Did you know, most cars fail their MOT due to minor issues that can be easily avoided. To avoid these you can do a few simple checks yourself before putting you car for an MOT?

Here is a quick list you can follow:

Brake lights

Before you check your brake lights you will need someone else who needs to stand at the rear of the car while you press the brake pedal.
Do the lights come on and then go off when taking your foot of the pedal.
Also check you additional brake strip light if you have one.

Headlights and indicators

Check your headlights, rear lights, sidelights, hazard lights and indicators to make sure they are working and check number plates.
If one of the bulbs are blown we can supply a replacement or they can be sourced from other outlets if you want.

You can do it yourself on most cars, its not too hard but best to check and follow your manufacturers handbook. If you are unsure or just simply
dont have the time to do it we can do it for you.

Wheels and tyres

The fist thing to check isthe tyres to make sure they meet the minimum legal tyre tread depth which is 1.6mm , anything less will mean your car is an MOT fail.
If you are unsure you can ask us to check first.

Number plate

Cars can fail the MOT test because simply the number plate is dirty or unclear to read so you can just simple clean it first.
Some number plates are personalised by having a plate made using a special font – this can fail the MOT test and also with personalised number plates the spacing of the
letters can be set wrongly and this will fail the MOT. Even if you haven’t had the plate personalised you will still need to check the font and the spacing used.

Seats and seatbelts

Check that the driver’s seat can be adjust forwards and backwards.

Next check the seatbelts, pull them out to full length to inspect them for damage and pull hard on them and sharply to test how they react if the car has to brake hard, they need to stop.

Windscreen

Check for any damage to the windscrren glass. If there is any damage larger than 40mm or wider than 10mm in the area in front of the driver will cause a fail.
Check your insurance policy because often a repair to the windscreen can be free or with a small excess fee.

Windscreen wipers

Check your front and rear wipers to see if they do wipe your screen clean.Check for tears or holes in the wiper rubber – if there are any this will cause an MOT fail.

Screen wash

Check that you have washer in your bottle, if not just top up with washer fluid or water if you dot have any to hand.

Horn

Check that it works? If not you will need to get it repaired or replaced.

Fuel and engine oil

Check and make sure you have enough fuel and engine oil You could be turned away from an MOT without high enough levels as the tester will need to run the car to test it’s emission levels.
If you are unsure about the type of oil that should be used, ask your manufacturer main dealer.

WARNING: Make sure your vehicle has had the chance to cool down fully before checking fluid levels and parts which could be hot to touch

I hope this has helped in advising what you can do to help your car pass its MOT, if you have any questions about your MOT, please feel free to give us a call on tel:01926 853167