously.

I'll give you that a fresh MOT is worth no more than a CT done up to
six months ago, but a fresh CT _is_ worth more than a fresh MOT (yeah,
yeah, how long would a fresh CT be considered as?).

The fact remains though, that a vehicle in France can't be sold without
a CT [1]. In the UK, you don't need an MOT to sell a vehicle.

[1] BUT I'm not sure whether there's a requirement for the vehicle to
have passed or not. In any case, it will establish what needs to be
done to the vehicle in the event of a failure.

What is good though, is that if the vehicle fails, you've got two
months to get the failures fixed and more importantly, you don't pay
for the second visit.