NCT - VIN number.

quenching

Just back from getting the NCT done on my old Mercedes, all was fine except for a FAIL/REFUSAL due to "advanced corrosion" on the VIN number stamped on the metal casing surrounding the fuses. Its only surface rust where the paint was broken, the tester said she had trouble reading it, I can read it perfectly but the car also has a VIN plate screwed to the front edge of the engine bay, just like the picture below, which was clearly visible. The NCTS manual only refers to the VIN number as follows:

"The Vehicle Identification Number on the vehicle must
correspond with the information on the Vehicle Registration
File/Book/Licence Certificate. Where difficulty is encountered
in locating the Vehicle Identification Number it is the
responsibility of the applicant to establish the location of this
information on the vehicle."

There is no mention that it has to be stamped on the chassis or about the ease of reading it. Anyone encountered this before or did I just get a particularly pedantic tester?

mickdw

There seems to be a few refusals happening due to them not being able to find the stamped number and the plate isnt enough for them.
In your case, surely you can clean up the area of the stamped number to make it a bit clearer.

quenching

mickdw wrote: »

There seems to be a few refusals happening due to them not being able to find the stamped number and the plate isnt enough for them.
In your case, surely you can clean up the area of the stamped number to make it a bit clearer.

I could indeed just clean it up a bit, but thats not really the point, the NCT manual doesn't say it has to be stamped just "on the vehicle". The VIN plate on mine is part of the original manufacturers specification and has always been good enough until now, when I imported it a few years ago the VRT office were also quite happy with it. The NCT seems to have an increasing amount of rules that the car has to comply with which vary on their interpretation depending on the tester involved.

mickdw

If your plate is fixed with 2 cross head screws as the one in the picture, I wouldnt be too happy about accepting it either tbh.

corktina

just wire brush off the rust...if its readable, take it back in , visual inspection...sorted...(dab of primer when you get home...)

Our man in Havana

I had the exact opposite problem, the plate was missing. Pedantic person was not happy but could do nothing as the number was stamped in and clearly readable.

quenching

mickdw wrote: »

If your plate is fixed with 2 cross head screws as the one in the picture, I wouldnt be too happy about accepting it either tbh.

All Mercedes from the early 80's are like that, its how they're made. Its additional to the stamped VIN number, my point is that the NCT manual doesn't say it has to be stamped, just visible on the car.

galwaytt

mickdw wrote: »

If your plate is fixed with 2 cross head screws as the one in the picture, I wouldnt be too happy about accepting it either tbh.

If it's good enough for Mercedes, not to mention MoT, SGS, Tuv etc etc, the pedant's in NCTS have no grounds to refuse it, tbh.

_Conrad_

galwaytt wrote: »

If it's good enough for Mercedes, not to mention MoT, SGS, Tuv etc etc, the pedant's in NCTS have no grounds to refuse it, tbh.

Ah sure they'll still fail you for not taking the hubcaps off.... which is pathetic. Was in the limerick center the other day etting something tested and a girl was failed on that and a couple of bulbs and a cracked indicator lense, now if that was the MOT in most places in the uk they just have her back in an hour and check it again all that stuff could easily have been sorted but just because of that she had to re-book etc.

Yes by the way i know you're supposed to take hubcaps off but it's be very easy for someone to be in a rush or be nervous and forget

-Chris-

_Conrad_ wrote: »

Ah sure they'll still fail you for not taking the hubcaps off.... which is pathetic. Was in the limerick center the other day etting something tested and a girl was failed on that and a couple of bulbs and a cracked indicator lense, now if that was the MOT in most places in the uk they just have her back in an hour and check it again all that stuff could easily have been sorted but just because of that she had to re-book etc.

Yes by the way i know you're supposed to take hubcaps off but it's be very easy for someone to be in a rush or be nervous and forget

And then everyone'll expect them to take hubcaps off, they'll fix the seatbelt receptors if they're stuck down in the seat cushion, and the Irish attitude of "ah, shur it'll be graaaand" will make the NCT an even more pointless test.

If you turn up with your hubcaps on or bulbs blown (unless they blew on the way to the test centre), then you DESERVE to be inconvenienced with a retest.

quenching

Just had a return call from the NCT and it turns out that as far as they are concerned only the number stamped on the chassis is called the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the fact that the same number is also presented on a separate metal plate is irrelevant to them! The NCT manual not mentioning that the VIN has to be stamped is also irrelevant as thats the only method they recognise. According to the NCT the separate plate on the car is called a "VIN plate", the fact that most other countries accept a plate or sticker didn't bother them.

However, they confirmed that if no VIN could be found (or clearly read) stamped on a car and I went and got a set of stamps and stamped it on the car myself they'd be happy with that also :rolleyes:

So another stupid pedantic rule that the NCTS choose to interpret in their own way and that motorists can't know about until their car falls foul of it, chooses to question it, speaks to 4 NCTS customer service staff who can't explain it either, and eventually has it explained by the manager of a NCT test centre. Just as well I have a day off and its too wet to do much else!

-Chris-

Can you not find the VIN stamped on the chassis also?