Unfortunately,\nwe\u2019re not all in a position to own a car that is newer than three years old,\nnor to have looked after one well enough for it to reach the grand old age of\nforty. For the rest of us, annual MOT tests are required for every vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whilst\nit\u2019s not a strenuous test on the driver\u2019s part, the unknown as to whether your\nvehicle will pass road safety standards or if you could be hit with a large sum\nof money should it fail is simply awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However,\nthere are a list of simple checks that you can inspect yourself prior to a MOT test,\nwhich will greatly reduce the chance expense and inconvenience of a retest. Most\nof these parts are easy to find once you\u2019ve done it once and are even easier to\nfix should you need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your\ncar oil lubricates the engine parts to ensure it runs smoothly when driving. Without\nthis, your engine without oil works similarly to human bones without cartilage.\nA dry engine will very quickly grind and groan until it becomes undrivable. If\nyour engine seizes it can be as dramatic as buying a new car as opposed to\ngetting it fixed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nonetheless,\na low oil level is a fault that, once identified, will lead to your vehicle failing\nan MOT. Typically, you should check your oil level every time you reach\n3000-5000 miles or every six months, you can find your oil dipstick under the\nbonnet. Use your driver\u2019s manual to find exactly where to locate it, pull out the\ndipstick, and carry out the following steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firstly,\nlook for the minimum and maximum line, this should be situated on the side of\nyour dipstick. Next, wipe it clean and pop it back in before pulling it out\nagain. If the oil line sits between these, then your oil level is adequate. If\nit sits below the minimum line, you\u2019ll need to fill up your oil before taking\nit in for its MOT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This\nshould always be carried out when the engine is cold, and the vehicle is parked\non a level surface. Testing the levels on a warm engine can be dangerous and\nwill give a very different reading as oil expands under the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To\ndo this, refer to your driver\u2019s manual for the full instructions in regard to\nyour vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After\ncontinuous and long-term use, you can expect your brakes to become spongy or\nslack. If this is not easily noticeable, there are a few tests that you can try\nin order to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes\nspongy brakes aren\u2019t always a serious issue, it could be down to a lack of\nbrake fluid in the vehicle. Again, under the bonnet, you\u2019ll be able to find the\nbrake fluid reservoir. If your brake fluid is a couple of inches lower than the\nreservoir cap, this will need refilling before your MOT. If you notice your\nbrake fluid to be dark in colour, this will need to be replaced by a mechanic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Possibly\nunknown to some, it is an illegal offence to drive a vehicle with tyres that do\nnot meet the required tread depth. The law allows a minimum tread depth of\n1.6mm and no lower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many\nmechanics and drivers use the 20p trick to determine if their vehicle\u2019s tyre\ntread depth exceeds the legal minimum. Place a 20p into the main grooves of\nyour tyre, if you cannot see the outer band on the 20p coin, then your tyre is\nabove the legal minimum. If you can see the outer band, your tread depth\nbreaches the legal requirement and your tyres will need to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be\nsure to check the depths across the tyre as under or overinflated tyres will wear\nunevenly, and also check all four tyres. They will all wear unevenly depending\non whether your car is front, rear or four-wheel drive, and if you are the sort\nto tackle a roundabout at speed the left side will also be likely to incur more\nwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nowadays,\nmost car dashboards will notify the driver of any lights that aren\u2019t working.\nAlthough, in the case that a car that doesn\u2019t, you should check your lights\nonce a week to guarantee safety when driving in the dark or during low\nvisibility weather conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\neasiest way to carry out these checks is with a friend, family member or\ncolleague who is happy to help. Ask someone to walk around the car whilst you\nturn on each indicator and individual headlight setting, as well as the brake\nlights. This way, you can easily identify any that need to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If\nyou are checking these on your own, use other vehicles and windows to check\nyour headlights and brake lights. To check your indicators, pull over to a safe\nspace, pop your hazards on and walk around the car to check they\u2019re all working.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Replacing\na light bulb can cost as little as \u00a31.00, depending on the car model you have.\nReplacing car light bulbs tends to be a quick and simple change for most car\nowners, refer to your driver\u2019s manual for further instructions. If your car was\nto fail in a MOT for this, it\u2019s a real kick yourself moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One\nfor the driver\u2019s manual, due to each car\u2019s required tyre pressure being\ndifferent, your manual will state what your car tyre pressures need to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both\nyour tyres being too low and too high can cause serious implications for your\nvehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With\nthis in mind, make a conscious effort to know the correct tyre pressure for\nyour wheels and keep a close eye on these to guarantee optimum performance. If\nyou notice your vehicle\u2019s tyres continue to go flat in a short amount of time,\nit may be that you have a slow puncture, leaky valve or a broken seal around\nthe bead. All of these issues can be quickly rectified by your local tyre\ndealer, and if the tyre is okay will only cost you a small amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have\nyou noticed every bump and dip in the road during your drive? Or, have you\nnoticed that the front of your vehicle frequently nose-dive\u2019s upon stopping?\nBoth of these could be signs that your suspension needs to be worked on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear\nnot, this is a really easy one to check. Commonly known as the \u2018bounce test\u2019,\nlean all your weight onto the bonnet of your car and bounce several times,\nrepeat this on the back of the vehicle also. If the car continues to bounce 2\nor 3 times after you\u2019ve removed your weight, then it is highly likely that a\nmechanic will need to work on your suspension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unless\nyou\u2019re confident when it comes to working your way round a car, we would\nsuggest leaving the realignment of wheels to your mechanic. However, there are\nways in which you can test your wheel alignment to know beforehand whether this\nwill come up in your MOT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For\nexample:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Various\nfluids are required in your vehicle in order to ensure it runs smoothly.\nTherefore, fluid leaks can be a result of lots of different reasons and its\nworthwhile being able to recognise what each fluid colour suggests. Identifying\nthe issue to avoid any shock revelations in a MOT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When\nit comes to your windows, there are several areas where your vehicle could fail\nits MOT which could have been prevented. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One\nbeing washer fluid levels, these should always sit between the designated\nminimum and maximum line. Another is the wear and tear of your wiper blades, costing\nless than \u00a320 to be replaced, this is an easy fix that shouldn\u2019t be left till\nthe MOT. Lastly, cracks in the windscreen should be repaired as soon as they\noccur to avoid prompting any further and more costly issues. If this is arrange\nbefore an MOT it is often coverage by your insurance policy and can be replaced\nfor the cost of a small excess payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MOTs\nare compulsory to ensure vehicles meet the required road safety standards to\nprevent as many unnecessary accidents as possible. One of the most important\nchecks carried out is on the seatbelts, our literal lifesavers should we ever find\nourselves involved in a car crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If\nyou notice your seatbelts start to wear and tear or lock before your MOT, take\nyour car in for a service and get these replaced. It could be a real life or\ndeath decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All\nin all, there\u2019s a lot that can be checked for and resolved prior to a MOT to\nreduce the lump sum cost at the end. Or, it could simply provide you with an\ninsight into what the cost will be upon finding these faults in the MOT. On top\nof this, as driver\u2019s we have a responsibility to make sure our vehicles are\nsafe enough to be on the road and protect the occupants inside. We cannot urge\nyou enough when we say, don\u2019t wait until your MOT if you notice anything\nsuspicious about your vehicle. Try diagnosing the issue or take your car to\nyour local garage if you\u2019re unsure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n