Motor Vehicle Testing

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29383, 9 December 1960, Page 10

Motor Vehicle Testing

Sir, —For the past three weeks I have tried in vain to obtain a warrant for my car. My situation, I think, is typical of many Christchurch motorists. I took my car in and was rejected for faulty adjustments of headlights, right side too high. During the next week I rectified this fault and subsequently took it in again. Result: rejection, right light too dim. I rectified this and once more tried. Rejection, the fault being too wide a beam. Thus three weeks have passed and many hours spent waiting in the queue at. the testing station. I am not complaining at having these faults pointed out —a good mark to them for that—-

but surely they should have detected these last two faults at the first testing, as it is most unlikely .that these faults could have developed during the two intervening weeks.—Yours, etc., NO WARRANT.

December 4, 1960. [The Christchurch City Council’s traffic superintendent (Mr G. P. Kellar) replies: “The correct adjustment of headlights is not simple. Unless a light board is used on a level surface at a distance of 10 feet it is quite possible in adjusting the height of the beam to put both beams completely out of focus. Evidently the car presented by the correspondent developed a fault in the lighting circuit as it is admitted the right beam, on being represented, was dim. It is quite possible that both the latter faults developed as a result of the first adjustment. Should the correspondent care to call I will be pleased to call for the inspection cards and thus acquaint him with full details.”]