MOT requirements for imported German Van Forums

adam_l

Folks

We have just bought a 1994 Knauss on a Fiat chassis and driven it back. It has a current German TUV and overall is in great nick. Its booked in for an MOT next week.

I have been researching the requirements and as far as I can see the only things that will make it fail are the headlamps and the fog light.

Question: Do the headlamp kits that you can buy to mask RHD vehicles when travelling in Europe work when masking LHD headlamps?
If not is there something I can buy and from where?

Any other issue I should look at to minimise the risk of it failing?

Thanks

autostratus · Moderator

geraldandannie · Moderator

Hi Adam

I've had to remove the other post you made - duplicate posts aren't allowed, I'm afraid Sad

apxc15

You will need to buy some RHD headlights as masked lights are not acceptable. Don't Know why you think it would fail because of the spot light, unless you mean the rear fog light. If it only has one rear fog light it must be on the offside ie right rear. Fitting another one is the cheap way around that, but it should be at the same height and distance from the middle of the van rear.
Pete

kencocamper

I always use RHD masks, you will get a paper to show you where to mask the headlight, get a new fog light from Halfords and bolt under bumper on opporsite side and wire accross from original fog light, you can get speedo convertion overlay on EBAY, do a search for KMS to MLS covertion overlay, you will have to cut the numers out and stick in the appropriate places, they send you a convertion chart to show you where to stick them,
Hope that is of some help
Ken

asprn

Headlight masks ARE acceptable for an MoT. They are NOT acceptable however for the SVA test, which is not required here.

Your fog light will have to be "other-sided", but that's not a big job.

Your speedo does NOT have to be in mph for an MoT. The MoT examiner will record either Km or Miles on his computer input, and this will print on the MoT certificate.

Dougie.

silversurfa

Head lights . all mine pass with clear deflectors. Stick on type. as long as they comply with the mot beam pass . they will be ok. If you dont want an add on fog light . simply reverse the light unit from left to right ! up sidedown and wire the fog light from its connection on the left over to the right,
make sure the hand brake is adjusted up to about 4 clicks. and give it a good run before you go into m o t station . gets rid of exhaust s*** for the emisions test . make sure rear belts are on show and belted across.
good luck. the uk mot is far better(stricter) than the German one.

GOVER

All the proceeding is of course good advice and to some extent you are at the goodwill or otherwise of the examiner. My experience to date:

1 A valid VIN plate needs to be conveniently available for inspection. Many German specialist converters regard the Fahrzeugschein etc as sufficient. If you need one Tag Plates can make one for about £40 by return if you send the validation documentation they require.

2 The speedometer needs to show mph as well as kph. This should be visible at night by normal instrument lighting. Dymo or printed clear overlay is Ok. The odometer is alright in kilometers and this is usually but not always recorded on the MOT. My last one shows 25,000 miles and not the 25,000 Km it should be!

3 If your headlights are made by Hella, most german vans are then their technical department in Banbury can advise about conversion. My last van only needed the dipped lights rotated, main beams were OK. This took about 15 minutes. The dealer stated new lights £150+ labour etc.

4 Rear fog lights are mostly fitted in pairs so no problems.

Best of luck

Gover

kencocamper

dont forget if you change your rear fog lights over and then decide to go abroad you will then have to change the lights back when you get to calais and then back again when you come home, not a nice job on Dover docks on a cold foggy night
Ken

asprn