Test Faults- please help me make sense of them!

squishywishy

Howdy Boardsies.

Could somebody explain what the following grade 2 faults i picked up in my test could be? Understand that they could be a multitude if things but any suggestions might help me to not do it again

Cheers for the help as always

3. Observation

• Moving off (blindspot?? mirrors??)
• Turning Right (staring to right?? not enough observation??)
• Turning left (same?)

11.Progress

• At Traffic lights( no idea what that means tbh??)

12. Vehicle Controls

• Clutch (coasting??)
• Gears (Had trouble getting into Reverse - which often happens in my car but dont know what else!!)

TwoShedsJackson

Sounds like you know what most of them were for - errors for observation are apparently the vast majority of those given during the test. Turning right is probably the easiest one to get marked on, my instructor told me that once I've looked left and right, seen it's clear and decided to go, to keep looking in the direction of travel as you go right and don't look left again once you're going even though you may feel like you should.

I got Grade 2s during my test for progress at traffic lights and the tester later explained it was for not being ready to go relatively quickly when the light turned green. In my normal driving if I'm first or second in the queue at the lights I would typically have the clutch at the bite point and be ready to drop the handbrake when I think the lights are about to turn, however I toned it down a bit in the test so as not to appear too eager to go and got faulted for that

javaboy

squishywishy wrote: »

Howdy Boardsies.

Could somebody explain what the following grade 2 faults i picked up in my test could be? Understand that they could be a multitude if things but any suggestions might help me to not do it again

Cheers for the help as always

3. Observation

• Moving off (blindspot?? mirrors??)
• Turning Right (staring to right?? not enough observation??)
• Turning left (same?)

11.Progress

• At Traffic lights( no idea what that means tbh??)

12. Vehicle Controls

• Clutch (coasting??)
• Gears (Had trouble getting into Reverse - which often happens in my car but dont know what else!!)

Observation ones are straightforward:
Moving off - check all mirrors and blind spots. The blind spots are usually the shoulder checks. When moving off the shoulder checks should be the last thing you do and should be more thorough than the usual quick lane change shoulder check.

Turning right - observation. Exactly what it says on the tin here. Need to be sure that your way is clear to the left and the right and perform shoulder checks e.g. a biker passing you on the right.

Turning left - be especially careful of cyclists coming up your inside. Mirrors and blind spot checks essential.

You should also recheck to the right before either turn because a motorbike can hide behind the pillar (between windscreen and side window) and may be approaching must faster than a car.


Progress at traffic lights: Progress faults are usually for not keeping up with traffic or for holding up traffic. e.g. not being ready to move when the lights turn green. If you're the first car at the lights, try to anticipate when your light will go green and get in first gear in time.


Coasting - travelling for any extended distance with your foot on the clutch (even partially). Try to get out of this habit if you find yourself doing it. It's better to stop in your test a little further back behind a car in traffic than to coast up to the correct position. Be aware that if your foot is hovering over the pedal but not actually pressing/touching it, the tester may not be able to see that and may fault you for it. Best to keep the foot on the floor unless changing gear or coming to a complete stop.

Getting your car into reverse can be a problem on a lot of cars (even without the pullup style gearstick). My owner's manual suggests putting the car in neutral, lifting off the clutch completely and then trying again. Always works for me.


Another common fault for gears in the test is not being in the appropriate gear for the speed. E.g. you slow to almost a complete stop at a turn/roundabout because it looks like you had to stop. Then a gap opens up and you're suddenly in second gear at 4km/h trying to accelerate. It's usually best during the test to err on the side of caution and change up a gear a little later than usual. If you're climbing a hill in fourth and the tester can feel the car straining, they may mark you down for gears.

seamus

squishywishy wrote: »

[*]Moving off (blindspot?? mirrors??)

Mirrors, probably. If you were looking down at your gearstick or your rev counter while you started to move off, this is a no-no.

[*]Turning Right (staring to right?? not enough observation??)
[*]Turning left (same?)

Mirrors again, most likely. Before you turn right, you should check your right mirror for traffic which may be coming up on your right - motorbikes or cyclists. Similarly check your left mirror for left turns. The mirror check should be done before you've indicated and again before you start to turn.

[*]At Traffic lights( no idea what that means tbh??)

As said, probably not moving off quickly enough.

[*]Clutch (coasting??)
[*]Gears (Had trouble getting into Reverse - which often happens in my car but dont know what else!!)

I'd say they probably go hand in hand. Having trouble getting into reverse wouldn't be a huge deal unless you were really struggling. Common gearing issues would be not changing into the correct gear (car accelerating very slowly or shuddering), changing gear while turning or stopping and changing into first gear before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. Clutch issues usually mean coasting.

squishywishy

Now i really have no clue cos i dont do half of those things!! :mad:

I use my mirrors because my instructor drilled it into me and now its just part of my rountine - Mirror Signal Move

Traffic lights ones rage me because i was back in a line of traffic a every traffic lights so i couldnt go anywhere until the people before me did!!

The gears one makes sense now because i remember changing down fo first for a right turn at very blind T junction and change a second or two too early and the car reveved against me.

betterdrive.net

squishywishy wrote: »

Howdy Boardsies.

Could somebody explain what the following grade 2 faults i picked up in my test could be? Understand that they could be a multitude if things but any suggestions might help me to not do it again

Cheers for the help as always

3. Observation

• Moving off (blindspot?? mirrors??)
• Turning Right (staring to right?? not enough observation??)
• Turning left (same?)

11.Progress

• At Traffic lights( no idea what that means tbh??)

12. Vehicle Controls

• Clutch (coasting??)
• Gears (Had trouble getting into Reverse - which often happens in my car but dont know what else!!)

Observation moving off (generally Blind spot not checked)

Turning right (at cross junctions not looking at all roads as part of the turn) or not looking into the right turn on approach to it)

Turning left (not looking equally in both directions at T junction)

Traffic lights ( not taking possesion of a junction or failing to proceed to turn whan a gap has appeared or if the light changes while in possesion of Junction)

Clutch ( not smooth gear changing of coasting)

Gears ( if your car won't engage reverse put in neutral again, release clutch, press clutch agin and will generally work no problem