This comes from: Homologation for the MOT test. We tried to pass the MOT test with a major modification
Getting the specifications included in the technical data sheet (below) can be a real ordeal in Spain.
Last week I told you about my personal little battle to get the modifications I made to my car approved . According to the vehicle inspection station (ITV) , it was practically impossible, despite being a fairly simple and clearly beneficial modification. After several days of searching for information, I gave up and put myself in the hands of a company specializing in vehicle approvals, in this case, Homologastur.
My dealings with them were very brief: they asked for the vehicle registration document , the vehicle's technical specifications , a photocopy of my ID, a couple of photos of the modifications made, and any information or references I might have about the new parts installed. With that information, I received the necessary documents to register the modifications at home within a week.
- Technical project with supporting calculations and visa
- favorable report of the sealed laboratory.
- assembly certificate blank, in the absence of filling and sealing by the workshop that installed it.
With everything completed I present myself at the ITV (other different season the first one I went to, of course), where, as expected, the reception was not very good. It's normal... a lot of people pass by there Car, whose inspection lasts 10 minutes. perform a reform process It takes much longer and only costs 9 euros more than a routine review (yes, the procedure costs only XNUMX euros!!). The income/hour ratio plummets…and that is not good for any business!
El renovation engineer he took the documentation with a face of few friends, and after about 25 minutes of waiting he told me that there were some irregularities, due to incoherence in some dates and because some text was not detailed. He told me that if it seemed good to me, he would keep the documentation and the next day he would call me to tell me what things had to be corrected. He also invited me, jokingly, to make the reform in another ITV, to which I refused (it is clear that any ITV station, if you can, get rid of these paperwork). The truth is that the treatment changed quite a bit, and now the inspector seemed encouraged to make the reform.
The next day, first thing in the morning, they called me and ITV detailed what needed to be corrected: inconsistency in the date of the favorable report and reference the directive 98/12 relative to braking. It is evident that the data that ITV They may seem right to you, they may not seem right to another and vice versa. It gives the impression of not being perfectly defined how the matter works.
I call Homologastur, who assure me that in two days I would receive the new documentation with the dates that were necessary. With this promise, the ITV inspector He tells me that if I want I can do the review now and that Homologastur send the documents to your own ITV, so as not to have to go back to pick up the modified data sheet.
This is how we do it, without any problem. The ITV He issues me a supporting paper in case I stop the police (It is mandatory to bring the ITV card), ensuring that as soon as you receive the documentation of Homologastur would modify the card and could go through it. After three days, the process was completed, with the authorized reform in my possession and the documentation in the Ministry of Industry.
Resumiendo:
Although the reform that we do to our car seems minimal, as long as it is classified as “major reform” we will homologate it if we want circulate legally and avoid problems.
As I have been able to verify, the procedures are tremendously cumbersome and difficult for a "normal" citizen to carry out successfully. It's not that it's very complicated, but papers are needed that are not available to everyone (visa technical project and laboratory certificate).
Therefore, unless we are chartered engineers and let's have a friend somewhere authorized laboratory, it is clear that it is best to carry out the reforms with a specialized company. It is true that it is somewhat expensive (Homologastur charges about €300 for this type of work) but you save all the headaches and trips in vain to different places (which is also time and money). We only had to make a couple of photocopies and a couple of photos, the rest of the work was done by Homologastur in about a week. Keep in mind that if you decide to do the homologation on your own, you will also have to pay the laboratory certified and the visa al engineers college, so the 300 euros of which I speak above It doesn't seem so expensive anymore.
Ultimately, my impression of all this is that the Vehicle Modifications Law in this country is seriously flawed . If Brembo manufactures a brake kit specifically for this car, valued at over €2.000 and of a much higher quality than the original equipment , it seems rather absurd that so much paperwork is required to install them legally. Wouldn't it be more logical for the manufacturer to be responsible for homologating their products before selling them? Oh, yes, that already exists…CE marking, TUV, etc. So…why is so much documentation and certification required , leading to a conclusion (the brakes work well) that is already known beforehand?
If any of the readers has had any experience in homologations and reforms, I greatly appreciate you telling us about it, we are interested in your opinion.