dspp wrote: does absence of 4th gear matter ?
.... it is pertinent as to whether I need 4th gear to be working by then.
regards, dspp
Generally speaking no, in most circumstances the tester would be unlikely to know that 4th was missing (unless the presenter informed them of this fact prior to test), so would not fail the car, as you would generally only be using first and reverse. However, in certain circumstances a road test may be required, in which case 4th may be needed. But help is at hand, as having a missing fourth gear is in fact not necessarily a fail!
The contents of the gearbox are not tested for functionality other than first and reverse, and even then it is purely in order to get the vehicle into and out of the test area. A partially working gearbox is not in itself a fail, as the gearbox is not a testable item (other than it's operating lever/levers, mountings and input/output shafts and associated gubbins). But, the absence or failure of first/reverse would, IMHO, be grounds for a Dangerous fail, as the vehicle may not be able to accelerate away from rest (at the lights, for example) or for parking without mucho slippage of the clutch, and very slowly at that.
Needless to say this is all for Class 4 vehicles (normal cars and vans).
It all changes when you move away from Class 4, as there is, however, a specific stuffed gearbox failure for Class 5 vehicles, ie: passenger vehicles, ambulances and motor caravans with 13 or more passenger seats. This comes in Section 6.2.7, Driving Controls, where the specific fail is for a driving control necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle not functioning correctly or not working or functioning such that safe operation of the vehicle is affected:
https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/ ... ection_6.2and scroll down to part 7
I think I need a lie down, that took far more furtling through the manuals than I was expecting, as I really couldn't think of any area where the gearbox functionality was tested!
MoTMork
