My car, with LR supplied & fitted plug & play 13 pin electrics failed it's MOT test today.

I put the car in for it's MOT test with the LR dealer that fitted the OEM tow bar & electrics. Seems that they then farm it out to a local test centre who failed it exclusively on the 13 pin electrics that work absolutely perfectly with both my current Bailey and my previous Fleetwood.

Worse is the fact that the dealers appear to have accepted that their work is at fault and have agreed to "sort" even though there is nothing wrong with the damn thing!

We are away for two weeks from Saturday and I can see us ending up with genuinely defective 13 pin set up if they try to fix it to satisfy the MOT station's LED tester. Current MOT expires during our trip otherwise I would leave it until we get back.

Tempted to take the car elsewhere.... This one has really annoyed me to the extent that I feel a change of dealer coming on!

What have they saids up with the electrics

Lots and lots of posts on here and other forums about Land Rover electronics not getting LEDs plugged into trailer sockets to work correctly.

If it is similar to the D3 you could remove the socket and last section of wiring quite easily (plugs in behind tail light). Cant fail it if it is not there ! Everyone can spread it - Anyone can catch it. Stay home - the life you save can be your own!

Just put a 13 Pin to 7 Pin adapter in it, they cannot test it then as they are not supposed to remove anything to do the test. The chances are the equipment that is specified by VOSA to be used is not adequate, lots of reports of this on the net.

npinks
LR dealer hasn't said yet - they are collecting the car on Thursday to 'investigate & fix'.

ad210358
Being aware of many reported problems with the testing device I did consider the 13 to 7 pin adaptor but naively believing that dealer fitted towing electrics wouldn't fail an MOT test conducted by that same dealer I let it pass. I didn't realise until after the event that they farmed it out to a third party MOT station.

The real issue is that the dealer didn't immediately defend the quality of their own installation work (of less than a year ago) and appear to be quite unaware of the Canbus / LED issue.

Navigator
Perhaps a bit extreme for me

No need to wait until Thursday. Get your V5 registration document to hand (you will need the document reference number off of it), log on here https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status and you will see exactly what it failed on - it goes on the system immediately on completion of the test. Let us know what it says.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

I will have a look at that once I get home from work this evening...

I'm fairly clear it is the MOT LED tester box that is at fault. Do you have/can borrow a trailer board to show them that all is working as it should?

Thankfully the Discovery has a cover over the towing electrics and they are not allowed to remove a cover . . . that woud be dismantling ! Everyone can spread it - Anyone can catch it. Stay home - the life you save can be your own!

From the testers inspection manual:
"Some tow bar electrical sockets are ‘hidden’ behind an access panel in the bumper or bodywork. Unless requiring the use of tools or specialist equipment, these panels must be removed to facilitate the inspection of the towbar socket."

So, if the Disco tow bar cover can be removed with, say, a coin (which is not a tool), it can be removed! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Due to the odd low life removing the said panel for selling on auction sites I have had Two small holes drilled, one in the bottom of the panel, one in the underside of the bumper, one plastic zip tie, job done.

Checked the https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status (MOT history) and the tester has recoreded:

"Trailer electrical socket (13 pin) not operating the trailer lamps as intended (1.9.4)"

We know that the socket works exactly as intended when the caravan is plugged in - lighting, trailer control, fridge and charging, fogs, sensors and dashboard trailer repeater lamp.

That said, I am full of confidence in the competence of SUPERTYRES MOTORIST CENTRE (WELWYN) LTD (who Lancaster use to carry out their MOT tests). Especially as they gave me an advisory - Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt.

Takes a special sort of tester that does given that my son is now 32 and we haven't had a child seat in a car for the greater part of three decades....

When a vehicle is tested before the expiry of the MOT, say for example a week before the test is due, if the car fails, legally can the car be used on any roads? Or should it not be used at all until which ever defects are repaired? Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

What a load of hassle, its a good enough reason not to do any towing at all.

Stevie5tapes wrote:

When a vehicle is tested before the expiry of the MOT, say for example a week before the test is due, if the car fails, legally can the car be used on any roads? Or should it not be used at all until which ever defects are repaired?

HappyNomad wrote:

Checked the https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status (MOT history) and the tester has recoreded:

"Trailer electrical socket (13 pin) not operating the trailer lamps as intended (1.9.4)"

We know that the socket works exactly as intended when the caravan is plugged in - lighting, trailer control, fridge and charging, fogs, sensors and dashboard trailer repeater lamp.

That said, I am full of confidence in the competence of SUPERTYRES MOTORIST CENTRE (WELWYN) LTD (who Lancaster use to carry out their MOT tests). Especially as they gave me an advisory - Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt.

Takes a special sort of tester that does given that my son is now 32 and we haven't had a child seat in a car for the greater part of three decades....