Failing your MOT is gutting enough – failing it because of a simple small defect that you could easily have sorted beforehand is even more so! Of course, you cannot fix major defects or issues with your car before taking it in to be MOT’d, but there are a number of quick and easy tasks that you can do to give your car the best chance of being nodded through without incurring any expensive fixes or retests.
Clean and Clear
Make sure your car is clean. This may sound ridiculous, but one of the things that MOT inspectors look for is your vehicle’s range of visibility. If you have large items in the back seat, remove them, wash both the windscreens, check the side windows, and make sure your rear view and side mirrors are pristine and well-positioned. Also make sure your number plate is easily legible from a reasonable distance – and that it is firmly in place, not wobbling when in use or hanging at an angle.
Keep Your Fluids Up
As well as petrol or diesel, vehicles need a fair number of other fluids, all of which help to keep the car running and in good, safe condition. Check the levels of all of these before you book your MOT, and top them up if necessary. These fluids include the obvious ones like radiator water and oil, but also the more niche ones like brake fluid, hydraulic systems fluids, and even your windscreen wiper fluid – the one that sprays soapy water onto the windscreen to help keep it clear when you are on the road, perhaps caught in a swarm of insects! Check your manual for details on which fluids need topping up and how to do this – some systems are sealed and never meant to be topped up, so do not panic if this is the case and you are unable to check the levels: the MOT inspector will know about these models.
The Original Three
The very first MOT just looked at the brakes, the lights and the steering of your vehicle and these three are still very important features in a modern MOT, despite the list now running to nearly thirty items. Get someone to help you check that your lights are working, and that your brake lights come on when you deploy the brake; try the brakes and the hand-brake (also called the emergency brake or parking brake) to ensure that the vehicle stops promptly on demand, and check that your steering is firm without too much play in its movements.
Ticking off these items – and others, such as sounding your horn – is an excellent way to make sure your vehicle has the best possible chance of cruising through its MOT on the day of the test.
So, if your MOT is due and you are looking for a credible local garage then we recommend Elite. You can book MOT Test Online in London at Elite Direct. They offer friendly customer service and great prices! Rest assured you’ll return a satisfied customer.