Hello I own a 2010 A5 Cabriolet which has just failed the MOT because of fog-lights but I am not sure the MOT tester is correct. He has failed it because he says the rear fog-lights aren't operating correctly, and only come on for a second then turn themselves off.

However, this what happens. When the headlights are on then I can switch both front and rear fog-lights on and they stay on. When only side-lights are on, I can switch the front fog-lights on and they stay on, but the rear fog-lights immediately turn themselves off again. When I don't have my headlights on at all, then both front and rear fog-lights immediately turn themselves off again.

Is the MOT tester correct and I have a problem, or are they in fact working as intended and the MOT tester is wrong?

Thanks

Hello Debbie,

Many thanks for being in touch with the forum.

A good question, and in my (in caps) experience, the rear high intensity lights only illuminate when the headlamps are on. Perhaps a daft question, but is he failing this because they flash on when the sidelights are on? If he is, would this be a justifiable failure?? Personally I would not think so.

Could you let the forum know the exact wording on the failure certificate? 

Since  the failure doesn’t apply to the front side lights, we won’t complicate the issue by discussing that aspect. 

If this were mine, my first port of call would be to consult the all important handbook, to check the described operation of the rear high intensity lights. If you can show that they operate according to that procedure, then I would be returning to the MOT station - armed with this procedure. 

If they work according to that procedure, and the tester is still adamant that yours justifies a failure, then I would be informing them that you will be challenging that failure via. the VOSA procedure. 

Perhaps you can let us have the answer to the failure wording, and let us know how this eventually pans out.

Kind regards, 

Gareth. 

 

Hello again Debbie,

Just an afterthought to the high intensity lights flashing on and then off when the sidelights are on:- 

It is not uncommon to encounter issues with the harness that links the body to the boot - in a flexible rubber covering.  The wiring within this harness can become stressed, particularly in cold weather, and this can lead to breaks in insulation and/or individual stands within the wire. Worth a check just in case. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 
 

Hi - car was booked in for a service and MOT and during the "pre-MOT" check the garage said it would fail the MOT if they did it - the wording on their report is "rear fog inop but the switch lights up then goes off so would need to investigate the switch". Have since talked to an MOT tester at a local garage who said he wouldn't fail it based on my description above so I guess I'll stay local. Thanks for your help.

OK Debbie.

So there isn’t a fail certificate for an MOT test then, so technically it hasn’t failed, and you cannot therefore go down the route of disputing the (intended) failure. 
Was this service carried out by a main dealer? 
I note you say you will (now) ‘stay local’. So does that mean you had your car serviced outside of your locality? 
Kind regards,

Gareth.