Technical Checks: rev counter not working

heartofwhite

Hey,

I have my test next monday morning. I am doing it in my own car but the rev counter does not work! The needle is stuck behind the nib rather than in front of it! Do you think that I will be allowed to do the test? I have enquired about getting it fixed but the only option is to get a new dash put in and this creates the problem of different mileage etc.

What should I do???

Alanstrainor

You'll have to get it fixed i'm afraid, that or rent/borrow a car for the test. You should be able to rent your instructors car for the hour, it'd be pricey though. Replacing the whole dash seems excessive, sounds like an easy job to me?...but then again, i just dont know.

PCros

Hi

I did my test yesterday and my airbag light was flashing (notorious Saxo problem) and he didnt say a thing about it, now not sure if he saw it or not but I'm sure he did coz my instructor saw it.

Your rev counter is a lot more noticable though, can you not just get your torques out a remove the steering wheel and then get in to the instrument panel that way? Oh if you do disconnect the bat for 20 mins before hand you you'll get an airbag in the face.

Other solution is to get a letter from your garage stating that it will be fixed and that its not a problem to do your test in that vehicle.

Hope that helps, best of luck!

heartofwhite

This will be my third test and I really dont want to do it in the instructors car as I drive the one I currently have so well and I am really confident with it. My instructor is going to ask his driving tester collegues if it is ok to do the test. According to the garage, which I go to on a regular basis, the only way to fix it is to replace the dash which is expensive and to honest I dont see why i should need to. I dont use the rev counter at all, as I know when the gears need to be changed. The counter being broken in no way affects my driving and if I were to pass I would not have a problem with it being broken!

Alanstrainor

I think you're missing the importance of a Tachometer(rev counter) in any vehicle. It will show you what gear you need to be in for the given situation, whether it be a hill, or that you're car is heavily weighed down. Personally i can not see a test going ahead with the tachometer not working, it's an essential guage. I would hate for you to have to cancel your test, or worse go to the test and be failed on this count. Perhaps starting a thread in the motors forum, where you state the car make, model, year and problem, would produce a cheaper solution, this whole business of taking out the dash to fix what sounds to me to be a simple problem seems excessive.

Ciaran500

Its not that unusual to have a car without a rev counter, surely they can't penalise you for the one you have not working.

Gregor Samsa

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Its not that unusual to have a car without a rev counter, surely they can't penalise you for the one you have not working.

It's probably a bit like headrests (head restraints). If a car doesn't have them by design, then it's no problem. But if it's supposed to, and they're not fitted, you can't sit the test.

Basically, they want the car to be in full working order, and have the right to call off the test if it's not.

wicklow joe

I wouldnt worry about it, They will only stop u doing your test if there is a red warning light on the dashboard, Once your car is nct'd they cat stop you doing it.

Ciaran500

wicklow joe wrote: »

Once your car is nct'd they cat stop you doing it.

Not true, if they find anything they deem unsafe they won't do the test.

Wishbone Ash

*OPEN TO CORRECTION*

I somehow doubt that a test would be abandonded because of a rev counter not working. It is not a statutory requirement and unlike an airbag etc. , it isn't a danger. I'm 99% sure it will be OK.

wicklow joe wrote: »

Once your car is nct'd they cat stop you doing it.

I'm afraid that's incorrect joe. An NCT certificate only demonstrates that the vehicle has passed at the time of testing. Do you seriously think that a test will be carried out in a vehicle with an NCT certificate but with faulty brakelights?

Sup08

wicklow joe wrote: »

I wouldnt worry about it, They will only stop u doing your test if there is a red warning light on the dashboard, Once your car is nct'd they cat stop you doing it.

Joe, it is ANY warning light on the dash. Your final checks letter does not give a colour.

Wishbone Ash is correct, the rev counter is not a requirement but as long as it is not affecting the speedometre.

wil

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I think you're missing the importance of a Tachometer(rev counter) in any vehicle. It will show you what gear you need to be in for the given situation, whether it be a hill, or that you're car is heavily weighed down. Personally i can not see a test going ahead with the tachometer not working, it's an essential guage.

Hardly. Many cars dont have them fitted, and it would be a very poor driver who had to refer to the revcounter in order to change gear.
The only important tachometer in the car is your brain.

It might however raise suspicions with the tester that all was not well with the car and give them cause to check for any other faults worthy of test 'abandonation*'

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I somehow doubt that a test would be abandonded because of a rev counter not working. It is not a statutory requirement and unlike an airbag etc. , it isn't a danger. I'm 99% sure it will be OK.

I'd be inclined to agree.
It's only the speedometer he will be checking for relevent numbers

If you are constantly stalling, chugging, over-revving, wheel spinning or rough gear changing, it's not for the want of a revcounter.

(* another made up word;))

challengemaster

Fiat punto's (atleast the mk2 1.2) don't have rev counters in them..

chris85

challengemaster wrote: »

Fiat punto's (atleast the mk2 1.2) don't have rev counters in them..

They definitly do, girlfriend has an mk2 punto 1.2 elx, definitly has the rev counter

heartofwhite

Hey guys, well guess what! I got the rev counter to work yesterday evening! It so weird though, the reason that it stopped working was due to the fact that the battery was flat and because I did not know this, I went to start the car and the rev counter span all the way around.

So what I did yesterday was leave the lights on in the car while I sat in it. After a few minutes the symbol on the dash for the lights dimmed so I then knew that the battery was about to go. So I then tryed to start the car and low and behold the rev counter spun back around the other way and came to rest above the nib rather than below it! It was then just a case of jumping the car. I swear to God I am 100% telling the truth.

Maybe it is just one of those things with 99 Citroens or maybe it is just the car! Either way it saved me a lot of heartache and expense! Many thanks for all the suggestions guys, I just hope that I pass now!

Alanstrainor

Hahahaha, brilliant! Best of luck on your test on monday!

challengemaster

chris85 wrote: »

They definitly do, girlfriend has an mk2 punto 1.2 elx, definitly has the rev counter

Well, I've been taking lessons in a mk2 1.2, it has none, I own a mk2 1.2, it has none, I've been in quite a few more, they have none. elx version may be different

genec

Hi,

The answer is to do nothing, and do your test on monday as normal.. The tester is not concerned whether the rev counter is working properly or not. The only way your test could be cancelled is if there is a red warning light on in the dash and even then it would need to be such an extreme problem so as to make the car unroadworthy. So dont worry about it.

I am a former driving tester myself so I know that this is the case

heartofwhite wrote: »

Hey,

I have my test next monday morning. I am doing it in my own car but the rev counter does not work! The needle is stuck behind the nib rather than in front of it! Do you think that I will be allowed to do the test? I have enquired about getting it fixed but the only option is to get a new dash put in and this creates the problem of different mileage etc.

What should I do???

chris85

challengemaster wrote: »

Well, I've been taking lessons in a mk2 1.2, it has none, I own a mk2 1.2, it has none, I've been in quite a few more, they have none. elx version may be different

Yeah maybe its the ELX version then, fair enough, never really driven the base model so not sure if it has the counter.

dmagive

Just phoned the driving test center and 'If it is in the car is must be working'.

Sup08

dmagive wrote: »

Just phoned the driving test center and 'If it is in the car is must be working'.

As long as it doesn't interfere with the speedometer then then just present it for the test and say nothing about it.
The tester would not notice this as it's not part of his/her checks.

kerry4sam

dmagive wrote: »

Just phoned the driving test center and 'If it is in the car is must be working'.

I hope the op here has had their test and passed and got the issue sorted in the past 6-years since this thread was first opened.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

biko

Old thread lock.